Republicans are expressing satisfaction with Kamala Harris’s decision to select Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 election. OutKick founder Clay Travis voiced his approval of the choice, predicting that it would be easy for Republicans to exploit Walz’s controversial record.
Travis, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump and JD Vance, shared his views on the matter, stating, “I love the pick of Minnesota governor Tim Walz. He’s a disaster. I thought surely Kamala would pick Josh Shapiro, the Democrat governor of Pennsylvania. It’s a no-brainer. He’s the most popular political figure in the most important swing state in America.”
Travis emphasized that selecting Shapiro would have been a strategic move for Harris, given Pennsylvania’s significance in the election. However, he speculated that Harris avoided picking Shapiro due to the Democratic Party’s growing anti-Semitic base, which includes prominent figures like Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ilhan Omar.
“And as a result, Kamala Harris has, I think, kneecapped her campaign by picking a vastly inferior figure as her VP,” Travis asserted. He suggested that if Harris wanted to choose someone outside the Midwest, Mark Kelly from Arizona would have been a more strategic choice, potentially helping to secure Arizona.
Travis criticized Harris’s decision to opt for a candidate from Minnesota, noting that if Minnesota is in play, it indicates trouble for the Democrats. He pointed out that Republicans haven’t won Minnesota since 1972, although Trump came close in 2016 and 2020.
The political landscape in Minnesota has shifted, with tightening polls during Joe Biden’s campaign. However, Travis believes Walz’s presence on the ticket might have diminished the state’s competitiveness. “Walz is a disaster of a pick,” Travis continued. “I think it’s going to be the opposite of a VP bounce. I actually think Kamala Harris’s poll numbers are gonna come down.”
Travis associated Walz with the surge in violence in Minneapolis and criticized the governor for his response during the unrest. He also highlighted Harris’s controversial decision to raise money to bail out those involved in the protests, implying that the combination of Harris and Walz would be detrimental to the Democratic campaign.
As the election approaches, the choice of Tim Walz as Harris’s running mate is expected to be a focal point of Republican criticism. The GOP is gearing up to leverage Walz’s record to sway voters and undermine Harris’s campaign.
