6th August 2024, Minnesota.
Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the next election. Walz is a long-time politician. He has been involved in several controversies, including frequent drunken driving.
Progressives like Walz for his strong support for unions and his achievements as governor, like protecting abortion rights in the state constitution. However, his response to the Minneapolis riots after George Floyd’s killing in 2020 was criticized. He was slow to act, and businesses were destroyed. He called the White House only after four days of riots and then deployed the National Guard.
During his first term, Walz managed Minnesota’s COVID-19 response with strict lockdowns and mask mandates. An attempt to challenge his mask mandate failed in court. He set up a hotline to report COVID-19 rule breakers.
Walz faced criticism for poor oversight of pandemic programs, costing millions in taxpayer dollars. The Feeding Our Future scandal saw $250 million in fraud from federal food programs. A report criticized his Department of Education for not acting on warning signs.
This year, Walz was criticized by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. She dropped charges against a state trooper in a shooting case and accused Walz of interfering. Walz said he would have removed her from the case if she had not dropped the charges.