Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the vice presidential pick of former Vice President Kamala Harris on the ticket that was defeated by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, wants his party to “get meaner.”
He spoke at an event in South Carolina where he was on hand to energize the Democratic base when he made the comments, The New York Post reported.
“Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, a little bit more fierce,” the Democrat said as the crowd cheered.
“The thing that bothers a teacher more than anything is to watch a bully,” he said. “And when its a child you talk to them and you tell them why bullying is wrong.”
“But when it’s an adult like Donald Trump, you bully the s**t out of him back,” he said.
“Donald is the existential threat we knew was coming,” he said during the speech, and said that, for Democrats, “it is going to be a challenging few years here.”
“We’ve got the guts and we need to have it to push back on the bullies and the greed,” he said.
He went on, after calling for his party to start bullying the president, to call for “joy” again, like he and Harris did during the 2024 presidential campaign.
“I used to teach fourth grade and I was gonna say it sounded like something like a fourth grader came up with it but that would be insulting to my fourth graders,” the Minnesota governor said.
He also praised his former partner in the campaign, Harris, to applause from the crowd.
“Damnit, I would love to turn on the TV and see her instead of what we see every day,” he said, before he said she is “well-accomplished.”
The stop in South Carolina is part of a national tour the Minnesota governor is embarking on as he considers a campaign for president in 2028.
His trip coincides with the final stretch of Minnesota’s legislative session, as lawmakers work to complete the state budget. When asked Thursday about the timing, Walz told reporters he expects budget negotiations to be wrapped up by Saturday.
“We’ll be done,” Walz said, noting that any additional action would likely wait until early to mid-next week. “A lot of the work that will be done over the next few days is the work of just the professional staff of revising the bills.”
While Walz has not ruled out a 2028 presidential bid, he is widely expected to seek a third term as governor next year, though he has yet to make a formal announcement.
South Carolina and California hold significant influence in the Democratic presidential nominating process. South Carolina led off the 2024 Democratic primary calendar, while California offers the largest delegate count at the party’s national convention, the outlet reported.
Both the California and South Carolina Democratic Parties highlighted Walz’s upcoming visit in announcements released earlier this month.
“A nationally respected, bold and compassionate leader, Gov. Walz resonates deeply with Democrats here in SC. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Palmetto State,” the South Carolina Democratic Party posted on social media.
U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina extended the invitation for Governor Tim Walz to speak at Saturday’s state convention. Walz is also scheduled to attend Clyburn’s annual fish fry on Friday evening. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, another potential 2028 presidential contender, will address South Carolina Democrats that same night.
Meanwhile, a separate report in March said that Harris and Walz haven’t spoken much since they were shellacked by President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance in November.