Trump video, Ron Johnson speech highlight Wisconsin GOP convention at La Crosse Center

Wisconsin Republicans cheered their party’s most recent president and their current U.S. Senator as part of the state party gathering Saturday at the La Crosse Center.

Donald Trump was among a number of GOP presidential candidates who spoke in pre-recorded videos shown to hundreds of convention delegates during the main session of the party’s three-day convention.

In his video remarks, Trump called incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden “the worst and most corrupt president” in American history, and pledged to “evict” Biden from the White House in next year’s election.

He also accused Republican opponent Ron DeSantis, who he called “DeSanctimonious,” of supporting policies that would destroy Social Security and Medicare.

Chants of “four more years” came from the audience after the Trump video.

DeSantis also spoke in a video to the convention, pledging to send Biden back to his basement, and referring to Wisconsin as an important “swing state” in the campaign.

US Sen. Tim Scott, as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, also talked about their campaigns in videos, while Nikki Haley’s campaign presented a TV commercial which contained no personalized message for a Wisconsin audience.

Among speakers attending the convention in person, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson attacked the growing national deficit, called for reforms in the immigration system, and said Biden talked about unifying the nation in the past, but has “done the opposite” as president.

Johnson also said Americans have delayed discussion of abortion for 50 years since the Roe v. Wade, and claims people are still not having the conversation.

Three Republican US House members from the state– Derrick Van Orden, Tom Tiffany, and Glenn Grothman — took part in a panel discussion during Saturday’s meeting.

Van Orden called on more party members to vote regularly in elections, not just in the presidential races, suggesting that state Supreme Court Justice-elect Janet Protasiewicz would not have won election in April if Republican turnout had been higher.

Van Orden also was the chairman for the convention.

The party meeting ends on Sunday with a prayer breakfast.

Delegates also were reminded that the first GOP presidential debate for 2024 will happen in Milwaukee this summer, and that city will host the national Republican convention next year.