President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden both hosted campaign events in Minnesota on Friday. Trump held a “Great American Comeback” speaking event with a crowd, while Biden hosted an event addressing a near-empty union training center.
President Trump visited Bemidji Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota. He was greeted on the tarmac by a large crowd as the song, “God Bless the U.S.A.” played.
“Please remember, this is a friendly protest – not a rally. The most we can have at a rally is ten people – but why don’t we just call this a protest. It’s a protest against stupidity,” joked Trump.
Trump went on to list his most recent successes relevant to Minnesotans, such as deportation of illegal Somalian immigrants, reinstatement of Big Ten football, and sending in the National Guard to quell Minneapolis rioters. The president also criticized the remarks made by Biden and other Democratic leaders like Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN-5) on calling rioters “peaceful protestors.”
“I’m your wall, between the American dream and chaos,” Trump said.
The crowd continually interjected with chants of “FOUR MORE YEARS” and “WE LOVE TRUMP.”
Trump’s opponent Biden spoke at a local union training center represented by North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters in Hermantown, Minnesota. Biden spoke to a small group of socially-distanced people; the event was largely closed to the public.
Senators Tina Smith (DFL-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (DFL-MN) gave some opening remarks for Biden. Both Senators blamed Trump for the pandemic’s negative socioeconomic impacts.
Then, Biden came onstage as “We Take Care of Our Own” by Bruce Springsteen played. The former vice president emphasized the importance of trade unions and the unimportance of CEOs and billionaires. Like the Minnesotan senators, Biden criticized Trump’s response to the pandemic.
Biden also lectured Americans for not wearing masks nationally, though 34 of 50 states have mask mandates. He stated that the president acted out of “negligence and selfishness.”
“So many lives lost unnecessarily because the President’s only worried about the stock market and his re-election. He refused to do what you’re doing right here in this program: social distance, wear a mask, sanitize,” stated Biden. “He’s not protecting America.”
Biden explained his “Build Back Better” platform as a set of goals if he were elected. He mentioned making wealthier individuals “paying their fair share” and lifting up middle-class workers. He promised to invest in $400 billion in federal money to invest in modernized infrastructure, enhanced national security, and American-made products.
Biden claimed that Trump had no plan, and hasn’t done anything the past four years. He also claimed Democrats were solely responsible for improving the economy and creating jobs up until the pandemic.
After, Biden left the event without answering any questions from reporters.
Friday marked the first day of early voting in Minnesota.
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Minnesota Sun and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Joe Biden” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
