Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has drawn widespread social media criticism after video surfaced of him dancing at the Black Entrepreneur State Fair last week while violent crime rates remain high across the Minnesota city.
The 45-year-old Democrat was filmed wearing an off-white button-down shirt tucked into gray khakis as he approached an emcee with his hands behind his back before stiffly gyrating his hips and shoulders to hip-hop music.
The clip quickly spread across social media platforms, sparking backlash from commentators who mocked his movements and questioned his leadership during an ongoing public safety crisis in Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota.
Social media backlash to state fair appearance
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson criticized the mayor's public appearance online, writing: "Why are they always like this? This is almost worse than when he pretended the Somali food he was choking down his throat was delicious. He's a walking humiliation ritual."
Media commentator Emily Jashinsky joked online: "I'd honestly prefer that he defund the police."
Outkick writer Ian Miller added: "One of the worst parts of Democrats becoming the party of theater kids isn't just that they're destroying American cities, it's that they were clearly the worst and least talented theater kids, which is why they went into politics."
Another user on social media platform X echoed that sentiment, asking: "We're ruled by theater kids. How did we let this happen?"
Commentator Mario Nawfal also criticized Frey, claiming: "Mayor Frey is out here dancing like his state, his city is not in complete disarray and plagued with rampant fraud at every level. His ability to put on blinders and just vibe is unmatched."
Another X user accused Frey of "pandering to people of color," while political commentator Gunther Eagleman called the mayor a "dork."
Criticism over city governance and leadership
In a detailed post online, Eagleman wrote: "This DORK who can't run a city apparently can't stop busting moves either. Awkward, stiff, painful-looking dancing at public events while Minneapolis deals with the fallout of progressive policies."
Eagleman continued: "It's the same pattern: When the results are bad, break out the white-man shuffle and hope the Internet forgets the crime, the disorder and the failed governance."
He went on to claim that President Donald Trump "does it as a spoof" while "these guys do it like it's a lifestyle," before adding: "Voters aren't buying the pity dance. They want competence, not choreography."
Eagleman concluded his message by urging: "Stop dancing and start governing, DORK."
Minneapolis violent crime statistics and assault rates
The online controversy surrounding Frey's dance came just one week after an official report showed that reported aggravated assaults and rapes increased in Minneapolis, while the city's homicide rate remained relatively steady.
On August 1, 2026, the Major Cities Chiefs Association released a comprehensive violent crime survey comparing crime data from January 1 through June 30 of 2026 to the exact same six-month period in 2025.
According to the survey, Minneapolis recorded 1,518 aggravated assault cases during the first half of 2026, representing a rise from 1,346 cases recorded during the same period last year, a nearly 13 percent increase.
The Minneapolis Police Department also reported 252 rape cases during the first six months of 2026, compared to 214 cases reported during the first six months of 2025.
Homicides in the city decreased by only a slight margin, with 25 homicides reported across Minneapolis in 2026 compared to 26 reported in 2025. By contrast, robbery reports experienced a marked decrease, falling to 404 reports in 2026 from 502 reports in 2025.
Police department response to crime report
Following the release of the survey, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department issued a statement to local news outlet KTSP addressing the statistical findings.
In the statement, police officials noted: "Sexual assaults are especially concerning and can have life-changing consequences for victims."
The department continued: "MPD has a specialized unit focused on investigating sexual offenses. The unit is staffed by investigators who understand the sensitive nature of these cases and the support victims may need."
Police added: "Sexual assault investigations are victim-centered, with an emphasis on minimizing the potential negative impacts of the investigative process while conducting a thorough and professional investigation."
Police officer shortage and surveillance technology debate
The crime report was published shortly after two separate mass shootings occurred in Minneapolis within less than 24 hours at the end of July.
In an interview with local outlet KTSP following the mass shootings, Frey acknowledged that city leadership needed to adjust its approach to governing and public safety.
Frey called the mass shootings "unacceptable" and stated: "We're going to make adjustments to make sure the individuals are arrested."
The mayor added: "When you have these kinds of shootings or worse, mass shootings, these crimes need to be investigated. The individuals need to be arrested, prosecuted and then put in jail."
However, efforts to address public safety are complicated by a persistent staffing shortage within law enforcement. The Minneapolis Police Department is currently short nearly 100 officers from the minimum force of 731 officers required by the Minneapolis city charter.
In June, a Hennepin County judge ordered Mayor Frey and other Minneapolis city officials to bring the police force up to the mandated minimum number of officers.
Frey publicly acknowledged the shortage during his interview, saying: "We have fewer officers per capita than virtually any city in the country, and the numbers need to increase. So to the extent the court wants me [to] slash the city to hire more police officers, God bless, I agree with that."
In the interim, Mayor Frey has pressed the Minneapolis City Council to approve the expanded use of surveillance and law enforcement technology, including cameras, ShotSpotter gunshot detection systems, and aerial drones.
Frey argued in favor of the technology, saying: "Being able to have a drone go out and check out what's happening on the ground before a police officer even gets there allows us to get rid of some of these lower-level calls without an officer even showing up." He claimed that this strategy would free up available police officers to focus on high-crime areas across the city.
Despite the mayor's proposal, the Minneapolis City Council recently rejected a proposed drone pilot program over concerns that the surveillance technology could potentially be misused by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Attempts were made to reach Mayor Frey's Office, the Minneapolis City Council, and the Minneapolis Police Department for comment regarding the matter.
