President Donald Trump drew a crowd size upwards of 10,000 Minnesotans Thursday night in Rochester where he attacked the state’s Democrats in raw Trumpist fashion.
Right out the gates, Trump criticized the Democratic Party for its handling of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, saying the party’s “rage-fueled resistance is starting to backfire.”
“You see what’s going on in Congress right now with one of the most respected people, potentially, hopefully, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh,” Trump said as the crowd began a chant of “we want Brett Kavanaugh.”
Democrats “have been trying to destroy Judge Brett Kavanaugh since the very first second he was announced,” Trump said.
He went on to mock Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and his replacement, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), saying “nobody knows who the hell she is.”
“She was appointed, she took a wacky guy’s place. That guy was, he was wacky. Boy did he fold up like a wet rag,” he continued, saying Franken “was gone so fast” that he didn’t even “want to mention Al Franken’s name.”
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN-05), who is now running for Minnesota attorney general, wasn’t spared either, though not for the reasons one might think.
“Ellison is the number two official in the entire Democrat party and he recently marched in a parade wearing a shirt that said I do not believe in borders,” Trump said, criticizing Democrats for embracing “radical socialist and open borders.”
There were numerous Trump supporters in attendance toting anti-Ellison signs over the recent domestic-abuse allegations made against him, though Trump refrained from bringing the scandal up.
Turning to the issues, Trump went on the offensive over pre-existing conditions while Republican candidates across the state fend off attack ads from Democrats for promoting health care plans that would allegedly strip coverage for such conditions.
“And we will always protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. We’re going to take care of them. Some of the Democrats have been talking about ending pre-existing conditions, and some people have. You know what I say? We get a little more money from China. It’ll be just fine,” Trump stated, ridiculing Democrats for supporting a “Medicare for All” plan.
Trump spoke, mostly off script, for more than an hour at Rochester’s Mayo Civic Center, which was filled to capacity and had at least 1,000 more supporters watching from outside. He concluded his second appearance in Minnesota this year by pleading with attendants to head to the polls.
“This is supposed to be a Democrat state…I don’t think so,” he said, calling the Democratic party the “party of crime.”
“I need your vote,” Trump concluded his address. “I need your support to stop radical Democrats and to elect proud Minnesota Republicans.”
– – –
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
