Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey became the target of online mockery after a video of his stiff dance moves at a recent state fair circulated widely, drawing renewed criticism as the city continues to grapple with elevated violent crime rates.
The 45-year-old Democrat was filmed last week at the Black Entrepreneur State Fair wearing an off-white button-down shirt tucked into gray khakis as he walked toward an emcee with his hands clasped behind his back.
As hip hop music played, Frey appeared to take cues from the emcee, awkwardly moving his hips and shoulders in an attempt to join in the moment.
The clip quickly gained traction on social media, where critics labeled the scene embarrassing and some accused the mayor of failing the city he leads.
‘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,’ conservative commentator Benny Johnson wrote. ‘He’s a walking humiliation ritual.’
Emily Jashinsky also weighed in with a jab, writing: ‘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.’
‘We’re ruled by theater kids,’ another X user wrote in a similar critique. ‘How did we let this happen?’
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was caught on camera awkwardly dancing at the Black Entrepreneur State Fair last week
The 45-year-old Democrat was quickly ridiculed on social media for his dance moves
Mario Nawfal also claimed that ‘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.’
‘This DORK who can’t run a city apparently can’t stop busting moves either,’ he posted. ‘Awkward, stiff, painful-looking dancing at public events while Minneapolis deals with the fallout of progressive policies.
‘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,’ Eagleman continued.
He then went on to claim President Donald Trump ‘does it as a spoof’ while ‘these guys do it like it’s a lifestyle.’
‘Voters aren’t buying the pity dance. They want competence, not choreography.’
‘Stop dancing and start governing, DORK,’ Eagleman then urged.
Some on social media argued that the Democrat is ‘destroying’ the city
Frey’s dance came just one week after a report showed that reported aggravated assaults and rapes increased in the City of Lakes, while the homicide rate remained relatively steady.
The Major Cities Chiefs Association released a violent crime survey on August 1, comparing data from January 1 through June 30 of 2026 to the same period last year.
During that time period, there were 1,518 aggravated assault cases in 2026, which is up from 1,346 last year – a nearly 13 percent increase.
Minneapolis police have also reported 252 rape cases this year, compared to 214 in 2025, while the homicide rate decreased by only the slightest of margins – with 25 homicides reported across the city in 2026, compared to 26 reported in 2025.
But the city did see a marked decrease in the number of robberies, with 404 reports in 2026 compared to 502 in 2025.
In a statement to KTSP following the release of the report, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department said ‘Sexual assaults are especially concerning and can have life-changing consequences for victims.’
‘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,’ they continued.
‘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.’
Frey has called for the expanded use of technology like cameras, Shot Spotters and drones
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Should mayors focus on public image or tackling crime when their cities face rising violence?
Meanwhile, in an interview with the outlet following two mass shootings in less than 24 hours at the end of July, Frey acknowledged that city officials needed to make some changes to the way they govern.
‘We’re going to make adjustments to make suer the individuals are arrested,’ he said at the time, calling the mass shootings ‘unacceptable.’
‘When you have these kinds of shootings or worse, mass shootings, these crimes need to be investigated,’ the mayor continued. ‘The individuals need to be arrested, prosecuted and then put in jail.’
Part of the problem, though, is that the Minneapolis Police Department is short nearly 100 officers from a minimum force of 731 required by the city charter.
In June, a Hennepin County judge ordered Frey and other city officials to bring the force up to the minimum number.
‘We have fewer officers per capita than virtually any city in the country, and the numbers need to increase,’ the mayor acknowledged. ‘So to the extent the court wants me [to] slash the city to hire more police officers, God bless, I agree with that.’
But in the meantime, Frey said he would like the Minneapolis City Council to approve the expanded use of technology like cameras, Shot Spotters and drones.
‘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,’ Frey argued, claiming it would free up officers to stay focused on high-crime areas.
However, the city council recently rejected a drone pilot program out of fear the technology may be misused by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Mayor Frey’s Office, the Minneapolis City Council and the Minneapolis Police Department for comment.
