Latest news with #TimWalz
CTV News
an hour ago
- Business
- CTV News
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in South Carolina remarks, calls on Democrats ‘to be a little meaner'
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sought to energize activists at a Democratic state convention in South Carolina, as the party's 2024 vice presidential nominee works to keep up the high national profile he gained when Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate. Walz, a former schoolteacher who went on to serve in Congress and then became his state's governor, keynoted the South Carolina gathering in Columbia, traditionally a showcase for national-level Democrats and White House hopefuls. Speaking to convention delegates for more than half an hour, Walz used colorful language and spoke plainly as he lobbed criticism at President Donald Trump and called on his fellow Democrats to have the courage to stand up to the 'bully' in the White House. 'Maybe it's time for us to be a little meaner,' Walz said, to applause from the crowd. 'When it's a bully like Donald Trump, you bully the s—- out of him. ... This is a ... cruel man.' It was Walz's third set of large-scale remarks in less than 24 hours for Walz, who, along with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, spoke Friday night at the party's fundraising dinner, as well as an after-party fish fry hosted by Rep. Jim Clyburn. The events offered an opportunity for both Walz and Moore to test out their messages in front of hundreds of Democrats in the state that has long held the first-in-the-South Democratic presidential primary and, last year, led off the party's nominating calendar entirely. State party chair Christale Spain has said that she will renew the argument to keep the state's No. 1 position in the next cycle, but national party organizations haven't settled their 2028 calendars yet, and party officials in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada are also vying to go first. 'Donald Trump is the existential threat that we knew was coming,' Walz told the crowd Saturday morning, acknowledging that, for Democrats, 'it is going to be a challenging few years here.' As he did on Friday night, Walz praised his fellow Democrats for having the 'courage' to keep fighting in a largely Republican state, where Democrats haven't won a statewide election in about two decades and only hold one congressional seat — Clyburn's. 'Damnit, we should be able to have some fun and be joyful,' Walz said. 'We've got the guts and we need to have it to push back on the bullies and the greed.' Walz, on a long list of potential 2028 candidates who have been traveling to early-voting states, was expected to sound similar themes as a featured speaker as California Democrats gather in Anaheim on Saturday. 'We're fired up to welcome Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to the Convention stage in Anaheim,' state chair Rusty Hicks said in a statement. 'He's a former teacher, a veteran, and a trailblazer who's spent his career fighting for working families and standing up for the values we all share — fairness, dignity, and opportunity for all.' Democrats have been debating since Harris lost to Trump in November over which direction the party should take. That self-examination reflects deep frustrations among Democratic voters that their leaders are failing to put up enough resistance against Trump, who has taken a much more aggressive approach to his second term in the White House. Walz hasn't officially said if he'll seek a third term in 2026, but acknowledges he's thinking about it. He said in a recent interview with KSTP-TV that he would probably wait to decide until July, after he calls a special session of the closely divided Minnesota Legislature to finish work on the state's next budget. Those negotiations have gone slowly despite his frequent meetings with legislative leaders. He's given mixed signals on a 2028 presidential run while keeping up his attacks on Trump. He told The New Yorker Radio Hour for an interview that aired in March that he would 'certainly consider that' if circumstances were right. He told CNN's 'State of the Union' last month that he was 'not thinking about running in 2028.' But he hasn't ruled it out, either, and has signaled possible interest in other ways. Following the Democratic ticket's defeat in November, Walz returned to the road in March when he went to Iowa to launch a series of town halls in competitive congressional districts represented by Republicans, after House Speaker Mike Johnson advised GOP representatives to avoid holding town halls because of protests at them. Walz's gubernatorial campaign organization, which has been actively raising money, has used his travels in 'Support Tim on the Road' fundraising pitches. 'For the past few weeks, I've been showing up where Republicans won't,' he wrote in one recent message, a theme he echoed on Saturday in South Carolina. 'I've hosted town halls in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Texas to hear from people the GOP is neglecting.' Karnowski reported from Minneapolis. Meg Kinnard And Steve Karnowski, The Associated Press
Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in South Carolina remarks, calls on Democrats ‘to be a little meaner'
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sought to energize activists at a Democratic state convention in South Carolina, as the party's 2024 vice presidential nominee works to keep up the high national profile he gained when Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate. Walz, a former schoolteacher who went on to serve in Congress and then became his state's governor, keynoted the South Carolina gathering in Columbia, traditionally a showcase for national-level Democrats and White House hopefuls. Speaking to convention delegates for more than half an hour, Walz used colorful language and spoke plainly as he lobbed criticism at President Donald Trump and called on his fellow Democrats to have the courage to stand up to the 'bully' in the White House.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Two shot Friday night outside 3M Arena at Mariucci on UMN campus
Two people were shot Friday night and one person was arrested following a Wayzata High School graduation ceremony held on the University of Minnesota campus, police said. University authorities notified students that the 8:20 p.m. shooting occurred outside 3M Arena at Mariucci following the ceremony. University of Minnesota police responded and two people were taken by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center. Their condition was unknown Saturday morning. Gov. Tim Walz expressed his thoughts on X. 'Horrific news of a shooting near Mariucci Arena during a graduation event tonight – a time of celebration that should never have turned into one of fear and sadness,' he wrote. The suspect in the shooting is in custody and authorities say they don't believe there is any ongoing threat to the public. The investigation by university police, Minneapolis police and the Hennepin County sheriff's office is continuing. Charges to be dismissed in St. Paul sexual assault case Toxicology result brings second charge in Wisconsin crash that killed restaurant owner David Burley Maplewood shooting: St. Paul man fired on car while kids cowered nearby, charges say Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers say ex-assistant's social media posts undercut her rape allegation Bloodhounds hunting 'Devil in the Ozarks' fugitive are seen as key part of manhunt
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Two shot Friday night outside 3M Arena at Mariucci on UMN campus
Two people were shot Friday night and one person was arrested following a Wayzata High School graduation ceremony held on the University of Minnesota campus, police said. University authorities notified students that the 8:20 p.m. shooting occurred outside 3M Arena at Mariucci following the ceremony. University of Minnesota police responded and two people were taken by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center. Their condition was unknown Saturday morning. Gov. Tim Walz expressed his thoughts on X. 'Horrific news of a shooting near Mariucci Arena during a graduation event tonight – a time of celebration that should never have turned into one of fear and sadness,' he wrote. The suspect in the shooting is in custody and authorities say they don't believe there is any ongoing threat to the public. The investigation by university police, Minneapolis police and the Hennepin County sheriff's office is continuing. Charges to be dismissed in St. Paul sexual assault case Toxicology result brings second charge in Wisconsin crash that killed restaurant owner David Burley Maplewood shooting: St. Paul man fired on car while kids cowered nearby, charges say Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers say ex-assistant's social media posts undercut her rape allegation Bloodhounds hunting 'Devil in the Ozarks' fugitive are seen as key part of manhunt
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wes Moore, Tim Walz urge for a fiercer Democratic party at famed Jim Clyburn Fish Fry
Democratic governors Tim Walz and Wes Moore are fired up - but not solely to eat South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn's so-called "world famous" breaded fish. They're fired up to refocus their party, and on Friday evening, both pitched their theory of how to build up coalitions and win back the Americans they've lost: emphasize the political gravity of the moment forcefully and frequently, and don't wait until the midterms to talk to as many constituencies as possible. "Each and every one of us, we're not going to have someone come save us. But who wants that? We can save ourselves. We can get out there. We can make a difference," said Minnesota Gov. Walz during brief remarks on stage to a few hundred Democrats in Columbia, South Carolina. "We need to change the attitude, compete in every district, compete for every school board seat, and come out to this damn fish fry with the attitude: 'we're going to fill up on some fish, and then we are going to beat the hell out of these dictators.'" Moore, the first Black governor of Maryland, in his remarks stressed that the "baton is in our hands." "We are not going to drop it. We are going to run through the tape, and we are going to win because we understand what's at stake," said Moore He continued the refrain, as a rallying cry of sorts: "Send a message the entire country is going to hear. This is our time. This is our moment. We will not shirk, we will not flinch, we will not blink. We will win, just as those who came before us did." Yet, neither of them said that they should be the leader of the party in 2028. Both governors have denied any plans of seeking the presidential nomination, which the pair reiterated during a gaggle with reporters before their on-stage remarks Friday. During that gaggle, Clyburn said he saw both Walz and Moore as "great leaders" but said they have to decide their own plans. Walz has said he has no plans for a White House run and is still mulling whether he will run for gubernatorial reelection. When pressed at an appearance at Harvard's Institute of Politics, Walz said he wasn't sure if the party's eventual candidate is clear just yet. "I think it's a super talented bench," Walz said. "Do I think the person's out there? No, I'm not sure they're out there yet." MORE: Dems call GOP's 'big, beautiful' bill 'ugly' for hurting low-income, helping rich Moore has rejected the notion more fiercely, telling ABC's "The View" plainly, "I am not running." He doubled down in the reporter gaggle Friday, "Anyone who is talking about 2028 is not taking 2025 very seriously," Moore told reporters. "The fight is 2025. Right now." Moore also gave a keynote address at the state's key fundraiser, the Blue Palmetto Dinner, just before his Fish Fry appearance, where, according to a circulated copy ahead of his remarks, he said the party must be delivering "an alternative" to Trump at this moment. "I want to be clear: We can – and we must – condemn Donald Trump's reckless actions. But we would also be foolish not to learn from his impatience. Now is the time for us to be impatient too. Let's not just talk about an alternative. Let's not just study an alternative. Let's deliver an alternative," Moore's prepared remarks said. Even still, it's no secret that Clyburn's fish fry has often been fertile waters for would-be Democratic rising stars and Pennsylvania Ave. hopefuls to mix and mingle among powerful party operatives, donors, and key South Carolina early state voters in one night. And while not as much of a crazed scene as the 2019 event, where a menagerie of Dem candidates vied for stage-time as the partiers shimmied shoulder to shoulder, Friday night's event was still high-energy. MORE: Who's running for president in 2028 and who's not? Walz will be speaking to Palmetto State Democrats once again Saturday morning. But that doesn't end the Minnesota governor's campaign travel. After his address on Saturday, he's quickly off to California to speak at its Democratic Party's event. The famous fish fete tees off a weekend of fundraising and party business as the South Carolina Democratic Party convenes for their state convention. Friday night's event also comes as South Carolina's future placement within the party's early voting calendar is in flux. Last cycle, due to changes made by the Democratic National Committee, South Carolina replaced historically first Iowa as the initial contest. However, Democrats must set a new calendar for 2028. Which order the state comes in is less important to Clyburn, he said. "I never ask for anything more than to keep us in the pre-primary window," said Clyburn. "Whether that be one, two, three, or four, I don't care." Wes Moore, Tim Walz urge for a fiercer Democratic party at famed Jim Clyburn Fish Fry originally appeared on
