Klobuchar says Walz is a 'unifying, optimistic force' that has been missing in politics

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has known Gov. Tim Walz and worked with him for years. Klobuchar joined Geoff Bennett to discuss Kamala Harris’ decision to pick Walz as her running mate.

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Geoff Bennett: Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has known Governor Walz and worked with him for years, and she joins us now.

Welcome back to the “News Hour.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN): Well, thanks, Geoff. It’s wonderful to be back on.

Geoff Bennett: Most voters are only now getting to know about Governor Walz and his background. You know him well. You were with him last night, in fact, at a private fund-raiser for the Harris campaign.

In your view, what are his strengths? How does he boost the technology?

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: He’s someone that is heartland all the way. He grew up in Nebraska and a farm, came out to Minnesota, signed up for the National Guard at age 17.

And then he became a teacher, taught geography, always good to know in Washington, and then a high school football coach, and then went on to serve in the Guard and in 2006 ran for Congress. And I think some of this gets lost in all the stories. But he was actually in one Congress in the top 10 bipartisan members of Congress, served on the Vets Committee, the Ag Committee, did a lot on veteran suicides and a lot on veterans issues in general and was very well-liked in Congress, and from there ran for governor.

So I think it’s really important people see this as someone who comes from humble roots, is someone who loves his country and has led students, has led soldiers, and, of course, has led our state in a very good way as governor, and always a unifying, optimistic force.

And I think that you see that joy in how he campaigns and what he will bring to the ticket.

Geoff Bennett: The Trump campaign is already pouncing, calling him dangerously liberal and saying that the Harris/Walz ticket is the most left-wing ticket in American history.

He has championed progressive causes. How do you expect that he will defend his record?

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: Well, I went through how bipartisan he was and what he’s done and how he won in a district, a rural district, one of only two Democrats in 100 years that ran and won in that district, and did it over and over and over again.

And then the other thing I would say is, I think he’s probably the first vice president that has stood in a deer stand in 10-degree Minnesota weather for hours and hours at a time. So I’m actually looking forward to that debate with J.D. Vance, because Tim Walz is himself. He’s loved and he’s blunt.

Last night, there we are before he’s going to be picked as vice president. He’s walking around, no notes, giving a speech, always happy. And I just think that kind of joy has been missing in our politics. And he’s able to respond to attacks, whether they’re about he’s too progressive or he’s too this or he’s too conservative, whatever it is.

He does it with humor and facts. And that’s a pretty good combination in politics today.

Geoff Bennett: I’m told by sources familiar that what solidified V.P. Harris’ pick of Walz was their chemistry, that, when they met Sunday at her residence, that she viewed him as a peer, someone that she could trust and someone with whom she could govern.

That said, though, there are Democrats who wonder if the Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro, who has like a 61 percent approval rating in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania being a state that Democrats need to win with its 19 electoral votes in order to win the White House, if picking Walz was the right strategic choice.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: You know, I have so much respect for Governor Shapiro. I really, really like him. And I also love Mark Kelly, who’s a close friend of mine. And many of the other people, Pete Buttigieg, were just incredible choices for this job.

And in the end, it was the vice president’s decision. And I think that chemistry matters. The fact that he’s from the Midwest, when you have got states like Wisconsin and Michigan at stake, the fact that Pennsylvania, as Bob Casey has told me over and over again, you have got a whole half of that state that looks a lot more like the Midwest.

And that would be the Western half of Pennsylvania. I know. I campaigned there for president. That feels very Midwest and associates with the Midwest. So I think you’re going to see a ticket. And Kamala Harris, she decided to bring someone in that was different than herself. And I think that’s a really big strength, has a way different background as a high school teacher and as someone who has served our — in our military.

I think those are real virtues and will it be especially good pairing with J.D. Vance when it comes to a debate. They doubled down on the Hulk Hogan factor, and Kamala Harris decided to go to someone that was different than herself.

Geoff Bennett: Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, thanks so much for joining us this evening. We appreciate it.

(Crosstalk)

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: It was great to be on. Thank you.