Full Breakdown
“Free Beer” Comment Sparks Backlash After White House Shooting Attempt
4/28/2026, 5:39:29 AM
Brewery Owner’s “Free Beer” Post After White House Shooting Attempt
After shots rang outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, forcing President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to evacuate, Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company, posted on Facebook, “Well, we almost got #freebeerday,” adding he would “pour free beer the day it happens.” The comment drew swift national criticism.
Background and Bangstad’s Political Activity
Gunfire near the Hilton venue during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner prompted a rapid security response. Bangstad, the 2020 Democratic nominee for Wisconsin’s 34th Assembly District, blends his brewing business with political activism. He founded the Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC, which has raised millions to support liberal causes, sue Republican officials, and challenge Trump’s placement on Wisconsin ballots.
Key Figures and Organizations
Kirk Bangstad runs Minocqua Brewing Company, which sells shirts, “free beer” merchandise, and voodoo dolls of Trump and other officials. Republican critics include House candidate Michael Alfonso, RNC spokeswoman Delanie Bomar, and NRCC spokesman Zach Bannon. Democratic links involve former employee Rebecca Cooke, a U.S. House candidate, and gubernatorial frontrunner Francesca Hong, both previously employed by Bangstad.
Financial and Legal Controversies
Court filings show the Super PAC paid large sums to obscure entities and issued checks labeled “organizing” to brewery staff. Bangstad was found liable in a civil defamation case with a $750,000 judgment settled for $580,000 and faced criminal defamation charges after posting a parody image of a local newspaper editor. He entered a no-contest plea to a disorderly-conduct charge.
Official Republican Responses
RNC spokeswoman Delanie Bomar called the brewery’s rhetoric “so sick in the head that an attempted murder is funny to them.” NRCC spokesman Zach Bannon urged former employee Rebecca Cooke to “stop hiding and immediately denounce her former employer.” House candidate Michael Alfonso highlighted Bangstad’s ties to Democrats and called the comments a “normalization of extremist rhetoric.”
Democratic Criticism and Calls for Condemnation
Rebecca Cooke’s campaign condemned “all forms of political violence” and called the rhetoric “dangerous and unacceptable.” Francesca Hong’s campaign manager labeled the tweet “intentionally inflammatory” and a symptom of the “normalization of political violence.” Both declined to name Bangstad when asked.
Conflicting Reports and Unresolved Issues
Bangstad’s suggestion that the shooting could have been a “faked assassination” remains unverified, and investigators have not linked his statements to the WHCD motive. Financial disclosures reveal opaque Super PAC spending, with unclear allocations between political and non-political activities.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Well, we almost got #freebeerday,” — Kirk Bangstad, Owner, Minocqua Brewing Company
- “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.” — Kirk Bangstad
- “Wisconsin Democrats are so sick in the head that an attempted murder is funny to them,” — Delanie Bomar, RNC spokeswoman
- “Rebecca Cooke needs to stop hiding and immediately denounce her former employer, Kirk Bangstad’s dangerous and unhinged comments,” — Zach Bannon, NRCC spokesman
