Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris has chosen far-left Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her VP pick, snubbing popular Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a moderate Jewish Democrat whose support for Israel in the war against Hamas had ticked off the antisemitic wing of Kamala's party. So Shapiro, at the behest of the Democrat establishment, was officially dumped in favor of a Bernie Sanders-aligned leftist.
Here's what Walz believes in, making the 2024 Democrat ticket the most extreme ever assembled in U.S. history:
Pediatric Medical Mutilation
Walz, who called Republicans "weird people," supports medically mutilating children.
In April 2023, Walz signed a law that turned Minnesota into a "transgender sanctuary state." House File 146 "prevents state courts or officials from complying with child removal requests, extraditions, arrests, or subpoenas related to gender-affirming health care that a person receives in Minnesota." This gave state courts the power to take kids away if parents don't sign off on so-called "gender-affirming" surgical procedures, allowing the state to have temporary emergency jurisdiction over the child.
If a child runs away to another state to seek these services, Minnesota will not return the child.
Immediately after Kamala selected Walz, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a progressive PAC dedicated to electing LGBTQ candidates, issued a press statement praising the vice presidential pick: "Governor Tim Walz is a strong ally for our community and a staunch supporter of LGBTQ+ equality. As governor, Walz worked with LGBTQ+ legislators to transform Minnesota into a refuge for LGBTQ+ families, a state where equality is the law of the land."
Walz was among the first few Democrats to call their political opponents "weird," an attack tactic that's gained much momentum in left-wing circles. "These are weird people on the other side. They want to take books away. They want to be in your exam room. That's what it comes down to," Walz told MSNBC in a July 23 interview. "Don't, you know, get sugarcoating this. These are weird ideas."
Socialism
Walz, who was the choice of democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), sees socialism as akin to "neighborliness."
"Don't ever shy away from our progressive values," the Bernie-backed candidate said on an on-camera "White Dudes for Harris" fundraiser call last week. "One person's socialism is another person's neighborliness."
Walz's prospects surged following a string of high-profile endorsements. Sanders endorsed Walz ahead of a Minneapolis get-out-the-vote rally over the weekend, telling MPN News he was "very impressed" with the "excellent governor." Rep. Ilhan Omar, a "Squad" staple, member of the "Hamas Caucus," and fellow Minnesotan, said Walz has "all of the qualities that the vice president needs to balance out the ticket."
BLM Riots
When radical Black Lives Matter militants rioted over George Floyd's death, Walz waited days to call in the National Guard. Walz's soft-on-crime response to the George Floyd riots allowed anti-police extremists to burn down a police station in Minneapolis and inflict $500 million in property damage. Walz himself even admitted the "abject failure" of his handling of the BLM uprising.
Kamala, meanwhile, promoted a bail fund to help raise money for the few BLM rioters who were arrested. "If you’re able to, chip in now to the Minnesota Freedom Fund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota," she tweeted.
Last year, Walz signed a bill restoring the voting rights of 55,000 convicted felons in Minnesota as part of an initiative to "expand the right to vote." Upon signing the "Restore the Vote" bill, Walz lauded the legislation as "ensuring every Minnesotan has a voice in our democracy."
COVID Fanaticism
Walz was a COVID-19 militant. As governor, he issued a memorandum mandating indoor masking and set up a hotline to report residents who violated COVID-19 mandates. Walz refused to take the hotline down when asked to do so.
As of April 1, 2020, the state received approximately 500 reports of "suspected violations" of Walz's stay-at-home executive order. The number one report was of businesses that remained open when they "should [have been] closed." Bars and restaurants that violated Walz's guidelines ordering their closure faced criminal and civil penalties for continuing on-site sale operations. Businesses that didn't cooperate were reported to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Alcohol Gambling Enforcement Division, and law enforcement was dispatched to investigate complaints.
At a daily briefing during the height of the pandemic, Walz urged residents to stay home and maintain social distancing after observing people gathering outside to enjoy the warmer weather. "We're seeing crowds that are a little too big, especially around the lakes," Walz said.
Illegal Immigration
Kamala, the Biden administration's failed border czar, picked a running mate who lets illegal aliens living in Minnesota enjoy free college and healthcare.
In 2023, Walz signed the "North Star Promise," a scholarship program that gives low-income applicants, including illegal aliens, a full tuition-free ride to public Minnesota colleges and universities, as he hiked taxes on residents despite the state's $17.5 billion surplus. Illegal aliens can also enroll in MinnesotaCare, the state's publicly subsidized insurance program. An estimated 40,000 illegal aliens residing unlawfully in Minnesota meet the program's requirements.
Last year, Walz signed a bill into law allowing anyone in Minnesota, regardless of immigration status, to obtain a driver's license, including illegal aliens. This meant proof of citizenship or lawful presence in the United States was no longer required to receive one in the state. At the time, approximately 81,000 illegals were living in Minnesota.
"Ensuring drivers in our state are licensed and carry insurance makes the roads safer for all Minnesotans," said Walz the day it was signed. "As a longtime supporter of this bill, I am proud to finally sign it into law, making our roads safer and moving us toward our goal of making Minnesota the best state to raise a family for everyone."
Abortion
Last year, Walz was expected to sign a wide-ranging package that repeals Minnesota's protection of babies born after a botched abortion, a.k.a. born-alive infants. "In other words, he legalized selective infanticide," said Catholic League president Bill Donohue. It also amends the state's definition of abortion by replacing the term "pregnant woman" with "individual."
At the beginning of 2023, Walz enshrined the "right" to abortion without limits into Minnesota statute through the "Protect Reproductive Options Act," an abortion-up-to-birth bill designed to shield the state's existing statutes from future Supreme Court decisions.
Climate Alarmism
In 2022, Walz announced Minnesota's Climate Action Framework, a 69-page plan that calls for the state to transition to "100% carbon-free electricity" by 2040. To accelerate the transition, the state will "Provide financial incentives to BIPOC and low-income community organizers to educate about EVs."
"Climate change is an existential threat for all people in Minnesota," Walz wrote "in solidarity," saying that's why he had created the Climate Change Subcabinet and the Governor's Advisory Council on Climate Change via Climate Change Executive Order (19-37) to "rally the resources of state government and emphasize the urgent need for climate action."
Walz's subcabinet, comprised of executives from 15 state agencies, departments, and boards, aims to achieve "100% clean energy" by 2050. Walz's advisory council is a 15-member body appointed by the governor that meets four times a year to identify policies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.