Today’s read is from Scott Walker, president of Young America’s Foundation who served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019:

If former President Donald Trump wins in Wisconsin, he will win the presidency. The latest Marquette University Law School poll shows Mr. Trump ahead with 43% of the vote, while President Biden had 40%. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., had 8% of the vote, and three other third-party candidates carried the remaining votes. Only 1% of those surveyed said that they did not know who to vote for at this time. 

The poll is Wisconsin’s most reliable public poll. According to them, Mr. Trump would have won the election if it had been held today. A big reason for the 45th president’s lead is that the top issue with voters in Wisconsin is the economy. 

A nationwide poll of college students conducted for Young America’s Foundation shows similar results. Their top issue? The economy. 

All the hype and hysteria over court cases and perceived attacks on democracy do not distract Americans from what they face every day. Students, families, and seniors are hurting over high prices. 

In  Wisconsin, overall prices are up 20%. Gas alone is $1 more per gallon than it was when Mr. Trump was in office, and housing prices are up by more than 40%. For example, my son and daughter-in-law will pay about $1,000 more monthly on their mortgage than they would have before President Biden was in office. That’s real money. 

The poll shows that the second most important issue, after the economy, is immigration and border security. People are scared as they see the invasion happening at our southern border. The Biden border crisis opened the door to illegal drugs like fentanyl coming into Wisconsin and each of the other states across America. People can see the negative impact of the trafficking of drugs, guns, and humans. The border is a mess, and the Biden administration keeps making it worse. 

Twice as many respondents ranked the economy as their top issue as they did any of the issues after immigration. That includes abortion policy, Medicare and Social Security, health care, foreign relations, and the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. An election that is a referendum on the economy and border security is a win for Mr. trump.

Voters in Wisconsin and across the country are eager to elect a President who can deal with these issues. In addition to connecting with voters during the debates, Mr. Trump can send a strong message by selecting a running mate. It would be good for him to pick a proven problem solver. 

Instinctively, I think of governors and CEOs. They get things done. Mr. Trump has a long list of potential candidates, including Gov. Doug Burgum, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Gov. Greg Abbott, Gov. Kim Reynolds, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin. There are also some great senators on his list, including Sen. Tim Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio. To avoid the challenges faced by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, I suggest not picking anyone who is serving a first term in office. 

Vice presidential picks rarely change the outcome of an election. The usual approach is to do little or no harm. That said, picking a reasonable problem solver could go a long way to winning back many of the college-educated suburban voters who abandoned the party in 2020. 


These voters know how bad things are with high prices and the economy. They overwhelmingly agree with the policies enacted by former President Trump during his first term. Solid performances at the debates — along with the selection of a quality running mate — will send a clear message to these voters. 


Mr. Biden’s policies have failed these voters. Their families are hurting because of high prices. They feel the negative impact of the Biden border policy with tragic stories of overdose deaths driven by fentanyl. They are afraid to go to many of our great cities. 

Many of them abandoned Mr. Trump in 2020 because they could not stand the mean tweets and political chaos. Today, they would take all of that and more just to get some economic stability. 


Mr. Biden exceeded my expectations. I thought he would be a horrible President, yet he has been far worse than many of us thought he would be. Vice President Kamala Harris is an even bigger joke than the president. 

Today, voters want leaders who will fight for them. Mr. Trump renewed that message in the first debate and will reaffirm it when selecting his pick for vice president. He can reassure the voters that he is ready to get back to work to make America affordable, secure, and safe again. That is how we make America great again. Winning in Wisconsin will help him do it.