Former President Donald Trump falsely claimed on Friday that he won Minnesota in the 2020 election, despite the state's consistent history of voting for Democratic presidential candidates over the past four decades. Speaking at the Minnesota GOP dinner in St. Paul, Trump remarked, "I thought we won it in 2016. I thought we won it in 20 — I know we won it in 2020." He added, "We got to watch those votes."


In reality, President Joe Biden won Minnesota in 2020, securing 52.4% of the vote compared to Trump's 45.3%, with a margin exceeding 233,000 votes. Similarly, in 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the state with 46.9% of the vote against Trump's 45.4%. Minnesota has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Richard Nixon in 1972, maintaining a Democratic streak since 1976.


During his speech, Trump expressed confidence in winning Minnesota in the upcoming election. He had previously conveyed similar sentiments, telling KSTP in an interview that he believed he won Minnesota in 2020 "easily." In another interview with KNSI Radio in March, Trump initially claimed, "I thought we won it last time. I'll be honest. I think we did win it," before conceding, "We didn't quite make it."


Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer responded to Trump's claims by calling him "unhinged about his 2020 loss," and emphasized that Biden defeated Trump by over 7 million votes nationwide, including more than 230,000 in Minnesota. Singer confidently predicted another Biden victory in the upcoming election, stating, "Americans deserve better than a weak, desperate, and pathetic loser like Donald Trump as their commander in chief."


Trump has made similar unfounded claims about other states, including Wisconsin, where he incorrectly asserted winning "by a lot" during a recent rally. In reality, Trump lost Wisconsin in 2020 by over 20,000 votes, although he did win the state in 2016, becoming the first Republican to do so since Ronald Reagan in 1984.


Recent polling indicates a closely contested race between Biden and Trump. An NBC News poll conducted in April showed 46% of registered voters favoring Trump and 44% supporting Biden in a head-to-head matchup.