Former President Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio are scheduled to stop in Minnesota, a surprisingly close state that hasn’t been won by a Republican presidential candidate in 52 years.
The Trump campaign announced Tuesday that Trump and Vance plan to visit St. Cloud, Minnesota, on Saturday. Real Clear Politics reported that Trump pollster John McLaughlin believes the state will be a swing state.
McLaughlin is confident that Vance, who Trump announced as his running mate on the first day of the Republican national election last week, is a native of Ohio and is expected to appeal to voters across the Midwest and can help Trump win the state.
Trump lost to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by about 1.5% in 2016. Clinton’s performance against President Biden in 2020 was less encouraging, with Trump losing by about 7% of the vote in Minnesota that year.
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Former President Trump and Senator J.D. Vance address supporters during a rally at Dayton International Airport on Nov. 7, 2022, in Vandalia, Ohio. (Drew Ungerer/Getty Images)
But polls show signs that Minnesota, which hasn’t produced a Republican presidential nominee since Richard Nixon in 1972, could be a hotly contested state again in 2024. A June Star Tribune/MPR News/KARE11 poll of Minnesota voters showed Trump trailing Biden in the state by just 4 percentage points, 45-41.
A Real Clear Politics average of polls in the state has Trump trailing Biden by just 3 points, and a Hill/Emerson poll cited in the average has Trump and Biden tied in the normally reliably Democratic state.
The Trump campaign has become increasingly confident that more states will be at stake in the 2024 election, and is seeking to expand the electoral district from the most battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Minnesota and Virginia are two states the Trump campaign has focused on, claiming they are winnable for Trump.
As in Minnesota, Trump has been doing well in Virginia in recent weeks: The former president currently holds a slight lead in the state, according to a Real Clear Politics polling average, and two recently cited polls show Trump leading by two and three points, respectively.
Former President Trump held his first public campaign rally on July 20, 2024, at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his vice presidential candidate, Senator J.D. Vance. (Bill Priano/Getty Images)
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Reached by Fox News Digital for comment, a Trump campaign spokesperson pointed to a recent Emerson Poll showing Trump with a one-point lead in Minnesota. The spokesperson also noted that the campaign has opened eight new field offices in the state.
Trump has also cited Minnesota as a state he could win, highlighting Vance’s Midwestern background as why the state will be a key focus in November’s election.
“JD has had a very successful business career in technology and finance, and now during this campaign he will be focused on the people he fought so well for – American workers and farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and far beyond,” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing Vance as his running mate.
But Trump and Vance’s visit to Minnesota comes amid a rapidly changing race that included Biden announcing his withdrawal on Sunday and immediately endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to top his list of candidates, rallying Democrats to her.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a celebration of the 2024 NCAA championship teams on the South Lawn of the White House on July 22, 2024. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
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There is little polling on how Trump will fare against Harris in battleground states, but the former president will be hoping Saturday’s visit gives him a head start in winning the state.
Get the latest 2024 campaign updates, exclusive interviews and more on Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.
