Mayor Jacob Frey mercilessly trolled online after awkward rap dance: 'Brutal watch'
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A rap performance at a Minneapolis event took an unexpectedly awkward turn when Mayor Jacob Frey stepped into the spotlight and began dancing along to the music.
Wearing sunglasses, an off-white shirt, and gray trousers, Frey moved his arms and hips to the beat as the energetic emcee performed beside him.
The footage quickly spread across social media, where viewers appeared far less impressed by the mayor’s attempt to match the performance.
Mayor Jacob Frey at the ‘Black Entrepreneur State Fair’ in Minneapolis.
— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) August 14, 2026
Brutal watch. pic.twitter.com/2cHFfUTRk0
Social media cringes at Mayor Jacob Frey's dance
The video, filmed at the Black Entrepreneur State Fair earlier this week, shows Frey swaying and moving through the performance while the emcee attempts to keep up.
The performance appeared to take place in a relatively quiet parking-lot setting, but that did little to stop the footage from gaining an audience.
Users began turning Frey’s dance moves into a running joke, with one calling the clip a “brutal watch.”
Others were considerably harsher. One commentator expressed frustration, saying, "Why is this the first thing I see in the morning?"
Why is this the first thing I see this morning? pic.twitter.com/dFXWPoUOrf
— 𝕃𝕪𝕤𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕕 (@LSpoonerd) August 14, 2026
Another simply asked whether there was “a nerdier politician alive than this guy.”
Is there a nerdier politician alive than this guy?
— Chudius Maximus🎚️🇺🇸 (@nYcitizenX) August 14, 2026
Another commentator also wrote, “Nothing is more embarrassing than when a white person tries to be accepted by the black community.”
Nothing is more embarrassing than when a white person tries to be accepted by the black community.
— sivispacem (@sivispacem1) August 14, 2026
They're nice to your face, but they're laughing behind your back.
Not the first time for Jacob Frey
Frey has previously drawn intense public attention over emotional and highly theatrical moments captured on camera, with some incidents prompting questions about his public image and political antics.
In June 2020, Frey was photographed crying as he knelt beside George Floyd's golden casket during Floyd’s memorial service in Minneapolis.
With one hand resting on the casket, Frey appeared visibly overcome with emotion, creating one of the most widely circulated images from the early days of the nationwide protests that followed Floyd’s death.
Who remembers Jacob Frey? This phony loser! He’s back in the news busting out corny dance moves at the Black Entrepreneur State Fair. 😆
— Mr.Ineffable (@MisterIneffable) August 14, 2026
Check out my next post for the video. pic.twitter.com/kiSH8abyqi
The emotional display quickly became a subject of debate.
While some viewers viewed Frey’s tears as a genuine expression of grief, others questioned the public nature of the moment and accused the mayor of turning it into a political display.
The criticism gained further attention after Frey was booed at a protest days later over his stance on demands to defund the Minneapolis Police Department.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.