GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance slammed Gov. Tim Walz's handling of the 2020 riots and portrayed Minneapolis as a city in decline during a brief visit to the Twin Cities on Monday.

The Republican U.S. senator from Ohio attended a private fundraiser in the Twin Cities on Monday before making an unannounced stop at the shuttered Third Precinct police station in Minneapolis that was set ablaze in 2020. He was joined by a group of retired Minneapolis police officers and Minnesota GOP congressional candidate Joe Teirab. Vance said he spoke with Minnesotans throughout the day who were concerned about the state's largest city.

"People talked about moving out of Minneapolis. People talked about the 1,400 businesses that were destroyed, a lot of them who are owned by minority members of this community. People talked about how Minneapolis had one of the great quality of lives five, six years ago but thanks to the leadership of Tim Walz has now become overrun with crime," Vance said.

"The story of Minneapolis is coming to every community across the United States of America if we promote Kamala Harris to president of the United States," Vance added.

Vance's comments echoed former President Donald Trump, who just days earlier insulted the city of Detroit while campaigning there: "Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she's your president," Trump said.

After police killed George Floyd, gun violence and other crimes surged in Minneapolis to record levels of shootings and homicides. While still above pre-pandemic levels, violent crime has fallen in the city the past two years, even after a significant exodus of Minneapolis police officers that started in 2020.

The Republican U.S. senator from Ohio didn't take any questions from press who gathered on the tarmac as he stepped off his campaign plane and into a motorcade.
Video (00:36): JD Vance lands in Minnesota for private fundraiser

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called Vance's press conference outside the Third Precinct "an unserious stunt from an unserious campaign" in a post on X on Monday. He noted the city's high rankings for happiness and accessibility, among other things.

Vance also claimed Monday that Walz let Minneapolis "burn to the ground" during the riots. The city is still standing. Pockets of Minneapolis experienced destruction during the 2020 civil unrest, which caused $500 million in damage, but many affected buildings have since been restored.

The Monday campaign stop was Vance's first trip back to Minnesota since late July, when he and former President Donald Trump rallied together in St. Cloud. Trump hasn't been back to the state since, and it's unclear if he will before Election Day on Nov. 5.

No Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972. A Star Tribune/MPR News/KARE 11 Minnesota Poll conducted last month found that Harris and Walz held a 48%-43% lead over Trump and Vance in Minnesota. Harris hasn't been to the state since she became the nominee.

Vance acknowledged Monday that Minnesota is "a bluer state" but said he thinks he and Trump still have a chance of winning it.

"You're obviously rowing uphill in a state like Minnesota, but I think a lot of Minnesotans are just sick of the garbage, they're sick of the lack of common sense in our government, and we have a real opportunity to turn Minnesota red," he said.

Asked if Trump himself will return to Minnesota before Election Day, Vance said, "I don't know. … My guess is that President Trump will be back in Minnesota before the end of the election, but we'll see."

Speaking more generally about the state of the presidential race, Vance said that he and Trump think momentum is on their side. "If the election were held today, we would win," he said.

Vance arrived in Minneapolis late Monday morning just as his vice presidential counterpart Walz boarded a plane for Eau Claire, Wis.

Walz spoke to a group of about 75 people during a campaign event at a coffeehouse at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, and then departed for Green Bay. He stressed the important role young voters can play in the election.

"Our recital is 22 days away," Walz said. "It actually starts in eight days here in Wisconsin when early voting starts. I would encourage you — we need you — this is not hyperbole — I think it's very realistic to believe that this race will be won going through Wisconsin."

Data journalist Jeff Hargarten contributed to this report.