President Trump Is Coming To Target Center In October; Minneapolis Mayor Frey Isn't Happy About It
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- President Donald Trump is making a return appearance in Minnesota, a state he has said many times he hopes to flip red in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump will hold a "Make America Great Again" rally at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis on Thursday, October 10 at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 4 p.m. This will mark Trump's first visit to Minnesota since April, when he attended an event in Burnsville to tout his tax bill. It will be his fourth visit to the state in over the past year and a half.
Trump's visit was announced in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. House of Representatives opening impeachment inquiries into Trump. A whistleblower complaint accuses the president of pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate his political rival, Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, and cover it up. Democrats say they now have enough votes to impeach President Trump.
In a written statement and brief press conference Thursday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey did not mince words about the president's upcoming visit. He said it typically would be an honor to welcome a sitting president to Minneapolis, but President Trump's rhetoric has no place in the city.
"Undoubtedly this will be a large scale and potentially hectic event, but we are going to make sure every single person, including the residents of our city, including protesters, are safe," Frey said during his press conference.
WATCH: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Speaks Out Against President Trump's Upcoming Visit
Here is Frey's full written statement:
Under ordinary circumstances, it would be an honor to welcome a sitting President of the United States to Minneapolis and to showcase all our city has to offer on the national stage. But these aren't ordinary circumstances. Since taking office President Trump's actions have been reprehensible and his rhetoric has made it clear that he does not value the perspectives or rights of Minneapolis' diverse communities.
On October 10, our entire city will stand not behind the President, but behind the communities and people who continue to make our city – and this country – great. While there is no legal mechanism to prevent the president from visiting, his message of hatred will never be welcome in Minneapolis.
Trump narrowly lost Minnesota in the 2016 election to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The state has not been won by a Republican presidential candidate in a general election since 1972, when incumbent GOP President Richard Nixon defeated George McGovern.
READ MORE: Reality Check: Could Impeachment Actually Help Trump's Approval Ratings?
Jennifer Carnahan, chairwoman for the Republican Party of Minnesota, released this statement Thursday afternoon about the president's upcoming visit:
We are overjoyed to welcome President Trump back to Minnesota for the fourth time in the last sixteen months. Trump has spent his first term fighting for Minnesota families and for this country. He has fulfilled his campaign promises to get our economy booming again, put America first, and has made this country great again. We are excited for the rally on October 10th and look forward to showing the Democrats how enthusiastic Minnesota Republicans are to send our 10 electoral votes to re-elect President Trump in 2020.
