Here's a look at the political billboards popping up around Milwaukee ahead of the RNC

With under a week to go until the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Democrats and Republicans seem to be waging a turf war in the city — or rather, on the highways leading into the city.

Political billboards have cropped up across Milwaukee in the past months, and it’s just not President Joe Biden’s or former President Donald Trump’s campaigns behind the signs. The sponsors range from national political action committees to local Milwaukee businesses. So far, the billboards appear to be largely anti-Trump and anti-GOP.

Some billboards are close to downtown, by RNC venue Fiserv Forum, but most appear to be positioned so you see them driving into the city. Interstate 43, Interstate 94 and Interstate 794 are especially popular sites.

Here’s a rundown of political billboards across Milwaukee ahead of the RNC.

Milwaukee 'is a horrible city' billboard

The billboard floodgates seemed to open last month, when the DNC capitalized on Trump’s comments disparaging Milwaukee with a billboard blitz across the city.

In a June meeting with House Republicans, Trump said, "Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city," according to a report by Punchbowl News. The comment quickly went viral, prompting explanations and denials from Republican lawmakers, the Trump campaign and the former president himself.

Just a day after news broke of the comment, national Democrats launched 10 billboards in Milwaukee with Trump's face and words. The billboards are along I-94, I-41 and I-43. Find a list of specific locations here.

The DNC will launch eight more billboards in Milwaukee next week focused on preserving democracy and abortion rights, The Hill reported Tuesday. These signs, which will appear in both English and Spanish, will read, “Democracy is on the ballot, folks," “Restore Roe? Vote for Joe!!” and “Joe Biden will: restore Roe, fight for freedoms, defend democracy," according to The Hill.

'I love Milwaukee' billboard

The Trump campaign was quick to fire back with billboards of their own after their candidate's "horrible city" comment.

The billboard, which appears off the highway near Fiserv Forum, quotes Trump saying, "I love Milwaukee, I have great friends in Milwaukee."

The quote comes from a statement Trump gave to a Fox News reporter, explaining his "horrible city" comment. The billboard leaves out the second part of his statement, where he said, "But (Milwaukee is), as you know, the crime numbers are terrible. We have to be very careful. But I was referring to also the election, the [sic] the ballots, the, the way it went down. It was very bad in Milwaukee. Very, very bad."

'Happy July 4th, Milwaukee!' billboard

The DNC didn't stop with its first round of "horrible city" billboards.

In another riff on the incident, national Democrats put up eight Fourth of July billboards around the city last week. Along with wishing Milwaukee a happy July Fourth, the billboards read, "Unlike Donald Trump, Joe Biden loves your city."

The signs are all positioned in high-traffic areas around Milwaukee, including I-43 and I-94. Find a complete list of locations here.

'Your nominee is a convicted felon' billboard

Mad Dog PAC, an anti-Trump political advocacy organization, has funded a few billboards around the city ahead of the RNC. The organization's newest billboard features an upside-down elephant, the symbol of the Republican Party, and reads, "Your nominee is a convicted felon."

In May, Trump became the first U.S. president convicted of a crime when he was found guilty on all 34 felony counts in a New York hush money trial.

In a Facebook post announcing the new billboard, Mad Dog PAC said vendors are charging "expensive 'convention' rates" for billboards ahead of the RNC. The organization also put up its own round of billboards highlighting Trump's "horrible city" comment.

'Nope, not in Milwaukee!' billboard

Minocqua Brewing Company — a "progressive beer" company, according to its website — put up a billboard reading, "Nope, not in Milwaukee!" on the Marquette Interchange. The billboard was crowd-funded with more than 700 people donating, the Northern Wisconsin company wrote in a Facebook post.

The company plans to donate a portion of its profits from selling beer to progressive causes and campaigns working to defeat Trump in Wisconsin.

Above is a mock-up of the sign, but you can see a picture of the actual billboard here.

'Remember January 6th' billboard

Penzeys Spices, a spice company headquartered in Wauwatosa, launched a billboard last month that reads, "Remember, remember January 6th this November!" In 2021, Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol, as Trump attempted to overturn Biden's presidential election victory.

The billboard is positioned to be "pretty much the first thing you see on the drive in from the airport to the convention site," the company wrote in a Facebook post. Penzeys founder Bill Penzey has been outspoken for years against Trump and the Republican Party.

'I won't vote for Trump' billboards

Republican Voters Against Trump, an organization by and for conservatives voting against Trump, has launched at least four billboards around Milwaukee this week.

All feature former Trump voters in Wisconsin who say they won't vote for the former president again. The Wisconsinites on the billboard identify as conservatives, gun owners or veterans.

'The end of Roe v. Wade' billboard

Think Big America, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's abortion rights group, recently launched billboards on highways leading into Milwaukee reading, "The end of Roe v. Wade, brought to you by MAGA extremists." Though not a direct attack on Trump, the sign references the former president's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again."

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, revoking the constitutional right to abortion. This week, the Republican Party approved a new platform, which features a less socially conservative stance on abortion access.

'Two-Faced Teamsters?' billboard

The Center for Union Facts, a right-leaning group critical of labor unions, has put up billboards near Fiserv Forum attacking the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a union with 1.3 million members across various occupations.

The billboard features Teamsters President Sean O'Brien, who is speaking at the RNC. Union Facts alleges in the sign that 99% of Teamsters members' dues spent on political advocacy go to left-leaning groups — though Teamsters made headlines earlier this year by making its first large GOP donation in years with a $45,000 contribution to the RNC.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: RNC billboards in Milwaukee: abortion, anti-Trump, 'horrible city'