Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who was reported Tuesday to be the likely running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, failed in 2020 to anticipate and react to riots in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd at police hands.
The violence led to the destruction of a police precinct, widespread looting, and the spread of riots nationwide.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blamed Walz for failing to respond:
In an interview Monday, Frey said that Walz hesitated to send in the National Guard to quell the growing violence and then blamed him for allowing the city to burn.
…
Frey said he immediately telephoned Walz, at 6:29 p.m., relayed information, and asked him to send in the National Guard. “We expressed the seriousness of the situation. The urgency was clear,” Frey said.
“He did not say yes,” Frey said of Walz. “He said he would consider it.”
The major and governor traded blame as the city burned. Harris, meanwhile, solicited bail money for those who had been arrested by police in Minneapolis, falsely casting them as peaceful protesters for the cause of racial justice.
If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota. https://t.co/t8LXowKIbw
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 1, 2020
Floyd’s death was ruled a murder, and police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty in 2021. The riots that spread from Minneapolis reached 48 of the 50 largest cities in the United States, causing destruction and social division.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
