Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is facing fresh online ridicule after video surfaced of him dancing awkwardly at the Black Entrepreneur State Fair over the weekend.
Frey, 45, appeared in an off-white button-down shirt, gray khakis, and dark sunglasses as he attempted to match the energy of a far-more-coordinated emcee during a rap performance. The setting appeared to be a mostly empty parking lot, with the mayor clumsily gyrating his arms and hips as a hip-hop beat repeated in the background.
Social media users quickly piled on with scathing commentary about the display. “This cannot be real life. This is just so sad on an epic scale,” one X user wrote, unable to believe his eyes.
“We’re ruled by theater kids. How did we let this happen?” Another commenter lamented in shock.
“Is he made of wood?” A poster asked, wondering if that could explain his stiff attempt to boogie down.
“That dance was stiff as a board. Zero rhythm, all effort. Brutal for real,” another chimed in.
The mockery follows a pattern of similar incidents that have made Frey a recurring target for critics of his public performances. During a celebration of Somali Independence Day in Minneapolis last summer, the mayor was handed a Somali flag on stage and attempted a dance that onlookers compared to someone’s embarrassing uncle attempting to swim in mid-air.
His reelection bid in 2025 saw him showing off even more moves that drew criticism, as he took the stage at a campaign event and appeared to be imitating an ostrich according to observers.
Frey has remained in the national spotlight throughout his third term for reasons beyond his dancing. Earlier this year, he made headlines for a profanity-laced response to federal immigration enforcement operations in his city, telling ICE authorities to “get the f— out of Minneapolis” during a news conference following a fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer.
The mayor has also faced heckling from his own constituents, including being booed out of a protest following the death of George Floyd after reportedly refusing to back calls to defund the Minneapolis Police Department. Demonstrators yelled “Go home Jacob, go home” and chanted “Shame, shame, shame” at the mayor during that 2020 incident.
Frey won his third term in November 2025 against challenger Omar Fateh, though even that victory drew some ridicule when he spoke in Somali during his victory speech. The following month, he used his retained authority to issue an executive order prohibiting the use of city property, such as parking lots, for immigration operations.
In the viral moment that sparked the latest round of criticism, Frey’s awkward arm movements and rigid hip gyrations at the Black Entrepreneur State Fair stood in sharp contrast to the fluid performance of the emcee beside him. The mostly empty parking lot setting only amplified the sense of a politician performing for a sparse crowd, with his off-white button-down and gray khakis completing a look that commentators found more suited to a suburban barbecue than a hip-hop performance.
The mayor’s office has not issued any statement responding to the mockery over his weekend dance moves.
Frey is scheduled to appear at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights later this summer.