Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was Vice President Kamala Harris’ pick for vice president, referred to President Biden as “fit for office” last month after Biden’s lackluster debate performance against former President Trump.
“Absolutely, he’s fit for office,” Walz stated on July 3 during a governors’ meeting at the White House when asked about Biden by a journalist. “After three and a half years of accomplishments, especially given the challenges we’ve all faced, we acknowledge that Thursday night [June 27] wasn’t his best performance. It was a tough moment, however, it doesn’t change my belief in what he has achieved.”
Harris’ campaign confirmed to Fox News Digital that Walz maintains his statements. Walz’s office has yet to respond to Fox News Digital’s request for a comment.
Following his unsteady debate performance, Biden faced mounting pressure from Democrats to withdraw from the race and announced on July 21 that he would not seek re-election.
TIM WALZ CRITICIZED AS ‘POLITICAL CHAMELEON’ AFTER ABANDONING PRO-SECOND AMENDMENT POSITION
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, left, Vice President Kamala Harris’ vice president choice, referred to President Biden as “fit for office” last month following the president’s lackluster debate performance against former President Trump. (Andrew Caballero Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite challenges, the president plans to serve his full term.
“This is Joe from Scranton,” Walz added. “He emphasized building the middle class. He succeeded in doing that. I think it’s easy to get lost in one’s own thoughts about performance. What we observed today was the person we all believed in, the one who first beat Donald Trump, and did so successfully.”
Biden was urged to withdraw from his re-election campaign as polls consistently showed him trailing Trump, raising concerns among Democrats about his ability to defeat Trump again.
After announcing his withdrawal from the race, Biden endorsed Harris for the Democratic nomination, who then selected Walz as her running mate on Tuesday.
WHO IS TIM WALZ?
Governor Walz endorsed President Biden’s re-election campaign last month during a press conference at the White House, asserting that Biden was “fit for office.” (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In response, Biden expressed his approval of the decision on Tuesday.
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“Kamala Harris made a commendable choice in selecting Governor Tim Walz as her running mate,” the president shared on X. “I have known Tim for nearly two decades since his tenure in Congress and as Governor. He is a devoted husband and father, a former schoolteacher, and a high school football coach. Having served 24 years in the Army National Guard, he is the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to serve in Congress. As Governor, he has shown to be a strong, principled, and effective leader.”
