Northwoods Democrat Operative Profiting off Trump Murder Fantasy Has Ties to Wisconsin Candidates
Secret Service needs to check in on the guy promising a free beer after-party in the event of Trump’s death.
Hopefully, the U.S. Secret Service has wannabe Socialist political influencer Kirk Bangstad in its sights after he again bribed the public with free beer-for-a-day if Trump dies—something he has been promoting for months.
People have killed for less, so it is sincerely concerning that Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company and founder of Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC, is profiting off homicidal ideation. Also sickening: that so many Wisconsinites, including Democrat candidates, embrace Bangstad's menacing brand of political warfare—while simultaneously calling for an end to political violence.
Free Advertising
If it's true that no publicity is bad publicity, Bangstad, who ran for Congress in 2015 and Wisconsin State Assembly in 2020, has hit a free advertising bonanza in response to the disgusting social media post his company made after a gunman tried to rush the White House Correspondents' Association dinner where President Donald Trump was set to speak.
"Well, we almost got #freebeerday. Either a brother or sister in the Resistance needs to work on their marksmanship or he faked another assassination to get a positive news cycle. We'll never know. Regardless, we stand at the ready to pour free beer the day it happens," said the original post, which was taken down when X suspended Minocqua Brewing Company's account for violating community rules. Copies of the post are all over social media.
Hate is the main marketing ploy for Bangstad's lousy beer. He sells Trump voodoo dolls and tee shirts reading "I wish it were free beer day," with a drawing of Trump's trademark long red tie rumpled on the ground. The message is clear for anyone familiar with the sick promotion—the wearer wishes Trump dead. Fans send Minocqua Brewing Company photos of themselves wearing the shirt and they are posted on the company Facebook page. It is shocking to see folks who could be your neighbor sporting the death-wish shirt, mugging for the camera, with fingers crossed hopefully as if an assassination can't come quick enough.
It's not a cute inside joke, it's dangerous. An unstable person could easily see so many people gleefully wishing for Trump's murder, and be moved to action thinking, "I'll be a hero! Everyone will get free beer and like me." And he would not be wrong. These people are not kidding around—they want an assassination.
Just look at what happened at the Congressional baseball game in 2017, or the 2012 shooting at the Family Research Council headquarters.
There was a time when wishing someone dead was considered morally wrong. The Left has made it a joke with a deadly punchline.
Minocqua Brewing Company has branded itself as radical and revolutionary, with its beer boasting novelty Socialist names and drawings of the people referenced in the name, like Biden Beer; Bernie Brew for Bernie Sanders; Evers Ale for Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers; AOC:IPA for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY); and beers named Choice, a nod to abortion; Woke; and Extinct Elephant—no doubt more wishful thinking.
Mandela Mash
Mandela Barnes is currently running as a Democrat in the primary for Wisconsin Governor, but when Barnes ran for Senate in 2022, Minocqua Brewing Company made a beer with his likeness on the can. It was called "Mandela Mash—The only sane choice for U.S. Senate." The back of the can had a long, printed pitch promoting Mandela. When he announced the new beer brand on his blog, Bangstad wrote that in addition to the beer, there would be an advertising buy for billboards and an aggressive talk radio campaign, "so that rural Wisconsin voters have a chance at hearing the truth amidst the flood of Trump Cult misinformation being slung at them by radio waves currently saturated with conservative misinformation."
Imagine the value of distributing beer cans printed with a candidate sales pitch, on store shelves across the state. It almost feels like an in-kind donation to the Barnes campaign. Maybe this old friendship is why Barnes has not distanced himself from Bangstad or condemned his Trump bump-off-beer-bribe.
Maybe the Federal Elections Commission or the IRS need to investigate.
Barnes did post a hollow message that seems counterintuitive for a guy who has advocated cutting Milwaukee police funding.
"Political violence is unacceptable and has no place in our country. Thank you to the law enforcement officials who acted swiftly and bravely to keep everyone safe at the White House Correspondents' Dinner," Barnes said.
Political violence is unacceptable and has no place in our country.
— Mandela Barnes (@TheOtherMandela) April 26, 2026
Thank you to the law enforcement officials who acted swiftly and bravely to keep everyone safe at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Barnes walks delicately on his political tightrope, careful not to upset Bangstad, and careful to make a vague, obligatory, show of concern. His ties to people like Bangstad—who will scorch him if he gets out of line—reveal a deep lack of authenticity. If Barnes were thinking for himself, he would use the biggest moment of the national news cycle, and the loudest response within Wisconsin, and speak with clarity. That Barnes failed to condemn Bangstad tells voters everything about his loyalties, and his inability to speak up for the state when his pal says something so clearly wrong.
After all, if elected governor, he's going to govern Trump voters, too.
Campaign Donor Hong
Democrat gubernatorial frontrunner Francesca Hong is also tight with Bangstad, having appeared on his Up North podcast.
Hong donated $25 to Bangstad's 2020 campaign, and although she has posted plenty about the gunman at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, she has not condemned Bangstad's vile comments. Instead, she offers trite sentiment "Political violence is never the answer," then flips the conversation to blaming conservative policy for political violence in a series of X posts that minimize the seriousness of the failed attack.
"I also want to point out: The state enacts political violence on its citizens every day. We see it when ICE agents occupy our cities and put children in cages. We see it in a healthcare system that lets people die because they can't afford care."
I also want to point out: The state enacts political violence on its citizens every day. We see it when ICE agents occupy our cities and put children in cages. We see it in a healthcare system that lets people die because they can't afford care.
— Francesca Hong For Governor (@FrancescaHongWI) April 26, 2026
Who knew Hong still clings to the old "kids in cages" lie? Incredibly, Hong likens ICE agents to a homicidal gunman. Her flippant post has an undertone that telegraphs the message: I don't like your policies, so it's nothing that someone tried to kill you. You had it coming because you don't agree with me.
But we know who does agree with Hong: Bangstad, the bad beer man of the Northwoods who aggressively pushes Socialism and collects profits while he normalizes murder, one tee shirt at a time.
Every Last Drop
Bangstad can't shut up about his new-found national notoriety. In post after post on Facebook, he is squeezing every last drop of publicity out of his little news bubble, feigning outrage that anyone should trample in his free speech and innocent offer.
In a recent post, Minocqua Brewing Company claims that Hong and Barnes, "…have thrown a fellow progressive under the bus for using hyperbolic satire to allude to a disbelief that the secret service could be THAT bad at protecting our president in the last 3 'assassinations' attempts, would you be willing to comment on the 1st amendment boondoggle that you've now caused because Republicans seized on your weakness, smelled blood in the water, and have made this national story?"
Oh please. He clearly thrives on controversy and wallows in the attention. The post goes on to say Minocqua Brewing Company is now leaning towards throwing its support behind Kelda Roys who is barely noticeable in the polls. Don't believe it. This is a damage control operation to give the leading Democrats plausible deniability about living in crazy town.
MORE COVERAGE FROM RESTORATION NEWS
DSA Taking Over: Wisconsin’s DSA Threat Takes Root in Governor’s Race
Primary Blues: Endorsement Hall of Shame: Wisconsin Governor Primary Edition
The Mandela Effect: Mandela Barnes: Yet Another Democrat Ignoring Voters' Demand for Voter ID
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