Florida Governor Ron DeSantis launched a series of pointed attacks against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was recently selected as Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate for the 2024 presidential election. DeSantis, a prominent figure in the Republican Party and potential presidential contender, used a press event in Miami on Thursday to heavily criticize Walz's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in Minneapolis.
The event, intended to announce an $8 million infrastructure grant for Miami Freedom Park, quickly turned political as DeSantis veered into a critique of Walz's governance. "I never thought it would end up where someone would make this judgment of actually putting him on a ticket," DeSantis said, referencing Walz's role in the Democratic ticket. He accused Walz of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, citing feedback from former Minnesota residents who moved to Florida, frustrated by Minnesota's stringent restrictions.
DeSantis specifically criticized Minnesota's vaccine mandates for state employees and the hotline established for reporting COVID violations. "Being able to get kids in school was impossible for those months in COVID," DeSantis stated, calling the measures "absolutely ridiculous." He also took aim at Minnesota's policies on gender-affirming care for minors, further deepening the divide between the two governors.
DeSantis did not stop there. In a recent interview with Fox News, he labeled the Harris-Walz ticket as one that would "make America burn again," referencing the 2020 BLM protests. DeSantis argued that Walz was too lenient during the protests that erupted following the death of George Floyd, accusing him of allowing Minneapolis to "burn" by delaying the deployment of the National Guard. "That city has been gutted as a result of those riots," DeSantis asserted. "We would never allow that to happen in the state of Florida."
The 2020 protests caused over $100 million in damages in Minneapolis, according to the city's assessor's office. Walz's decision to delay calling in the National Guard has been a point of contention, though at the time, his approach received mixed reactions from Republicans, including praise from former President Donald Trump during a conference call with U.S. governors. Trump reportedly supported Walz's actions, stating, "I totally agree with how he's handled it the last couple of days."
The animosity between DeSantis and Walz is mutual. Walz, who has been critical of DeSantis's policies, took a swipe at Florida's governance during his 2023 State of the State address. Contrasting Minnesota's progressive measures, such as providing free school meals, with Florida's controversial book bans, Walz remarked, "I'm pretty glad we do it our way here and not that way." His comments were a direct response to Florida's provision allowing challenges to books in schools, which DeSantis has defended as necessary to protect children.
DeSantis continued his critique of Walz during an appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News show, where he framed the Harris-Walz ticket as out of touch with the needs of the American people. "You have a vapid San Francisco Democrat leading the ticket, and now they put in this guy Walz... Is that what the American people want? The San Francisco experience where homeless are defecating in public on the sidewalks; the Minnesota experience, where cities are burning down?" DeSantis said, painting a dire picture of what he sees as the consequences of Democratic leadership.
Despite the political jabs, the Miami event also highlighted DeSantis's efforts to bolster Florida's infrastructure. The $8 million grant he announced will fund the construction of a roadway to reduce traffic congestion around the new Inter Miami soccer stadium, which is expected to open in 2026. The grant, part of the governor's job growth work fund, underscores DeSantis's ongoing commitment to Florida's economic development, even as he navigates the national political arena.
