Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) offered a candid reflection on his rhetoric toward Donald Trump, acknowledging regret over earlier inflammatory comments made during the 2024 presidential campaign.
The Minnesota governor, who was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee last year, told The Guardian that Trump “brings out the worst in people, and he brings out the worst in me.”
In May, Walz urged Democrats to respond more forcefully to Trump’s political tactics, calling for the party to “bully the shit out of him back.”
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He now admits those remarks may have crossed a line, especially in light of a tragic shooting that rocked Minnesota politics in mid-June.
On June 14, former state house speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed at their home near Minneapolis.
The following day, State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in a separate attack allegedly committed by the same suspect, who later surrendered to law enforcement.
In response to the violence, Trump criticized Walz, calling him “whacked out.”
The governor rejected that characterization, arguing that Trump used a moment of statewide mourning to launch political attacks instead of offering compassion.
Federal charges against 57-year-old Vance Boelter include murder and stalking.
In court documents, Boelter falsely accused Walz of coercing him to assassinate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), a claim that prosecutors and Walz have outright denied.
The governor emphasized he had no personal relationship with Boelter, saying, “Never, to the best of my ability, was [I] anywhere around.”
Walz has announced plans to run for a third term as governor in 2026. Though Minnesota’s top executive office has no term limits, speculation persists that he may also eye a bid for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
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