As Republicans work to recruit candidates for Minnesota’s open Senate seat, former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya has drawn fresh scrutiny over her past criticism of President Donald Trump as she weighs a bid.
Tafoya, who left sports broadcasting in 2022 to pursue a career in politics and conservative media, has been encouraged by national Republicans to consider running for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN). Party strategists view her name recognition as a possible asset in a state Democrats have carried at the presidential level for decades. However, any GOP nominee will face a steep climb in a general election.
If Tafoya runs, her long record of publicly breaking with Trump is likely to receive renewed attention. During the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Tafoya backed Secretary of State Marco Rubio over Trump and made repeated donations to Rubio’s campaign while giving nothing to Trump, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Her criticism intensified in 2022, when Tafoya published a lengthy open letter on her Substack urging Trump not to run for president again. In that piece, she described his politics as messy during his first term and said they descended into absolute mayhem after his 2020 loss. She warned that another Trump campaign would be dominated by his age, a relitigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and a deepening of national division, arguing that the country needed a break from both Trump and former President Joe Biden.
In the letter and in subsequent interviews, Tafoya repeatedly characterized Trump as divisive and said many voters were exhausted by political chaos. She suggested Republicans rally around alternative leaders without Trump’s baggage, naming Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Rubio, Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), and others. That same year, she told Minnesota outlet KARE 11 that a Trump comeback would bring renewed chaos, and on Tomi Lahren’s show, she said she preferred DeSantis for the 2024 GOP nomination because he lacked Trump’s extra baggage. Tafoya also posted on social media, urging Trump to sit out the race and shared commentary amplifying criticism from officials like former Attorney General Bill Barr and Haley during the 2024 primary.
Tafoya’s criticism extended beyond the campaign trail. As recently as March 2025, she publicly faulted the Trump administration over reports that senior officials discussed war plans on an unclassified chat, known as “Signalgate,” calling it an unforced error that handed ammunition to critics.
That posture has since shifted. Appearing on Fox News’s Gutfeld on Dec. 15, Tafoya addressed her earlier opposition directly and said she had been wrong to urge Trump to step aside.
“I had my own little Trump protest back in 2022,” she said, referencing her Substack letter. “I didn’t think he should run again … because I thought we needed a more conventional kind of candidate. Clearly, I was wrong.”
She argued that Trump’s unconventional approach was precisely what made his presidency effective.
“Only a non-traditional, disruptive candidate like Donald Trump could achieve all the things he has achieved,” Tafoya said, pointing to outcomes she credited to Trump, including border enforcement, lower inflation, gas prices, and foreign policy developments. “Those things were accomplished because he works his a** off every single day.”
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Tafoya emphasized that she now supports Trump’s presidency and said she would work with him if elected.
“Just recently, I spoke about my support of President Trump on Gutfeld! and where I stand on his presidency,” Tafoya said. “If I should seek this office, I will work with the President to crack down on rampant fraud in Minnesota, protect the integrity of women’s sports, and lower the cost of living in every Minnesota community.”
Some Republican strategists said the totality of Tafoya’s record matters more than any single statement.
“Public criticism of President Trump is never ideal in a Republican primary, especially at the Senate level,” one Washington-based GOP strategist said. “Trump has a long memory, and so does his political operation. That can matter when it comes to endorsements, outside support, and donor enthusiasm. Even if it’s not disqualifying, it can complicate things in a real way.”
Others argued that Trump’s posture toward a candidate ultimately outweighs old remarks.
“In today’s GOP primaries, past criticism of Trump matters far less than whether he endorses you — or at least stays neutral,” said Republican strategist Dennis Lennox, who is based in Michigan.
Lennox also cautioned that Minnesota has a long history of disappointing Republicans in statewide races.
“Minnesota teases Republicans as a battleground, then breaks Democratic at the end. Even Reagan couldn’t carry it,” he said, calling the state frequent fool’s gold for the GOP.
Still, he said, Republican investment in Minnesota could have strategic value beyond the race.
“Republicans playing in Minnesota forces Democrats to go on defense,” Lennox said. “Every dollar Democrats spend in a state they should easily win is a dollar not spent in Maine, North Carolina, or Michigan.”
He added that a candidate who demonstrates some independence from Trump could be more competitive in a general election, particularly with independents, college-educated suburban voters, and ticket-splitters who often decide close statewide races.
NFL REPORTER MICHELE TAFOYA CLOSE TO DECIDING ON MINNESOTA SENATE BID
Minnesota remains a difficult lift for Republicans at the statewide level. The party has not won a Senate race there since 2002, and Democrats continue to view the seat as a must-hold even as Republicans look for openings. On the Democratic side, the race is shaping up as an early test between the party’s establishment and progressive wings, with Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) seen by many party strategists as the more general-election-ready option and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan backed by a roster of left-leaning senators.
Tafoya has not announced her candidacy. The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment.