By Madison McVan | Reporter
Good morning, Reformers.
The situation in St. Paul City Hall continues to devolve. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and the police pressed forward with the clearing of the Pig’s Eye encampment over the protests of residents, homeless services providers, some City Council members and some members of the St. Paul legislative delegation.
Chris Madel, the former GOP candidate for governor who is representing St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry in his sexual harassment allegations against Her, took issue with a Star Tribune column written by Rochelle Olson, which we featured in this newsletter yesterday. So Madel sent Olson a version of the “Wiener Wednesday” text that his client says crossed a line — but with Olson’s face edited onto it.
Then Madel posted a screenshot of the text on X.
Mess.
In other news, Nathan Hansen, the right-wing poster and conspiracy theorist turned immigration judge, announced in a since-deleted X post that he resigned from his job after approximately four months because he wants to spend more time with his family. I wrote about Hansen’s appointment in April, but former Reformer Chris Ingraham had the full roundup of his conspiratorial beliefs in 2024.
We’ve got a Farmfest-heavy newsletter for you today.
From left, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Lisa Demuth, Mike Lindell, and Kendall Qualls answer questions during the candidate forum for Minnesota governor at Farmfest in Morgan, Minnesota on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
By Alyssa Chen and Ria Gupta
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the presumptive DFL nominee for governor, got on stage for the first and last time with the three GOP candidates for governor: businessman Kendall Qualls, House Speaker Lisa Demuth and pillow mogul Mike Lindell.
The three Republicans declined to criticize any of President Donald Trump’s policies, from tariffs to the Iran War and Operation Metro Surge. .
By Max Nesterak
If there’s one thing farmers can always agree on, it’s that times are tough.
The four leading Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. Senate acknowledged the tribulations facing farmers at the annual Farmfest, during a final debate on Wednesday before the Aug. 11 primary.
Their assessments of the causes and cures of agriculture’s ills diverged significantly, however.
By J. Patrick Coolican
Editor-in-Chief J. Patrick Coolican says Minnesotans have a lot at stake in Trump’s pick for attorney general.
“The attorney general is the lawyer for the United States government — we the people — and his obligation is to the law and the U.S. Constitution, not his former client’s lawless whims,” Coolican writes. “We’ve become all too aware of his misplaced priorities and allegiances in Minnesota.”
IN OTHER NEWS
US Senate confirms Trump’s pick for CDC director | Reformer via States Newsroom
Moderate Democrats prepare for ‘war’ against an ascendant left | New York Times gift link
Trump, Hegseth clashed at Camp David over Iran missile depletion concerns | Washington Post gift link
OH BY THE WAY
Instead of a song for today, I’ll remind you to watch the Prince Super Bowl halftime show if you haven’t seen it lately.
That’s all from me. Have a great day!
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