The spouse of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ running mate ignited a frenzy on social media Tuesday after an old video of her recounting her experiences during the 2020 Minneapolis riots resurfaced.
Gwen Walz is the First Lady of Minnesota and married to Democratic Governor Tim Walz, who has been selected by Vice President Harris as her running mate for the 2024 Democratic presidential candidacy.
A significant aspect of Governor Walz’s tenure was his response to the death of George Floyd, which occurred in Minnesota in 2020. Floyd’s death triggered widespread protests across the nation focused on issues of race and police violence.
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Gwen Walz reflecting on the 2020 riots in Minnesota. (Getty Images)
“We had more sleepless nights during the riots,” Walz’s wife stated in an interview with KSTP in July 2020. “I could smell the burning tires, and it felt very tangible. I kept the windows open for as long as possible because I felt it was a direct connection to what was happening.”
Conservative commentators expressed shock at Gwen Walz’s statements once the footage gained traction on social media.
“How might you describe this? Strange? Abnormal? Unusual? Eccentric? Quirky? There has to be a term for taking pleasure in the destruction of others’ property,” commented Noah Rothman, a senior writer at National Review Online.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk labeled the remarks as “odd.”
“Deeply troubling,” remarked journalist Abigail Shrier. “We need to understand much more about the Walz family.”
Dustin Grage, president of a conservative consulting firm based in Minnesota, called the comments “odd,” adding, “Her daughter was also coordinating with rioters to inform them that the National Guard wouldn’t be deployed one night.”
“Everything you need to know about radical elites is encapsulated in this brief clip,” said Daily Wire host Matt Walsh on X. “Tim Walz’s wife sat by the window, relishing the scent of neighborhoods ablaze during the Floyd riots. She might as well have picked up a fiddle.”
Governor Walz faced backlash for his response to the riots, with conservatives accusing him of inactivity while the state descended into chaos.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential hopeful, applauds her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, as he addresses an audience at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on August 6, 2024, during the commencement of their Battleground State Tour. (Matthew Hatcher/AFP via Getty Images)
The delayed response led to widespread devastation for numerous businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul, which sought assistance from their local government on top of the losses suffered due to pandemic-related shutdowns.
First Lady Walz acknowledged that Minnesota was under intense national observation during that period.
“With COVID-19, the entire state was scrutinizing Tim’s actions,” Ms. Walz remarked. “However, following Mr. Floyd’s death, it was the entire nation and the world observing how we reacted here in Minnesota.”
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As Walz steps into the national arena, his record is being reevaluated, with Republican critics scrutinizing how both he and Harris managed the crisis in 2020.
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“Minnesota was the epicenter of the BLM riots of 2020,” stated Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. “Harris encouraged the chaos, while Walz stood idle as Minneapolis burned.”
Ohio Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate and running partner of former President Trump, commented on Walz’s 2020 record, referring to his nomination as “a curious combination.”
“If we recall the riots from the summer of 2020, Tim Walz was the individual who allowed the rioters to ravage Minneapolis,” he stated, referring to the aftermath of Floyd’s death during his arrest. “Meanwhile, Kamala Harris was the one who facilitated bail for the rioters.”
