Minnesota lawmakers were expecting to hear about state issues during the Governor’s annual State address.
Walz apparently thinks he has a shot in 2028.
But Republicans shut down Tim Walz after he made this jaw-dropping claim about President Trump.
State address turns into anti-Trump spectacle
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz transformed what should have been a standard State of the State address into a partisan attack on President Donald Trump, prompting swift rebuke from Republican lawmakers.
During his speech to a joint session of the Minnesota Legislature on Wednesday night, Walz abandoned traditional state priorities to unleash a barrage of accusations against the Trump administration.
“The president of the United States has chosen – chosen! – to throw our economy into turmoil,” Walz declared to a divided chamber.
The Democratic Governor, who served as Kamala Harris’ running mate in their unsuccessful 2024 presidential bid, then made the extraordinary claim that the U.S. economy was collapsing under Trump’s leadership.
“Global markets are teetering on the brink of collapse,” he continued. “Businesses across this country and here in Minnesota are already laying off employees by the thousands. Working people are paying more for basic goods. And if you haven’t checked your 401(k) lately, don’t do it.”
These statements directly contradicted various economic indicators showing stability or growth in recent months.
Republicans respond with call for focus on Minnesota
House Speaker Lisa Demuth, the top elected Republican in Minnesota’s state government, immediately called out Walz’s Washington-focused rant.
She told reporters that “finger-pointing” at Washington over what might ultimately happen there “has no place” in Minnesota, emphasizing that lawmakers need to focus on the state’s current budget situation instead.
House Majority Leader Harry Niska offered an even more pointed critique, describing the Governor’s speech as an “angry rant about Donald Trump.”
Niska accused Democrats of employing a “Trump deflection strategy, where everything is the fault of Donald Trump,” rather than working collaboratively across party lines to address Minnesota’s challenges.
The Republicans’ swift response highlighted the practical challenges facing Minnesota’s divided legislature, where the House is deadlocked at 67-67 and Senate Democrats hold just a two-seat majority.
Divided government faces May 19 deadline
Lost amid Walz’s anti-Trump rhetoric was the pressing reality that Minnesota lawmakers face a May 19 deadline to pass a balanced budget for the next two years.
With such razor-thin margins in both chambers, nothing can move forward without bipartisan cooperation – precisely the type of collaboration Walz’s partisan speech may have made more difficult.
Walz briefly acknowledged this reality, noting that “Republicans and Democrats have a record of working together in Minnesota no matter what is happening in Washington.”
Yet his actions contradicted this statement, as he devoted significant portions of his address to federal politics rather than state priorities.
Political ambitions drive national focus
Observers noted that Walz’s unusual focus on national politics appears driven by his own political ambitions beyond Minnesota’s borders.
The Governor has said he will decide after the legislative session whether to seek a third consecutive term, something no Minnesota governor has achieved since the state switched to four-year gubernatorial terms after 1962.
More telling are his recent activities that signal possible presidential aspirations for 2028. Walz has been making frequent appearances on national cable news programs and recently visited Iowa – home to the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses.
His State of the State speech concluded with language more fitting for a presidential campaign than a gubernatorial address.
“Because the truth is, this current administration in Washington, they’re not forever,” he said. “These small, petty men will disappear into the dustbin of history. And when they do, there will be an opportunity and an obligation to actually rebuild government so that it works for working people.”
Democrats defend national focus amid criticism
House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman attempted to justify Walz’s Trump-centric speech, telling reporters, “I think you can’t be alive and an American today and not say something about Donald Trump and the chaos that we’re seeing from Washington, D.C.”
She added, “And I think you saw in his speech distinguishing between what’s going on in Washington, D.C., and what he hopes we’ll be able to accomplish together here.”
But this defense did little to quiet Republican criticism that Walz had misused the State of the State platform for partisan political purposes rather than addressing Minnesota’s needs.
As the May 19 legislative deadline approaches, the question remains whether Walz’s decision to nationalize his annual address will help or hurt efforts to reach the bipartisan agreement needed to pass a balanced budget for Minnesota.
Walz’s remarks received frequent standing ovations from Democrats but no more than silence or polite applause from Republicans – a visual representation of the division his words created at a time when unity is needed to govern effectively.
Political Animal News will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.n
