Republican Senate candidate Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter and conservative podcaster, distanced herself from President Donald Trump's endorsement on Tuesday, saying her campaign is about "bringing all Minnesotans together, whether they voted for President Trump or whether they voted for Kamala Harris."
Trump endorsed Tafoya at a rally in Ohio on Monday. When asked about it the next day, Tafoya said "I heard about that" and added that "most of the things that the president says are a surprise to somebody." She did not mention the endorsement on social media or in news releases.
Her Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, immediately publicized the endorsement, posting a video clip of Trump's statement on social media and following it with a press release. Flanagan's campaign spokesperson Lexi Byler said Tafoya "supported his war in Iran, she's with him on his tariffs, his ICE and mass deportation agenda, and his attacks on abortion rights. She's even defended January 6 rioters who tried to overturn a free and fair election for him."
Why Trump is a liability in Minnesota
Tafoya's muted response reflects Trump's deep unpopularity in a state still reeling from his immigration crackdown. Minnesota has not elected a Republican senator since 2002, making the race competitive.
Last winter, an operation involving approximately 3,000 federal agents, referred to as "Kristi Noem's Metro Surge," resulted in deaths during law enforcement actions and blocked state investigators from crime scenes, according to the Minnesota Reformer.
Tafoya has attempted to balance her need for Republican support with the political liability Trump represents in Minnesota. She publicly asked Trump not to run again in 2022, then reversed course and said she would be "honored" to have his support in her Senate bid. Her campaign ads describe her as a pro-abortion rights Republican and an independent voice, but in fundraising messages she has asked donors to support the "President's Senate majority."
How Tafoya is responding to federal immigration enforcement
On Tuesday at the Minnesota Capitol, Tafoya unveiled a five-point public safety plan alongside leaders from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association in response to a string of shootings by young Somali Americans and the arrest of a Somali American teenager for attempting to conspire with a terrorist organization to carry out an attack at the Mall of America.
The plan's first point calls for using the phrase "Somali gang violence," which Tafoya said is necessary because "a politician who cannot even say the phrase Somali gang violence will never fix this problem." However, she rejected Trump's approach, saying his recent call for Minnesota to "fight back" against Somali immigrants was "not appropriate."
Two additional points in her plan address problems created by federal immigration enforcement. On improving coordination between law enforcement agencies, Tafoya said, "Our local officers should not be big-footed by the feds like we saw with ICE during Kristi Noem's Metro Surge disaster, but we can get them more support."
She was referring to federal law enforcement blocking state investigators from the scene of the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents and withholding evidence in the killing of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during the federal operation last winter.
How Tafoya is defending her record
When asked about Flanagan's allegations that she supports Trump's mass deportation agenda, Tafoya pushed back, saying she is "the granddaughter of immigrants and the mother of an adopted Colombian-born daughter." She said she supports both law and order and the nation's legacy of immigration.
Republicans view Tafoya as a strong candidate because of her television presence, high name recognition, and moderate views on abortion. However, national Republicans have not invested significant money in her campaign, according to the Minnesota Reformer, suggesting limited confidence in her prospects.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Minneapolis has experienced a wave of career prosecutors resigning in protest over Trump administration directives, adding to the political turbulence surrounding federal law enforcement operations in the state.