Trump accuses Minnesota leaders of ‘scamming us’ after they require his campaign to abide by 250-person limit for rally

President is closing in on Joe Biden in one of several crucial Rust Belt states

Donald Trump accused state officials in Minnesota of “scamming us” after they required his campaign to limit a Friday evening rally to 250 people to comply with its coronavirus orders.

“They’re scamming us,” he said during a campaign rally before thousands of loyalists in Waterford Township, Michigan. “Maybe that will give us the final victory.”

Mr Trump does trail by 4.7 percentage points in Minnesota, but he has closed by 2 points in just a few weeks. Democratic nominee Joe Biden led there by 6.6 points earlier this month, according to RealClearPolitics.

The president continued complaining about the Minnesota order after a late-night tweet Thursday.

“We were planning for as many as 25,000 people in Minnesota,” he wrote. "Now, the governor, at the last moment, will only allow the first 250 people to attend. Riots plus Omar = WIN!"

He was referring to progressive Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a freshwoman Democrat with whom he has feuded since she took office two years ago. 

The president and his campaign aides are slamming Minnesota’s Democratic leaders, Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, saying they are trying to hinder his efforts to win the state in Tuesday’s election.

"Without question, Minnesota Democrats had hoped that the president would simply cancel the event, but he will not allow partisan politicians to deprive people of their First Amendment rights to gather peacefully to hear directly from the President of the United States," the Trump campaign wrote in a statement to those who were planning to attend the Friday rally.

The Minnesota Department of Health recorded nearly 3,000 positive coronavirus tests on Thursday alone as the disease continues to spread around much of the country amid warnings of a third massive spike.

The state’s AG defended the Walz administration’s orders.

"We did not cancel this event: Indeed, we have no authority to cancel events and have never cancelled an event," Mr Ellison said.