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President Trump attacks Bidens, calls Hunter a “loser” during Minneapolis rally

MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump is lashing out at potential Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Trump says at a rally Thursda...
President Trump Holds Campaign Rally In Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump is lashing out at potential Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

Trump says at a rally Thursday in Minneapolis that Biden became Barack Obama’s vice president because he knew how to curry favor with Obama. “He was only a good vice president cause he understood how to kiss Barack Obama’s a**,” the President said.

The Republican president is also targeting Hunter Biden, suggesting a T-shirt that says “Where’s Hunter?”

Trump has been spreading unproven claims that the Bidens used their family name to get China and Ukraine to pay them millions of dollars.

The Democratic-controlled House opened an impeachment inquiry after a whistleblower complained about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine and alleged Trump was abusing his public office for personal political gain. Trump later released a rough transcript of a phone conversation with Ukraine’s president in which he asks for an investigation of Biden.
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8 p.m.

President Donald Trump is decrying what he says is a “wretched Washington swamp” that is trying to overturn the results of the 2016 election.

Trump is telling thousands at a rally Thursday in Minneapolis that the swamp wants to “erase your vote like it never existed.”

But he says the swamp will fail because “in America, the people rule again.”

It’s Trump’s first campaign rally since the Democratic-controlled House launched an impeachment inquiry over his dealings with Ukraine.

Trump is also predicting that he will win Minnesota in 2020, a state that slipped away from him in the last election.
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7:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump’s son Eric is proposing a new chant to be directed at Joe Biden: “Lock him up.”

President Trump has been pushing baseless claims that Biden and his son Hunter traded on the family name to earn millions from governments in Ukraine and China.

Eric Trump warmed up a Minneapolis rally crowd for his father Thursday night. He asked the crowd for an assessment of how Hunter Biden is feeling and suggested that th familiar Trump rally chant of “Lock her up” _ directed at Hillary Clinton _ become “Lock him up.” The crowd then chanted, “Lock him up, lock him up.”

House Democrats have opened an impeachment inquiry over President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine and his request to that country’s president to investigate Joe Biden.
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6 p.m.

Anti-Trump protesters are converging on the Minneapolis arena where President Donald Trump is holding his first political rally since the House opened its impeachment inquiry.

Protesters are packing streets surrounding the Target Center hours before the Republican president is due to appear at Thursday’s rally.

Many are clutching helium-filled balloons depicting Trump as a baby. Others are blowing whistles, a nod to the whistleblower whose complaint encouraged Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to launch the inquiry.

Lora Torgerson, who says she is a registered Republican from suburban Inver Grove Heights, is among the anti-Trumpers. She says she has “never been more ashamed of our party.” Torgerson says she did not vote for Trump.

Trump supporters are turning out in force and are expected to easily fill the roughly 20,000-seat arena. Some had lined up a day earlier to guarantee a seat.
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1:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump is trying to convert the impeachment investigation in Washington into a political asset _ scheduling three reelection rallies over the next eight days.

The rally set for Thursday night in Minneapolis is the first since Democrats began proceedings two weeks ago to remove him from office.

It’ll serve as a proving ground for the president as he tries to use the impeachment inquiry to energize supporters for his 2020 campaign.

Trump has lashed out in tweets and public statements at Democrats, the media and even some Republicans as impeachment has dominated the headlines. He’s claimed that he’s the victim o a “coup” _ although impeachment is a constitutional process_ and has accused Democrats of trying to undo the 2016 election.

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