Trump is starting his campaign rally in Duluth, Minnesota. I will live-tweet it here. Please feel free to mute this thread instead of unfollowing me.
Trump begins: "You know, I hate to bring this up, but we came this close to winning the state of Minnesota. And in two and a half years it's going to be really easy, I think."
Trump, in northern Minnesota, says of Republican candidate Pete Stauber: "By the way, loves ice hockey. Real ice hockey family." (Up there it's JUST HOCKEY DAMMIT)
"Mr. President: These people support you," Stauber, giving an extended speech, says to raucous cheers and applause.
Was just thinking that Trump doesn't usually let candidates take the mic for that long. Upon getting it back, he says, "I didn't know he was going to do that. And then he takes out a speech and reads it."
Trump refers to "those very dishonest people" and "the fake news." The very excited crowd launches into a loud "CNN SUCKS" chant, then applauds itself.
Trump began to boast about creating 3.4 million jobs, insulted the media, got distracted by the CNN sucks chant, and is now talking about Kim Jong Un without finishing his jobs sentence.
Trump claims that the media would have kept being positive about him meeting with Kim Jong Un but then "their bosses said you can't say that." This obviously did not happen.
Trump claims that the remains of "200" Korean War dead "have been sent back." ABC reported yesterday that the administration expects this but that it hadn't happened yet - "an actual transfer date and location has not yet been finalized."
Trump wrongly says everyone assumed there would be a war with North Korea. Says now Kim Jong Un is going to make North Korea great.
Trump boasts: "I got along with Kim. Jong. Un. I got along."
Trump: "All over Asia they're celebrating the great achievement that we made." He adds, "In our country everybody knows what a great achievement this is."
Trump again begins to talk about jobs numbers but gets distracted by a boast about how lots of people are allegedly stuck outside the rally, then rants about how the "fake news" doesn't ever show the crowd (the media indeed shows the crowd). Greatest hits!
"Most importantly of all, America is respected again. We're respected," Trump says to loud cheers.
Trump boasts of the excellent unemployment numbers for African-Americans, Hispanics and women. I believe he was going to remind people how he used to say "what the hell do you have to lose" but he got distracted and didn't finish the sentence.
Trump again complains that Obama is still getting credit for the economy: "Obama's economy??? Obama?!" The crowd boos.
Trump: "A vote for a Democrat is really a vote for Nancy Pelosi."
Trump accuses Democrats of putting illegal immigrants before American citizens. There is a "build that wall" chant.
Trump lies that he has already started the wall and specifically lies that he has started the wall in San Diego. This is the ninth time he has lied about having started the wall; most of these times he's added the San Diego bit.
Trump on a protester: "He's going home to his mom. Say hello to mommy." This is very 2016 so far.
Trump: "We have liberated towns. Liberated. Like it was captured by a foreign country...liberated towns out in Long Island. MS-13. Gangs."
Trump repeats his conspiracy lie about countries "sending people up" to the U.S. who are not "their finest," repeats his obviously false claim that he's stopping aid to countries that illegal immigrants come from.
Another protester. Trump says "get 'em out of here" and does a gesture with his thumb. There is a raucous U-S-A chant. The crowd is amped.
Trump on the protester: "Was that a man or a woman, because he needs a haircut more than I do. Couldn't tell. Couldn't tell. I couldn't tell. Needs a haircut."
Trump is focusing again on immigration, again blaming Democrats for gangs and crime by illegal immigrants.
Trump: "I will never be silent in the face of vicious smears and attacks and (on) the heroic agents and officers of ICE and the Border Patrol, who save millions, the job they do, who save thousands and thousands of lives, and are so brave and are so tough."
Trump makes this pitch for electing more Republican senators: "We will have the greatest borders. The greatest walls."
Trump says he's cut more regulations than "even our 16-year-president." There has never been a 16-year president.
Trump announces (I think, I know nothing about this) that he's rescinding the Obama decision to cordon off some Minnesota Superior National Forest land from mining development. He says this will make the environment better, somehow.
"Chrysler just announced, they're coming back," Trump says of a Chrysler investment announcement that was made five months ago this week.
Trump argues that "we have the cards" in trade disputes with Europe because "we're like the piggy bank."
Trump falsely claims that the $700 billion military budget is a record. Obama signed a larger version of the same bill for 2011.
Trump is touting his Veterans Affairs and medical Right to Try legislation. So far, this is relatively on-message by recent Trump standards.
"Now, we're bringing down the prices for prescription drugs. Way down," Trump says without any elaboration. His administration announced in February that it expects a 4.4% increase in prescription drug prices this year.
Trump says his supporters are "the smartest and the hardest-working."
!!! Trump on his opponents in "the elite": "Why are they elite? I have a much better apartment than they do. I'm smarter than they are. I'm richer than they are. I became president and they didn't."
Trump boasts that he also gets to represent "the deplorables." He then moves on to "Crooked Hillary." He says that "she" - I think maybe Lisa Page? - is "guilty," but the crowd thinks he's talking about Hillary and chants "lock her up."
"She wanted to have windmills," Trump complains of Hillary Clinton, whom he ran against in an election two years ago.
After spending much of his speech ranting about immigration, Trump complains that the media is only focusing on immigration to not cover the shady FBI business.
"For the first time in 20 years, wages are rising," Trump lies for the 20th time; wages have been rising since 2014.
He then immediately adds that the U.S. has spent "$7 trillion" in the Middle East. There's no basis for this. That's the 15th time he's made this false claim.
He then immediately adds that the U.S. has spent "$7 trillion" in the Middle East. There's no basis for this. That's the 15th time he's made this false claim.
"Our republic today is prouder and greater than it ever was before," Trump says.
"We're re-opening NASA. We're going to be going to space," Trump says, though NASA has been open and going to space this whole time, and the crowd chants "SPACE FORCE SPACE FORCE," and it is 2018.
Trump has concluded. The headline tonight:
