Trump Visits a City In Crisis

A number of American cities are in crisis–San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles come to mind–but Minneapolis is giving those better-known towns a run for their money. Violent crime in Minneapolis is rising alarmingly, and it is getting international attention as a result of an incident that was recorded by security cameras. In broad daylight, just outside the entrance to Target Field, where the Minnesota Twins play, a gang of feral youths beat and terrorized a random man. The video was played by a local television station, and since then has been seen around the world:

Rising crime has created serious problems for the city’s boy mayor, Jacob Frey, and its City Council. Representatives of the four professional sports teams that play in Minneapolis went so far as to jointly author an op-ed in the Star Tribune calling on the city to step up law enforcement: “City leaders must act to keep downtown Minneapolis safe.”

The reality is, downtown Minneapolis isn’t as safe as it once was. Nothing will stop people from coming downtown more quickly than the perception or reality that it is unsafe. Our professional sports teams are collectively urging Mayor Jacob Frey and the Minneapolis City Council to invest in public safety for downtown Minneapolis.

We are not alone. This opinion is shared by many who call Minneapolis their home. A recent survey found that an overwhelming 68% of Minneapolis residents supported adding 125 police officers, and 63% support adding 250 officers. Given that resounding show of public demand, support for Mayor Frey’s proposal to add 14 police officers is the very least we can do.

Indeed. The city’s chief of police wants to add 400 officers, so the mayor’s 14 would seem a bare minimum. The problem, as the head of Minneapolis’s police union has pointed out, is that city officials are uniformly anti-law enforcement:

The city council…ran on an anti-police agenda and they all made it. It’s ultra-left. It’s been [an] extreme Democrat-controlled council. It’s been that way for 22 years. …

It’s an ultra-left agenda that the police are the problem. [They say] it’s a racially biased criminal justice system here, and we need to de-police. That’s the overtone of our council.

Even in the wake of the most recent homicides and other violent incidents, City Council members are clinging to their leftist illusions. Thus, one Council member says the Council is trying to do “a better job with our youth violence intervention strategies to support the youth who are in the downtown area between 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.” I don’t think most residents believe the problem is that criminals who are wandering the streets in the middle of the night lack “support.”

This is the context in which President Trump will visit Minneapolis for a rally at the Target Center on Wednesday. Locally as nationally, Democrats stir up hatred against the president to distract from their own disastrous failures. Mayor Jacob Frey issued this statement:

Under ordinary circumstances, it would be an honor to welcome a sitting President of the United States to Minneapolis and to showcase all our city has to offer on the national stage.

“Ordinary circumstances” means, if we had a Democrat president.

But these aren’t ordinary circumstances. Since taking office President Trump’s actions have been reprehensible…

I would love to cross-examine Mayor Frey about which of Trump’s actions have been reprehensible. Reforming the tax code? Reducing regulations? Driving a sharp increase in economic growth, with unparalleled job opportunities and rising wages, especially for lower-income workers and minorities? Advancing American interests abroad, while standing up to the Chinese and Russians? Actually, I think the most “reprehensible” thing Trump did was to surprise the Democrats by beating Hillary Clinton.

…and his rhetoric has made it clear that he does not value the perspectives or rights of Minneapolis’ diverse communities.

Unless, of course, those “perspectives” include a desire for better jobs and rising wages. As for “rights,” I have no idea what he is talking about.

On October 10, our entire city will stand not behind the President, but behind the communities and people who continue to make our city–and this country–great. While there is no legal mechanism to prevent the president from visiting…

Mayor Frey acknowledges that if he had the legal power, he would stop the President of the United States from coming to Minneapolis. Of course, we shouldn’t single Frey out. I am pretty sure our left-wing Governor, Tim Walz, would ban Trump from Minnesota if he could. That is the depth of extremism to which the Democratic Party has sunk.

…his message of hatred will never be welcome in Minneapolis.

Actually, the president’ speeches are cheerful, upbeat and inclusive. If Frey wants to find some hatred, he should look closer to home.

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