Could traditionally blue Minnesota be within Trump's reach?
MINNEAPOLIS — Last weekend, a presidential race like no other dipped further into the improbable, with the survival of former President Donald Trump from an assassin's bullet by just millimeters.
Trump's defiant response to the assassination attempt, captured in unforgettable images, has even Trump critics calling it one of the defining moments of the 2024 campaign.
"That is kind of political rocket fuel. And so I think you're seeing a consolidation of the Republican Party much faster than I think people anticipated," said Abou Amara, a Democratic analyst.
Polls have been showing more and more states, including traditionally blue Minnesota, within Trump's reach.
"I think Minnesota is very much in play. You've got Donald Trump putting money and campaign resources into Minnesota. The polls show it to be, you know, a toss-up election," said Professor Larry Jacobs from the University of Minnesota.
Then, there is the unexpected dismissal by a federal judge of the classified documents case against Trump — a case once viewed as the strongest of the cases against him.
"I suspect it's going to be appealed. Having said that, what that means now is that there's very little likelihood that this case is going to come to trial before the election," said political analyst and Hamline Professor David Schultz.
Next, there is Trump's pick of 39-year-old Sen. JD Vance as his running mate. Back in 2016, Vance was a fierce "Never Trumper" but like so many has since been converted.
"A Nikki Haley pick would have been like going completely against the grain, and really a play for all those kind of disaffected Republican voters, but JD Vance is a safe play for the Trump campaign," said Amy Koch, a Republican analyst.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has continued a steady stream of public events, ignoring the push by some in his party to oust him.
"The Democratic Party right now, we're still asking questions, is Joe Biden going to be the nominee?" said Amara.
Talking Points airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., live on CBS News Minnesota.
