Stephen Cooper, running as a Democratic Socialist in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District primary, found himself in hot water this week after campaign footage surfaced showing the candidate at a gun range firing at targets that included imagery of President Donald Trump. The video, which also reportedly featured targets depicting Jeffrey Epstein, was swiftly removed from social media following widespread criticism.
The blowback was immediate and consequential. The Democrat Party of Wisconsin's 8th District organization banned Cooper from speaking at their convention scheduled for this weekend at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, according to reports from Gateway Pundit. As of Sunday, neither the Secret Service nor local law enforcement had issued public statements regarding the video.
In an attempt at damage control, Cooper posted a follow-up video on TikTok that opened with the candidate singing Journey's "Faithfully" before addressing the controversy. "I do not advocate for violence. I condemn it," Cooper said in the video, while drawing a distinction between wishing for Trump's term to end and advocating violence. Cooper maintained calls for Trump's impeachment, stating, "I am one of the fewest that I've seen advocating for his impeachment on a consistent basis."
Cooper's campaign, backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, focuses on progressive priorities including universal healthcare, raising the federal minimum wage, affordable housing, and taxing large religious institutions. The candidate is one of several Democrats vying for the nomination in the competitive northeast Wisconsin district ahead of the August primary.
The incident raises questions about candidate vetting and the boundaries of political expression in an era of heightened security concerns around political figures. Neither the Wisconsin Democratic Party nor Cooper's campaign has issued formal statements beyond the convention speaking ban.
