Keith Ellison, the Attorney General of Minnesota, is a true believer.
He is also the most vulnerable Democrat in statewide office. He won his reelection in 2022 by less than one point. Tim Walz won his reelection by 8.
Walz, for all his flaws as governor and the wide disdain in which he is held in Greater Minnesota, still has rural roots. Ellison is very much a Minneapolis liberal and unashamed to run as one. He plays to the "urban" crowd, is a BLM and Antifa advocate, and has even more direct connections to the massive welfare fraud that has become such an issue here.
As the DNC Vice Chair, he pitched himself as the most left of the left, which is how he rose to that position. While that may appeal to Minnesota left, it obviously costs him votes.
Even though Ellison is up for reelection, he's not backing down. Instead, he is pulling the "leftism is just common sense" card, just as the DSA socialists are working hard to claim that socialism really is just providing more and better government services and not a fundamental reshaping of society.
A case in point:
STORY: https://t.co/mBaB3Lbtqt
— Alpha News (@AlphaNews) July 12, 2026
As support for "gender affirming care," which is simply a euphemism for destroying the bodies of children to affirm a delusion that they are not biologically boys or girls, has crashed, Ellison isn't abandoning the issue; he's trying to redefine it as something we all get without even noticing.
And, of course, he is arguing that policing is socialism, so we all are socialists without knowing it.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has come under a flurry of criticism in recent days after a pair of comments about socialism and so-called “gender-affirming care.” In both cases, Ellison was attempting to stretch the meaning of both words.
During a June 29 appearance on an LGBT talk show, Ellison discussed “gender-affirming care” and claimed that it is not exclusive to transgender people, saying that “cisgender heterosexual people like myself use gender-affirming care every day and all the time.”
Ellison explained that he believes a man using erectile dysfunction medication, a woman receiving reconstructive surgery after a double mastectomy, or a woman with hair loss wearing a wig are all practicing “gender-affirming care.”
In reality, “gender-affirming care” is the process by which an individual attempts to change their appearance in a way that conflicts with their biological gender. Those efforts typically involve makeup, hair alterations, a change in dress, and chemical and surgical procedures.
Speaking to the talk show hosts, the attorney general argued that a double standard exists which penalizes transgender people for seeking out methods to change their appearance. Ellison said he believes this double standard is “bigotry.”
It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for him.
Equating the sterilization and mutilation of children to wearing a wig or reconstructive breast surgery after a mastectomy is, I suspect, a bridge too far for most people, and would only make sense to somebody who is already so far around the bend into delusional thinking. I suspect that most Minnesota voters don't quite see the connection.
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison: "Cisgender heterosexual people like myself use gender affirming care every day and all the time."
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) July 8, 2026
Minnesota gives California a run for its money for state with the most out-of-touch, radical "leaders"... pic.twitter.com/oPJXjoLt56
One of the most successful strategies the left has used to move the Overton Window has been the strategic redefinition of words. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
It appears to have worked in convincing people that Israel has been committing "genocide"; the constant repetition has had an impact, although that impact has been multiplied dramatically by the strategic use of imagery and videos to create a false reality in that case.
It's much harder to do that here, because every time you trot out a transgender activist, they look repulsive in manner and behavior to normal people.
The redefinition of "socialism," about which I wrote earlier today, is in full swing as well. Ellison is repeating the talking points that claim that any government at all is socialism in action. If you like police and fire protection, you are a socialist already.
Just a few days later, Ellison was on “The Dean Obeidallah Show” where the attorney general discussed the rise of Muslim elected officials in America before the conversation turned to socialism. Interrupting Obeidallah, Ellison said policing was an example of socialism.
“You call the cops, guess who pays them? Your tax dollars,” Ellison said. “Guess what that is? That’s socialism, pal! Sorry. You don’t contract for your own private police department or fire department or water inspection or public works.”
Of course, Ellison leaves out the fact that he has spent years arguing that police are systemically racist, as is the entire American government. But...details.
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison suggests Americans who call the police are engaging in socialism:
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 8, 2026
"You call the cops, guess who pays them! Your tax dollars! Guess what that is! That’s socialism pal!" pic.twitter.com/HAfVcujkhU
It's difficult to see how this line of attack will help Ellison in this election. He's already unpopular. He's tied up with all the fraud. He's got an unappealing record. And most people don't buy it.
And, of course, he's trying to have it both ways.
Still, his socialist buddies and trans activist friends no doubt find these arguments very persuasive, and his rhetorical sleights of hand very impressive.
Most other people? Not so much, I would expect.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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