Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is facing renewed criticism from the right over his handling of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 after being unveiled on Tuesday as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.
Walz saw a wave of backlash four years ago for his response to the Black Lives Matter demonstrations spurred by the police killing of George Floyd. In Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, protests devolved into riots—causing millions of dollars in damage to more than 1,500 locations.
Images of fires and looting during the Minneapolis demonstrations were frequently cited by the right in an attempt to discredit the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole.
At the time, Walz called the city’s ashes “symbolic of decades and generations of pain, of anguish unheard” and acknowledged that the lack of emergency services was “an abject failure that cannot happen.” He also blamed out-of-state protesters for the chaos and eventually called on the National Guard to quell the destruction.
Now, Walz is facing a second wave of right-wing criticism for his response in 2020.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) dubbed the Harris-Walz team the “most left-wing ticket in American history,” adding: “Minnesota was ground zero for the BLM riots of 2020. Harris egged it on and Walz sat by and let Minneapolis burn.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) offered a similar criticism, writing on X: “Tim Walz did nothing while Minneapolis burned. He sat back while the rioters that Kamala would bail out burned down a city.”
“He let BLM rioters, arsonists, and looters rampage through his state and [Harris] encouraged donations to the bail fund for the few who were arrested,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) blasted.
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisc.) similarly weighed in, writing: “While Minnesota burned, Tim Walz did nothing and watched. While Minnesota burned, Kamala Harris helped violent rioters get out of jail. This is the SOCIALIST dream.”
Since kicking off her campaign, Harris has faced renewed criticism for pushing a bail fund to help free protesters during 2020, which conservatives have claimed let violent felons back on the street.
Some right-wing posters such as Libs of TikTok shared photos and videos from the 2020 riots.
Posters have even settled on a catchphrase to attack the duo.
“Make America Burn Again,” wrote numerous posters, attaching images of riots.
“This is the image that defines Tim Walz. During the Floyd riots, he allowed a mob of thugs to burn a police station to the ground right in the middle of Minneapolis,” wrote Matt Walsh of one such photo. “Everything you need to know about him can be seen here. A thousand words, as they say.”
“The last time Harris and Walz teamed up was when he allowed rioters to burn down half of Minneapolis and then she raised money to bail them out,” quipped someone else.
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