Trump praised Walz in 2020 for quelling violence in Minneapolis

In 2020, then-President Donald Trump praised Gov. Tim Walz for calling in the National Guard to tamp down violence and looting in Minneapolis, according to audio obtained by ABC News .

Why it matters: Since Vice President Kamala Harris asked Walz to join the Democratic presidential ticket, his handling of the unrest following George Floyd's murder has come under renewed Republican attack .

Flashback: On a June 1, 2020 call with governors, including Walz, Trump singled out the Minnesota leader as an "excellent guy" who ultimately did the right thing.

• "The whole world was laughing" at Minneapolis, Trump said of the destruction.
• "Two days, three days later, I spoke to the governor ... I said, 'You got to use the National Guard in big numbers.' They didn't at first, then they did … you haven't had any problems since."

Reality check: Trump recently revived a false claim that he called in the Minnesota National Guard in May 2020 — even though numerous fact-checks have found that Walz did.

• Walz has also repeatedly denied that he called in troops because of pressure from Trump. The Harris-Walz campaign reaffirmed that position this week.

Plus: Later in the 2020 call, Trump told Walz, "I don't blame you. I blame the mayor."

• Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has contended that Walz and other state officials were slow to respond to the city's request for National Guard help.

Go deeper: Walz faces renewed attacks for violent Minneapolis protests in 2020