Minnesota Government Tim WaltzDemocrats called on his fellow Democrats on Saturday to be “a little mean” and to stand up to President Donald Trump, whom he described as “bully.”
Walz, the 2024 vice presidential candidate, was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention held in Columbia, South Carolina, who took a jab with Republican president and tried to revitalize party activists.
“Maybe it’s time for us to be a little mean and a little more intense because we have to push this back ferociously,” Waltz told the Palmetto County crowd.
The comment comes after he said he was accused of being “mean” when he threw criticism at Trump administration officials in recent months.
The acting director demands that Tim Waltz apologize for calling the agent’s modern Gestapo.
Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz called his fellow Democrats “a bit sleazy” and “bullying S-t” by President Donald Trump. (AP)
“What bothers the teachers more than anything is seeing bullies,” said Walz, a former school teacher. “And when it’s a child, you talk to them and you tell them why bullying is wrong.”
“But when it’s like an adult Donald Trumpyou bully s-t from him… this is… a cruel man,” the governor added.
The Minnesota Democrats also criticized Trump as a “aspiring dictator” and a “existential threat.”
“Donald Trump is an existential threat that we knew we were coming,” Waltz said. For Democrats, he said, “It’s going to be a challenging few years here.”
“We have the courage, so we need to have it to push back the bullies and greed,” he said.
The Waltz appeared on Friday night along with Maryland Democrat Gov. Wes Moore at the party’s fundraising dinner and afterparty Fish Fly hosted by South Carolina Democrat Jim Clyburn. Waltz and Moore are on the potential list of 2028 presidential candidates traveling Early voting statusMaryland’s governor said he would not run for the White House in the next election cycle.
Gov. Tim Waltz criticized Trump as a “aspiring dictator” and a “existential threat.” (Getty Images)
“I want to be clear: we have to condemn Donald Trump’s reckless actions, but we would be foolish to not learn from his impatience,” Moore said in his remarks.
“Donald Trump doesn’t need research to dismantle democracy or use the constitution like the proposal box. Donald Trump doesn’t need a white paper to launch an arbitrary trade war that raises almost every cost of our lives,” he added.
The event gave two governors the opportunity to test their message in front of hundreds of Democrats from states who have long held the Democratic presidential primary in the South, and launched the party’s nomination calendar entirely last year.
Party party chair Kristale Spain said he will update the debate to maintain his state’s number one position in the next cycle, but the Nationalist Party organization has yet to settle its 2028 calendar, with party officials from Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada looking to go first.
Gov. Tim Waltz took a jab with Trump and tried to revitalize Democratic activists. (Get McNamee/Getty Images)
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As he did Friday night, Waltz praised his fellow Democrats in his Saturday speech for having the “courage” to continue fighting in mostly Republican states.
“Damn, we should be able to have some fun and joy,” Waltz said. “We have the courage, so we need to have it to push back the bullies and greed.”
Waltz has not officially said whether he will seek a third term as governor in 2026, but he has admitted that he is considering it. He also gave a mixed signal in a potential 2028 presidential election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
