美国国家公共电台 NPR Trump Begins Effort To Flip Minnesota, Which Was A Democratic Holdout In 2016

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

President Trump¹ was on the ground in Minnesota yesterday for something like two hours, barely that. He was there to tout² his signature tax law. But the president is sure to be back between now and the 2020 election. The president's campaign is on the offense³, trying to flip⁴ this key swing state. Minnesota Public Radio's Brian Bakst has more.

BRIAN BAKST, BYLINE⁵: When the vaunted Democratic blue wall crumbled⁷ in Republican Donald Trump's 2016 victory, Minnesota stood out on the map as an upper Midwest holdout. Trump won 78 of the state's 87 counties, but he still lost to Democratic nominee⁸ Hillary Clinton by just 1.5 percentage points. Trump's losing margin⁹ was closer than any presidential race here since 1984. Minnesota Republican Party chair Jennifer Carnahan says it all adds up to opportunity for Trump.

JENNIFER CARNAHAN: We know that the president has strong support from across Minnesota. I think his support is even stronger today than it was when he ran in 2016. And the more times that we can get him back here, the better.

BAKST: Vince Beaudette is 72 and lives south of the Twin Cities. He came to the president's stop at a suburban¹⁰ trucking company yesterday and is all in for Trump - red Make America Great Again hat and all.

VINCE BEAUDETTE: The economy is going great. If Minnesotans understand the results that Trump has brought us - we're all living a little better now, and we're all taking in more money; and we're all - many more of us are employed - Trump ought to win. Can that message be delivered to Minnesotans? I'm not sure.

BAKST: No Republican presidential candidate has claimed the state's 10 electoral college votes since Richard Nixon in 1972 - the longest blue streak¹¹ in the country. But Trump is planting an early flag. He stopped by to hear from people benefiting from the federal tax rewrite to plug his efforts to get mineral exploration projects moving and to hint at the challenge ahead.

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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: This has been a very special state. It's been a rare victory for Republicans. And we almost won it - one more speech.

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BAKST: So far, there are no full-time¹² Trump campaign staff on the ground in Minnesota. But Trump is showing he won't wait until the closing days of the race to rally supporters here, as happened in 2016. Democrats¹³ are on guard.

KEN¹⁴ MARTIN: Absolutely, I think he can win Minnesota. Do I think he will? You know, I don't. I don't think he will win Minnesota because we're not going to take it for granted. And we're going to be just as organized, if not more.

BAKST: Ken Martin is the state Democratic Party chairman.

MARTIN: The reality is, is that there's no math for the Democrats winning the presidency¹⁵ that does not include Minnesota being blue.

BAKST: Trump campaigned in Minnesota last year for two Republican congressional candidates, who won seats in an otherwise painful midterm election. But no Republican has won any statewide race here since 2006.

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UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) No hate, no fear. Immigrants are welcome here. No hate...

BAKST: Dana Koletar of Minneapolis showed up to protest Trump's latest visit. She's upset about the president's anti-immigrant language and that Trump has gone after her congresswoman, freshman¹⁶ Democrat⁶ Ilhan Omar.

DANA KOLETAR: I'm just very disturbed by the backlash against her as a Muslim, Somali-American woman. And I do think that that's part of the reason why she's undergoing more scrutiny¹⁷.

BAKST: Koletar says all the early talk about Trump's ability to flip Minnesota is overblown.

KOLETAR: There is definitely Democratic support. I think it's just a matter of turning out those voters.

BAKST: As the 2020 race ramps¹⁸ up, Minnesota's getting ready for its turn as a presidential battleground and all the candidate visits, ads and persuasion¹⁹ efforts that come with it. For NPR News, I'm Brian Bakst in St. Paul.

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