During a Wednesday morning appearance on Fox News, former President Donald Trump spoke out. He expressed sharp criticism toward the Democratic ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Trump labeled them as “communist” and hinted at the possibility of a debate with Harris, despite his recent withdrawal from a previously scheduled debate.
Trump revisited a past interaction with Walz from April 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. He claimed that Walz had called him out of fear of protesters outside his home. At the time, Trump tweeted: “Received a very nice call from @GovTimWalz of Minnesota. We are working closely on getting him all he needs, and fast. Good things happening!” However, contemporary reports indicated that Walz’s call was primarily about securing personal protective equipment (PPE) and increasing testing capacity for Minnesota, rather than concerns over protesters. Walz’s spokesperson, Claire Lancaster, confirmed that the call focused on PPE and testing, not protests.
In addition to revisiting his claims about the 2020 call, Trump echoed familiar Republican criticisms of Walz and Harris. He asserted that Walz was excessively liberal and implied that Harris had rejected Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as a running mate because of his Jewish faith. During the interview on “Fox & Friends,” Trump reiterated a controversial statement he has made before, which has drawn accusations of antisemitism: “any Jewish person who voted for Democrats ‘should have their head examined.'”
