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Election 2020
Brian Bakst

VP nominee Harris makes virtual Minnesota campaign stop

Democratic Vice President candidate Kamala Harris
Democratic Vice President candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a virtual roundtable with Minnesota leaders.
PBS NewsHour screen grab

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Vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a virtual foray into Minnesota on Wednesday, appearing briefly with Democratic elected officials via Zoom to promote coronavirus safety measures.

Harris spoke for about seven minutes before turning the campaign event over to local leaders. The California senator criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for not doing enough to combat COVID-19 and putting families in a lurch as a new school year starts.

“Donald Trump is offering no real plan to help schools reopen safely,” Harris said. “And he’s refusing to do the work of getting the virus under control. His administration is trying to bully schools into reopening without the support they need.”

Harris said a plan from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would supply schools with more personal protective equipment and money to hire additional teachers so class sizes can be slimmed.

The focus on COVID-19 tracks with a new round of TV ads in the state from Biden, which lay out his approach and criticizes what Trump has done on the issue.

Republicans criticized the Biden-Harris ticket for not campaigning in person to field voter questions about their stance on mining, agriculture and civil unrest.

“Minnesotans appreciate President Trump and Vice President Pence standing with them in-person – and will deliver the land of 10,000 states to Republicans in November,” said Republican National Committee spokesperson Preya Samsundar.

Trump launched a round of Minnesota ads this week that hammer Biden and Democrats for tumult in big cities, including Minneapolis.

 In her introductory remarks, Harris touched on a difficult several months in Minnesota.

“You have felt the impact of 76,000 cases and more than 1,800 deaths from the coronavirus. You’ve witnessed George Floyd’s murder and the nationwide protests that followed,” she said.

The virtual appearance by Harris was the first by either her or presidential nominee Joe Biden. It’s a contrast to the in-person visits by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Biden has hinted that he’ll make a Minnesota stop after Labor Day.