According to Newsweek, former President Donald Trump has vehemently dismissed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as a viable presidential contender.
Trump aired his grievances following Walz's comments that linked him to a group known as Project 2025.
The former president labeled Walz as "a total lightweight," intensifying his critique of the governor after his DNC speech that implicated Trump in a controversial project. Trump was particularly irked by the association, stating that he knew nothing about Project 2025, though it involved people from his former administration.
Donald Trump took to "Fox & Friends" to express his discontent. He depicted Walz's political commentary as disgraceful for associating him with said project.
During the broadcast, Trump claimed, "They call him coach. He's a semi-coach. If he coached some football for a little while. This guy is a lightweight, and he shouldn't have access. And for him to say about Project 25 is disgraceful," attributing these notions to Walz's previous coaching career rather than his political acumen.
Trump also expanded his criticism beyond Walz, targeting other prominent Democratic figures. He argued that VP Kamala Harris had negatively impacted California during her tenure as District Attorney of San Francisco and subsequently as the state's Attorney General.
Trump accused the Obamas of personal attacks against him amidst policy discussions. He felt the couple leaned more into personal criticisms rather than focusing on substantive policy issues during recent public appearances.
Reflecting on California's status under Democratic leadership, Trump regretted the state's deterioration. He remembered San Francisco as a beautiful city under Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom but now criticized its decline over the years.
Reflecting on his thoughts about Harris's influence on California, Trump stated:
Everything she touched turned bad. California turned bad. San Francisco. You can't walk into San Francisco. You barely can go into California anymore. People, it's a state that's in terrible, terrible crime trouble, and every other form of trouble, monetary trouble, has got nothing, drugs all over the place. You go into Los Angeles, you can't walk down the streets.
Trump's disdain was not limited to Democratic politicians. He also lamented about the personal comments made by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama during what he perceived as personal attacks against him in public forums, highlighting a deviation from policy-centric discourse, which he found hypocritical.
His objections following the DNC event where Tim Walz spoke were vocally broad, spanning from direct political critiques to general governance in states led by Democrats.
The series of exchanges and critiques comes at a time when Trump is vocal about his dissatisfaction with current and past Democratic leaders, using platforms like interviews and speeches to make his position clear.
In conclusion, Trump’s statements reveal a multi-faceted critique of Democratic policies and leadership, framed through personal and professional lenses, illustrating his ongoing engagement with national political discourse. His critique spans from specific political figures to broader governance issues, highlighting his stance on leadership and policy effectiveness.