Former President Donald Trump spoke to a fired-up crowd of 8,000 supporters at the Herb Brooks Arena in St. Cloud, Minn., Saturday night, where he hammered his new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, as the “original Marxist district attorney” who would turn the United States into “communist San Francisco.”
Outside the arena stood thousands more Trump voters who chanted “USA!” as the former president began his speech, which highlighted Harris’ record as a “radical, left lunatic.”
“When you find out about her—all I have to say about her is ‘defund the police,’” he said. “Now we have a new candidate to defeat; the most incompetent, unpopular, and far-left vice president in American history.”
The overflow crowd here in St. Cloud, Minnesota this evening at the MASSIVE #TrumpRally!
USA—USA—USA🇺🇸🦅 pic.twitter.com/82JznZvYIh
— Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸🦅 (@DanScavino) July 28, 2024
Just before he took the stage, Alpha News spoke with Trump, who survived an assassination attempt just two weeks ago during a rally in Butler, Pa.
EXCLUSIVE: Trump calls Kamala Harris 'her own worst enemy,' says 'I had God with me' during assassination attempt
Alpha News spoke to President Trump just before he took the stage tonight in St. Cloud, Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/2lJyDnbyPU
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) July 28, 2024
“We have to save the country. The country’s in trouble. You saw what happened in Israel today. That would have never happened if I were president. Oct. 7 would have never happened. Ukraine would have never happened. None of it. We wouldn’t have inflation destroying our country right now,” he told Alpha News. “I have to do it. What I went through two weeks ago—it’s amazing actually. I got lucky. I had God with me.”
President Trump takes the stage in Minnesota to resounding chants of "USA!" pic.twitter.com/ZeMsez5M2V
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 28, 2024
During the rally, Trump brought Shannon Owen on the stage with him. She is the widow of Pope County Deputy Josh Owen, who was killed in the line of duty in April 2023.
President Trump invites Shannon Owen, widow of fallen police officer Josh Owen, onstage at St. Cloud, MN rally pic.twitter.com/wEEvFRajFD
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 28, 2024
“We’ve got to give authority back to our police. We have great police but we have to give their authority back,” Trump told Alpha News. “A lot of times they do something well and they end up losing their job, their pension, their family, their house. They lose everything.”
“We need support for our law enforcement.”
Shannon Owen, widow of Pope County Deputy Josh Owen speaks to a filled hockey center in St. Cloud. Receives the first standing ovation of the night.
Josh is one of 5 murdered first responders in MN in just 13 months. 💙 pic.twitter.com/9LtsKmeJmV
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) July 27, 2024
Trump also said the media is trying to protect Harris, who became the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, because “she’s her own worst enemy.”
Huge crowd of supporters greets Trump's motorcade in St. Cloud pic.twitter.com/TazLB8d9yA
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) July 28, 2024
“She’s a radical left person,” said Trump, who attacked Harris during his speech for her support of the Minnesota Freedom Fund and said her record shows she will “deliver crime, chaos, mayhem and death to our country.”
TRUMP: "Kamala urged her followers to donate to the so-called Minnesota Freedom Fund, helping raise $35 million dollars to set loose violent offenders after they shot at police, looted your stores, sexually assaulted innocent victims, and committed other heinous crimes." pic.twitter.com/o5DvvHSeIs
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 28, 2024
“Kamala supports ending cash bail nationwide,” he said. “She wants to abolish jail sentences for parole violators. She endorsed defunding the police.”
The former president, now entering the final months of his third campaign for the White House, criticized Harris early in his speech for her record on immigration, noting that she was Biden’s “border czar.”
Crowds growing as the afternoon goes on ahead of Trump rally in St. Cloud. A police officer reported that the line to get in was a mile long. pic.twitter.com/VtyAYsuO9Z
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) July 27, 2024
“On my very first day back in the White House, I will terminate every single open border policy of the Biden-Harris Administration, and we will seal the border and we will stop the horrible invasion into our country,” Trump said. “No person in American politics has been more of an open border zealot than Border Czar Harris.”
Her record on this issue is “completely and totally disqualifying,” Trump added, vowing later in his speech to turn Minnesota’s Iron Range “into a mineral powerhouse like never before.”
National Anthem at Trump’s St. Cloud rally pic.twitter.com/U6KqzxkJu6
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) July 27, 2024
“Tonight I pledge to Minnesota miners that when I’m re-elected, I will reverse the Biden-Harris attack on your way of life,” he said.
Trump’s running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, warmed up the crowd before Trump took the stage and went after Harris for questioning his loyalty to America.
“Kamala Harris questioned my loyalty to this country. That’s the word she used. Loyalty. And it’s an interesting word because there is no greater sign of disloyalty to this country than what Kamala Harris has done at our southern border,” he said.
“I’d like to ask the vice president, what has she done to question my loyalty to this country? I served in the United States Marine Corps. I went to Iraq for this country. I built a business for this country, and my running mate took a bullet for this country. So my question to Kamala Harris is, what the hell have you done to question our loyalty to the United States of America?”
Kamala Harris questioned my loyalty to America. I enlisted in the Marines for this country. I went to Iraq for this country. I built a business for this country. And my running mate took a bullet for this country. What the hell has Kamala done to question our loyalty to America? pic.twitter.com/WykF5pRY4Y
— JD Vance (@JDVance) July 28, 2024
Vance also criticized Harris for participating in the “cover up” of President Biden’s “declining mental capacity for years.”
Alpha News spoke with many of Trump’s supporters at the rally and they said they are energized to turn Minnesota red this November.
Trump voters in St. Cloud ahead of President Trump's rally tonight tell us they are energized to turn Minnesota red this November pic.twitter.com/RiL5Um6CBz
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) July 27, 2024