Trump set to campaign Monday in Mankato

President Trump disembarks from Air Force One
President Trump disembarks after arriving on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sept. 26, 2019, after returning from New York.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

President Donald Trump will stop in southern Minnesota on Monday to deliver a campaign speech in Mankato.

Trump’s campaign announced Friday that the Republican incumbent will appear at the local airport for a 2 p.m. speech on jobs and the economy. He intends to use it to draw a contrast with his opponent, Joe Biden, as the Democratic National Convention kicks off.

Trump is also planning stops early in the week in Wisconsin and Arizona.

Trump narrowly lost Minnesota in 2016 to Democrat Hillary Clinton, but he’s made the state a focus of his reelection campaign.

The buildup of Trump’s campaign in the state since last year will pay dividends, said Jennifer Carnahan, chair of the Minnesota Republican Party.

“The work we’ve been doing in registering voters, turning out the vote, talking to people about the issues, building up our volunteer apparatus in every corner of Minnesota, opening offices,” she said. “We’re so energized and excited about what’s to come.”

Trump’s team has reserved millions of dollars in fall TV ad time in Minnesota. Biden’s campaign also intends to invest in the state, which Democrats have carried in every White House race since 1976.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.