With Minneapolis in flames during the riots over George Floyd’s death in police custody in 2020, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz found himself at the center of the national debate on policing and crime. Protests against police brutality quickly spread from Minneapolis to other parts of the country. Walz faced criticism for delaying assistance to the city’s police, holding back the National Guard for several days. Years later, he labeled the rising crime rates as “unacceptable” and increased state support for the troubled city.
Now, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election, has chosen Walz as her running mate. Ohio Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate running with former President Trump, criticized this choice, referencing Walz’s 2020 actions.
“If we remember the rioting in the summer of 2020, Tim Walz was the guy who let rioters burn down Minneapolis,” Vance said, alluding to the riots that erupted in response to Floyd’s death. “And then Kamala Harris was the one who bailed the rioters out of jail.”
The unrest in Minnesota led to widespread protests across the nation, affecting police morale and staffing, issues that persist today. Walz was criticized for the delay in deploying the National Guard. Additionally, he involved the state in the prosecution of Kim Potter, a White police officer in the death of a Black man, and faced accusations of interference in another police shooting case this year. However, he hasn’t commented on crime publicly since April.
“Kamala has decided to lean into being the candidate of urban chaos,” said Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector critical of leftist police and bail policies in liberal-led cities. “She already had defunding and bail reform in her portfolio. Adding Walz firms up the Dems’ position as the party of burning cities and attacking cops in the name of progressive causes. Say what you want, she’s not hiding what she’s about.”
This choice by Harris emphasizes her stance on addressing urban issues and reforming the criminal justice system, indicating a clear direction for the Democratic campaign.
