Former President Trump’s visit draws supporters, detractors

Former President Donald Trump’s visit to Minnesota last Friday was met with supporters and protestors just outside of his appearance at this year’s annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner in St. Paul.

Trump flew into the state just after attending his son Barron’s high school graduation in West Palm Beach, Fl. after he was granted the day off by the trial judge. 

During his appearance at the dinner, the former president stated that he could win Minnesota in November’s presidential election against President Biden, although he lost by seven points in 2020. “This November, the people of Minnesota are going to tell Crooked Joe Biden—right? ‘The Apprentice’? ’You’re fired!’” Trump said, a callback to his catchphrase on his television show. 

The last Republican to win Minnesota in a presidential election was Richard Nixon in 1972. Trump fared better against Hillary Clinton in 2016, coming within 1.5 percentage points of beating her.

Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), and the Council of American Islamic Relations Minnesota (CAIR-MN) co-organized the demonstration outside the St. Paul RiverCentre on Friday afternoon to denounce Trump’s presence. 

Olivia Crull is an organizer with MNAAC who served as a spokesperson for the demonstration. She was also a marshall, donning a reflective vest to help direct people in the area. Crull referred to Trump’s policies regarding women, immigrants and Muslims as unconscionable, but also criticized Democrats.  

“We’re here to say no to his campaign in general,” she said. “But we are also critical of the Democrats. We are here to say no to any sort of genocidal party, whether it be Republicans or Democrats, as far as the ongoing situation in Gaza.”

Crull underlined the importance of advocacy groups working together on intersectional issues to solve complex issues. She referenced the time when MNAAC and MIRAC worked together to oppose predatory crisis pregnancy centers or anti-abortion centers that she described as preying on immigrant communities by exploiting language barriers. 

Crull stated that the best strategy for dismantling the systemic issues moving forward would be to collaborate across issues between groups of people.

“Building a movement that has values that are aligned and solidarity interwoven across organizations is what we need to fight people like Donald Trump,” she said. “Because if we don’t have that, then we don’t stand a chance.”

Dr. Raj Sethuraju, an associate professor of criminal justice at Metro State University and member of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, was present at the protest and discussed the importance of fighting for the humanity of others in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

“When we take care of each other, we remember to be human, and humanity is what brought me here,” he said. “The fight for humanity, beyond just the justice word, this is about wellness.”

Sethuraju criticized both Trump and Biden for their political positions on the issues at hand and stated that they were both preoccupied with their posturing for power rather than serving the people of the United States. 

“They’re showing up to collect votes like we are a bunch of transactions,” he said. “I am not a transaction. I’m not a vote. I’m a human being. I’m dealing with all kinds of turmoil, crises, and joys and celebrations. You want to be a leader, and your leadership is about my wellness, not about your position, not about some hierarchy.”

Sethuraju pointed to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, who had long been a critic of the Vietnam War, and stated that the same battle against war continued decades after King’s death. 

He shared that political leaders spending money should fit the values of their constituents, fund issues such as homelessness, and not fund wars in foreign nations. 

“There have been many studies done, but it only takes a couple of billion dollars to end homelessness in this country,” Sethuraju said. “It’s time for us as people of color to say no to  that principle and belief system.”

President Biden recently signed a $95 billion foreign aid bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan after the Senate approved it in a 79-18 vote. The bill contained $26 billion in funds set aside for Israel, which the White House said would “help ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against the very real threats it faces from Iran, as well as Iran’s proxy groups.”

Loretta Vanpelt attended the protest against Trump as a reminder that every community’s struggle is inherently tied to the other. 

“All our struggles are interconnected. I come to things like this because I see what’s going on in Palestine; that’s all interconnected, and we should be fighting together,” she said.

Vanpelt stated that although she would never vote for Trump in the presidential election, she had yet to make up her mind on President Biden, given his inaction to stop the bombardment of Gaza by Israel. 

“I voted uncommitted in the primary because I did that to send a message to Joe Biden that ‘You are not listening to the people who put you in office,’” she said. “Everybody’s saying ceasefire, everybody’s saying stop the genocide in Gaza. Stop.”

Vanpelt also shared that she’d like to see President Biden codify Roe v. Wade and ensure that women have access to reproductive services across the country. She also criticized the current administration’s decision to send billions of dollars to Israel at a time when cities such as Jackson, Miss., Flint, Mich., and Saint Paul have contaminated water supplies. 

Angela Patty, a supporter of Dr. Cornel West’s presidential bid, stated that she was at the demonstration as a show of solidarity for the Palestinian people, abortion rights, and migrants. She said that she’d like to see more Black Americans attending demonstrations in league with other community groups as a showcase of solidarity and sharing in the fight for justice. 

“From the rallies that I come to, I don’t see enough African American people,” she said. “What the Palestine people are going through, we’ve been there, we’re still going through it. We’re still fighting for justice and freedom, and all other African Americans or Africans that come to America, they’re under that same fight too.”