President Trump promotes tax cuts, eyes 2020 in Burnsville visit

BURNSVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - In Minnesota, flanked by big rigs at a truck and equipment dealer, President Donald Trump promoted his tax cuts with an eye on getting re-elected.

“Today is Tax Day, that we’re celebrating,” said President Trump. “We are getting historic tax relief, that’s the good part. Historic!”

He told his supporters that he’s behind Minnesota 1000 percent. It’s a state he narrowly lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016. In fact, no Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since Nixon.

“This has been a very special state,” said President Trump. “It’s been a rare, rare victory for Republicans. We almost won it. One more speech!”

Nuss Truck and Equipment in Burnsville hosted the roundtable event, where the president met with business managers – most of whom weren’t from Minnesota. The family members who run Nuss Truck and Equipment are politically active, giving more than $15,000 to Republican candidates and the party for the 2018 election, though two family members also gave to a group that supported Tim Walz for governor.

The roundtable tax cut event sounded, at times, like a campaign speech as he spoke out on Democrats.

“They can talk all they want about socialism,” said President Trump. “All socialism is is a method into the poorhouse.”

He also discussed immigration and asylum-seekers, which he called “a big con job.” 

Minnesota GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan says the visit shows where the president’s focus is.

“The metro was difficult for us in 2018, but we’re confident that the second congressional district, the third congressional district, we can get these seats back,” said Carnahan.

The president has been sparring with Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on Twitter. She says she has gotten death threats because of it, but even though he was just a few miles from her district, he did not mention Omar. He did, however, mention her in a tweet.