A northern Wisconsin brewery is catching heat nationwide after a Facebook post that seemed to make light of the failed attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The Minocqua Brewing Company’s post, which included the line "we almost got #freebeerday," ricocheted across social media over the weekend and drew fast condemnation from Wisconsin lawmakers and party officials. Owner Kirk Bangstad has never shied away from blending politics with business, but critics say this time he blew past the line of acceptable commentary.
The post mocked the incident, joking that the security breach was either the work of someone with bad aim or a staged stunt, and declared that the taproom would pour free beer on the day a high-profile figure dies. According to FOX6 Milwaukee, the post featured an image with a red necktie linked to President Trump. The company had already leaned into the bit earlier in the year, with a January promotion promising "free beer, all day long, the day he dies," as reported by Fox News Digital.
Political reaction
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin labeled the rhetoric "completely unacceptable" and called for a retraction, while elected officials in both parties publicly condemned the post. WISN reports that U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil blasted the remarks as "despicable" and "inappropriate." Sen. Tammy Baldwin and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes also weighed in, urging cooler heads and warning that treating political violence as a punchline helps normalize it.
Owner's record and 'Free Beer Day'
Bangstad has turned Minocqua Brewing into a full-on political vehicle, running a federal Super PAC, selling openly partisan merchandise, and repeatedly tangling with local officials and newspapers. WPR has chronicled lawsuits and disputes involving Bangstad and his PAC, while industry outlet Beer Street Journal notes that the "Free Beer Day" slogan and related merch have kept the brewery in the headlines as much for its politics as for its product.
Shooting context and charges
The uproar is unfolding against the backdrop of a serious federal case. The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has put security officials on edge, and prosecutors have charged the suspect with attempted assassination of the president along with other weapons offenses, according to AP. That legal reality helped propel the brewery’s online joke into a national flashpoint.
Bangstad did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and party leaders say they plan to press Democratic allies who have taken his donations to speak publicly about the controversy. The dust-up has reopened familiar arguments over when sharp-edged political commentary crosses into rhetoric that normalizes violence. For now, the brewery’s posts remain a magnet for outrage and clicks. FOX6 Milwaukee also reports that Bangstad was recently convicted of disorderly conduct in an unrelated case.
