Trump to host first post-impeachment inquiry rally in Democratic stronghold

USPresident DonaldTrumpon Thursday will hold hisfirstcampaignrallysince Democrats launched animpeachmentinquiryagainst him, choosing a large arena in aDemocraticstrongholdin Minnesota to mount his latest public defense.

Supporters of the Republican president will gather inside the 20,000-seat Target Center in Minneapolis for the 7 p.m. CDTrally, while protesters promise to voice their opposition outside.

Trump’s path to re-election in November 2020 depends on clinching a cluster of farm and Rust Belt states decided by slim margins in 2016. Minnesota, whichTrumplost by 1.5 percentage points to Democrat Hillary Clinton, is a key target, his campaign said.

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Unlike 2016, when it spent little money and time in the Midwestern state, the campaign has already hired staff and organized voters there. Thursday's visit marks the president's fourth trip to the state in the past 16 months.

The visit comes against the backdrop of animpeachmentinvestigation by theDemocratic-led USHouse of Representatives that has upended Washington.

The probe centers on a whistleblower’s allegations thatTrumpused military aid to secure a promise from Ukraine’s president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading candidate for the 2020Democraticpresidential nomination, and his son Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian energy firm.

Trumphas denied wrongdoing. The White House said on Tuesday it would refuse to participate in the "partisan and unconstitutional"impeachmentinquiry.

Alex Conant, a Republican strategist born in Minnesota, said therallyvenue held a symbolic meaning.

"I think he wants to have the biggest crowd possible. If he gets 15,000 to 20,000 people on a Thursday night in Minneapolis, that sends a signal," Conant said.

Trump's visit has generated local backlash. The city's mayor was criticized for initially suggestingTrumpwas not welcome. The Minneapolis police union began selling pro-TrumpT-shirts after the police chief said off-duty officers could not wear their uniforms to political events.

Vice President Mike Pence, who is also making a visit to Minnesota on Thursday, is scheduled to meet with the police union.

City and state leaders are holding several news conferences on Thursday to highlightDemocraticcauses and publicly rejectTrump's platform. Local labor leaders are planning a late-afternoon march to protestTrump's visit.

"I believe in the people of Minnesota. In the end, I think we will see people voicing their opinions without any incident," said Amy Koch, a Republican strategist in Minnesota who plans on attending therally.

No Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972.

A poll released by Alliance for a Better Minnesota on Wednesday showed 52 per centof registered voters in the state would vote for theDemocraticcandidate next year, while 42 per cent would vote forTrump. The survey of 1,175 voters was conducted with the left-leaning Public Policy Polling.