He later wrote: “I’m all in. Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school. So, let’s get this done, folks!”
Josh Shapiro arrives at a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris last month.Credit: AP
Harris’ decision to pick Walz came as a surprise to some Democrats and Republicans, who widely expected Pennsylvania’s popular governor, Josh Shapiro, to be chosen as her running mate, particular given the need to win his state.
However, some progressives had pushed back against the Jewish-American Shapiro due to his stance on the war in Gaza, in which he – like most Democrats – backs Israels right to defend itself against Hamas. Earlier this year, Shapiro also condemned universities over the pro-Palestinian protests that spread across the country.
Joseph Geevarghese, who heads the progressive grassroots organising group Our Revolution welcomed Harris’ decision, citing Walz’s “strong pro-labor record and dedication to working-class issues.”
“The selection of Tim Walz as the vice-presidential nominee is a clear indication that the Harris campaign is listening to the voices of progressives across the country,” he said.
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However, Pennsylvania voter Jack Sweeney said that while he was hopeful Harris would beat Trump, “I’m a little disappointed because I wanted her to pick Shapiro.”
“I’m not sure this was the best idea as Shapiro would have really cemented Pennsylvania,” said Sweeney, who hails from Biden’s childhood hometown of Scranton.
Trump, meanwhile, immediately put out a fundraising email claiming Walz was “even worse than Dangerously Liberal and Crooked Kamala Harris.”
As the chair of the Democratic Governor’s Association, Walz is well-liked in Democrat circles and is known for his affable, no -nonsense style. This has played well on the airwaves in recent days as he ramped up his attacks on J.D. Vance and the MAGA movement, describing Trump’s VP choice as “weird and creepy” – language the Harris campaign has since embraced.
Harris’ selection now paves the way for a formidable match-up between the four Republicans and Democrats now vying to lead the country.
Until Biden dropped out of the race, Trump and his Republicans were feeling highly confident about their chances in November, and emboldened by the former president’s near-death experience at the hands of a would-be assassin in Pennsylvania last month.
Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, left, and Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, speak to members of the media outside the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024Credit: Abaca
However, polls now put Harris and Trump neck and neck, and Trump himself appears to be struggling with the new dynamic. The former president ignited a firestorm last week by attacking Harris’ racial identity.
Since then, he has pulled out of a US ABC debate originally scheduled for September 10 between him and Biden, challenging Harris instead to a debate with conservative outlet Fox News on September 4.
And as the stock market plummeted on Monday (US time), he has accused Harris of being responsible for America’s fickle economy, as well as the crisis on the US-Mexico border.
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