'This s**t shouldn't happen': Trump-hating brewer weeps after apparently doxxing federal agent



Kirk Bangstad, the twice-failed Democratic candidate who owns the Minocqua Brewing Company in Wisconsin, turned his fantasizing about President Donald Trump's death into a marketing strategy.

That strategy appears to have been short-sighted in light of federal law enforcement's recent interest in the blubbering brewer and his incendiary remarks.

How it started

Bangstad vowed in January to give fellow travelers "free beer, all day long, the day he dies," then made clear in remarks to reporters and subsequent posts that he was referring to Trump, whom he unsuccessfully attempted to block from the 2024 presidential ballot in Wisconsin.

'The FBI and Secret Service together followed up on information received.'

In the months since, the brewer has hyped his proposed Trump-death celebration, selling voodoo dolls bearing the faces of Trump administration officials and "I wish it was free beer day" T-shirts.

Bangstad — who derided Charlie Kirk immediately after the Turning Point USA founder's assassination, circulated a wanted poster for a federal agent, and called for "regime change" in the U.S. — appears to have crossed a line on April 25 where federal law enforcement is concerned.

Less than an hour after an attempt was made on the president's life at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Bangstad wrote, "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 a [sic] positive news cycle. We'll never know. Regardless, we stand at the ready to pour free beer the day it happens."

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Nathan Howard/Getty Images (L); Apu Gomes/Getty Images (Center); President Trump via Truth Social/Anadolu/Getty Images (R)

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin and Democratic candidates apparently keen to distance themselves from this particular fellow traveler rushed to condemn Bangstad's rhetoric as "dangerous and unacceptable." They were, however, far from the only people paying attention.

How it's going

On Thursday, Bangstad claimed that he had been contacted both by the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI, then shared a transcript of an alleged voicemail from a USSS agent on Facebook, including the agent's alleged name and phone number. Bangstad proceeded to tell his followers, "Call this number and ask this secret service agent to stand down and honor his oath to his country."

In a video the woke brewer uploaded hours later regarding an alleged in-person visit from law enforcement officials, Bangstad again instructed his followers, this time with tears streaming down his cheeks, to inundate the alleged USSS agent with calls.

Bangstad — who was ordered to pay a six-figure sum for defamation in 2023 — reassures his followers in the video that if he should disappear, "it's because these guys did it, not because I did it."

He also reiterates through tears that he had apparently doxxed an agent: "And then I copy-and-pasted the voicemail that I was left by the Secret Service, and I pasted that guy's phone number, and I said, 'Call this phone number, everybody, and remind this federal agent, remind this federal agent that he has an oath that he took to his country and that he shouldn't break his oath.'"

He adds, crying, that "this s**t shouldn't happen to anybody," that the "federal government shouldn't be coming after anybody," and that he wasn't detained on Thursday but likely only because he's white.

In closing, he tells his followers that "everyone has to fight their own way."

In a statement on Friday afternoon, Bangstad continued playing the victim and accused federal agents of trying to intimidate him. He added, "Under no circumstances was the post I made last Saturday, which had me trending nationally on X by Monday, threatening to Trump (notice I didn't say President Trump)."

As of Friday afternoon, the post with the alleged name and phone number of a USSS agent remains available on the Minocqua Brewing Company Facebook page.

An attorney for Bangstad did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

The U.S. Secret Service and the FBI said in a joint statement to Blaze News, "The U.S. Secret Service follows up on perceived threats against the President of the United States or any one of our protectees. The FBI and Secret Service together followed up on information received and conducted further investigative steps, which included a voluntary interview with the individual. This is an ongoing matter, and we do not have further comment."

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Joaquin Castro’s name-and-shame effort is still backfiring

The following is an excerpt from Blaze Media’s daily Capitol Hill Brief email newsletter:

Last week, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, tweeted out the names and employers of a group of private citizen Trump donors in an effort to make people “think twice” about supporting the president. It’s still backfiring on him.

Now, the Trump donors outed by Castro have banded together as the “Texas 44” to raise money for the Trump 2020 campaign. "It looks like another million dollars is now headed to support the Trump 2020 campaign from those of us who were targeted," one said, "and other Texans, including Hispanics, incidentally, whose resolve to support [the president] is only strengthened by this personal attack."

In fact, one person named by Castro has even seen a massive apparent boost in business at his barbecue joint, where lines have reportedly been “out the door” and “around the block” since the tweet.

Back in Washington, multiple House Republicans are now calling for an ethics investigation into Castro’s actions, saying what he did “is antithetical to our principles and serves to suppress the free speech and free association rights of Americans.”

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Joaquin Castro says he posted private citizens' info because he wanted people to 'think twice' about supporting Trump

The day after posting the names and employers of private citizen Trump 2020 donors on Twitter, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, tried to defend his actions during an appearance on MSNBC Wednesday.

Here's how the exchange between Castro and MSNBC's Willie Geist went down:

Geist: "Congressman, as you look at this list, I know you say you didn't put their addresses out there. It's easy to find them. These people undoubtedly are already being harassed online or perhaps face-to-face, in some cases, they could be. What do you say to those people this morning who say, 'I made a campaign donation, and now I'm going to be harassed. I'm going to have people protesting outside my business or perhaps even my home'? What do you say to them? Do you want them to repent for their support for Donald Trump, or what do you want from them?"

Castro: "Well, the first thing is that I don't want anybody harassed or targeted ..."

Geist: "But they will be, because you put their names in public."

Castro: "Look, that was not my intention."

Geist: "But that's what will happen."

Castro: "These things are public. No, what I would like for them to do is think twice about supporting a guy who is fueling hate in this country."

Geist later asked Castro, "If you agree that rhetoric can lead to incitement, even if it just triggers one person to do something terrible, does it give you any pause about putting these peoples' names out in public?"

Castro answered that the names were "already out there" and that he didn't create the graphic.

Here's video of the exchange:

On Tuesday evening, Castro shared a graphic with the names and employers of dozens of Trump donors from his own congressional district. After facing backlash for "inviting harassment of these private citizens," he doubled down on the decision to share the graphic, saying that his tweet didn't contain "private or personal info" like addresses or phone numbers.

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Democratic congressman slammed for 'inviting harassment' against private Trump supporters. How will his party respond?

The following is an excerpt from Blaze Media’s daily Capitol Hill Brief email newsletter:

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas — the twin brother of 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro — is taking criticism for doxxing Trump supporters after he tweeted out the names and employers of dozens of Trump donors from his own congressional district, saying, "Their contributions are fueling a campaign of hate that labels Hispanic immigrants as 'invaders.'"

“Targeting and harassing Americans because of their political beliefs is shameful and dangerous,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted. Trump 2020 campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said, “At the very least [Castro] is inviting harassment of these private citizens. At worst, he’s encouraging violence.”

Castro tried to defend his actions by saying that his tweet didn’t contain “private or personal info — no addresses or phone #, etc," and then doubled down on his initial sentiments about Donald Trump.

But the question remains: What sort of reaction did Castro expect to see from this? How are people’s employers not personal information? How did he expect people to react to a Democratic politician singling out private citizens in this way?

If Democrats are really concerned about public officials stirring up political violence, this is the exact kind of behavior they should be condemning.

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