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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Joe Sommerlad

‘He’ll unleash HELL ON EARTH’: Trump leads Republican meltdown as Tim Walz unveiled as Harris’ VP pick

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Donald Trump is leading the Republican party’s meltdown over Kamala Harris’s vice presidential pick, dramatically claiming that Tim Walz will “unleash HELL ON EARTH.”

Harris announced on Tuesday that she had chosen Walz – the man who coined the now-infamous “weird” moniker for their Republican rivals – to join her on the Democratic ticket to take on Trump and JD Vance in the November election.

The announcement soon provoked an unhinged reaction from the former president whose campaign fired off a fundraising email warning that “Tim Walz would be the worst VP in history!”

“He’ll unleash HELL ON EARTH and open our borders to the worst criminals imaginable. He’ll rubber stamp Kamala’s GREEN NEW SCAM and light TRILLIONS of dollars on fire. But the real killer: He’s already pulled in MILLIONS in dirty cash to buy the White House!” the fiery memo read.

An equally dramatic MAGA campaign email also branded Walz “an incompetent liberal” who harbors “creepy far-left views” – in what appeared to be an attempt to retaliate against the “weird” nickname.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt quickly put in an appearance on Fox News to declare: “It’s no surprise that San Francisco liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running mate – Walz has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State... Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide.”

The former president’s scathing comments were echoed by his Republican allies, with many prominent figures slamming Walz and seeking to paint him as a progressive, left-wing figure.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took to X to call the new Democratic duo the “most left-wing ticket in American history”.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Governor Tim Walz prepares to leave his home on Tuesday (Getty Images)

“Minnesota was ground zero for the BLM [Black Lives Matter] riots of 2020,” wrote the failed Republican presidential candidate. “Harris egged it on and Walz sat by and let Minneapolis burn.”

Nikki Haley echoed his sentiment, claiming: “Democrats doubling down on the Progressive movement. Waltz is a win for open borders, socialism, and Iran.”

MAGA Republicans also took aim at Walz following the announcement, with Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene claiming he “did nothing while Minneapolis burned”.

“He sat back while the rioters that Kamala would bail out burned down a city,” she posted on X. “Even the liberal mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, criticized Tim Walz’s response to the riots.”

Greene concluded that Trump – a convicted felon – “is the law & order candidate America needs!”

Fellow MAGA lawmaker Lauren Boebert chimed in saying: “If Bernie Sanders were a governor, he’d be Tim Walz.”

In a follow-up post, she added: “Kamala Harris put an avowed socialist on her ticket. It’s now truly MAGA vs Marxism. I know what side I’m on!”

While Republicans slammed the new vice presidential candidate, major Democratic figures from former president Barack Obama, former first lady and secretary of state Hillary Clinton and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly celebrating the VP pick.

“Like Vice President Harris, Governor Tim Walz believes that government works to serve us,” Obama wrote.

“Not just some of us, but all of us. That’s what makes him an outstanding governor, and that’s what will make him an even better vice president. Michelle and I couldn’t be happier for Tim and Gwen, their family, and our country.”

Clinton, who lost to Trump in the 2016 election, wrote: “From providing free meals for schoolkids to implementing paid family leave in Minnesota, he’s about doing good in all the ways you can. He’ll be an incredible partner to our first woman president. Let’s go win this.”

Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Pelosi called Walz “wonderful” and quickly trashed Republican efforts to argue Walz is a progressive, left-wing Democratic figure.

“To characterize him as left is just so unreal,” she said. “He’s right down the middle. He’s a heartland of America Democrat.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer meanwhile called Walz “a great choice” and said there is now no”no doubt” that he and Harris will lead the party to victory.

Progressive Rep Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez similarly praised Harris for making “an excellent decision” and declared: “Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people. They won’t back down under tight odds, either – from healthcare to school lunch.”

For Harris, she explained that her choice was “personal.”

“One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep,” she said.

“It’s personal. As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his own. We are going to build a great partnership.”

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