WISCONSIN -- Ahead of Donald Trump’s visit to Wisconsin, which in recent days saw record high COVID-19 infections, Janesville leaders spoke out about his mishandling of his virus and the vital need to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House. 

WMTV: Janesville leaders criticize Trump’s visit to Janesville, call it a ‘super spreader' event

• State Representative Deb Kolste, Janesville City Council member Susan Johnson, and Laura French, a Wisconsinite affected by COVID-19 met virtually Saturday morning at 10 a.m to give statements on the matter.
• “It is the pinnacle of irresponsibility and callous negligence for Trump to come to our city and hold a rally that could become a super spreader event," Kolste said. "I’ve seen the unmasked people at his rallies, it such a disheartening scene. It is such a simple thing and a simple science to wear a face covering.”
• Their statements come as the state approaches 1,600 deaths from COVID-19 and days after the creation of a field hospital at the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee.
• “When I see the president mocking mask mandates, encouraging people not to follow these guidelines, and ignoring the reality of a crisis that has already taken over 210,000 American lives, it makes me incredibly upset,” Johnson said. “These are super spreader events and health care experts in Wisconsin and at the CDC have pleaded with President Trump to put an end to this reckless behavior.”
• The leaders emphasized that a vote for Joe Biden would get the virus under control and save the economy.

See more coverage below.

Newsweek: “The president will head to the neighboring state of Wisconsin later Saturday, where he plans to host a rally in Janesville, located about 75 miles west of Milwaukee. City leaders held a virtual press conference Saturday morning, criticizing Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic and his decision to hold a large event where cases are also surging, local station WMTV reported. ‘These are super spreader events and health care experts in Wisconsin and at the CDC have pleaded with President Trump to put an end to this reckless behavior,’ said Janesville City Council member Susan Johnson.”

Wisconsin State Journal: "These rallies not only threaten public health, but they hurt our economy … until we get this pandemic under control we cannot get our economy back," Janesville City Council member Susan Johnson said Saturday. Janesville is a community all too familiar with economic hardship. The Janesville General Motors plant, once located a few miles from where the president spoke, shuttered its doors two days before Christmas 2008 and left the community and thousands of residents in turmoil amid the last economic recession...“It is the pinnacle of irresponsibility and callous negligence for Trump to come to our city and hold a rally that could become a super-spreader event," Rep. Deb Kolste, D-Janesville, said Saturday."

Gazette Xtra: “As the state continued to average more than 3,000 new COVID cases a day this week, Janesville Democratic state Rep. Deb Kolste and Susan [Johnson], a Janesville City Council member, held a video conference Saturday morning hosted by the Wisconsin Democrats. Kolste and Johnson slammed Trump for what the two called a ‘failed national pandemic response’ they believe has led to a COVID case spike locally and statewide and a series of local and national ‘economic crashes’ tied to the pandemic. The Rock County Board had asked Trump not to visit Janesville in his slated rally that was canceled earlier this month after Trump tested positive for COVID.”

World-acclaimed comedians and actors featured in Livestream Event doing stand-up bits, skits, and live crowd interaction between the participants on October 20.

WISCONSIN -- The Democratic Party of Wisconsin will host Laughing All the Way to the White House: A Comedy Livestream Event to turn Wisconsin Blue on October 20 -- the first day of in-person early voting in Wisconsin -- with world-acclaimed comedians and actors that will feature stand-up bits, skits, and live crowd interaction between the participants. The event will be available for a minimum donation of $1, and all proceeds will go towards making Trump a one-term president.

List of participants: Sarah Silverman, Lewis Black, Sarah Cooper, Bassem Youssef, Chelsea Peretti, Judd Apatow, Whitney Cummings, Bradley Whitford, Mike Birbiglia, Sklar Brothers, Ahmed Ahmed, Cristela Alonzo, Anjelah Johnson, Greg Proops, Jackie Kashian, Maria Bamford, Will Forte, Ben Gleib, Seth MacFarlane, Hasan Minhaj, Roy Wood Jr, and Harry Shearer.