Members of former President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign team laughed and appeared to joke about whether they should have engaged with Black voters in Wisconsin, according to leaked audio.
Newly released recordings, obtained by The Associated Press, reportedly tell how Republican political operatives were laughing about whether they should have tried to appeal to minority voters in the Badger State during the last election.
At one point, the operators working in the key swing state are reportedly heard laughing about a comment from Andrew Iverson, who was the head of Trump's campaign in Wisconsin, on whether they need "more Black voices" for the former president.
Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the details of the leaked audio. Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) has been contacted for comment.
"We ever talk to Black people before? I don't think so," Iverson reportedly said, prompting more laughter from those taking part in a meeting on November 5, two days after Election Day in 2020.
The claims of the Wisconsin Republicans laughing about engaging with the Black community formed part of an Associated Press report detailing how they were aware that Joe Biden had won the 2020 election, but wanted to "fan the flame" that the Democrats rigged the election regardless.
The leaked audio focuses on comments made by Iverson, who is now Midwest regional director for the Republican National Committee.
The recordings reveal that the operatives were more than prepared to continue pushing Trump's false election fraud claims.
Biden was declared the winner of Wisconsin on November 4, and beat Trump by more than 20,000 votes in the state the latter had narrowly won in 2016.
"Here's the deal: Comms is going to continue to fan the flame and get the word out about Democrats trying to steal this election. We'll do whatever they need. Just be on standby if there's any stunts we need to pull," Iverson said.
The "fan the flame" comments about non-existent widespread voter fraud arrived even as Iverson noted Trump's margin of defeat in Wisconsin while praising the GOP's efforts in the key state.
"At the end of the day, this operation received more votes than any other Republican in Wisconsin history," Iverson said.
"Say what you want, our operation turned out Republican or DJT [Donald J. Trump] supporters. Democrats have got 20,000 more than us, out of Dane County and other shenanigans in Milwaukee, Green Bay and Dane. There's a lot that people can learn from this campaign."
The recording was leaked to The Associated Press by a former campaign official and Republican operative. They said they decided to hand over the recording of the November 5, 2020, meeting because Trump has launched a fresh bid to become president in 2024.
In a statement about the audio, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Associated Press: "The 2024 campaign is focused on competing in every state and winning in a dominating fashion. That is why President Trump is leading by wide margins in poll after poll."
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About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
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