Former President Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance are planning a stop in Minnesota, a surprisingly close state that hasn’t gone to a Republican presidential candidate in 52 years.

Trump and Vance plan to make the trip to St. Cloud, Minnesota, on Saturday, the campaign announced Tuesday, with a Real Clear Politics report noting that Trump pollster John McLaughlin believes the state is in play.

McLaughlin believes Vance, who Trump announced as his running mate on the first day of the Republican National Convention last week, could help put Trump over the top in the state, with the Ohio native expected to have appeal to voters throughout the Midwest.

Trump narrowly lost the state to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, coming up about 1.5% short. The former president’s 2020 performance against President Biden wasn’t as encouraging, with Trump losing Minnesota by about 7% that year.

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But polling shows signs that Minnesota, which hasn’t gone to a Republican presidential candidate since Richard Nixon in 1972, could be competitive once again in 2024. A June poll of likely voters in Minnesota conducted by the Star Tribune, MPR News and KARE 11, showed Trump trailing Biden by just 4% in the state, 45-41.

The Real Clear Politics polling average in the state is even slightly closer, with Trump coming in only 3 points behind Biden. One poll cited in the average, a Hill/Emerson poll, shows Trump and Biden tied in the typically dependably blue state.

The Trump campaign has become increasingly bullish that it can put more states in play in 2024, attempting to expand the map from the most heavily contested swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Minnesota and Virginia have been of particular interest to the campaign, which has insisted the two states could be winnable for the former president.

Like Minnesota, Trump has trended favorably in Virginia in recent weeks. The former president now holds a narrow lead in the state, the Real Clear Politics polling average shows, with the two most recently cited polls showing Trump up two and three points, respectively.

Former President Trump holds his first public campaign rally with his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, at the Van Andel Arena on July 20, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

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Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a Trump campaign spokesperson pointed to recent Emerson polling that shows Trump with a one-point lead in Minnesota. The spokesperson also noted that the campaign has opened eight new field offices in the state.

Trump has also mentioned Minnesota as a potential state he could grab, touting Vance’s Midwestern roots as a reason the state could be in play in November.

“J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond,” Trump said in a Truth Social post that announced Vance as his running mate.

But Trump and Vance’s trip to Minnesota comes amid a rapidly shifting race, with Biden announcing Sunday that he was dropping out. Biden immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket, spurring Democrats to rally around her.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an NCAA championship teams celebration on the South Lawn of the White House on July 22, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Less polling has been done on how Trump would fare against Harris in battleground states, though the former president will hope to get a head start on taking the state with his trip on Saturday.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

If you are traveling to Mississippi, there is no shortage of activities to take part in during your travels. 

Mississippi is filled with ravishing natural beauty and museums where you can take a deeper dive into history. 

In Mississippi, there is something for everyone, from scenic hikes to testing your luck at the blackjack table at one of the state’s numerous casinos. 

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Use this guide as inspiration for stops to make during your trip to Mississippi. 

1. Visit one of the state’s many museums
2. Head to the casino
3. Relax on Biloxi Beach
4. Visit Vicksburg National Military Park
5. See Windsor Ruins
6. Go to Longwood
7. Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
8. Take kids to Mississippi Aquarium
9. Go to the birthplace of Elvis Presley

1. Visit one of the state’s many museums

Mississippi is home to many different museums throughout the state. 

One popular one to visit is the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. 

The Delta Blues Museum is the state’s oldest music museum, according to its website. The museum is filled with exhibits that explore the history of blues music. Check the museum’s website to see the exhibits that will be running during your visit. 

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Another museum located in Mississippi is the GRAMMY Museum. This museum can be found in Cleveland. The 28,000-square-foot museum has more than 24 exhibits that cover different music genres, from rock to hip-hop to country, according to its website. 

2. Head to the casino

Mississippi has many different luxurious casinos throughout the state where you can play slot machines and table games. 

One of the most popular to visit is Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi. In addition to the games you can play, there are also many dining opportunities and a hotel on-site if you want to stay at the casino. 

There is live entertainment at the casino, too, so be sure to check in and see who will be playing prior to your visit.

3. Relax on Biloxi Beach

Biloxi Beach is a popular tourist attraction in Mississippi. 

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You can take a walk in the sand along the beach after visiting Beau Rivage Casino. 

While at the beach, you can also enjoy many of the main fishing spots and grab a bite at one of the delicious seafood restaurants by the beach.

For great views of the beach 24 hours a day, stay at one of the many beachside hotels with quick access to the sandy shore. 

Biloxi Beach is a great fishing spot in Mississippi. (Barry Lewis/InPictures via Getty Images)

4. Visit Vicksburg National Military Park

Vicksburg National Military Park is full of Civil War history. The Vicksburg campaign was a success for the Union Army, according to History.com, and one of the longest campaigns of the Civil War.

The Vicksburg Campaign began in 1862 and continued until July 4, 1863, with the Confederate surrender, according to the National Parks Service. 

Today, you can visit Vicksburg National Military Park and see the 1,325 historic monuments and markers that fill the location, according to NationalParks.org.

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You can also find a restored Union gunboat, the USS Cairo, here and the Vicksburg National Cemetery. 

5. See Windsor Ruins

Not far from Port Gibson is Windsor Ruins. 

This location is where the Windsor plantation once stood but was destroyed by a fire in 1890, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. 

Today, there are 23 columns left standing.

The Windsor Ruins is a free destination you can visit on your vacation. (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

You may recognize the ruins from the movies they have been featured in: “Raintree County” and “Ghost of Mississippi.” 

Guests can visit the ruins during operating hours at no cost.

6. Go to Longwood

Longwood is a mansion in Natchez.

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The mansion is unique in its octagonal shape and an attraction that many tourists make time to see while they are visiting the state.

Guests can take a tour of Longwood seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to the Visit Natchez website.

7. Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile scenic road that runs through three different U.S. states: Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. 

Take a scenic drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway during your trip to Mississippi. (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

There are many places to hike or bike along the trail. 

If you enjoy camping, there are numerous places to pitch a tent on the trail after a long day of hiking or driving. 

8. Take kids to Mississippi Aquarium

The Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport is a great destination for kids and adults alike. 

This aquarium provides hours of family fun with so much to see during your visit. 

This aquarium features an alligator habitat, Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, a freshwater river and a touch pool for guests to get up-close to horseshoe crabs, baby sharks and more. 

For an additional cost, guests can also book special encounters with dolphins, penguins and others. 

9. Go to the birthplace of Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo on Jan. 8, 1935. 

If you are a fan of the King of Rock and Roll, stop at the two-room house where Presley was born. 

When the house was originally built by his father, $180 was used to put together the home, according to Visit Mississippi. 

The house is now part of the 15-acre Elvis Presley Park. 

Here you can also find the “Elvis at 13” statue, a popular photo stop on the property, and Presley’s childhood church. 

A beachgoer is recovering after being treated for a “probable shark bite” Monday at a resort on Hilton Head Island.

Shore Beach Patrol officials told WSAV News 3 it happened shortly after noon Monday near beach marker 26 in the Sea Pines Resort. 

Lifeguards claimed the beachgoer exited the water and was bleeding but had the wound under control.

Officials did not release the name or age of the female victim but confirmed to News 3 she did not need to be taken to a hospital. 

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The area of the reported shark bite was closed for about 30 minutes until officials could make sure the area was safe and secure.

According to Shore Beach Services, this marks the first reported shark bite of the year on Hilton Head, but officials said “there was another possible shark bite early this year that wasn’t confirmed.”

The only other shark attack reported on Hilton Head Island happened in 2023.

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A beachgoer is recovering after what’s being called a “likely shark bite” in the waters off Hilton Head Island. (Fox News Digital)

In that incident, a shark apparently bit a 60-year-old man in the waters off Hilton Head Island.

The swimmer was reportedly bitten on the foot while in waist-deep water at the beach in Sea Pines, the Town of Hilton Head Island Government previously told Fox News Digital. 

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A shark bite was reported at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island Monday. (Fox News Digital)

In 2022, there were 57 reported unprovoked shark bites on humans worldwide, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File. Of those unprovoked bites, 41 occurred in the United States.

According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been 76 shark attacks reported in South Carolina since 2012.

The top 10 most dangerous beaches are all in Florida, according to Simmrin Law’s report. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, broke into the top 25. That location had 24 surf zone deaths and shark attacks and 33 hurricanes, according to Fox Tampa.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Shore Beach Services for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Chris Eberhart contributed to this report.