Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is seeking to downplay the extreme liberal record of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, recently announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.
Pelosi had reportedly been working behind the scenes to try to include Walz, who served in Congress from 2006 to 2019 and whom she “appreciates,” on Harris’ shortlist of candidates.
And her efforts paid off after Harris announced she would choose the governor to join her as her running mate in her bid for the presidency in November.
But now Pelosi is offering a bizarre explanation for her former colleague’s well-known progressive record as she faces an uphill battle to win over centrist Americans.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended her former House colleague, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, as a moderate on Tuesday morning, just before he was tapped for the vice presidential post. Pelosi was reportedly “delighted” that Walz landed the powerful post.
Pelosi snapped at MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a Democrat and former House member, when he suggested Walz is a “progressive.”
“Tim Walz is wonderful. He served in the House of Representatives,” Pelosi said. “To characterize him as a leftist is totally unrealistic. He’s in the middle.”
“He is a Democrat from the heart of America, and as chairman of our Veterans Affairs Committee, he made tremendous progress for our veterans,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Republicans were quick to attack Walz for his record, particularly his oversight of Minneapolis, the epicenter of the George Floyd riots and destruction in 2020.
‘Harris-Walz: The Most Left-Wing Candidacy in American History,’ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted on X on Tuesday.
‘Minnesota was ground zero for the 2020 BLM riots. Harris incited them and Walz stood by and let Minneapolis burn.’
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., another former colleague of Walz, called him “the most liberal candidate ever to appear on a presidential ballot.”
“Now he’s chosen a progressive running mate who has expressed support for socialism, supports sanctuary cities, and wants to give driver’s licenses to the millions of illegal immigrants Kamala Harris has allowed into our country.”
“No amount of campaign or media manipulation can distract from the objective facts and the disastrous records of Harris and Walz,” the Republican continued.
There are reports that Biden is angry with Pelosi for her role in his impeachment. Pelosi was working behind the scenes to try to calm panicked Democrats after Biden’s first debate performance, where he stared into space and struggled to answer questions.
Pelosi reportedly criticized the cancellation of Joe Biden’s campaign, which led to Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise to the top of the party ticket. Democrats on Capitol Hill viewed Harris as more electable, which reportedly led Pelosi to speak candidly with Biden about his waning party support.
Current and former House speakers could not paint a more divergent portrait of Walz, indicating the different goals of the two.
Johnson wants to remind voters of Walz’s “progressive” record.
And Pelosi will cast Walz in a moderate light to broaden the Democratic nomination’s appeal among moderate voters.
But this is not his first move in the 2024 race.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’s choice as her running mate, oversaw Minnesota during the George Floyd riots in 2020
Pelosi reportedly played a pivotal role in relaying messages from concerned Capitol Hill Democrats to the White House and Biden allies before her retreat.
In the end, the news reaching Biden and his allies was so dire that he decided to abandon his re-election bid, to the delight of Pelosi and her fellow Democrats.
However, he has always publicly said he was confident Biden would make the right decision.
There are also reports that Biden is angry with her for her role in his ouster.
But since leaving office, Pelosi has not spoken to the president, she revealed on CNN on Monday.
Nancy Pelosi said she would “have to ask” Joe Biden about the status of their relationship after the former House speaker admitted she hasn’t spoken to him since his re-election campaign ended.
Dana Bash asked: ‘Have you spoken to President Biden since he left office?’
“No,” replied Pelosi, 84, whose official title is now “Speaker Emeritus” after she leaves office in 2023.
Bash then asked, ‘Is everything okay with your relationship?’
And then the veteran Democratic leader gave a surprising response.
“You’d have to ask him,” Pelosi said.