Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said at a rally in Tampa, Fla. Saturday that he’ll be campaigning in Minnesota before election day.
“We are doing well in so-called Democratic strongholds. We are going to Minnesota,” Trump said.
The announcement comes as a surprise days ahead of Tuesday’s election in a Democratic stronghold state where Trump is behind his opponent, Hillary Clinton. The RealClearPolitics average has Clinton up by six points in Minnesota. The election forecast from 538 gives Clinton an 80.4 percent chance of winning the state’s 10 electoral votes.
Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway tweeted:
@realDonaldTrump in Tampa #FL: “we are doing well in so-called Democratic strongholds. We are going to Minnesota” (&CO, MI WI PA NH NV)
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) November 5, 2016
The announcement also comes as a surprise to the traveling press corps, since no Minnesota events were originally scheduled.
Trump says he’s going to campaign in Minnesota. No events scheduled for Minnesota. Maybe he meant Wisconsin?
— Ginger Gibson (@GingerGibson) November 5, 2016
Trump tells crowd in Tampa he’s going to Minnesota, which is news to his press corps
— Holly Bailey (@hollybdc) November 5, 2016
Trump has indicated in the past week he believes his campaign can win Minnesota.
His first public appreance in the state will be at a rally Sunday at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, according to Twin Cities Pioneer Press.