"I lose Minnesota, I'm never coming back": Trump returning to Minnesota for GOP fundraiser Friday
MINNEAPOLIS — While on the campaign trail in 2020, then President Donald Trump promised that if he lost Minnesota he would never come back.
Four years later, Trump will be back Friday night on one of his few breaks from his hush money trial in New York City.
Trump will be headline one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the Minnesota GOP, the Lincoln Reagan dinner in St. Paul.
According to Republican party officials, the Trump Campaign believes Minnesota and the state's 10 electoral college delegates are up for grabs.
"I think Donald Trump can win in Minnesota. He came within two points in 2016. And honestly, he didn't really put in a whole lot of effort," said Professor Larry Jacobs.
Winning Minnesota's electoral college delegates could offset a loss in another state, especially Wisconsin which also has 10 electoral votes and is up for grabs.
Minnesota has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the state went to Richard Nixon in 1972. But in 2016, Trump almost pulled off a shocking upset losing to Hillary Clinton by less than two percentage points. In 2020, President Joe Biden beat Trump by seven percentage points.
Amy Koch, a Republican strategist, says this could be Trump's year here.
"I don't know if it's a case of does he win Minnesota? Or does President Biden lose Minnesota? Because his numbers are flagging. Certainly, they're neck and neck," said Koch.
Democratic strategist Abou Amara agrees.
"Minnesota is one of those states that structurally speaking looks like a Michigan, looks like a Pennsylvania, looks like a Wisconsin. And if he's competitive in those states, he's thinking maybe I can push the map a little bit further west, and hopefully try to grab Minnesota," Amara said.
But what about Trump's ongoing legal issues?
The polls show it's not really impacting his campaign. However, the same polls also show 10 to 20 percent of his voters might not support him if he's convicted.
Talking Points airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., live on CBS News Minnesota.
NOTE: Above is a preview of Talking Points presented on "The 4."