MINNEAPOLIS — From a well-attended rally to network interviews, Minnesota was at the epicenter of national politics this weekend.
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump spoke to a capacity crowd at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. The Republican nominee, who was joined by his running mate – Ohio Sen. JD Vance – attacked his new opponent on several fronts: from immigration to her laugh. But Trump seemed to hone in on a central criticism that suggested a new focus of his campaign: Harris’ alleged uber-liberal positions.
“If a crazy liberal like [U.S. Vice President] Kamala Harris gets in, the America dream is dead. I believe it's dead,” Trump said.
Prior to Trump taking the podium, Vance also stated his concerns.
“My friends, I serve with some pretty crazy liberals, and she was ranked ahead of all of them,” Vance said.
But even as the Republican ticket shared their vision for the future with Minnesotans, the state’s own governor warned the country about what he says would be the risk of another Trump term in office.
“Are they a threat to democracy? Yes. Are they going to take our rights away? Put people's lives in danger? Yes. They're going to do all that,” Gov. Tim Walz said from a pre-rally event also attended by other state and national leaders, including: U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.
On Sunday morning and during an interview with CNN, Walz also addressed ongoing speculation he’s being vetted as a possible Harris’ running mate.
“I would do what's in the best interest of the country,” Walz said.
Meanwhile, as Harris surrogates also stumped throughout the country – including Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in Wisconsin – Harris herself held a fundraiser in Massachusetts. There, the U.S. Vice President addressed both Trump’s criticisms and her competing vision for the future.
"You may have noticed Donald Trump has been resorting to some wild lies about my record, and some of what he and his running mate are saying, well, it's just plain weird,” Harris said, later adding: “Ours is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom."
Multiple new polls show the race is tightening, especially in the battleground states.