Gov. Walz Breaks Silence After VP Harris Loses Big To Trump

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made his first public comments since the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign’s loss to Republican Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, in the 2024 presidential election. Speaking at a news conference at the Minnesota State Capitol, Walz reflected on the defeat while promoting the state’s turkey industry ahead of Thanksgiving, according to KSTP.com.

When asked about his feelings post-election, Walz remained composed. “No regrets,” he told reporters. “I regret few things in life other than not getting a dog sooner. That’s my biggest regret. But no, I’m proud to have been part of that [campaign]. I think we put a message out that 75 million liked, but not quite enough.”

The Harris-Walz ticket was defeated in all seven key battleground states and lost the national popular vote. Despite the outcome, Walz expressed pride in representing Minnesota on a national stage, describing the campaign as an opportunity to showcase the state’s collaborative and optimistic spirit.

“To be honest, I’m glad I got to tell Minnesota’s story,” Walz said. “That we get things done together and (showed) we’re pretty hopeful people.”

Looking ahead, Walz faces a divided state legislature, with Democrats and Republicans sharing power for the first time since 2021. He emphasized that the upcoming state budget forecast would clarify financial priorities for the legislative session.

“We’re waiting to see what the forecast tells us,” Walz explained. “Then we’ll get an idea of how the incoming [Trump] administration will proceed in mid-January. After that, we’ll release our budget and revise it with the February numbers.”

He also voiced concern over potential trade policies under the Trump administration, particularly regarding Minnesota’s agricultural sector.

While Walz struck a reflective tone, fallout from the Harris campaign continued to make headlines. Lindy Li, a major fundraiser for Harris, described the campaign as an “epic disaster” during a recent appearance on Fox & Friends Weekend. She claimed campaign officials misled donors by portraying a misleadingly optimistic picture of Harris’s chances against Trump.

“This is just an epic disaster. A one-billion-dollar disaster,” Li stated, referencing the campaign’s massive spending, which left it millions in debt. “I raised millions, and now I have to explain to my friends what happened because I told them it was a margin-of-error race.”

Li accused Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon of repeatedly assuring surrogates of victory, even producing videos to back those claims. “I believed her. My daughters believed her. And so, they wrote massive checks,” Li said. “I feel like we were all misled.”

She also discussed the friction between the Biden and Harris camps, which she claimed began well before Harris replaced Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. “The White House was leaking like a sieve when it came to Kamala Harris,” Li said, referencing reports of internal discord.

Li added that President Joe Biden’s swift endorsement of Harris following his withdrawal from the race surprised many. “Kamala Harris wasn’t at the top of the ticket,” she said. “Biden’s endorsement caught a lot of people off guard—even key Democrats.”

Reflecting on the tumultuous campaign, she concluded, “It was a lot of backstabbing. But in the final years, Harris managed to stabilize her staff and stop the bleeding. It’s just unfortunate that the campaign ended the way it did.”