The leftist Wisconsin brewery owner who is promising free beer on the day of President Donald Trump’s death is on the minds of federal law enforcement officials, spokespeople from two agencies told The Federalist.
As The Federalist reported Tuesday, Kirk Bangstad, owner of northern Wisconsin’s “progressive” Minocqua Brewing Company, has faced sweeping public condemnation for a social media post urging the next would-be Trump assassin to improve his “marksmanship.”
“Well, we almost got #freebeerday,” Bangstad apparently wrote in now-deleted posts after a gunman stormed past a security post, set on murdering President Donald Trump and administration officials in attendance at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Federal prosecutors have charged Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old California man reportedly radicalized in the school of leftist dogma, with attempting to assassinate the president, transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. Authorities say Allen wrote a pointed manifesto detailing his hatred for Trump and members of his administration. He described himself as a “friendly federal assassin.”
Bangstad, who runs a suspect liberal super PAC that attacks Republicans, has long promised “free beer, all day long” on the day of the president dies.
The radical leftist has a long — and expensive — history of incendiary speech. Now federal law enforcement officials say the brewery’s posts have caught their attention.
”The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the social media post by the Minocqua Brewing Company,” Joseph Biesk, Public Affairs Specialist for the Secret Service’s Chicago Field Office, wrote in an email in response to The Federalist’s questions. “Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence.”
And The FBI is “aware of” the incendiary posts.
“Hateful rhetoric and speech are despicable. Threats of violence or terrorism will be investigated by the FBI,” Caroline Clancy,Public Affairs Officer for the FBI’s Milwaukee Division, told The Federalist. Clancy encouraged the public to report any threats of violence in detail to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.
Neither agency confirmed whether there was an active investigation into Bangstad and his business.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Republican who represents western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, told The Federalist earlier this week that the “free beer” promise could be viewed not only as a threat against the president, but a “bounty.”
“Threatening speech is not protected speech. Libelous speech is not protected, either,” the congressman said. “There should be a very detailed analysis of all of this guy’s social media because his comments are really incendiary.”
‘Wishful Thinking’
The brewery produces beers named after household names in leftist politics — AOC IPA, Kamala Espresso Stout, Bernie Brew. Bangstad and crew also package their extreme hatred for Trump and his supporters in merchandise like the Trump and Pals Voodoo Doll, “Handmade with vengeance and reclaimed deadstock fabric … and attired in stripes with a soupçon of wishful thinking.”
Bangstad sounds unrepentant, seemingly rejoicing in all of the hate he’s making. Or maybe it’s just ravenous narcissism that drives him to seek whatever attention he can find. He’s a twisted dude, believing he’s leading an army of like-minded sociopaths.
On Wednesday, Bangstad posted on the brewery’s Facebook page a Fox News reporter’s request for comment. The reptile seemed to revel in accusing the conservative news outlet of doing what he appears to be doing: inciting violence. But then again, what would the left be without projection?
“It’s wonderful that Fox News, the entity that’s most responsible for political violence in this country, is offering to help promote our upcoming ‘free beer day,’ in which we promise to hand out ‘free beer, all day, when he dies,’” the attention whore wrote in his response to the reporter’s email. “Every time you write a story about us, our beer sales go through the roof. Is it possible that the vast amount of media literate Americans, who also love great craft beer, just LOVE it when #faux news completely misreads the room and clutches its pearls as we hype the ‘celebration of life’ that the rest of the globe anticipates with glee?’”
Bangstad concluded with the crude and banal insults that his political enemies have grown accustomed to.
His critics say he’s delusional, particularly in his boasting of his “great craft beer,” which has been likened to moose urine.
As we know, there is no accounting for taste. But there should be accountability for those who incite violence. We’ll see whether law enforcement officials believe Bangstad and his brew crew have crossed the line from hateful rhetoric to criminal conduct.
