Deleted tweet undercuts Tafoya's denial she called Minnesota embarrassing
Minnesota GOP Senate nominee Michele Tafoya denied ever saying she was embarrassed to live in the state, but a resurfaced 2023 tweet says exactly that.
What to know
- Tafoya, the GOP nominee for Minnesota's open Senate seat, denied to WCCO ever saying she was embarrassed to live in the state.
- A deleted March 2023 tweet and other posts from 2024 show her repeatedly disparaging Minnesota and saying she planned to leave.
- She faces Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in November to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith; a win would make her Minnesota's first GOP senator since 2009.
“When I first moved to Minnesota, I really liked it here. It was safe and clean and beautiful and culturally diverse. And now it is not as safe, it is not as clean, it is not as beautiful, and we have Ilhan Omar and Tim Walz. So, suffice to say, I won't be here for the long haul.”
Michele Tafoya, GOP Senate candidate · Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen podcast, via Daily Beast/HuffPost · Aug 31
Michele Tafoya GOP Senate nominee, Minnesota
Peggy Flanagan Democratic Lt. Governor of Minnesota, Senate candidateMinnesota DFL Party State Democratic party
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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HuffPost highlights the contradiction in Tafoya's denial
HuffPost published an article laying out Tafoya's history of criticizing Minnesota alongside her recent denials, framing it as an attempt to 'weasel out' of her record.
“I'm embarrassed to say I live in Minnesota. This state has gone so far left it's amazing any of the snow still sticks.”
— Michele Tafoya, GOP Senate candidate · source -
first by HuffPost, 12h ago
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@KFILE resurfaces Tafoya's deleted 'embarrassed' tweet and others
The account KFILE posted archived screenshots showing Tafoya had in fact said she was embarrassed to live in Minnesota, along with other tweets expressing her wish to leave the state.
“NEW: Michele Tafoya, GOP Senate nominee in Minnesota recently issued a rather categorical set of denials she ever said she was embarrassed to live in MN — but.. she did say literally that in a deleted tweet.”
— @KFILE -
NEW: Michele Tafoya, GOP Senate nominee in Minnesota recently issued a rather categorical set of denials she ever said she was embarrassed to live in MN — but.. she did say literally that in a deleted tweet. One of a whole bunch of tweets, we found saying she wanted to leave.
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Tafoya denies ever calling herself embarrassed of Minnesota — Asked by local station WCCO about her past criticisms, Tafoya claimed she had never said she was embarrassed to live in Minnesota, drawing a distinction between being personally ashamed and finding state politics embarrassing.
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Minnesota DFL brands Tafoya the state's 'biggest hater' — The Democratic Farmer Labor Party cited Tafoya's history of disparaging Minnesota in a press release ahead of the midterm race.
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Tafoya criticizes Minnesota's safety and leaders on a podcast — On "Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen," Tafoya said Minnesota had become less safe and clean, name-checking Rep. Ilhan Omar and Gov. Tim Walz, and said she wouldn't stay long-term.
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Tafoya calls herself a 'future former-Minnesotan' — She again signaled online her intent to leave the state she now seeks to represent in the Senate.
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Tafoya says on X she will be 'fleeing soon' from Minnesota — Tafoya posted that she planned to leave the state, adding to a pattern of public criticism of Minnesota.
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Tafoya tweets she is 'embarrassed' to live in Minnesota — In a since-deleted tweet, Tafoya wrote that she was embarrassed to say she lived in Minnesota, criticizing the state's political direction.