EAGAN, Minn. — On Friday, Governor Tim Walz expressed his commitment to making Minnesota a sanctuary for the values upheld by the Democratic presidential campaign he was part of, while also pledging to put in more effort to comprehend the perspectives of voters who supported President-elect Donald Trump.
Speaking before a supportive audience in a high school auditorium in Eagan, a suburb located just south of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, Walz shared his thoughts on Trump’s election win, an outcome that he stated has left him in search of clarity.
“It is challenging to comprehend why so many people, whom we have tirelessly advocated for, chose a different route,” Walz remarked. “Reconciling what that alternative path might entail over the next four years is complicated.”
Before Walz took the podium, several attendees adorned Harris Walz camo campaign caps and embraced one another. They welcomed him with rousing applause and chanted his name alongside his wife, Gwen Walz, as they prepared to speak.
Tim Walz expressed gratitude to Kamala Harris for choosing him as her running mate and acknowledged their friendship. He reflected on how their collaboration allowed him to gain deeper insights into the nation he aspired to serve as vice president. Despite the loss and the heightened political polarization, Walz maintained that a significant number of Americans possess similar concerns and aspirations.
“People genuinely desire fundamental elements of life in America. By basic, I mean essential needs like meaningful employment, safe communities, quality education, and affordable healthcare,” Walz explained. “However, there’s also a broader desire for security. People want to feel that their lives are built on a stable foundation that won’t give way beneath them.”
Furthermore, Walz asserted that Americans wish to have the freedom to live their lives according to their principles, which was a key message of the Harris-Walz campaign. In light of this, Walz declared that he intends to make Minnesota a stronghold against potential threats from a second Trump administration regarding issues such as abortion rights, immigration, and labor unions.
“We’re aware of what’s on the horizon. They have explicitly stated it,” Walz acknowledged. “Upon any attempt to impose a hateful agenda in this state, I will be ready to rise and resist.”
Having returned from the campaign trail to a period of a divided state government, Walz noted that Republicans seem to have broken the full Democratic control which aided in his prominent position on Harris’ list of potential running mates. Elected as governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, he has now found himself in a transformed political landscape.
During his speech, Walz proudly highlighted several policies that Democrats successfully enacted during their time in control, such as enhanced protections for abortion rights, child tax credits, paid family and medical leave, universal free school meals, and gun safety measures, which he pointed out while campaigning.
Minnesota’s First Lady, Gwen Walz, who was frequently seen alongside her husband at campaign events, reiterated that Minnesota would continue to stand as a secure haven. Conveying how they have coped with the election results, she shared a comforting Bible verse: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.”
“Minnesota, we have kept the faith,” Gwen Walz declared.
While urging those opposing Trump’s agenda to persist in their efforts, Governor Walz encouraged all Americans to reach across the political chasm that widened during the election season. “Perhaps after we take a little break from this campaign, we can begin to see each other not as adversaries, but as neighbors,” Walz said. “Maybe we can sit down over coffee, or a Diet Mountain Dew, and just converse.”