Minnesota Governor Tim Walz urged his Democratic colleagues to “change the attitude” of the party and “bully the s***” out of President Donald Trump in an effort to pass long-standing left-wing goals and policies.
Newsweek reached out by email outside of normal business hours on Saturday to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for comment.
Why It Matters
The Democrats have offered competing visions for the future of the party after then-Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, in which the Republicans retained control of the House of Representatives and took control of the Senate, both of which they hold by slim margins.
Leadership, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both of New York, have urged patience as the Republicans roll out their agenda, which Jeffries and Schumer believe will prove unpopular with the public and damage Trump and the GOP going into the 2026 midterm elections.
However, some Democrats, such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who twice ran to be the Democratic nominee for president, have urged more action from their party and colleagues.
What To Know
Walz, who was Harris’ vice presidential running mate and a former public school teacher, spoke at Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina’s Friday night fish fry and delivered a serious message to those in attendance, including many of his Democratic colleagues.
Walz spoke of “wannabe dictators and despots” and slammed Trump for “corruption” and “cruelty” in his second administration. He told those gathered that the Democratic Party needs to “change the attitude, compete in every district, compete for every school board seat.”
On Saturday, Walz spoke at the state’s Democratic Party convention where he gave a keynote speech, calling on his party to change its thinking.
“Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce because we have to ferociously push back on this,” he said, to applause from the crowd.
“And again, I’ll speak to my teacher colleagues in here. The thing that bothers a teacher more than anything is to watch a bully…and when it’s a child you talk to him and you tell him why bullying’s wrong, but when it’s an adult like Donald Trump you bully the s*** out of him back,” Walz said. “You push back, you make sure they know it’s not there, because at heart—at heart, this is a weak, cruel man that takes it out and punches down on people.”
The governor added: “What they don’t want to do is stand toe-to-toe and punch back with someone who’s calling him out for what they do who’s being there.”
Walz also called Trump “the existential threat that we knew was coming,” adding that Trump is a “cruel man” and warning that the remainder of his second term will “be a challenging few years.”
“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 has not indicated if he intends to head up his own bid for president in 2028, in which he may run against Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and a host of other Democrats as the party remains largely rudderless seven months after the loss to Trump.
Walz, while lacking the same national exposure that some of his potential rivals have commanded this year, remains actively engaged across the country.
He has headlined a DNC series called “the People’s Town Halls” around the country, speaking to crowds in Republican districts that had thin margins in the 2024 elections and have a potential to flip back to Democrats in 2026.
“For the past few weeks, I’ve been showing up where Republicans won’t,” Walz wrote in a 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.”
AtlasIntel, touted by some, such as veteran pollster Nate Silver, as the most accurate polling firm in the U.S., released data on Friday indicating that Buttigieg has a commanding lead as the likely candidate for Democrats in 2028 if voters picked today.
In their polling, Walz did not feature at all, but the pollster may not have included him in their options, as the question was posed as “provided these were the candidates.”
Newsweek reached out to AtlasIntel outside of normal business hours by email on Saturday for clarification and comment.
Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on January 1: “Happy New Year, Minnesota! More grateful than ever to have the privilege of serving this great state. Looking forward to the work ahead in making Minnesota the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York at a Las Vegas rally in March: “This isn’t just about Republicans. We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us, too. But what that means is that we as a community must choose and vote for Democrats and elected officials who know how to stand up for the working class.”
Mary Ann Bennett, who attended Ocasio-Cortez’s Denver rally with Sanders, previously told Newsweek: “The Democratic Party has not been taking strong actions for the working class. Bernie and AOC acknowledged this, which is step one, and then laid out their plans for action which were met with strong cheers from the 30,000 people who showed up. Those moments were when I felt the most empowered and ready to fight for my neighbors.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking about her plans earlier this year while visiting sites impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires, said: “My plans are to be in touch with my community, to be in touch with the leaders and figure out what I can do to support them…I am here and would be here regardless of the office I hold, because it is the right thing to do, which is to show up in your community and thank the folks who are on the ground.”
What Happens Next?
Candidates are likely to wait until after the 2026 midterm elections to declare their intention to run for president, but speculation about the field of candidates will remain—and most likely ramp up—in the months ahead.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
