At central Minnesota diner, JD Vance says the state is ‘ready to turn red’

WAITE PARK, Minn. — A day after joining Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a high-energy rally in St. Cloud, Trump’s running mate JD Vance had a more low-key morning greeting supporters and eating breakfast with his family at a central Minnesota diner.

Vance, a senator from Ohio, was propelled to the national spotlight two weeks ago when he was named Trump’s vice presidential nominee. At Park Diner in Waite Park, just west of St. Cloud, voters said they like what they are seeing so far.

“I’m very impressed. It’s good to see a young person with good values, good morals, good common sense,” said Ken Cruze, 64, of Sartell. “That’s encouraging for the next generation.”

Joyce Heffron, 67, of Little Falls learned of Vance’s breakfast visit while volunteering at Saturday’s rally at St. Cloud State University. She said she was excited to see Vance’s wife and children join him, saying it epitomized “Midwestern values.”

Heffron said the energy she experienced at the rally — which had a capacity crowd of 8,000 people in the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, as well as hundreds more outside the venue — makes her think the Trump-Vance ticket could turn Minnesota red this fall.

“We’ve never seen this much energy directed toward a candidate,” she said. “This would be the year for them to do it.”

After chatting with folks inside the diner, Vance was cheered on by a group of more than 100 voters gathered outside.

“I’m having a good time. My family’s here. They’re hopped up on chocolate milk so it’s going to be a wild plane ride,” he said to reporters.

Vance also reflected on what he called the “incredible energy” of Saturday’s rally.

“I think Minnesota is ready to turn red because people are sick of Kamala Harris’ inflation. They’re sick of Kamala Harris’ open border. And they’re sick of Kamala Harris wanting to give social security and Medicare to illegal immigrants,” Vance said, echoing themes talked about at the rally.

Vance said Harris got a bit of a bump in popularity after Biden withdrew from the race but said he thinks that will quickly fade.

“The people are going to learn her record. They’re going to learn that she’s a radical. They’re going to learn that she’s basically a San Francisco liberal who wants to take San Francisco policies to the entire country,” he said. “And I don’t think that’s going to sell in Minnesota. I don’t think that’s going to sell anywhere else.”

The left-leaning Alliance for a Better Minnesota weighed in after the rally saying Trump and Vance are “too extreme” for Minnesota.

“Trump has a proven track record of putting corporations and CEOs over working families,” said executive director Marissa Luna. She also cited policies that mirror the goals of Project 2025, which would, among other things, eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.