Brewer Who Joked About 'Free Beer Day' If Trump Died Announces Wisconsin Governor Bid

Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company, announced on Sunday that he is entering the race for governor of Wisconsin. In a Substack post, Bangstad said the state needs "a battle-hardened fighter" to help defend American democracy against what he described as "Trump's regime," and argued that the current field of Democratic primary candidates does not offer that kind of leadership.

Background: The Controversial Post

The campaign launch follows national attention to a Facebook comment from the brewery made a little over a week earlier that joked about offering free beer if President Donald Trump died. The brewery's post — written after reports that shots had been fired at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, an event attended by Trump and several Cabinet members — said, in part, "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."

Investigations and Political Fallout

Bangstad says the comment prompted inquiries from federal law-enforcement agencies and that the Wisconsin Democratic Party publicly disavowed the brewery's message. According to Bangstad, the response from political opponents and national media triggered what he described as a "feeding frenzy" that targeted him, his fiance, and his business. He has said he was interviewed and questioned by agents from the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service at his taproom.

"The messaging mistake [State Rep. Francesca] Hong made, as well as [gubernatorial candidate Mandela] Barnes and the rest of the Corporate Democrats, spilled progressive blood into the water that created a feeding frenzy against me, my fiance, and my company," Bangstad wrote on Substack.

The Campaign

Bangstad says that after federal agents left his taproom he told his lawyer he would run for governor, citing a lack of confidence in the current slate of Democratic candidates and a belief that his social-media reach outstrips theirs. To qualify for the November ballot, he is seeking 2,000 valid petition signatures by June 1.

He previously ran for Congress in 2015 and campaigned for the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2020. Bangstad also founded the Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC, which the brewery says aims to remove Republican officials who promoted falsehoods about the 2020 election and those whose handling of COVID-19 it says caused unnecessary deaths.

Minocqua Brewing has gained attention for politically themed beers such as "Resistance Pilsner" and "Tammy Shandy," named after U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin. Bangstad has sharply criticized some media coverage of the episode — including Fox News Digital — and said he believes the controversy has only strengthened his decision to run.

This article was updated to include Bangstad's comment.