CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wisconsin — President Donald Trump campaigned in rural central Wisconsin on Friday, appearing in a key congressional district targeted by Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump participated in a roundtable event focused on agriculture at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, where he vowed to end U.S. involvement in the conflict with Iran quickly. He linked the move to lowering costs for farmers, including fertilizer prices.
"We're going to come out of Iran very quickly and it's going to be strong one way or the other," Trump said at the event. "Your fertilizer prices are going to go way down, just like they were four months ago."
The visit highlighted Republican efforts to defend the seat held by Representative Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. Van Orden, a Trump ally, won reelection narrowly in 2024, making the district a priority target for Democrats seeking to flip the Republican's slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Van Orden told the crowd that Trump supports American farmers. "If anyone says he does not, you can look them straight in the eye and tell them that's a pile of manure," he said.
The event drew attendees to a farm building amid rainy weather, with some waiting outside. While many supporters backed Trump, others expressed concerns about rising gasoline prices linked to the Iran conflict.
Tom Paff, a data analyst from nearby Boyd, Wisconsin, described himself as a Trump supporter but said he was unhappy with gas prices. "I don’t think we belong in the Middle East at all," he said.
Democrats view the district as competitive. Rebecca Cooke, Van Orden's Democratic challenger, said she believed Republicans brought Trump to the area because they saw her race as tight. She noted recent visits by other administration officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Cooke said Trump's policies are squeezing farmers through tariffs, healthcare changes and higher input costs tied to the Iran conflict.
Wisconsin's average gas price stood at $4.04 per gallon this week, up $1.08 from a year earlier, according to the American Automobile Association. Energy prices have risen since the Iran conflict began, contributing to broader cost-of-living pressures.
Trump's appearance marked at least the fourth visit to the district by top administration officials in the past year. Vice President JD Vance visited previously, and the stop underscored Republican focus on rural voters amid the midterm campaign.
Republicans hold a narrow 217-212 majority in the House. Control of the chamber in the November 2026 elections will influence the second half of Trump's term.
The president urged voters in Wisconsin to mobilize for the midterms as negotiations with Iran continue, though a resolution to the conflict has remained elusive.
