A former Obama strategist has commended Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for his proactive efforts to secure a spot on the ticket of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. David Axelrod, the chief strategist for former President Obama’s campaigns, lauded Walz for running what he described as the most aggressive campaign for the vice president position.
Reports suggest that Walz is among the contenders being considered by Harris for the vice-presidential role. Axelrod's praise came in the wake of a Politico report highlighting Walz's 'Midwest grit' and his strong candidacy.
While the focus of the vice-presidential selection process has largely been on four individuals – Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper – Walz has emerged as a prominent figure in the broader list of potential candidates. Other notable names in the mix include Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Prior to assuming the governorship in 2019, Walz had a distinguished career, serving for 12 years in Congress. His background also includes over two decades of service in the Army National Guard and experience as a social studies teacher.
Recently, Walz made headlines for his remarks branding former President Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance as 'just weird' during a recent interview. This characterization has been adopted by Harris and other Democrats to describe their political opponents and their policies.
In response to the 'weird' label, Trump's team retaliated by accusing the Democrats of attempting to mislead the public. A video was shared by Trump spokesman Steven Cheung showing Walz referring to Trump and Vance as 'weird' while campaigning for Harris. Cheung criticized the Democratic nominee and her supporters for insinuating that the shooting incident at Trump's rally in Pennsylvania was staged.
