前总统唐纳德·特朗普正计划访问芝加哥在共和党全国代表大会期间——距离大会召开地点有一个多小时的车程密尔沃基据熟悉他的计划的消息人士称，但他周二坚持说他将“留在”密尔沃基，并再次否认了他称之为“可怕的城市”的报道。
特朗普预计将参加在芝加哥举行的一场筹款活动，但细节仍在敲定中。一名竞选官员告诉ABC新闻，前总统将在周四晚上留在密尔沃基接受共和党提名。
周二早些时候，几位了解安全计划和后勤安排的官员表示，在RNC期间，特朗普可能会在他位于芝加哥的房产特朗普国际酒店和塔楼过夜。
周二晚些时候，这位前总统在接受密尔沃基当地电视台采访时否认了他不会留在主办城市的报道。
“我要留在这里。我一直打算留在这里，”特朗普告诉WTMJ，因为他在竞选威斯康星州。"再说一次，我选择密尔沃基是有原因的."
在记者——包括美国广播公司新闻频道(ABC News)、美国广播公司在芝加哥的子公司WLS和《纽约时报》的记者——联系竞选团队确认后勤工作后，特朗普竞选团队的国家新闻秘书卡罗琳·莱维特(Karoline Leavitt)发表声明说，“特朗普总统留在密尔沃基。”
特朗普周二在威斯康星州的拉辛举行了一场竞选活动，距离密尔沃基30英里，他在那里谈到了通货膨胀和移民问题。
在他的讲话中，特朗普说“我爱密尔沃基”——据称这是指这位前总统称密尔沃基为“可怕的城市”在上周四与国会共和党人的闭门会议中。
“我是选择密尔沃基的人，我必须告诉你，我是选择它(为RNC)的人，”川普在他的集会上说。“这些撒谎的人说，‘哦，他不喜欢密尔沃基。’我爱密尔沃基。"
这次露面标志着特朗普第三次访问中西部战场州，因为他试图与总统乔·拜登形成对比。
周二，他坚称自己“一直计划留在”密尔沃基，此前有报道称他发表了贬低这座城市的言论。
特朗普的竞选团队对他的评论的定性提出了质疑，民主党人坚持放大他报道的话——包括通过在该市的一个新的广告牌活动。
特朗普的竞选发言人回击了这些报道，认为特朗普的话被断章取义了。
“他在谈论犯罪和选民欺诈有多可怕，”竞选发言人张致恒说。
在另一份声明中，竞选团队写道，特朗普称密尔沃基是一个“可怕的城市”，这是一个“彻头彻尾的谎言”。然而，它继续补充说，“特朗普总统明确提到了密尔沃基的问题，特别是暴力犯罪和选民欺诈，”这表明他确实对这座城市发表了评论，只是不是以一些人解读的方式。
Trump plans to visit Chicago during RNC, denies he won't be staying in Milwaukee
Former President Donald Trump is making plans to visitChicagoduring the Republican National Convention -- more than an hour's drive from where the convention will take place inMilwaukee, according to sources familiar with his plans, but he insisted on Tuesday he would be "staying" in Milwaukee and again denied reports he called it a "horrible city."
Trump is expected to attend a fundraiser in Chicago, though details are still being finalized. A campaign official tells ABC News, the former president will stay in Milwaukee to accept the Republican nomination on Thursday evening.
Earlier Tuesday, at one point, several officials briefed on security plans and logistical arrangements indicated Trump would likely stay overnight at his property in Chicago -- Trump International Hotel and Tower -- during the duration of the RNC.
Later on Tuesday, the former president denied reporting that he wouldn't be staying in the host city in an interview with a local Milwaukee TV station.
"I'm staying here. I was always planning on staying here," Trumptold WTMJ as he campaigned inWisconsin. "Again, I chose Milwaukee for a reason."
After reporters -- including those from ABC News, ABC affiliate WLS in Chicago, and The New York Times -- reached out to the campaign to confirm logistics, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement saying, "President Trump is staying in Milwaukee."
Trump held a campaign event in Racine, Wisconsin, on Tuesday -- 30 miles south of Milwaukee -- where he touched on inflation and immigration.
During his remarks, Trump said "I love Milwaukee" -- a reference to that the former president allegedlycalled Milwaukee a "horrible city"during a closed-door meeting with congressional Republicans last Thursday.
"I was the one that picked Milwaukee, I have to tell you, I was the one that picked it [for the RNC]," Trump said during his rally. "These lying people that they say, 'Oh, he doesn't like Milwaukee.' I love Milwaukee."
The appearance marks Trump's third visit to the midwestern battleground state as he tries to draw a contrast with President Joe Biden.
His insistence Tuesday that he was "always planning on staying" in Milwaukee comes after his reported comments disparaging the city.
Trump's campaign disputed the characterization of his comments, and Democrats persistently amplified his reported words -- including through a new billboard campaign in the city.
Trump's campaign spokesperson punched back on the reports, arguing that Trump's words were taken out of context.
"He was talking about how terrible crime and voter fraud are," said campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.
In another statement, the campaign wrote that it was a "total lie" that Trump called Milwaukee a "horrible city." However, it went on to add, "President Trump was explicitly referring to the problems in Milwaukee, specifically violent crime and voter fraud," suggesting he did make comments about the city, just not in the way some were interpreting it.
