Trump Incorrectly Asserts Victory in Minnesota for 2016 and 2020 Elections
TL/DR –
Former President Donald Trump falsely claimed he won Minnesota in both 2016 and 2020 during a fund-raiser for the state’s Republican Party. Trump, who is still the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, said his campaign was including Minnesota in its electoral map. However, Trump’s claims were refuted by the state’s Democratic Governor, Tim Walz, who stated that Trump lost Minnesota by over seven points in the 2020 election.
Trump Falsely Claims Victory in Minnesota Twice
During a Minnesota Republican Party fundraiser on Friday, former President Donald Trump incorrectly asserted that he had won the state twice and suggested it could be in contention in 2024. His assertions contradict the fact that a Republican hasn’t won the state since 1972.
Trump’s 90-minute speech deviated from conventional campaign battlegrounds, arriving amidst his ongoing criminal trial in New York. Despite losing New Jersey by double digits in 2016 and 2020, he held a rally there last Saturday and plans another in the Bronx next week.
In his speech, Trump leaned into the “law and order” narrative, claiming that he played an integral role in controlling the riots following the death of George Floyd in 2020. “If you didn’t have me as president, you wouldn’t have Minneapolis today,” the former president said.
Before his speech, Trump attended his son Barron’s high school graduation in Florida, taking a court-approved break from his trial in New York. He continued to criticize the presiding judge, Juan M. Merchan, falsely claiming that Merchan had rejected his request for the day off.
Minnesota’s Democratic Governor Tim Walz refuted Trump’s claims during an online broadcast, stating, “He lost by over seven points,” and pointed out Biden’s closer margin in Texas.
Trump to Headline NRA Meeting
Trump will continue his public appearances as a key speaker at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Dallas. The former president, committed to loosening gun restrictions, last addressed the group in 2022 amidst several high-profile cancellations following a tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Jazmine Ulloa contributed reporting.
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