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. He 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.
Walz reportedly won 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 death of George Floyd.
“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.
Newsweek reached out to the Harris campaign via email Tuesday morning for comment.
This is a developing news story and will be updated with additional information.