Minnesota Gov. Time Walz discussed gun violence, his campaign with former Vice President Kamala Harris, the future of the Democratic Party and alluded to running for reelection at the Cap Times Idea Fest in an interview with John Nichols Friday.
“I don’t know how you push back on the cruelness that’s out there without yourself being cruel. It’s a real dilemma, and we’re gonna have to figure it out,” Walz said.
Gun Violence
When asked about the recent assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, Walz made comparisons to assassinations during the 1960s, saying while those were “horrific,” political assassinations now “feel more ordinary, and that’s terrifying.”
Walz related Kirk’s death to the assassination of former Minnesota House of Representatives speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, who were killed in their home in June of this year, saying he saw Hortman as a potential future governor.
“There’s two people I saw who could run a house floor, who could manage a caucus, who could message, who could think policy and who could actually get things done. It was her and Nancy Pelosi,” Walz said. “She was my biggest political ally.”
He went on to criticize partisan reactions to both tragedies, recalling comments made by President Donald Trump in the aftermath of Hortman’s death.
“It’s all happening in real time, and then to turn on the TV, I can see the President of the United States just flippantly saying things to me, like, ‘He’s a mess,’ and I’m like, ‘How does this become about you, or how does it become about me?’” Walz said.
Nichols noted he was struck by the response Texas Legislator and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico had to the killing of Charlie Kirk, who said despite the differences between him and Kirk, he was “our brother.”
“I’ll be honest, that’s not necessarily where I went immediately. The President brings out the worst in me and makes me my worst self,” Walz said. “It pushes me into a position where I’m trying to figure out how to push back and debate a policy position when it is so visceral.”
Walz also mentioned the recent shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis in September, where two children died, and 21 people were injured.
"It's very raw. It's very open, but I am deeply concerned, deeply worried about this [gun violence], and I've been saying it on the political side of things, and now it's entered this new phase," Walz said.
Walz emphasized his ambivalence regarding the correct response as a policymaker, describing the difficulty of fighting policy while remaining civil.
Vice President Candidancy
Walz reflected on his journey to becoming the Democratic vice presidential nominee, saying his record of passing progressive policies in Minnesota played a key role in securing his position.
“When I first was out there and got picked by Vice President Harris, I got put on one of the shows, and they said, ‘Well, Governor, your policies are like way out. It's these liberal policies, whatever.’ And I said, ‘Oh, my God, we feed our children and take care of our elderly and we can have health care in college. What a monster I am,’” Walz said.
He described the surreal experiences of the campaign, from learning how to use a teleprompter to hearing personal stories from Americans who believed the campaign would bring change.
Walz also recalled the viral moment when his son stood up at his Democratic National Convention nomination and said, “That’s my dad,” which he called the greatest day of his life. Though the moment was mocked by some, Walz said what mattered most was seeing millions of people stand up for his family.
Walz reflected on the disappointment of seeing counties he once won flip for Trump, questioning the shift of agriculture and labor-heavy counties.
He represented Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District for 12 years, becoming only the second Democrat to hold the seat in the previous century, before being elected governor in 2018. In the 2016 election, Trump won the district by nearly 15 points.
“The thing that breaks my heart is, whether it's agriculture or whether it's labor, this is the most anti-agricultural farm administration and anti-labor that we've seen so maybe folks aren't voting on their economics. Maybe they're voting on something else,” Walz said.
The Democratic party
Walz discussed faults within the Democratic Party’s messaging, saying some of their messages can be interpreted as “against success” or leave certain groups feeling like nobody is working for their success.
“My beef is not with successful people. My beef is with people who get successful and then don't pay their taxes and act like terrible people and make it more difficult for the rest of us. That’s the beef,” Walz said.
He noted his 2018 victory, following former Gov. Mark Dayton’s two terms, marked the first time Minnesota had three Democratic governors in a row. He said that momentum allowed them to shift toward more progressive policies, such as decarbonizing the state’s electric grid, codifying reproductive rights and offering free college to families who make under $80,000 a year.
“Isn't it weird when you do that — we rank near the top in happiness, rank near the top in places to raise kids, rank near the top in personal incomes and all that,” Walz said. “I'm just going to say it. If their policies work so well, Arkansas and Mississippi would not be at the bottom.”
Walz said Democrats should not reserve political capital after winning elections to try and win again, instead urging them to use it immediately to pass policies that will improve lives, even if it risks political backlash. He argued by doing this, supporters will see the payoffs in their own lives, building trust and loyalty.
“Our policies are super popular. Our party, not so much so,” Walz said. “When we have the opportunity, we don't go big enough, we don't go bold enough.”
He emphasized bold and immediate action, saying compromise is fine but it shouldn’t contradict core values.
When asked about running for a third term as governor, Walz said he would make a decision in the coming week, noting that no governor has ever served three terms in Minnesota. However, he alluded to another run, saying now doesn’t feel like the right time to step away.
Zoey Elwood is copy chief for The Daily Cardinal. She also covers state news.
Marco is a features writer for The Daily Cardinal. He is an English and History major and has experience covering local businesses.
