President Trump Cancels Visit to Harley-Davidson HQ
Trump Reportedly Cancels Trip to Milwaukee, and Harley Claims They Never Planned on Hosting the President
Update: Harley-Davidson executives met with President Trump at the White House Thursday, Feb 2nd. Coverage on the details of the visit to come in a full story next week.
Great meeting with @harleydavidson executives from Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the @WhiteHouse. pic.twitter.com/7Spcmh6guM
— President Trump (@POTUS) February 2, 2017
According to various sources, President Donald Trump has pulled the plug on an official visit to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Therefore, he will not become the fourth U.S. President to tour the iconic Harley-Davidson Headquarters.
President Trump was expected to deliver a series of pro-business speeches in Wisconsin, a state that played a crucial role on election night. Furthermore, he was to deliver several reports on domestic economy and manufacturing.
White House staffers were reportedly in Wisconsin over the weekend, working on venue planning and logistics. All plans for public appearances came crashing down upon the announcement of the President’s so called “Muslim Ban.” The controversial executive order calls on banning refugees from seven different Muslim countries.
‘These visits are a testament to the pride and passion of our employees and their great work building Harley-Davidson motorcycles.’
When reached out by CNN, Harley-Davidson claimed there weren’t any official arrangements to host Trump.
“We are proud to have hosted Presidential visits at our facilities. Three of the last five presidents — Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — have visited us at our facilities. These visits are a testament to the pride and passion of our employees and their great work building Harley-Davidson motorcycles,” said Maripat Blankenheim, director of Harley-Davidson’s corporate communication.
Whether the visit to the motorcycle manufacturer’s HQ was planned or not, several reports claim the appearance was cancelled for fear of protests. Several groups had already organized to oppose the Presidential visit, claiming over 4,500 people were interested in taking to the streets and raising their voices.
Perhaps Harley’s neglecting of the official visit was to avoid backfire? It’s certainly a possibility. However, Blankenheim claimed that they “look forward to hosting the President in the future.”
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