Donald Trump claims Foxconn in Wisconsin will improve race relations

MADISON - Bringing Foxconn Technology Group to Wisconsin won't just boost the state's economy — it will improve race relations, President Donald Trump said Tuesday. 

"You see where companies are moving back to our country," Trump told reporters in a contentious news conference at Trump Tower. "I think that’s going to have a tremendous positive impact on race relations.

"We have companies coming back into our country. We have two car companies that just announced. We have Foxconn in Wisconsin, just announced. We have many companies, I say, pouring back into the country. I think that’s going to have a huge, positive impact on race relations. You know why? It’s jobs. What people want now, they want jobs. They want great jobs with good pay. And when they have that, you watch how race relations will be."

Trump made the claim as he addressed questions from reporters about violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va.

State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) called Trump's statement on Taiwan-based Foxconn ridiculous. 

"Foxconn has nothing to do with race relations and the president's inability to handle them," he said.