Minnesota Republicans celebrate finale of virtual convention in person

Mark Lang gathered with fellow Republicans on Thursday night in support of President Donald Trump, he said, for many reasons that he was happy to list.

"I'm an American, number one," said Lang, a pilot who drove from Northfield to watch the president's speech at a "Trump Victory Office" in an Eagan office park. "I believe in freedom, number two."

Lang went on: "No offense, but I don't listen to the liberal media in this country." He said the left has "not accepted Trump as president from day one." He bemoaned "all this looting we're seeing — businesses ruined, livelihoods ruined." He said the biggest issue of the election is safety: "That's why I'm packing heat right here," he said, indicating the holstered handgun strapped to his belt.

Local events tied to the national political conventions of the last two weeks have been rare, due to pandemic-based limits on public gatherings.

The Minnesota DFL held an outdoor watch party in Minneapolis for Biden's speech last week. Minnesota Republican Party leaders decided to forgo a large Minnesota event altogether and head to a convention watch party in Sioux Falls instead.

State Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan said she wanted to celebrate in a red state with less restrictive COVID rules.

"People have kind of been cooped up in Minnesota for so long with these extreme executive orders that it's nice just to get away with like-minded people for a night and have a festive celebration," Carnahan said.

"Since I can't celebrate in person, I came here to celebrate with my friends," said Sharon Peterson, a retired 3M employee who lives in Rosemount and was originally to be a national convention delegate.

Peterson said she's also worried about social unrest. "They had vandalism incidents in Apple Valley and Hastings. People are worried it's coming to the suburbs," she said.

Trump "tells it like it is, he's done great things in the last four years, he doesn't mince words," said Peterson's friend, Terry McCullough, of Bloomington.

Both wore Trump-oriented T-shirts: Peterson's said "Make Liberals Cry Again" and McCullough's had the word "Trump" in the shape of an elephant with the president's signature below it.

Eagan is the kind of large suburb that has increasingly favored Minnesota Democrats in the last decade, but which Republicans hope to win back with the kind of "law and order" message that has been center stage at the Republican National Convention this week.

And he disputed the assertion that Trump has not taken the pandemic seriously.

"I believe Trump takes it very seriously," Lang said. "And I believe the left is trying to use COVID-19 to make everyone miserable and swing the election."

Star Tribune reporter Torey Van Oot contributed to this story.