Walz backed ‘sanctuary’ policies, services for illegal immigrants as governor: ‘Win for open borders’
Vice President Kamala Harris’ announcement of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate has already brought fresh scrutiny on his record on immigration and border security – including his support of driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants and calls to make Minnesota a sanctuary state. Moments after the pick was reported, Republicans hammered the choice, with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley describing a Harris/Walz ticket as “a win for open borders, socialism, and Iran.” The Republican National Committee immediately hit him on his record, accusing him of flooding illegal immigrants with benefits. It noted Walz’s creation of an “Office of New Americans” to help immigrants and refugees integrate into the United States. WHO IS TIM WALZ? MEET THE HARRIS RUNNING MATE WHO CALLED REPUBLICANS ‘WEIRD PEOPLE’ The RNC also pointed to measures that became law during Walz’s time as governor. The committee highlighted his signing of a bill into law last year that allows illegal immigrants to get a driver’s license. “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are two open borders, weak on crime, defund the police liberals who make up the most radical, far-left ticket in the history of our country,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. Walz last week dismissed former President Trump’s efforts to build additional walls at the southern border, quipping that if he did, he’d invest in a ladder factory. “He talks about this wall, I always say, let me know how high it is. If it’s 25 feet, then I’ll invest in the 30-foot ladder factory,” he said on CNN. “That’s not how you stop this.” During Walz’s time as governor, Democrats passed measures to make illegal immigrants eligible for a tuition-free college program, Axios reported, and also expanded access to the state’s MinnesotaCare to include those in the country illegally. In 2018, he appeared to voice support for “sanctuary policies.” “My position on Minnesota becoming a sanctuary state boils down to who has the responsibility for enforcing immigration laws,” he told CBS News in 2018. “Here’s what I believe: Congress has given federal agencies the authority to enforce immigration laws in Minnesota, and I support their doing so. Congress has not given local law enforcement that same authority. The role of law enforcement is to enforce state and local laws, not federal immigration laws, and I strongly believe that they should not do so.” “All Minnesotans are safer when the limited resources of local law enforcement are focused on local crimes, and when everyone feels safe to cooperate fully with the police. For example, if your neighbor witnesses someone breaking into your home, you are safer when your neighbor knows their immigration status is not at risk if they call the police.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., hit Walz for those remarks and past positions. “The most liberal ‘nominee’ to ever appear on a presidential ballot has now chosen a progressive running mate who has voiced support for socialism, supports sanctuary cities, and wants to give driver’s licenses to the millions of illegal aliens Kamala Harris has allowed into our country,” Johnson said. Texas Gov. Greg Abott called the pairing “the most dangerous P/VP ticket ever.” “She supports free health care to illegal immigrants. He signed laws giving state services to them. Both provide magnets for more illegal immigration,” he said on X. As a congressman, Walz drew criticism from immigration hawks and praise from left-wing activist groups. The American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (AILA) gave him 100% ratings for his votes. Meanwhile, NumbersUSA gave him a D career rating, and an F- for the 115th Congress. NumbersUSA, which calls for lower levels of immigration, pointed to his cosponsoring of the American Promise Act, which would grant a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants protected by Temporary Protected Status (TPS). It also pointed to his votes on bills limiting the practice of family separation, and to increase refugee numbers. TRUMP CAMP SAYS HARRIS-WALZ ‘DANGEROUSLY LIBERAL’ TICKET IS ‘EVERY AMERICAN’S NIGHTMARE’ However, the group noted positively a 2008 vote to increase funding for the construction of a border fence, and a 2012 measure to place cell towers on the border for Border Patrol agents to use. As governor, he came under pressure from state Republicans, who wanted him to join other governors in sending the National Guard and other solutions to fix the crisis at the border. “Walz’ refusal to step in and help Border Patrol and law enforcement is inexcusable,” the Republican Governors’ Association said in 2021. “He must put politics aside and stop turning a blind eye to the massive humanitarian and security crisis at our border.” The Harris campaign’s statement announcing Walz as her running mate did not mention any achievements or positions on immigration or border security and the Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his past positions. In a statement, Harris touted his convictions “on fighting for middle class families.” “As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his own. We are going to build a great partnership,” she said. “We start out as underdogs but I believe together, we can win this election.”
Former top VP contender expresses ‘enthusiastic support’ for Harris-Walz ticket after not being selected
Despite not being chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro affirmed his unwavering support for her and the 2024 Democratic ticket, announcing his commitment to campaign vigorously in a Tuesday morning social media post. Harris named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday – a last-minute decision that reportedly came down to Walz and Shapiro. Shapiro went through a two-week vetting process leading up to Tuesday’s announcement, reportedly speaking with Harris on Sunday, but he was ultimately not selected. “Nearly two weeks ago, Vice President Harris asked me to work with her team to complete the vetting process to be considered as her running mate – and following those conversations, on Sunday, I was grateful to have the opportunity to speak with the Vice President directly about her vision for the role and the campaign ahead,” Shapiro said in his first statement released after Harris’ decision to move forward with Walz as her running mate. VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE Shapiro added that he looks forward to completing his current, four-year term as governor. “The running mate decision was a deeply personal decision for the Vice President – and it was also a deeply personal decision for me,” he said. “Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their Governor, and my work here is far from finished – there is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this Commonwealth.” In his statement, the Pennsylvania governor expressed support for the Democratic ticket, revealing he has a good relationship with Walz. “Vice President Kamala Harris has my enthusiastic support – and I know that Governor Tim Walz is an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket who will help Kamala move our country forward. Lori and I consider Tim and Gwen to be good friends of ours and we are excited for them and for the country to get to know the great people we know them to be.” Shapiro said he will spend “the next 92 days” before the election traveling around his state to campaign to “unite” voters on behalf of the Harris-Walz ticket.
Five controversies surrounding vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, from DUI to COVID fraud
Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Midwestern governor, Army veteran and former football coach and teacher Tim Walz to be her 2024 running mate after a hurried, intense two-week vetting process. Walz, 60, is a veteran politician who served in the U.S. Congress from 2007 until 2019, when he was elected governor of Minnesota, defeating Republican Jeff Johnson. He was re-elected to a second term in 2022 after fending off a challenge from Republican Scott Jensen. Progressives have praised Walz’s strong support for unions and record of accomplishments as governor, which include codifying abortion rights into the state constitution, enacting universal free school breakfasts and lunches for students, regardless of income, and making Minnesota a refuge for children seeking transgender medical procedures. This strong progressive record and Walz’s plainspoken demeanor reportedly thrilled the Harris campaign, which sought a partner who could reinforce the Democratic ticket’s strength in Midwestern battleground states. But there are several controversies tied to Walz’s tenure as governor that Republicans have already begun to use in their attacks on his record. VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE Here are a few: Walz in past campaigns has sought to downplay his arrest for drunken driving in the mid-90’s, but questions about his run-in with law enforcement continue to dog him. A 2022 report by Alpha News unearthed court records that cast doubt on the version of the story Walz has told on the campaign trail. On Sept. 23, 1995, when Walz was working as a teacher in his home state of Nebraska, he was pulled over for going 96 mph in a 55-mph zone. In comments to reporters, Walz’s 2006 campaign for Congress in Minnesota’s 1st District insisted he was “not drunk” and blamed a “misunderstanding” with police on “Walz’s deafness,” which the governor’s then-campaign manager said had since been “surgically corrected.” But a state trooper’s report obtained by Alpha News contradicts those claims. “A strong odor of alcoholic beverage was detected emitting from Mr. Walz[‘s] breath and person,” the report said. The trooper indicated that Walz submitted to and failed both a field sobriety test and a preliminary breath test. He was eventually taken to Chadron Hospital for a blood test before being booked in the Dawes County Jail. Walz was initially charged with driving under the influence and speeding, but he pled guilty to a single count of reckless driving, according to Aplha News. MOST AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TIM WALZ, HARRIS’ VP PICK Walz’s critics say his handling of the Minneapolis riots after the 2020 killing of George Floyd was a failure and low point of his first term as governor. “[H]e’s been a disaster for Minnesota and is by far the most partisan governor that I can remember having,” Minnesota GOP Chairman David Hann told Fox News Digital. “Going back to 2020, certainly – he did nothing to try to stop the riots going on in Minneapolis. I think he was fearful of alienating his ‘progressive’ base, who were supporting the riots. Kamala Harris was raising money for the rioters.” Walz deployed the National Guard to stop the violence, which included the torching of a police station. But GOP lawmakers have said both the governor and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey were too slow to act. Republican state Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka accused Walz of a slow response to the riots, which left businesses in downtown Minneapolis in ruins. “I called the White House after [four] days of unbridled rioting with the Governor frozen on what to do,” Gazelka wrote on X on July 28. “I know that Gov[.] Walz and Pres[ident] Trump talked. I know Walz finally brought the Guard out in full for the next night. But Walz was [three] days too late. Pressure may have made him move.” Hann similarly said Walz “waited for three days before he could bring himself to ask for the National Guard to be deployed.” He also pointed to the “defund” police movement’s roots in Minnesota following Floyd’s murder and subsequent rioting in the Twin Cities. As a result of the delayed action, hundreds of businesses across Minneapolis and St. Paul were devastated by the destruction and had to ask their local government for help recovering – on top of what they lost during pandemic-related closures. WALZ’S HANDLING OF BLM RIOTS, STRICT COVID RULES UNDER MICROSCOPE AFTER HARRIS VP PICK In his first term as governor, Walz oversaw Minnesota’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like other Democratic leaders, he favored heavy-handed pandemic restrictions, including lockdowns and mask mandates. The Upper Midwest Law Center unsuccessfully challenged Walz’s 2020 indoor mask mandate on constitutional grounds, but an appellate court sided with Walz. Walz also set up a hotline to report residents who violated COVID-19 mandates, as FOX 9 Minneapolis reported at the time. Gazelka asked Walz to “please take [the] Hotline down” in a post after it was established, calling the move “unnecessary.” “We can all show a bit of kindness to our neighbors as we manage our times and needs differently in the stay at home efforts,” the state senator said at the time. BAG OF CASH DOESN’T STOP JURORS FROM CONVICTING 5 DEFENDANTS IN $40 MILLION FOOD FRAUD SCHEME In addition to complaints over Walz’s pandemic-era restrictions, Republicans have blamed the governor for lax oversight of pandemic programs that cost millions of taxpayer dollars. Federal prosecutors charged 70 people with defrauding federal food programs that funded meals for kids during the pandemic out of $250 million on Walz’s watch. Known as the Feeding Our Future scandal, it’s one of the country’s largest pandemic aid fraud cases. The Office of the Legislative Auditor, a nonpartisan watchdog, delivered a scathing report in June that said Walz’s Department of Education “failed to act on warning signs,” did not effectively exercise its authority and was ill-prepared to respond. Walz came under fire from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty earlier this year for his comments on a police shooting case handled by
Top Dems gush over Walz as the quintessential ‘Heartland of America’ VP pick
Democrats are applauding Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice for vice president after not having a full ticket for several weeks following President Biden’s withdrawal from the race. After a sped-up vetting process, it was revealed on Tuesday that Harris had selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to run alongside her on the 2024 presidential ticket against former President Trump. “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will lead America into a brighter future for everyone. Onward!” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after the announcement. “Tim Walz is wonderful,” former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told “Morning Joe” on Tuesday. “To characterize him as left is so unreal. He’s right down the middle. He’s a heartland of America Democrat.” VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE: AP Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., reportedly one of the final two candidates Harris was vetting as a potential running mate, released a supportive statement after the decision. “Vice President Kamala Harris has my enthusiastic support – and I know that Governor Tim Walz is an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket who will help Kamala move our country forward. Lori and I consider Tim and Gwen to be good friends of ours, and we are excited for them and for the country to get to know the great people we know them to be.” Another candidate on Harris’ initial shortlist for vice president, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, wrote that Walz “is an exceptionally effective governor – and also great to work with.” MOST AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TIM WALZ, HARRIS’ VP PICK Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., called the pick “brilliant.” “No one knows more about the job than the sitting Vice President – who has served for a former two-term VP. Tim Walz is about doing the right thing. Whether it’s free school meals or standing up against gun violence – he’s never been intimidated. He’s about honor and decency, and is exactly the right pick in a campaign about daylight vs darkness,” Newsom wrote on X. “He’s been an incredible partner as a Governor, and will make an incredible Vice President. Let’s go.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she is “thrilled to see Tim Walz join the Democratic ticket.” “He’ll be an incredible partner to our first woman president. Let’s go win this,” Clinton said. “Squad” member and fellow Minnesotan, Rep. Ilhan Omar, also showed her support for the Democratic ticket. “Congratulations to our next Vice President,” Omar wrote on X. “Our North Star state Governor has signed universal school meals, paid family and sick leave, marijuana legalization, and protections for reproductive rights into law. Bringing Minnesota nice to the ticket.” “Vice President Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Walz as her running mate,” wrote Rep. Alexandia Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., in a post on X. “Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people. They won’t back down under tight odds, either – from healthcare to school lunch. Let’s do this.” “@Tim_Walz is a great asset to @KamalaHarris’ winning campaign & administration,” said Sen. Brenie Sanders, I-Vt. “He is a former public school teacher, football coach, and strong union supporter. As governor, he delivered for working families in MN. As VP, he will deliver for the working families of the US.” “I trust Vice President Harris,” Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., told Fox. “I think that if you look at Governor Walz’s record as leader of the state of Minnesota, he’s actually been quite balanced.” Bulter added that she hopes the pick “not only inspires Minnesotans, but Democrats and hopefully other Republicans who are looking to turn the page and create a new future for this country. Hopefully it inspires them as well.” Harris and Walz will hold their first joint campaign event in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
Progressives for Harris call host urges ‘solidarity’ among ‘comrades’ amid criticisms over Israel-Hamas war
Speakers for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign seemed to struggle to find a cohesive message this week as supporters urged “solidarity” amid calls for a more progressive platform. Maurice Mitchell, national director for the Working Families Party, hosted the “Progressives for Harris” video call on Monday – calling on his “comrades” to find “solidarity” in the fight against “Trumpism” and “American authoritarianism.” “This, my friends, my comrades – as we say in sports – is our political fourth quarter,” said Mitchell, struggling with glitched-out sound and occasionally dropping audio. “And one day our descendants will look back on this chapter in history and ask us what we did to stop the forces of fascism and American authoritarianism.” KAMALA HARRIS HOLDING RALLY IN PENNSYLVANIA TO INTRODUCE RUNNING MATE AFTER SECURING DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION Mitchell tempered expectations from the beginning by reiterating his belief that progressives cannot demand perfect agreement with the Democratic nominee. “I’m not asking you to agree 100% around VP Harris’s policy positions. I certainly don’t,” Mitchell said. “Nor am I asking you to hide your critiques or your questions.” The Biden administration’s continued support for Israel in combating the terrorist group Hamas was a source of consistent criticism during the Progressives for Harris call. IT’S OFFICIAL: VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS FORMALLY WINS THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION “I’m sure there are those like me who have not endorsed Vice President Harris yet as we wait to hear more about her policy,” Georgie state Rep. Ruwa Romman. “But because of the urgency of this moment, we also know that there is a massive threat looming with a second Trump term. I’m here to say both of these positions are valid.” Layla Elabed, leader of the Uncommitted movement and Arab-American community organizer from Michigan, spoke on the call about her project’s demands for a policy-shift on the conflict in Gaza. Elabed said her community has been facing an “impossible choice” – “A candidate who bans our homelands and offers the continued rise of fascism and authoritarianism, or a candidate that is supporting a fascist and authoritarian government.” DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN WARNS DISSING KAMALA AS BIDEN REPLACEMENT WOULD BE ‘KISS OF DEATH’ FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY “I urge that we continue pushing Vice President Kamala Harris, as the Democratic nominee for president, to listen to the majority of Democrats that are demanding the end to the killing and occupation of Palestinians,” she added. The Uncommitted movement, started among predominantly Arab communities in Michigan, is a political campaign aimed at threatening a withdrawal of support from the Democratic Party if the party does not commit to ending support for Israel. Uncommitted co-founder Abbas Alawieh also spoke on the call, celebrating Harris on the condition that such policies are adopted. “As a delegate, I’m urging us to listen to the over 100,000 voters in Michigan who voted ‘uncommitted’ to see a new approach to Gaza policy,” said Alawieh. “[Voters] who are excited to see Vice President Harris as our candidate and hope that means she will meaningfully engage with the central demand of an anti-war movement that has animated voters across the country.” The Progressives for Harris video conference reported over 100,000 virtual attendees. Major speakers included Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. It was only the latest in an ongoing series of virtual conferences hosted by the Harris campaign targeting specific demographics. Other public conference calls have included “White Women for Harris,” “Win With Black Women” and “Cat Ladies for Kamala.”
‘Massive gift’: Conservatives rejoice after Harris selects Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate
Conservatives rejoiced on social media Tuesday after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was selected as VP Kamala Harris’ running mate for the 2024 presidential race, as they resurfaced headlines about his “radical” record as governor and posted unearthed clips of him. “Picking Walz is a massive gift to the Republicans,” conservative author and commentator Ben Shapiro posted on X. “He’s a radical Leftist from a non-swing state with a long history of insane statements, who presided over the burning down of his state in 2020,” he continued. “Kamala picked him because he’s not a Jew, and she’s Too Online™.” MOST AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TIM WALZ, HARRIS’ VP PICK “Welcome to the race, Tim Walz!” Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk posted on X. “Let’s make sure America knows who you are.” “You helped ignite the George Floyd riots, the worst the country had seen in decades. While Minneapolis burned, you stalled on deploying the National Guard for an entire day, blaming the city for not submitting the right paperwork,” he continued. “You let your daughter leak the Guard’s deployment plans online, so that rioters would know how long they had to loot the city with impunity. Minneapolis is a war zone because of you.” “In 2019, (then-Representative) @GovTimWalz called for deepening economic engagement with the Chinese Communist Party — even in light of systemic human rights abuses,” China expert Michael Sobolik posted on X. “The most extreme liberal Presidential nominee, who never got a single vote from anyone, just picked the most extreme liberal Vice President,” Ohio GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno posted on X. “Walz is a massive gift to Republicans,” former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy posted on X. “The media keeps trying to hand Kamala the race on a silver platter, but apparently she refused to accept it.” “The Harris-Walz ticket will be the most anti-2A, anti-freelancer, anti-conventional energy, anti-small business, and anti-safety ticket – aka progressive/far-left – in U.S. history,” said Gabriella Hoffman, the Center for Energy & Conservation Director at the Independent Women’s Forum. “This is a gift to us. Don’t muck it up, Republicans.” IT’S OFFICIAL: VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS FORMALLY WINS THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION “It’s amazing that despite America’s right, left, and center agreeing that Josh Shapiro was Harris’ best pick for VP, at the end of the day, Shapiro being Jewish disqualified him,” former GOP Congressman Lee Zeldin posted on X. “It says so much about the state of today’s Democratic Party.” “FLASHBACK: Kamala’s VP pick Tim Walz ‘hesitated to deploy National Guard during Minneapolis riots,’” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted. Harris named Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation. The naming of the 60-year-old Walz was not a shocker, as his name was instantly thought to be in contention in the two weeks since Harris succeeded President Biden as the party’s standard-bearer. The 60-year-old Walz, a former congressman, is in his second term as governor of Minnesota, a state that Democrats have reliably won in presidential elections for decades but that the Trump campaign has aimed at flipping this cycle. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Walz’s handling of BLM riots, strict COVID rules under microscope after Harris VP pick
Vice President Kamala Harris’ pick of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as a running mate will put the Democratic governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread riots in the state back in the national spotlight. “[H]e’s been a disaster for Minnesota and is by far the most partisan governor that I can remember having,” Minnesota GOP Chairman David Hann told Fox News Digital last week. “Going back to 2020, certainly – he did nothing to try to stop the riots going on in Minneapolis. I think he was fearful of alienating his ‘progressive’ base, who were supporting the riots. Kamala Harris was raising money for the rioters.” The comments came as Harris was narrowing her shortlist on who to tap as a running mate, with the decision reportedly coming down to Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. The vice president ultimately decided on Walz, whom Democrats believe has the experience and swing-state credentials to push the Harris ticket over the top. “Governor Walz has been a strong leader, a great partner with the [l]egislature,” Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We worked together over the last two years on the most productive session in Minnesota in decades, passing policies that will help Minnesotans build better lives for themselves and their families.” OBAMA STRATEGIST SHOUTS OUT ONE CANDIDATE FOR HARRIS RUNNING MATE Hortman added that “the last two years are a shining example that Tim Walz is good at working with strong women in full collaboration to get things done.” Meanwhile, critics point to Walz’s memorandum mandating indoor masking during the coronavirus pandemic, which he enacted in 2020 and ended in 2021. The Upper Midwest Law Center sued, calling the mandate unconstitutional, but an appellate court ultimately sided with Walz. HARRIS SNUBS ONE OF THE FEW DEMS OPEN TO BEING HER VP: REPORT Walz also set up a hotline to report residents who violated COVID-19 mandates, as FOX 9 Minneapolis reported at the time. IS NEWSOM OUT OF THE RUNNING IN HARRIS’ VP SEARCH? A LOOK AT THE 12TH AMENDMENT Republican state Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka asked Walz to “please take [the] Hotline down” in a post after it was established, calling the move “unnecessary.” “We can all show a bit of kindness to our neighbors as we manage our times and needs differently in the stay at home efforts,” the state senator said at the time. Gazelka also noted Walz’s delay in sending the National Guard to Minneapolis when riots broke out downtown following George Floyd’s murder in May 2020. “I called the White House after [four] days of unbridled rioting with the Governor frozen on what to do,” Gazelka wrote on X on Sunday. “I know that Gov[.] Walz and Pres[ident] Trump talked. I know Walz finally brought the Guard out in full for the next night. But Walz was [three] days too late. Pressure may have made him move.” Hann similarly said Walz “waited for three days before he could bring himself to ask for the National Guard to be deployed.” He also pointed to the “defund” police movement’s roots in Minnesota following Floyd’s murder and subsequent rioting in the Twin Cities. As a result of the delayed action, hundreds of businesses across Minneapolis and St. Paul were devastated by the destruction and had to ask their local government for help recovering – on top of what they lost during pandemic-related closures. RIOTING, LOOTING LINKED TO GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS LEAVES TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION ACROSS AMERICAN CITIES Harris herself faced criticism at the same time, most notably for a Tweet that encouraged followers to chip into a bail fund that was being used to help get protesters in the state out of prison. “If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota,” Harris said at the time. That fact didn’t go unnoticed by critics such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who called the Harris-Walz team the “most left-wing ticket in American history.” “Minnesota was ground zero for the BLM riots of 2020,” the Republican governor said on X shortly after news of Harris’ pick was revealed. “Harris egged it on and Walz sat by and let Minneapolis burn.” Walz also faced accusations of breaking his own COVID-19 order when he attended a memorial service for Floyd, which the Twin Cities Pioneer Press reported at the time had too many people gathering too close together to be within the rules the governor himself was pushing. The governor would go on to acknowledge that the service broke the order, but reasoned the event was needed to help with “healing” in the community. “Denying that to happen as a healing on a broader, societal well-being, I don’t think would have been a good decision, but we probably could have done a little better as far as social distancing,” he said at the time. ‘WE WERE ABANDONED’: PENTAGON EMAILS SHOW NATIONAL GUARD WAS READY TO DEPLOY BEFORE 2020 MINNEAPOLIS PROTESTS However, the criticisms from Republicans did not end in 2021 after COVID. In March, following Walz’s State of the State address, he described Minnesota as the “best state in the country for a kid to grow up.” He listed his goals for boosting school funding, requiring “100%” clean energy by 2040, protecting abortion rights and protecting LGBTQ minors, according to The Pioneer Press. House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth issued a response noting the challenges Minnesota is facing under Walz’s leadership, first noting a nearly $18 billion surplus in Walz’s $72 billion budget that was initially supposed to be returned to taxpayers but was spent on other state initiatives instead. “We know that when there is tax relief offered for young families… as great as that sounds, and we are appreciative of that point, if Minnesota wasn’t such an expensive place to live,” Demuth said in March. “In addition to that $18 billion of surplus that is now gone, taxes and fees
‘Thank you, Kamala!’: Gleeful Republicans rip Tim Walz as GOP readies to battle progressive Dem ticket
Congressional Republicans are salivating over facing an ultra-progressive presidential ticket in November amid news that Vice President Kamala Harris is picking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threw a reference to self-described democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on X, “Harris Feels the Bern and picks Walz. Thank you, Kamala! Governor Tim Walz is a dream for the radical Left.” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the highest-ranking House lawmaker from Walz’s home state, accused him of implementing policies that would make it look more like the blue stronghold of California. HARRIS LAPS TRUMP IN CASH DASH THANKS TO FUNDRAISING SURGE “It’s not surprising [Harris] picked Tim Walz to be her running mate – he embodies the same disastrous economic, open-borders, and soft-on-crime policies Harris has inflicted on our country the last four years,” Emmer wrote on X. “Walz is an empty suit who has worked to turn Minnesota into Harris’ home state of California, and solidifies this ticket’s full embrace of a radical, America-last agenda.” And in a preview of the GOP’s likely attack strategy over the next three months, several Republicans brought up Walz’s leadership of the state through the Black Lives Matter riots in the summer of 2020. They also pointed out that Harris promoted a bail fund for rioters, the Minnesota Freedom Fund, when she ran for president in the 2020 cycle. HARRIS LEANS IN ON BORDER SECURITY AND TRUMP RELISHES THE FIGHT “The Democrat Party makes history as they anoint Harris-Walz to the ballot this November representing the most radical Far Left wing ticket in history,” said House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. “Walz was a failed Member of Congress, is a failed Governor who supported Defund the Police BLM that torched cities to the ground. All while Kamala fundraised to bail out violent criminals from prison.” Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., of the neighboring state of Wisconsin wrote in a statement, “While Minnesota burned, Tim Walz did nothing and watched. While Minnesota burned, Kamala Harris helped violent rioters get out of jail. This is the SOCIALIST dream.” Walz had been criticized during the protests four years ago for not calling in the National Guard sooner while activists burned buildings and looted stores in Minneapolis. 2024 AD WARS: TRUMP, HARRIS RACE TO DEFINE VICE PRESIDENT “Tim Walz is a perfect choice for Kamala Harris. He let BLM rioters, arsonists, and looters rampage through his state and she encouraged donations to the bail fund for the few who were arrested,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said. The newly formed ticket did get praise from top progressives, however, like “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. “Vice President Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Walz as her running mate. Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people. They won’t back down under tight odds, either – from healthcare to school lunch,” she wrote on X. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump camp says Harris-Walz ‘dangerously liberal’ ticket is ‘every Americans’ nightmare’
The Trump campaign blasted Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as a “dangerously liberal extremist,” while warning that their vision for the country is “every Americans’ nightmare.” Waltz was tapped as Harris’ vice presidential pick Tuesday morning. The 60-year-old is a former congressman and is in his second term as the governor of Minnesota – a state that Democrats have reliably won in presidential elections for decades but that the Trump campaign has aimed at flipping this cycle. Recently, Walz attacked former President Trump and his running mate JD Vance as “weird,” a viral insult the Harris campaign has embraced. The Trump campaign, though, blasted Walz for his liberal policies and views, which they say complement Harris perfectly. VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE: AP “It’s no surprise that San Francisco Liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running-mate – Walz has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “While Walz pretends to support Americans in the Heartland, when the cameras are off, he believes that rural America is ‘mostly cows and rocks’.” “From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars, and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide,” Levitt continued. She added: “If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare.” Walz can showcase a slew of progressive policy victories in Minnesota, including protecting abortion rights, legalizing recreational marijuana and restricting gun access to curb shootings. Walz was elected to the House in 2006 and re-elected five times, representing Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, a mostly rural district covering the southern part of the state that includes a number of midsize cities. During his last two years on Capitol Hill, he served as ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Walz won election as governor in 2018 and re-election four years later. WHO IS TIM WALZ? MEET THE HARRIS RUNNING MATE WHO CALLED REPUBLICANS ‘WEIRD PEOPLE’ Walz has gained attention recently with his comments about Trump and Vance. “These are weird people on the other side, they want to take books away, they want to be in your exam room, that’s what it comes down to,” he said on MSNBC last month. “Don’t get sugarcoating this, these are weird ideas.” Walz, however, has faced criticism for his handling of COVID-19 and riots that rocked Minneapolis in 2020, Fox News Digital previously reported. “[H]e’s been a disaster for Minnesota and is by far the most partisan governor that I can remember having,” Minnesota GOP Chairman David Hann told Fox News Digital last week. “Going back to 2020, certainly – he did nothing to try to stop the riots going on in Minneapolis. I think he was fearful of alienating his ‘progressive’ base, who were supporting the riots. Kamala Harris was raising money for the rioters.” Some critics point to Walz’s memorandum mandating indoor masking during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as setting up a hotline to report residents who violated COVID-19 mandates, as FOX 9 Minneapolis reported at the time. He has also taken heat for telling a group of Democrats that socialism is what some people would call “neighborliness.” “Don’t ever shy away from our progressive values,” he said on a “White Dudes for Harris” call on Monday night. “One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness. Harris and Walz are scheduled to kick off a campaign swing through all seven crucial battleground states starting on Tuesday, with an event in Philadelphia. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Vance needs to fix ‘off-putting’ comments or Trump campaign is ‘doomed,’ say undecided and GOP women voters
Since former President Donald Trump selected “Hillbilly Elegy” author and Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate, Vance has been forced to contend with a trove of old media clips that women who support the Trump-Vance ticket are concerned will hurt their election chances. Years ago, Vance said in a media interview that “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made” should not be in a position to run the country, lumping Vice President Kamala Harris into that category. He also said that Congress should “tax the things that are bad, and not tax the things that are good” by imposing a higher tax rate for individuals without children. Vance’s team says his launch at the Republican National Convention last month was a success, and that the Harris campaign dredged up old media clips to demonize her opponent. But women supporting the Republican ticket still think his comments and attempts to correct course are so far falling short, and hope that the junior senator with an “inspiring story” can “take back control” of the narrative. “JD’s phrasing is extremely off-putting to undecided women voters. He needs to fix his delivery to relay the messaging, or the Trump-Vance brand is doomed,” Jessica Reed Kraus, founder of the House Inhabit Substack, told Fox News Digital. HARRIS HOURS AWAY FROM MOST CONSEQUENTIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF HER CAREER Rachael Dean Wilson, the managing director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) at the German Marshall Fund and former adviser to the late Sen. John McCain added that “attempting to divide women along the lines of mothers vs. non-mothers is poisonous” and only “benefits” American adversaries. “Taking a step back from the campaign tit-for-tat, attempting to divide women along the lines of mothers vs. non-mothers is poisonous to our communities and political discourse,” she said. “I would encourage women of all political stripes to resist the tribalism these attack lines encourage on both sides. While this is an undoubtedly domestic conversation, I always like to remind people that deep domestic division and polarization benefits our adversaries abroad and weakens the United States on the world stage,” she added. Vance has made strides to leave the past behind him. Last week he took a trip to the southern border and railed against the Biden administration’s policies that have led to record border crossings, contributing to spikes in violent and drug crime. He appeared on the Full Send podcast, which caters to a male, Gen-Z audience. In an interview with “Fox and Friends,” Usha Vance, wife to JD Vance, said that the “cat ladies” comment he made was a “quip in service of making a point that he wanted to make that was substantive.” TRUMP RUNNING MATE JD VANCE TO TAIL HARRIS ON THE TRAIL THIS WEEK “And I just wish sometimes that people would talk about those things and that we would spend a lot less time just sort of going through this three-word phrase or that three-word phrase.” The “substance” of what JD Vance meant in those remarks, he says, is that public policy in this country has become “anti-family.” “Obviously, it was a sarcastic comment. I’ve got nothing against cats. I’ve got nothing against dogs. I’ve got one dog at home and I love ’em,” Vance said of the cat comment in an interview with Megyn Kelly. “But look, this is not— people are focusing so much on the sarcasm and not on the substance of what I actually said, and the substance of what I said, Megyn, I’m sorry, it’s true. It is true that we become anti-family. It is true that the left has become anti-child. It is simply true that it’s become way too hard to raise a family,” he said. That message has not fallen entirely on deaf ears. Hannah Claire Brimelow, co-host of “Timcast IRL,” says she agrees with Vance, that “we should want leaders who have children because our values depend on being passed down to the next generation, and having children changes your view on your role in a civic society.” She added that the Harris campaign strategy of “bringing up a clip from 2021 to attack Vance seems like proof they don’t have much else to criticize him for.” HARRIS LAPS TRUMP IN CASH DASH THANKS TO FUNDRAISING SURGE But it’s been roughly two weeks since the proverbial cat got out of the bag, and Vance is still playing defense. Vanessa Santos, president and CEO of public relations firm Renegade DC, says Vance “needs to take back control of the narrative.” “The Harris campaign and the media are working together to make sure this ‘cat lady’ news cycle sees as much attention and does as much damage to Trump-Vance as possible. JD needs to take back control of the narrative. He needs to go on adversarial media, look at these dishonest media people in the eyes, defend himself, and expose them for their unapologetic hypocrisy,” she said. “Since she announced her candidacy, the media has completely whitewashed Kamala Harris’ radical record, especially her abandonment of her border czar position, and continues to blindly accept her moderating positions,” Santos added. “JD has an inspiring story and a beautiful family. His story resonates with men and women alike, and especially with parents and young Gen Z voters who are worried that the American dream is out of reach for them. Pivot from the ‘cat lady’ media storm and double down on attacking Democrats on their terrible and destructive policies,” she said. Taylor Van Kirk, a spokeswoman for Vance, responded in a statement to Fox News Digital, “Senator Vance is laser focused on exposing Kamala Harris’s weak, failed, and dangerously liberal record, and that’s exactly what he’ll do across key swing states over the coming days.” “Kamala Harris’s policies created crushing inflation, a historic crisis at our southern border, and rising crime – her agenda is to make Americans less prosperous and less secure. Democrats are creating