Tony Wied

Rep. Tony Wied reviewed his first year in office and President Trump's second term in a call-in town hall.

Wied praised the administration's actions on border security, immigration, and foreign policy.

Wied also addressed topics including health care costs, the Epstein files, and stock trading for politicians.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

U.S. Rep. Tony Wied, R-De Pere, delivered an upbeat review of his first year in office and President Donald Trump’s second term, during a Jan. 12 call-in town hall, the second of his tenure.

Many of the most pressing national issues were covered over the course of an hour with 15 questions from constituents. (One questioner was identified as being from Milwaukee, which is not within the 8th Congressional District.) To the ire of all Democratic candidates for his seat, Wied praised both his legislative record and the Trump administration on border security, immigration, and foreign policy, while looking to address concerns about rising cost of living.

Wied called the One Big Beautiful Bill passed over the summer “a major legislative win” and touted the $200 million awarded to support rural health care in Wisconsin as part of the legislation.

Immigration

Wied said ICE officers were “simply enforcing our immigration and enforcing the law” and called Democratic rhetoric on ICE’s deployment across the country “troubling.” Protests against ICE were held across the country over the weekend following the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis last week.

He said he was voted in to make communities safer and pointed to plunging border crossings under Trump’s second term as proof of safety. Wied touted his bill introduced in the summer, the SAFE Cities Act, that would have withheld federal funds from what the bill called “anarchist jurisdictions” uncooperative with federal law enforcement.

“Now we have a border,” Wied said.

'Illegal orders'

More broadly, on rhetoric, Wied pointed to a video by six Democratic lawmakers that told those in the military they had an obligation to disobey “illegal orders.” Wied called the video “very dangerous” in its suggestion that that the Trump administration had issued illegal orders.

“There really have been no illegal orders,” Wied said.

Foreign policy

On foreign policy, Wied said the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro under Trump’s watch was law enforcement action that did not require congressional approval and was done “in the best interests of our own hemisphere.” As justification, Wied pointed to Article 2 of the Constitution that governs the powers of the executive branch, then also pointed to the War Powers Resolution. He applauded the president’s “swift and decisive action,” saying both he and the president agreed long-term military presence in Venezuela was not the goal. Wied hoped that Venezuela’s oil reserves now would not flow to “bad actors,” he said.

A Democratic candidate for the 8th Congressional District, Katrina deVille, said in a text message to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, “OK, so he’s giving up politics for comedy … Yeah, he needs to read the Constitution.”

Epstein files

Wied defended his position on the Epstein files, calling the abuses committed by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein “heinous.” Wied said all of the files should be released and pointed to his two votes in favor of their release each time that Congress has voted on the matter.

Health insurance

Wied said Obamacare and health insurance companies were to blame for rising costs. He believed Obamacare discouraged competition. He said people should be able to cross state lines to get health insurance and took aim at health insurance companies themselves, saying, “We have to get health insurance companies out of the way.”

Wied then put his weight behind higher health savings accounts for people to directly pay doctors for services and said, “Doctors would love it.”

Mark Scheffler, a Democratic candidate for Wied's seat, said in a Jan. 13 statement to the Press-Gazette that, "He's rolled over in his duty to serve as an independent-minded congressman ... And his vote to pull health care subsidies from farmers and workers and Wisconsin families shows that he's willing to sacrifice the health and welfare of the residents of northeast Wisconsin to appease President Trump."

Other issues

He supported a ban on stock trading for politicians, affirmed his support for the Second Amendment right to bear arms, and said he had a priority of supporting technical education to encourage the country’s manufacturing sector.

“Wied’s responses were what one would expect of someone who only puts forth scripted and evasive talking points,” said Rick Crosson, a Democratic candidate for Wied’s seat, in a statement to the Press-Gazette. “I heard nothing tonight that alters the weak reality that is Tony Wied. The people of the 8th District of Wisconsin deserve better than that. It’s why I’m running.”

With the focus on border security largely done, Wied said, he would turn his attention to a goal of “Put more money back in your pocket,” then cited, again, the One Big Beautiful Bill and its sweeping tax changes.