Topline
Despite recently criticizing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s handling of riots in the state after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, former President Donald Trump was reportedly impressed with Walz’s response at the time, according to audio obtained by ABC News of the former president.
Despite posting a graphic on Truth Social that read “Tim Walz let Minnesota burn,” audio obtained by … [+]
Key Facts
The audio of a call between Trump and a group of governors, including Walz, showed Trump saying he was actually “very happy” with Walz’s handling of the riots and praised him for bringing in the National Guard.
“I know Gov. Walz is on the phone, and we spoke, and I fully agree with the way he handled it the last couple of days,” Trump said on the call, adding Walz was an “excellent guy,” ABC News reported.
Despite the past praise, Trump has already tried to make Walz’s response a campaign point: On Wednesday, he posted a photo of a burning car to Truth Social with text that read: “Tim Walz let Minnesota burn … Kamala Harris bailed out the ones who lit the matches.”
A spokesperson for Trump told ABC News that Trump only praised Walz after he listened to Trump and brought in the National Guard, though a Walz spokesperson denied the National Guard was brought in at Trump’s suggestion.
Forbes has reached out to the Trump campaign and Harris-Walz campaign for comment on the report.
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Crucial Quote
A number of Republicans—including Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance—have already started criticizing Walz again over his handling of the 2020 riots. “This is a guy who says that he stands for public safety, but actively encouraged the rioters who burned down Minneapolis,” Vance said Wednesday.
Key Background
Walz was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018, meaning he was about 16 months into the role when the murder of George Floyd by a police officer led to arson, looting and riots in Minneapolis. One of the main criticisms of Walz at the time was that he waited too long to send in the National Guard after Minneapolis’ mayor requested them, which some local Republicans argued made it harder for law enforcement to control the situation. Walz later criticized the city’s use of the National Guard after it was sent in, saying elements of the response were an “abject failure,” at least in part because local leadership didn’t provide enough information for the National Guard to know what to assist with, the Star Tribune reported. When he was asked recently whether he would have done things differently in hindsight, NBC News reported Walz said “It is what it is and I simply believe that we tried to do the best we can in each of those [situations].”
Tangent
Even before Walz was announced as Harris’ running mate, Trump brought back his false claim that he—not Walz—sent the National Guard into the Twin Cities during the riots. At a late July rally in Minnesota, the former president reportedly said: “Every voter in Minnesota needs to know that when the violent mobs of anarchists and looters and Marxists came to burn down Minneapolis four years ago — remember me? I couldn’t get your governor to act. He’s supposed to call in the National Guard or the Army. And he didn’t do it … So I sent in the National Guard to save Minneapolis.” However, Walz did send the National Guard in. He signed an executive order on May 28, 2020 that declared a “a peacetime emergency and activated the Minnesota National Guard” in Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding communities.
Further Reading
Israel and Hamas. Previously, she has covered a range of topics from Donald Trump’s legal battles to Taylor Swift’s path to becoming a billionaire. She joined Forbes in April 2022 and is based in Colorado. Prior to joining Forbes, Bohannon covered local news and spent time at the Fort Collins Coloradoan and the Arizona Republic. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Creighton University and has an MA in investigative journalism from Arizona State. Follow Bohannon for continued coverage of pop culture, politics and updates on the war in Gaza.
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