The former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is set to hold a rally in Minnesota as he intensifies his campaign following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Biden’s exit has paved the way for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now viewed as the clear successor for the Democratic nomination.
The rally in St. Cloud, scheduled for Saturday, comes as Trump travels across the country to gather support for the upcoming election on November 5. Polls indicate that he is closely trailing Harris in the political race. During an event in Florida with the conservative Christian organization Turning Point Action, Trump sparked controversy when he told the audience that they would not need to vote “more” if they choose him in the upcoming election.
“You won’t need to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed. It will be fine, you won’t need to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians,” Trump stated. This comment comes in light of his previous efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which have led his Democratic opponents to characterize him as a threat to democracy.
Trump has also announced that he will disregard the Secret Service’s advice to hold only indoor campaign events after he was targeted in an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. Despite the dangerous circumstances, he has promised to return to Butler for a “big and beautiful” rally. The assassination attempt, in which Trump was struck by a bullet, marks a significant point in a presidential campaign that has already seen several unusual turns, including Trump’s historic conviction related to hush-money payments to a pornographic film actress. Despite these challenges, Trump quickly responded with a message of resistance, presenting Senator JD Vance as his running mate.
Biden’s surprising withdrawal earlier this week and Harris’ emergence as the presumed nominee of the Democratic Party have reshaped the campaign season once again. Several early polls suggest that Harris is improving upon Biden’s performance against Trump, while also appearing to neutralize the anticipated “post-RNC” surge for the former president.
In Minnesota, Harris is expected to be Trump’s primary target. A Republican presidential candidate has not won the Midwestern state in 52 years, but Trump’s team has consistently asserted that it could be in play come November. Success in the Midwestern swing states is generally seen as the safest pathway to victory in the election.
Trump has previously disparaged Harris as “radical” and “ultra-liberal,” referring to her as an extension of Biden’s policies on economy and immigration during a campaign event in North Carolina, his first following Biden’s withdrawal. Harris, who is also scheduled to participate in an event in Pennsylvania and later a fundraiser in Massachusetts on Saturday, has received support from former President Barack Obama. In her first speech as the party’s presumptive nominee, she promised to unite the country and defeat Trump.