2024 Election /

Harris VP Pick Tim Walz Excoriated Over Socialist and Far-Left Positions

Criticisms of his past policies have resurfaced after Harris announced the Minnesota governor would be her running mate

Published: August 6, 2024
  |   By Adrian Norman
Harris VP Pick Tim Walz Excoriated Over Socialist and Far-Left Positions

Vice President Kamala Harris has formally secured the Democratic Party's nomination for this year’s presidential election and has named Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential pick.


Walz, a consistently reliable progressive, faced immediate scrutiny from conservatives for his record and public statements.


In an interview, the second-term governor backed socialist policies and equated socialism with modern American progressivism, stating, “But we can get out there, reach out, make the case. And for one thing, don’t ever shy away from our progressive values. One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness.”



Joey Meugniot, a conservative political strategist, replied, “Socialism is not caring for your neighbor, that would be charity. Governments don't do charity, they take and redistribute. Without big cities and government handouts, these morons would never get elected.”


Walz also faces criticism for his immigration policies. He has supported making Minnesota a sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants, signed legislation allowing them to receive driver’s licenses, and told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that he would invest in ladders to help migrants climb the wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.


Among other progressive policies, Walz has:


  • Signed a bill enshrining abortion under state law

  • Pushed for Minnesota to convert to 100 percent renewable energy by 2040

  • Signed legislation establishing automatic voter registration, which also allows individuals ages 16 and 17 to pre-register to vote so their names will appear on rolls when the turn 18


In January, Walz faced backlash for approving a controversial redesign of the state flag, which some opponents argue resembles the flags of Somalia and Puntland, a self-declared autonomous region in Somalia. Minnesota is home to the largest Somali community in the U.S.


At the time, Walz dismissed the criticism, stating, “While Republicans talk about this, I am going to be making sure our kids are eating and we're creating jobs. So they can debate it in the legislature; we will see where it goes, but I think any time change comes, a lot of Minnesotans, when they look, our flag looks like 19 other states."


Conservatives have reignited the flag debate following Walz's addition to the presidential ticket with Harris.



One of the most widespread criticisms of Walz stems from his handling of the 2020 riots in Minnesota following George Floyd's death while in police custody.


After images circulated of officer Derek Chauvin with his knee on Floyd, protests erupted in the city, resulting in shootings, looting, vandalism, and arson. Walz activated the National Guard but declined to deploy military police.



“[H]e's been a disaster for Minnesota and is by far the most partisan governor that I can remember having," Minnesota GOP Chairman David Hann said during an interview last week. “Going back to 2020, certainly – he did nothing to try to stop the riots going on in Minneapolis. I think he was fearful of alienating his ‘progressive’ base, who were supporting the riots. Kamala Harris was raising money for the rioters."


The 2020 pandemic response also presents an opening for critics, who are reminding others on social media of Walz’s policymaking during the crisis.


Despite 80 percent of the state’s COVID-19 deaths occurring at assisted living facilities, and the elderly being most at risk of serious illness and death from the virus, Walz allowed hospitals to discharge patients recovering from Covid, who were potentially still infectious, into nursing homes.


Voters are also being reminded of Walz setting up a hotline during the pandemic that allowed state residents to report violations of his stay-at-home order.



Democrats expressed mixed reactions to the renewed conservtive attacks on Walz.


Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi challenged claims that Walz is “on the left” and politically radical.


"Tim Walz I know very well. He served in the House. To characterize him as 'left' is so unreal," she said during an interview on MSNBC. “Really, it's mystifying to me to see someone that I worked with — shall we say right down the middle — characterized on the left in this regard."


Yet, because of the perceived vulnerability of selecting such an extreme left option, conservatives, though critical of Walz, believe his presence on the ticket makes him and Harris less electable. For this reason, CNN commentator Van Jones expressed worry that conservatives are excited over Walz being chosen for vice president over other potential candidates.


“What worries me is you see a lot of relief from the conservatives. They were scared of Josh Shapiro … they were scared of a Mark Kelly,” he said. “They thought that would help define Kamala more to the middle. You see a lot of rejoicing on the right. That’s not good.”


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