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By Gabe Whisnant
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Former President Donald Trump's supporters immediately weighed in Tuesday morning after Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, reportedly selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
Walz, 60, is now in his second term as governor. A veteran and former teacher, Walz has gained recognition for his progressive policies while also maintaining an ability to appeal to both urban and rural voters. His selection aims to balance the Democratic ticket, leveraging his Midwestern roots and legislative success to attract a broader base of support.
His national profile started to rise after he became the first Democrat to publicly label Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, as "weird"—a narrative that has since been seized upon by Democrats.
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Walz reportedly earned the vice presidential nomination over Philadelphia Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
Supporters of Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement took Walz to task over his progressive policies, ranging from immigration to the economy.
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Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway made a quick statement, seeming to brush off Walz's selection.
"Tim Walz? What a relief," Conway posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro wrote on X, "As someone who wants Kamala to lose, picking Walz is wonderful! It's political malpractice! Why? 1. Not from a swing state. 2. Radical, underscoring her radicalism. 3. She rejected (((Shapiro))) to please the pro-Hamas caucus. She's not competent. And this pick shows it."
Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and a political commentator, hit Walz over his leadership during the riots in Minneapolis in the summer of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin.
Walz faced some criticism for being slow to call in the Minnesota National Guard as looting, arson and violence raged in the city and overwhelmed local law enforcement. At a recent press conference, Walz defended his office and state government during those turbulent times.
"I simply believe that we try to do the best we can," Walz said when asked about his response to the riots.
"Welcome to the race, Tim Walz! 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. 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," Kirk posted on X.
Kirk also called Walz former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "sidekick" who "did whatever the Democrats demanded."
"You will try and disguise yourself as a folksy midwestern moderate. In reality, you are a white male version of Kamala Harris. Radical. Inept. Undeserving to be in leadership," Kirk continued.
On Monday morning, the Trump campaign released its first statement after Walz's selection was reported by news outlets.
"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. 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. 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."
A recent poll, conducted by KSTP-TV/SurveyUSA between May 4-8, revealed that 54 percent of 681 registered voters in Minnesota approved of Walz's performance as governor, while 41 percent disapproved, and five percent were unsure.
In contrast, a recent nationwide poll, conducted by Morning Consult between August 2-4, revealed that Trump has a net approval rating of -6. The poll found that 46 percent have a favorable view of the former president, compared with 52 percent who have an unfavorable opinion.
Ahead of her VP pick, Harris received several polling boosts in a presidential matchup with Trump.
Newsweek reached out to the Harris campaign via email Tuesday morning for comment.
Harris chose Walz to be her Democrat running mate because he is a solid and reliable choice, her former communications director has speculated.
While appearing on CNN on Tuesday, Jamal Simmons said: "I think she went for maybe a little more of a cuddly choice, right, like maybe somebody who everybody is going to like, make everyone feel safe."
"What I'll say about him, I've been asking some of my Democratic friends what they think and you hear terms like 'good guy,' 'solid,' 'reliable.' He's somebody who I think brings together people," Simmons said about Walz.
Simmons said that the pick shed some light on how Harris is making decisions.
"I think that if you look at her career, here's somebody who was a local official, she was a DA. She was a statewide official, a federal, a senator. She moved up very methodically through the political process. She likes order," he said.
Update: 8/6/2024 10:29 a.m.: This article has been updated with more information.
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