The failed vice presidential candidate is telling all. And it’s not looking good.
Because he confessed to something truly shocking on MSNBC.
A Defeated Walz Points Fingers After 2024 Loss
Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor who fell short as Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 election, has been vocal about his self-assigned blame for the Democratic Party’s current struggles. With President Trump back in the White House and rolling out his agenda, Walz is scrambling to make sense of the political landscape—and his own role in its unraveling.
At 60, Walz didn’t hold back during a recent MSNBC appearance on “All In with Chris Hayes.” “I think Americans have had it, I hope they’ve had it and now we just need to do what we can do to make the case. Look, I own this, we wouldn’t be in this mess if we would’ve won the election and we didn’t,” he vented.
His claim that America “wouldn’t be in this mess” if he and Harris had triumphed in November paints a picture of a man haunted by what-ifs, though it conveniently sidesteps the electorate’s clear rejection of their ticket.
Vague Critiques and Empty Alternatives
Walz insisted the Democrats need to pivot, saying, “We have to make sure that Americans know it’s just not that Donald Trump is bad, but that we’re offering something better.” Yet, when pressed for specifics on what that “better” might entail, he came up empty-handed.
Instead, he took aim at Trump’s moves—like slapping tariffs on Canadian goods, tightening the U.S. border, and dismantling the Department of Education—dismissing them as “incredibly disruptive” to Minnesotans. He argued that cross-border communities are reeling from the tariffs, but his indignation feels more like sour grapes than a coherent counterplan.
His disdain for Trump took a theatrical turn as he sneered, “Donald Trump is this caricature that had a reality TV show that pretended like he knew how to run businesses. The reality is he doesn’t.”
Doubling down, he added, “The claim that he is the business president. He is the worst possible business executive that I have ever witnessed.” Walz’s personal jabs might rally the MSNBC crowd, but they do little to mask his failure to articulate a compelling Democratic vision.
A Reluctant Nod to Trump’s Appeal
Despite his bluster, Walz couldn’t fully dismiss the appeal of Trump’s approach. “Look, I’m conservative and I believe that systems work for a long time, that you don’t have to break them. Are there improvements that need to be done? Yes, and I think we’re guilty of sometimes of not acting. Could the Department of Education be more efficient? Absolutely,” he conceded.
He even admitted that Trump’s idea of funneling education funds directly to local schools “sounds pretty good.” It’s a rare moment of candor from Walz, though it undercuts his broader narrative of Trump as a reckless destroyer.
Still, he struggled to reconcile this with his broader critique. Welcoming “disruptors” who shake up government stagnation, he grumbled, “What is the goal and where is it backed up? There’s not a single economist that backs tariffs. There’s no one there.”
His frustration hints at a deeper problem: Walz sees the allure of shaking things up but can’t—or won’t—offer a clear alternative. “We have not provided what that alternative looks like and I think it’s fair,” he admitted, a confession that rings more like an indictment of his own leadership.
Walz’s Next Move: Iowa and Medicaid Missteps
Looking ahead, Walz plans to head to Iowa on Friday for a town hall, where he’ll field questions about why Republicans allegedly want to “cut Medicaid”—a claim the Trump White House has repeatedly shot down.
“The Trump Administration will not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits. President Trump himself has said it (over and over and over again),” the White House clarified Tuesday, pointing instead to a focus on rooting out “waste and fraud.” Walz’s decision to lean into this narrative suggests he’s more comfortable peddling debunked talking points than grappling with the reality of Trump’s agenda—or his own shortcomings.
Walz’s post-election reckoning reveals a politician eager to cast blame, quick with a quip, but slow to deliver substance. As he rails against Trump’s policies, his slight concessions to their logic only highlight the Democrats’ failure to adapt—leaving voters to wonder if Walz’s rhetoric is more about soothing his own bruised ego than charting a path forward.
