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Bernie Sanders Visits Minnesota State Fair And Talks Trade, Police Shootings

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (WCCO) -- From cookies to curds, the Minnesota State Fair is famous for a lot of things.

It's also known for its deep-fried politics and on Saturday, it was Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' turn to make his case to voters. When asked how this state fair compares to others he has visited, Sanders had this to say: "It's very big."

Sanders doesn't share much in common with Donald Trump, but in 2016, the President said he and Sanders share similar views on trade.

Following President Trump's Friday announcement increasing tariffs with China, Sanders had this to say about current foreign policy tactics:

"You don't do trade policy by Twitter. You don't announce today that the Federal Reserve is an enemy of the American people. You cannot have an economy in which major positions are made on Monday and changed on Tuesday," said Sanders.

Sanders also touched on his plan for criminal justice reform.

In a state that has seen several high profile officer involved shootings in recent years, his plan would establish federal standards for the use of police body cameras.

"Every police shooting in America will be investigated by the Department of Justice and that's what we need to do," said Sanders.

Despite a large show of support for the progressive candidate at the Fair, the reality is President Trump nearly won Minnesota in 2016, earning 45% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 46.4%.

Still, the two-time presidential candidate thinks he can win a state that voted purple 4 years ago.

"I'm confident that we are going to win here in Minnesota," said Sanders. "I think we are going to win the democratic nomination.

Sanders has qualified for the next Democratic debate in September.

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