Tim Walz just delivered a textbook example of what not to say when you’re trying to fire up a crowd for the Democratic ticket. In a head-scratching moment on the campaign trail in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Walz appeared to accidentally take a swipe at his own party. While rallying for Kamala Harris and himself, Walz declared, “We can’t afford four more years of this!” Wait, what?
In a stunning move, Tim Walz makes the case for Trump:
"We can't afford four more years of this"
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 22, 2024
Walz was supposed to be touting the Biden-Harris administration, but instead, he sounded like a guy on stage at a Trump rally. It didn’t take long for the clip to make its way to Trump’s campaign account, where Trump’s team had a field day. Trump’s campaign even highlighted the moment, as if to say, “Look, even the Democrats don’t want Biden-Harris anymore!”
The Western Journal reported that Walz was likely talking about the surge in political violence and mass shootings, but in the context of saying we “can’t afford” more of Biden-Harris, it was a real facepalm moment. It certainly didn’t help that Walz tried to pin the blame for these issues on Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH). Walz accused Trump and Vance of instilling fear in the American public, yet it was his own slip-up that got people talking. Walz took aim at Vance for his comments about school safety, where the Ohio senator proposed measures like armed guards and firearms training for teachers. Critics had jumped on Vance’s description of school shootings as a “way of life,” though the Associated Press later retracted its misleading headline.
Walz’s gaffe didn’t go unnoticed by conservative commentators. Benny Johnson pointed out the irony of Walz’s words, tweeting, “In a stunning move, Tim Walz makes the case for Trump,” and mocking the governor for unintentionally backing the other team. Defiant L’s also chimed in, reminding Walz that his running mate—Kamala Harris—is the current VP. Ouch.
To top it all off, Walz tried to rally the crowd by promising that Harris would shatter the glass ceiling as the first female president. Yet, after that awkward slip about Biden and Harris, the crowd might’ve been wondering if Walz himself really believes she should.
Talk about a self-own! If Walz is the Democrats’ answer to counter discontent with the Biden administration, they might need to rethink their strategy.