Derrick Van Orden slams Milwaukee mayor during RNC claiming he’s doing ‘a horrible job running this place’

While Republicans descend on Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention this week, one Wisconsin lawmaker expressed his discontent with the mayor of the city.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson is doing “a horrible job running this place,” claiming his statement was “factual.” Johnson was elected mayor of Wisconsin ’s largest city in 2022 after the city’s longtime mayor Tom Barrett stepped down from the role after he was appointed to be the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.

“What’s within the security perimeter is going great. I had a bunch of folks say they were so surprised about Milwaukee,” Van Orden told Urban Milwaukee.

“This [is] unfortunately not the total picture of what takes place in Milwaukee. This place has the potential to be a world-class, awesome city that it should be, but unfortunately Cavalier Johnson has done a horrible job running this place. That’s factual,” Van Orden continued, citing poor reading levels at some Milwaukee schools.

In response, Johnson pointed to Van Orden’s attendance at the "Save America" rally before the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

"I hope that Mr. Van Orden’s visit to Milwaukee was more memorable than his visit to the United States Capitol on January 6th,” Johnson said.

Urban Milwaukee reported other Wisconsin lawmakers and delegates enjoying the city.

“It’s all positive,” Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) said, noting this RNC was his favorite of the four conventions he’s attended. “You’re going to have a lot of brats, which is kind of a new thing for these folks, so that’s good. And some good Wisconsin beer, which is also good.”

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“Having it in Wisconsin is fantastic,” said delegate Kathy Broghammer, from a Milwaukee suburb. “We are able to showcase this beautiful city. The whole world can see us. It’s just, to me, a fantastic opportunity for everybody to see how kind we are, how nice we are, how friendly we are. I am hearing amazing things about how people think we are really nice here.”

Van Orden made headlines at the RNC earlier this week after he claimed an anti-war protester assaulted him . The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the protester will not be charged following the incident.