President Trump talks key state issues during Duluth visit

For those who attempted to voice their dislike of President Donald Trump during his rally June 20 in Duluth, the president told one to “go home to his mommy” and that the other “needs a haircut.”

Quick to dismiss the protestors, Trump repeated numerous times that he came close to collecting enough votes to win Minnesota during the 2016 presidential election.

And while there were thousands on the inside of the Amsoil Arena who cheered the president on during a rally Wednesday evening, there were also large crowds gathered in Duluth to protest Trump and his policies.

Without naming specific projects, Trump spoke about proposed copper-nickel mines in northeastern Minnesota.

Trump discussed mining in the Superior National Forest, but did not mention PolyMet or Twin Metals.

“We'll do it carefully and if it doesn't pass muster, maybe we don't do it at all,” he said. “But it's going to happen, I will tell you.”

In response to President Trump’s remarks on opening Superior National Forest to copper-nickel mines, the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters issues the following statement from Doug Niemela, National Campaign Manager:

“President Trump’s comments fly in the face of 70 percent of Minnesotans who are opposed to this dangerous type of mining near the priceless Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters poses an immediate threat to thousands of jobs across a wide variety of industries that rely on the Wilderness. It would irreparably damage the Boundary Waters and pollute some of the cleanest water in the world. Americans will lose its canoe country heritage forever.”

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs was at the Trump rally. Tune in for Daybreak at 7 a.m. and the North Shore News Hour at noon and 5 p.m. June 21 to hear a report of the scene in Duluth during the president’s visit.