Republican lawmakers are excited about a showdown between Vice President Kamala Harris and an ultra-progressive candidate in November’s presidential election after reports emerged that she had chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Vermont), referring to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), an X and self-described democratic socialist, said, “Harris gets Bernie’s ideas and she picked Walz. Thanks, Kamala! Gov. Tim Walz is a radical leftist’s dream.”
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the highest-ranking member of Congress from Walz’s home state, accused Walz of implementing policies that are similar to those in California, a Democratic stronghold.
Harris goes after Trump in fundraising surge
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz attends a press conference about new gun control laws at City Hall in Bloomington, Minnesota, on August 1, 2024. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
“It’s not surprising. [Harris] “Harris has chosen Tim Walz as her running mate, who represents the same disastrous economic, open border, and soft on crime policies that Harris has imposed on our country over the past four years,” Emmer wrote on X.
“Walz is an empty-headed bureaucrat who is working to turn Minnesota into Harris’ home state of California, solidifying his full support for the candidate’s radical ‘America’s Last Stand’ agenda.”
And as a preview of the GOP’s attack strategy over the next three months, several Republicans brought up Walz’s leadership of the state through the Black Lives Matter riots in the summer of 2020.
They also pointed out that Harris promoted a bail fund for rioters, the Minnesota Freedom Fund, during her 2020 presidential run.
Harris focuses on border security, Trump enjoys the fight
Vice President Kamala Harris has been running for president since late July. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“Democrats have made history by nominating Harris-Waltz as the most radical, far-left candidate in history to run in November’s election,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, chair of the House Republican Conference. “Waltz is a failed congressman and a failed governor who supported a campaign to defund police and burn down cities while Kamala raised money to release violent criminals from prison.”
Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican from neighboring Wisconsin, wrote in a statement, “Tim Walz stood by and did nothing while Minnesota burned. Kamala Harris kept rioters out of jail while Minnesota burned. This is a socialist’s dream.”
Governor Walz was criticized for not calling in the National Guard sooner during protests four years ago when activists were burning buildings and looting stores in Minneapolis.
2024 AD Wars: Trump competes to select VP Harris
Flames from a nearby fire illuminate a protester standing on a barricade in front of Police Station 3 during a protest over the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 28, 2020. (Getty)
“Tim Walz is the perfect choice for Kamala Harris. He allowed BLM rioters, arsonists and looters to run wild in our state, while Harris encouraged donations to bail funds for the few people who were arrested,” said Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
Click here to get the FOX News app
But the newly formed team received praise from progressive heavyweights like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Squad.
“Vice President Harris has made an incredible decision to select Governor Walz as her running mate. Together, they will govern effectively, comprehensively and boldly for the American people. From health care to school lunches, they will never flinch when the going gets tough,” she wrote to X.
Get the latest 2024 election campaign updates, exclusive interviews and more on Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.
