As soon as Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump and his campaign wasted no time launching a barrage of attacks against the Minnesota governor. However, these attacks have largely fallen flat, exposing the weaknesses in Trump’s own campaign and highlighting the very qualities that make Walz a strong candidate.
Trump’s spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, was quick to label Walz as a “West Coast wannabe,” accusing him of trying to spread California’s “dangerously liberal agenda” across the country. The irony, however, is that Walz isn’t from the West Coast—he’s a Midwesterner through and through, with deep roots in Minnesota, a state where he has maintained strong popularity. A January 2024 poll found that 55% of Minnesotans approved of his job performance, a clear indicator of his connection with the electorate.
Walz’s success in securing a second term as governor in 2022, where he defeated his Republican opponent by about eight points, further underscores his appeal. Far from being a coastal elitist, Walz is a former high school teacher and a veteran of the Army National Guard who has consistently championed policies that resonate with working-class voters.
Leavitt’s attacks extended to Walz’s legislative record, specifically targeting his support for restoring voting rights to individuals with felony convictions. She mocked Walz for “embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote,” seemingly oblivious to the fact that her own boss, Donald Trump, was convicted of felony-level crimes earlier this year. The internet was quick to remind her of this hypocrisy, with many pointing out that under Minnesota law, even Trump would benefit from the very policies his campaign was criticizing.
This attack strategy backfired spectacularly, with commentators on social media and in the press highlighting the absurdity of criticizing a policy that might soon directly benefit the former president himself. Alex Shephard of The New Republic sarcastically noted, “Need to get the campaign’s position but sure seems like they think Florida should strip Donald Trump’s voting rights!”
Trump himself has not shied away from attacking Walz, sending out a fundraising email claiming that a Harris-Walz administration would “unleash HELL ON EARTH.” This apocalyptic language, however, seems out of step with Walz’s reputation as a pragmatic and even-keeled leader. HuffPost reporter Jennifer Bendery captured the sentiment of many when she asked, “Has he met Tim Walz?”
Critics of Trump’s rhetoric were quick to share images of Walz engaging in down-to-earth activities, such as being hugged by schoolchildren after signing a bill to expand school lunch programs and holding a pig at the Minnesota State Fair. These images starkly contrasted with Trump’s dire warnings, making his claims seem all the more outlandish.
Even Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, struggled to land a blow on Walz. Vance called Walz’s record “a joke,” focusing on the Black Lives Matter uprisings in Minnesota following the murder of George Floyd. Vance’s failure to acknowledge Walz’s broader achievements, such as implementing one of the most pro-worker pieces of legislation in the country and legalizing recreational cannabis, revealed a one-sided critique that did little to sway public opinion.
While Walz’s response to the 2020 uprisings has drawn some criticism from the left, particularly for his deployment of the National Guard, these critiques are more nuanced than Vance’s blanket condemnation. In fact, many progressives see Walz as a leader who has made significant strides in areas that matter to them, including protecting abortion rights and providing free meals to all Minnesota school students, regardless of income level.
Trump’s attacks continued on Fox News, where he described the Harris-Walz ticket as one that “would want this country to go communist immediately if not sooner.” He also bizarrely suggested that the selection of Walz was “insulting to Jewish people,” an accusation that fell flat, especially given that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, helped introduce Walz as Harris’s running mate at a rally in Philadelphia.
Shapiro’s endorsement of Walz was a clear indication that the choice was based on merit rather than any unfounded prejudices. Reports suggest that Harris chose Walz over Shapiro after the latter underperformed in a one-on-one interview, further debunking Trump’s baseless accusations.
Progressives have rallied around Walz, highlighting his achievements and his commitment to working families. Senator Bernie Sanders recently praised Walz in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, stating that he is someone who “understands the needs of working families” and has consistently delivered for his constituents.
As Bernie Sanders put it, “Tim Walz is a leader who understands the needs of working families, and no amount of desperate attacks from Trump can change that.” This real and grounded perspective may well be the key to Harris and Walz’s success in the upcoming election.
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