Michele Tafoya reacts after getting Trump's endorsement

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Michele Tafoya reacted Tuesday to President Donald Trump’s endorsement of her U.S. Senate campaign, while also trying to put some distance between herself and the president.

Trump backs Tafoya

What they're saying:

Trump urged voters to support Tafoya while speaking at a rally in Ohio on Monday night.

Tafoya, a former sports journalist, is facing Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in the race for U.S. Senate in Minnesota.

During the rally, the president railed against Minnesota fraud and the Somali gang violence. At the end of which, he gave his endorsement of Tafoya's campaign.

"It's a disaster," he said of Minnesota. "And we're not going to stand for it. That's right, and you have to vote for Michele Tafoya, who's a very respected person, while we're at it. She's well respected."

Tafoya reacts to endorsement

Local perspective:

On Tuesday, Tafoya held a news conference laying out her plan to tackle gang violence in the Twin Cities. During that news conference, she addressed Trump's endorsement.

"This campaign is about bringing all Minnesotans together, whether they voted for President Trump or whether they voted for Kamala Harris or whether they didn't vote at all," she said. "I want all Minnesotans to come together. We have a great community behind us in our corner that includes farmers, law enforcement, businesses. So the ultimate endorsement will come for me on November 3rd from the state of Minnesota."

When asked if she was surprised by the endorsement, she said: "Most of the things that the president says are a surprise to somebody."

The other side:

Tafoya followed up those remarks by trying to put some separation between herself and the president. She criticized the administration’s handling of Operation Metro Surge, saying it was handled "abysmally" by Kristi Noem. 

She also said no president – including Trump – should have a "blank check" to wage war without congressional approval or the buy-in of the American public. On the war in Iran, Tafoya called on Trump to present an exit strategy to the American people.

Flanagan campaign responds to the endorsement

The other side:

The Flanagan campaign seized on the Trump endorsement Monday evening, issuing their own press release announcing the endorsement less than two hours after President Trump's remarks. That release came before any mention of the endorsement from Tafoya's campaign, who didn't publicly address it before Tuesday's press conference.

On Tafoya's social media channels, her campaign still hasn't mentioned Trump's endorsement as of Tuesday afternoon. However, Tafoya did announce an endorsement from the National Federation of Independent Business on Tuesday.

In a statement, Flanagan campaign spokesperson Lexi Byler wrote: "Michele Tafoya spent all year auditioning for Donald Trump’s endorsement, and tonight she got it. No wonder he calls her ‘very respected’— she’s in lockstep with him on everything. She supported his war in Iran, she’s with him on his tariffs, his ICE and mass deportation agenda, and his attacks on abortion rights. She’s even defended January 6 rioters who tried to overturn a free and fair election for him. To be clear — Trump has lost Minnesota three times, and Michele Tafoya is about to be number four,"