Trump mega-donors pause Wisconsin development project, citing economic uncertainty | Wisconsin
Uline, a business and shipping supply company owned by billionaire Trump supporters Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, is halting construction of a new distribution facility in Kenosha, Wisconsin, citing economic uncertainty.
The construction pause comes in a key battleground state that Trump won in 2016 and 2024but lost to Biden in 2020.
An official from Uline recently asked Kenosha’s city planning commission to extend conditional use permits for facilities larger than 1 square foot in Kenosha.
the request quoted It was stated that the pause was “due to current economic conditions and available space on Uline’s existing network” and that construction would be paused until 2027 or later.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that the economy is unstable right now,” said Uline construction manager Brad Folkert. he told the commission. “So, that’s what we were looking at. And then we were able to extend a couple of leases on our Pleasant Prairie properties that put us in a position where we’re in pretty good shape now. We need some kind of extension here to push that back a little bit.”
The commission extended the permit for 12 months upon request.
Richard Uihlein donated nearly $80 million to a pro-Trump political action committee in 2024. Ahead of the presidential election in October 2024, the Uihleins surveyed their own employees via a survey about who they planned to vote for. In January 2026, a Uline employee resigned from the company in protest of the couple’s support for Trump and Republicans.
Commenting on the poll, Elizabeth Uihlein responded to the Guardian: “This is so stupid! The poll was for entertainment purposes after this presidential election has been going on for two years. The results were anonymous and participation was voluntary. It’s completely harmless.”
Uline and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the halt in construction of the distribution facility in Wisconsin.
