Trump supporters wait for hours in scorching heat ahead of St. Cloud rally
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Former President Donald Trump and running mate Sen. JD Vance held their first joint presidential rally in Minnesota on Saturday at St. Cloud's Herb Brooks Arena, just two weeks after the assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
The event brought crowds from all over the state and across the country. Sisters Kelly and Cassidy Baatz drove 3.5 hours from Crookston and camped out overnight to be first in line to see the former president.
"I just didn't want to miss out on this opportunity, especially in our home state," said Cassidy Baatz.
Nearly 10 hours before Trump was set to take the stage, supporters lined around the block, including St. Louis Park resident Tom Popescu.
"I've been here since 3 p.m. yesterday," Popescu said. "When I heard they gave out tickets to everyone that applied, I wanted to make sure I could get in."
Rallygoers also had to deal with 90-degree heat. Many said it didn't bother them, and they stayed hydrated and in the shade until arena doors opened.
Supporters were beyond excited to see Trump and Vance together in their home state.
"We've been looking forward to him coming back to Minnesota. We're so grateful he cares about Minnesota and that he's investing in Minnesota. It means a lot," said St. Cloud resident Jack Friebe.
Tiffany Strabala of Andover knows what she hoped to hear.
"People are very concerned about the border, wanting safety in their communities, keeping money in their pocket and they don't want it to go to taxes," Strabala said.
And in a state that hasn't gone red in more than 50 years, Strabala and the crowd are hopeful they can change that.
"I think people have had enough, and they're starting to find their voice and want to step out a little bit and share their concerns. We care about our state," Strabala said.
Sold-out hotels and businesses ready for weekend boom
Hotels were already sold out in the city by Friday. Mandy Cox, who works at the Boulder Tap House roughly 3.5 miles east of the arena, said she had extra staff coming in to help.
"We went ahead and doubled our prep list, we've put up a handful of house shifts," Cox said. "We have all the big managers on board."
With so many waiting ahead of the rally, Tennessee-based vendor Phil Callwell was cashing in.
"Just get their money out. I'm here. It's like the nightclub. Swing your $10 bill and I'll sell them a hat," Callwell said. "You tell me if it's hard to sell, my man. You tell me."
For Mayor Dave Kleis, this weekend is about showing off the city and building on a historic list of politicians who have visited town.
"You go back, Eisenhower was here," Kleis said. "John F. Kennedy would have been here, but because of a snowstorm in Minneapolis, he was stranded and phoned into a rally in 1962."
Trump's visit comes after President Biden decided to drop out of the 2024 race earlier this week. Since his announcement, Vice President Harris has already broken a fundraising record, locked down hundreds of delegates and secured critical endorsements in her efforts to become the Democratic Party's nominee for president.
Mr. Biden won Minnesota in 2022, earning 52% of the vote and beating Trump by more than 233,000 votes. Trump visited Minnesota several times ahead of the 2020 election and vowed never to return if he lost the state. He last visited in May to headline the state GOP's annual Lincoln Reagan dinner.
Counter-rally held in St. Paul; Emhoff stumps in Wisconsin
Vance also appeared at a fundraiser earlier in the day in Minneapolis, with tickets costing up to $50,000 for a roundtable discussion and a photo with the candidate.
Democrats held a counter-rally for Harris at the St. Paul Labor Center on Saturday afternoon, featuring Gov. Tim Walz, Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Mayor Melvin Carter. The event came on the heels of a Bloomberg report that Walz is now among one of the top finalists to be Harris's vice presidential nominee.
Harris's husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, also campaigned on Saturday in Wisconsin. He spoke at the Hmong Wausau Festival before heading to a canvass launch for Harris and other Democrats on the ballot in Stevens Point.