ST. CLOUD – Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance blasted Vice President Kamala Harris in their first joint speech in Minnesota on Saturday, calling the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee a failure and mocking her on everything from being a San Francisco prosecutor to the way she laughs.
Trump said voters would reject Harris' “crazy liberal extremism” with a “landslide victory.” Trump and Vance have repeatedly called Harris a “border czar” and blamed her for the migrant crisis at the southern US border. Trump said Harris would “repeal Social Security and Medicare” and exacerbate inflation if elected.
Trump said the United States faced “four more years of weakness, chaos and possibly World War III” under a Democratic administration, but that he would bring back “leadership, competence, common sense and strength”.
A capacity crowd of 8,000 filled the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center and several hundred stood on the ice at St. Cloud State University Arena, while thousands more watched the speech on big screens outside the arena, erupting in cheers as Trump made his repeated appeals.
Both Trump and Vance have repeatedly denounced “illegal immigrants” and complained about the media and the last election. They offered few policy proposals of their own beyond “overfunding the police” rather than defunding the police budget, and the campaign has suggested portraying Harris as overly friendly to criminals.
Trump called Harris a “far-left lunatic” and said her “biggest goal” was to “defund the police,” a position Harris has not taken since the 2020 campaign, and said Trump should be held accountable for Harris' initial support, saying “politicians don't change.”
During the rally, the crowd repeatedly chanted “USA!” and “Fight, fight, fight.” President Joe Biden has dropped out of the race, but Trump has slammed him on a range of issues, from the way the president speaks to the way he walks up and down the stairs.
Rally-goers began lining up to get in as early as 2 a.m. Hundreds, maybe thousands, remained outside in muggy, 90-degree temperatures after the doors closed just before 6 p.m.
Trump spoke for about 90 minutes, but some members of the audience left before his speech finished.
Trump and Vice President Vance have launched similar attacks against Harris, who voiced her support for the Minnesota Freedom Fund following the 2020 killing of George Floyd, accusing her of releasing dangerous criminals. The Minneapolis-based nonprofit pays criminal and immigration bail for people incarcerated in Twin Cities jails and prisons.
Trump's speech lasted more than an hour and included a reiteration of some of his recent favorite talking points, including a reference to fictional film cannibal Hannibal Lecter.
He said Democrats and the media were trying to paint Harris as the late British prime minister. Margaret Thatcher. But he said, “Thatcher wouldn't have laughed like that,” and called Harris “unintelligent and dangerous.”
Vance was the first to speak, and was greeted with thunderous applause at the start of his 20-minute speech. The Ohio senator noted that Trump “dominated the debate stage” with Biden in a June debate, before turning on the media. When the crowd booed the media, Vance said, “They deserve to be booed.”
He said the media is trying to cover up Biden's flaws and portray Harris as a Martin Luther King Jr., when in reality she is “a true member of the fanatical radicals of San Francisco.”
Vance said Harris was responsible for “everything that's gone wrong” in the Biden administration and repeatedly called her a “border czar” who would provide free health care and college tuition to illegal immigrants. “Harris wants to put control of this country in the hands of people who should never be here in the first place,” he said.
Vance then spoke directly to what he called “illegal immigrants,” telling them to “start packing now.”
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) fired up the crowd, gushing about how Republicans had flipped Minnesota red in a presidential election for the first time since 1972. The House Majority Whip also criticized Gov. Tim Walz, who is said to be running alongside Ms. Harris.
The most popular outfits included flag-themed attire, red MAGA hats, metallic gold shoes and all manner of election T-shirts, including one with a picture of the White House and the word “Stolen” and another with a picture of Trump's face and the words, “I vote for a convicted felon.”
Debi Rancourt, 68, of St. Michael, Minnesota, arrived at the event a few hours early to support Trump's views on the southern border and what she calls “faith-based conservatism.” “This is my bucket list. It's a dream come true,” she said of the rally.
Cynthia Gayle, 66, a teacher from Albert Lea, said she admires Trump's perseverance. “I'm not proud of his past, but there is a thing called forgiveness,” she said. “No one else will be up to the task of defending America.”
Despite the enthusiasm of the St. Cloud crowd, Minnesota Republicans face an uphill battle with Harris leading the Democratic field. A Friday KSTP-TV poll showed her leading Trump in the state by 10 percentage points, a bigger lead than Biden had before he announced he was dropping out of the race.
DFL supporters gathered in St. Paul early Saturday to hear Walz speak before canvassing door-to-door for Harris, with the governor taking sharp aim at the Republican candidate. “This is the beautiful tapestry of America and not one of you is wearing a silly red hat,” he told DFL volunteers.
In St. Cloud, Tim Tuli, 66, of White Bear Lake said he came to see Trump, Vance and Republican-endorsed Senate candidate Lois White. “We just want to be here with patriots who love their country,” Tuli said.
Taylor Hill, 24, of Sartell, Minnesota, arrived at 6 a.m., found a shady spot to wait, then set up a tent and a card table. Hill said she knows Trump is a divisive figure, but “in our political climate, we need someone with determination and strength.”
Michelle Hooper, of Villard, Minnesota, said she came to the rally “to show the people of Minnesota, maybe even people driving by, that there are more people here who support us.” [Trump]probably more than they realize.”
Staff writer Kailand Jackson contributed to this article.
