Minnesota Gov. Walz says GOP 'playing with fire' by 'demonizing' Harris

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is among those being vetted as a possible running mate for the Democratic ticket. Walz joined Amna Nawaz to discuss his support for Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Amna Nawaz: Well, as Laura reported, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is among those being vetted as a possible running mate.

The governor joins us now.

Governor, welcome back. Thanks for joining us.

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN): Hi, Amna. Thanks for having me.

Amna Nawaz: So let me ask you something.

Now, you are governor of a must-win state for the Democrats. You yourself have a background growing up in a rural small town. You have a military background as well. Are you what this ticket needs to be able to beat the Trump/Vance ticket?

Gov. Tim Walz: Well, I don’t know about that, Amna.

But what I can tell you is, is that they — we will beat that ticket. The enthusiasm that has exploded across Minnesota since the announcement of Vice President Harris is something to behold.

Those fund-raising numbers are one thing, but it’s folks filling up door-knocking, filling up phone-banking, and just a sense of hopefulness that this chaos that Donald Trump brings, this dystopian view of America, Kamala Harris’ joy, you can feel it. Optimism, you can feel it.

And I’m just here for whatever it takes to be part of that, to make it — to make this country get back to the hopefulness that we have always had.

Amna Nawaz: Have you had any conversations with Vice President Harris about possibly becoming her running mate, and would you accept if offered?

Gov. Tim Walz: Well, I spoke with the vice president on Sunday.

I’m not going to get into the details of what we spoke about, but, look, I think seeing the shared values we have, seeing an agenda that actually gets to the issues we care about, personal freedoms in your families, the idea of public education being foundational to greater Minnesota, rural Minnesota, as well as it is across the country, I want to do what I can do to make that happen.

And I will tell you, in states where the Biden/Harris administration was able to help us do things, first getting out of COVID, but then moving towards like a clean energy economy, our economies are thriving, our families are hopeful. And the idea that the vice president could bring this in as President Harris is exciting to me.

Amna Nawaz: Let me tell you, actually ask you a little bit about what we have heard from Republicans and how they’re looking at this right now.

This is from a memo from Trump’s campaign pollster, Tony Fabrizio, that went out earlier today about how quickly Democrats lined up behind Harris. He wrote — quote — “There’s no question Harris will get her bump earlier than the Democrats’ convention, and that bump is likely to start showing itself over the next few days and will last a while until the race settles back down.”

The argument there, Governor, is that he says, after this honeymoon period is over, after the excitement wears off, that voters who were frustrated with immigration and with the economy under President Biden would continue to be so with Vice President Harris.

Is he wrong?

Gov. Tim Walz: Yes, he’s wrong.

He can keep telling himself that. He knows that they woke a sleeping giant here. They know that they could — look, President Biden was — is the best president in my lifetime and delivered.

But I think we all know there was a lack of enthusiasm. The ability to be able to take a message of a forward-looking America wasn’t there. And it is now. And I think what I would be worried about is the same old failed policies. Instead of putting out a memo like that, tell us what your health care plan is.

Donald Trump told us he would do that on day one back in 2017. There’s nothing there. And instead of vetoing and messing up a proposal to make our borders secure, at the same time respecting our immigrant heritage, do something like that.

So, look, they are playing with fire, in that America is tired of this. They’re tired of the chaos. They’re tired of the negativity. They’re tired of the childish name-calling. And what they saw today was a vibrant vision of America in Milwaukee, one that wants to bring the country back together, one that wants to go to Thanksgiving dinner with our relatives, and have friendly debates about policy, but loving this country and investing in things that matter.

So, look, you go with your dystopian “Mad Max” version of America. You go with demonizing the vice president because she’s a woman. We will go ahead and go with a vision that puts Americans first, puts the middle class first, puts rebuilding around that middle class first.

And we will take our chances in November.

Amna Nawaz: Though, governor, as you saw in our latest PBS polling, it does show essentially a statistical tie between Vice President Harris and former President Trump right now.

And we know Americans’ frustrations with high prices and not being able to afford a house, on immigration numbers, those — that remains high. That hasn’t gone away. So, how does Vice President Harris get those numbers to budge beyond a tie?

Gov. Tim Walz: Yes, well, we keep talking about those fundamental freedoms.

Look, these guys aren’t going to do anything about that. They didn’t when Donald Trump was in. We were stacking bodies in U-Hauls because he wouldn’t follow science on COVID. The rest of the world is experiencing far higher impacts. We’re seeing those numbers come down. We’re seeing housing prices start to stabilize.

We’re seeing real wages rise up. And we’re making sure that we’re not going to take away your health care. We’re not going to take away your personal freedoms. We’re not going to tell you what books to read. We’re going to continue to focus and put the country forward.

So I think, when we start talking about our policies, and between now and November, I expect to see those historic job numbers continue to go in the right direction and we will see prices stabilize, as they have been. And Donald Trump’s proposals of isolating America, turning towards Russia, and ruining our policies of unity with NATO and others, those are not going to be appealing.

Look, he’s in a problem now is, he’s got a campaigner out there against him that is putting a positive vision of America forward. And his negativity, you can feel it. If they think this is a sugar high or a bump, go ahead and think that.

But I’m telling you, I have done this long enough and I get a feel for things on here. Donald Trump continues to say he’s going to win these places. We don’t take anything for granted, but we’re on the ground working. We’re energizing people.

And I will tell you, fear might be a good short-term motivator, but it wears people out. Hope and optimism drive people to something better. So we’re going to be there. I like our chances. One thing is, I like the idea of American politics being more unifying, more decent, less name-calling, less negative.

And so Vice President Harris on her move to President Harris is going to bring us along with her.

Amna Nawaz: Governor, in the minute or so I have left, I want to ask specifically about frustration you have seen in Minnesota.

During the primary process, some 19 percent of Democratic primary voters in Minnesota voted for uncommitted, rather than for President Biden. That’s nearly 46,000 people largely calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Does Vice President Harris need to change her message specifically on this one issue, to break from Biden and to try to bring some of those voters back in?

Gov. Tim Walz: Look, I think she’s got an opportunity to show the leadership that we know is there.

Look, those folks express their opinion. And I’m proud to be part of a party that doesn’t wear the same red hats and bow down and knee to one guy. They’re frustrated by this. I think there’s a golden opportunity to recognize we need a two-state solution, that the atrocities of October 7 are painful and they’re real, and Israel’s right to defend itself is real.

But, also, the situation in Gaza is intolerable. The humanitarian crisis must be brought to an end. So I think having President Harris at a point bringing folks together, recentering us as a world leader in peace and holding our alliances together, I think she’s got a great opportunity.

And I’m — I remain hopeful that that’s the direction we need to go. It’s certainly not going to be the failed policies of a wannabe dictator, which we have seen out of President Trump.

Amna Nawaz: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Governor, always good to speak with you. Thank you for making the time.

Gov. Tim Walz: Thanks for having me.