Michele Tafoya responds to Eden Prairie homecoming shooting: Full interview

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Speaking with FOX 9 Morning News on Sunday, candidate for U.S. Senate Michele Tafoya says a "light touch" to handling crime in Minnesota is to blame for a recent spate of suburban crime like the shooting outside the Eden Prairie High School homecoming football game on Friday night.

Here is the full transcript for Sunday's interview:

Michele Tafoya on working with President Trump

"I am running to be the senator from Minnesota, and Minnesota deserves a senator that works for them. And so when I agree with whoever is in the White House, I will stand up and agree in support. And when I disagree and it's not good for Minnesota, whatever that action or proposal is, I will stand up and speak about it. I am going to represent Minnesota. I'm not going to answer to a party boss, to a lobbyist, or even a president, whether it's the next two years or the four years after that. I'm going to answer to Minnesotans."

Tafoya on Trump’s focus on Minnesota

"He hasn't focused on this race, so I'm focused on this race and I'm focused on doing what's best for Minnesota. And that's making sure that this single-party rule that Peggy Flanagan and Tim Walz have overseen for the last eight years, which has taken us 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction. We've got to change things. People are ready for change. It hasn't worked. Where has that brought us these last eight years? It's brought us the historic fraud that you touched on just a moment ago. It's brought us an increase in crime. It's brought us declining test scores. Those are just a few of the things that have happened while Democrats have been in charge in Minnesota. And so we're looking for change. And everyone I talk to on the trail wants change. They are tired of the direction this state is going and they'd like to see brighter days."

Tafoya on the Eden Prairie shooting and crime in Minnesota

"Crime is crime and no matter who commits it, it's gone up over the last eight years. And this kind of crime that disrupts a high school football game, or as we saw several weeks ago at Our Lady of Grace, a Catholic church and school where they had to take the baskets and hoops off the basketball courts so that people wouldn't come play late at night, which also means the kids can't play at recess. This kind of crime at Yancey Park, not far from this building. Why is this happening – going unpunished? We have seen a lot of crime in Minnesota being handled with a very light touch. And I'm proud to be endorsed by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and also the Minneapolis Federation of Police. They gave me their endorsement because I want to support our officers. They risk life and limb every day to protect us from this kind of crime, and oftentimes have been told to get out of the way. Or in the case of Peggy Flanagan, she was part of the defund the police movement. So listen, we've got to hold all of our criminals, whatever, wherever they come from, accountable. People want accountability. And all Minnesotans want safe streets and safe neighborhoods."

Tafoya on freedom of the press

"I am a First Amendment absolutist. I believe in freedom of speech, and that includes freedom of the press. So I would like to see press have the freedom that they have earned and deserve and that's it. I mean, I am absolute on that… I think that all news outlets ought to be allowed to cover the White House and cover the president."

PoliticsMinnesotaMichele Tafoya