Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the failed vice-presidential candidate, is now playing the blame game for the Democrats’ disastrous performance in the November election.
In a rare moment of honesty, Walz admitted that both he and Kamala Harris are responsible for the party’s humiliating defeat at the top of the ticket.
Despite being rejected by voters, Walz has been making the rounds in the media, openly hinting that he might take another shot at the presidency in 2028.
Speaking to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Wednesday, Walz predictably took a moment to lob tired insults at former President Donald Trump, calling him “the worst possible business executive that I have ever witnessed.” But after a brief round of Trump-bashing, he was forced to face reality.
“And look, I own this. We wouldn’t be in this mess if we had won the election, and we didn’t,” Walz confessed, acknowledging the obvious truth that the Democratic ticket failed to connect with voters.
Hayes followed up with a long-winded critique of Harris’s campaign strategy, calling it “excessively risk averse” and “careful.”
“Do you think it’s a fair characterization? Am I on to something here?” Hayes asked.
“I think you are,” Walz admitted, finally conceding what conservatives have pointed out all along—Democrats failed to inspire confidence in the American people.
Walz went on to acknowledge that endlessly attacking Trump is not a winning strategy and that his party needs to present an actual vision to voters.
“We have to make sure that Americans know it’s not just that Donald Trump is bad, but we’re offering them something better, and I think that’s what we need to work on,” Walz stated.
This moment of self-reflection didn’t stop Walz from floating his own presidential ambitions for 2028, despite being overwhelmingly rejected just months ago.
“Look, I never had an ambition to be president or vice president. I was honored to be asked,” he told The New Yorker Radio Hour last Sunday.
“If I feel I can serve, I will. And if nationally, people are like, ‘Dude, we tried you, and look how that worked out,’ I’m good with that.”
Even while downplaying his aspirations, Walz made it clear that he’s leaving the door open for another run.
“If I think I could offer something … I would certainly consider that,” he added, signaling that he’s not quite ready to exit the national stage.
According to Walz, if the conditions in 2028 align in his favor and he has the supposed ‘skill set’ to lead, he will step up once again.
“I’ll do whatever it takes. I certainly wouldn’t be arrogant enough to think that it needs to be me.
“I’ve always said this: I didn’t prepare my life to be in these jobs, but my life prepared me well.
“And if this experience I’ve had and what we’re going through right now prepares me for that, then I would.
“But I worry about people who have ambition for elected office. I don’t think you should have ambition. I think you should have a desire to do it if you’re asked to serve. And that’s kind of where I’m at.”
Despite his apparent attempts to move past his defeat, Walz couldn’t help but express regret for his failed campaign, admitting in the same interview that he feels like he “let people down” when he and Harris were soundly defeated by Trump in November.
“I still struggle with it,” he said. “It was my job to get this done.”
