Andrew Buncombe
Seattle
01 October 2024 11:11pm
When Joe Biden and others called Donald Trump an “existential threat to democracy”, Tim Walz chose a different term.
Trump may be that and more, the 60-year-old governor of Minnesota told interviewers, but wasn’t he also simply plain “weird”?
“I see Donald Trump talking about the wonderful Hannibal Lecter or whatever weird thing he is on tonight … That is weird behaviour. I don’t think you call it anything else,” Mr Walz told CNN.
Mr Walz’s Midwestern charms and his ability to talk about issues with everyday language received lots of attention, not least from Kamala Harris as she whittled down her list of potential running mates, and on Tuesday named him as her pick.
It was not long before she and lots of other Democrats were using Mr Walz’s adjective to describe Trump and his own running mate JD Vance. In short, “weird” went viral.
The crowd at Tuesday’s rally in Philadelphia where Ms Harris introduced her running mate even joined the chorus, chanting “he’s a weirdo” in response to mentions of Mr Vance’s name.
Mr Walz, a former US Army National Guard member and teacher, was not at the top of the list of names being thrown around by the Harris team and pundits for potential running mates.
But as he appeared more on television to make the case for Democrats ahead of the party’s August convention in Chicago, people were increasingly struck by his potential appeal to working-class and progressive voters alike.
Growing up, I learned to be generous toward my neighbors, compromise without compromising my values, and to work for the common good.@KamalaHarris and I both believe in that common good – in that fundamental promise of America. We’re ready to fight for it. And like she says:… pic.twitter.com/5SfrDRqx7C
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 6, 2024
He was chosen over the favourite, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, seen as a sharper operator but with pro-Israel baggage that could put off some voters.
What are Walz’s views on Israel?
Mr Walz has been generally supportive of Israel throughout his career.
In the wake of the Oct 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, he pledged to “continue standing with Minnesota’s Jewish and Israeli community and working with the State Department to ensure the safety of Minnesotans at home and abroad”.
On Oct 20, Mr Walz spoke of the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza, adding: “The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas, and Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. We cannot let terrorists like Hamas win.”
He also addressed pro-Palestinian voters voting “uncommitted” in the Democratic presidential primary after the movement achieved nearly 20 per cent of the vote in his home state.
“These are voters that are deeply concerned, as we all are,” he said. “The situation in Gaza is intolerable.”
He advocated a “two-state solution” and recognised that pro-Palestinian Democrat voters “asking us to get to a ceasefire”. Striking a sympathetic note, Mr Walz called on President Biden to start “bringing these folks back in” and “listen to what they’re saying”.
After he was chosen ahead of Mr Shapiro, pro-Palestinian activists claimed victory.
Ahmad Abuznaid, the executive director of US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, said: “The choice of Walz over Shapiro cannot be divorced from the enormous momentum the Palestinian rights movement has built here in the US.”
What are Walz’s political achievements?
Mr Walz’s record in Minnesota should appeal to floating voters – and even moderate Republicans.
In 2006, he was elected to a usually Republican district in Minnesota and was re-elected four times. In 2018, he was elected governor and re-elected in 2022.
Among his proudest achievements was providing free school meals and expanded paid worker leave.
What is Walz’s influence on swing states?
Minnesota has not voted Republican in a presidential race since 1972, yet Trump’s campaign has targeted it in November.
The state also borders Wisconsin and is close to Michigan, two key battlegrounds Ms Harris needs to win to gather 270 electoral college votes.
In particular, Mr Walz’s messaging should resonate with Midwestern counties that tend to be less affluent and educated than the US average.
Such counties tend to be rural or small-town oriented – the kinds of places where Democrats have been losing votes to Trump in recent elections.
At the same time, he might not offer the same swing state strategic value in other parts of the US as Mr Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor, or Mark Kelly, the Arizona senator, two of the running-mate prospects that Ms Harris bypassed.
What is Walz’s background?
Mr Walz, who is married to Gwen and has two children, Hope and Gus, has had support across the party, including from progressives such as Bernie Sanders, the US senator, and congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
Mr Sanders told Minnesota Public Radio: “I had the opportunity to talk to your governor a few days ago and I am very impressed by him. I think you have an excellent governor who understands the needs of working families.”
As governor he helped turn Minnesota into an “LGBTQ refuge” by signing laws that shield access to gender-affirming health care and abortion among other things.
Mr Walz, was born in Nebraska and enlisted in the Army National Guard when he was 17. He served for more than two decades, seeing both domestic and overseas deployments.
His military career has come under intense scrutiny and he would later say he misspoke when he claimed he had carried weapons “in war”.
He later worked as a high school social studies teacher and football coach in Mankato, about 80 miles south of Minneapolis.
Heidi Heitkamp, a former Democratic senator from North Dakota, told US media: “If you’re looking for balance on the ticket in terms of life experience, and who’s going to bring that life experience to the administration with a whole series of credentials in solving problems for middle class and American families, Tim Walz has a pretty damn good resume.”
What is Walz’s religion?
Mr Walz describes himself as a “Minnesota Lutheran”, a denomination which traces its lineage back to Martin Luther, the German priest who is credited with ushering in the Protestant Reformation.
More than 20 per cent of the Minnesota population are Lutheran, the result of a wave of Scandinavian Lutherans who settled in the region in the 19th century.
Shortly after being elected governor, Mr Walz referenced his faith saying: “Because we’re good Minnesota Lutherans, we have a rule: If you do something good and talk about it, it no longer counts. So what you have to do is to get someone else to talk about you.”
The post Tim Walz: The army veteran Harris hopes will turn Minnesota blue appeared first on The Telegraph.
