Tim Walz Offers Strong Criticisms of the Democratic 2024 Campaign
According to him in an interview with POLITICO, the Harris-Walz campaign ought to have “rolled the dice” more.
TroibNews 
**HELENA, Montana —** Tim Walz believes he and Kamala Harris were overly cautious in their approach last year.
He feels they should have conducted more town halls, had not enough time to find their footing, and that Democrats ought to have taken greater risks by reaching out to a wider variety of places.
“We shouldn’t have been playing this thing so safe,” the Minnesota governor remarked in an interview with PMG before addressing nearly 1,000 Democrats at the Helena fairgrounds last weekend.
Walz noted that the campaign's measured strategy stemmed from the short, 107-day campaign, explaining, “these are things you might have been able to get your sea legs, if you will, 18 months out, where the stakes were a lot lower.” After the loss, he emphasized the need for reflection: “after you lose, you have to go back and assess where everything was at, and I think that is one area, that is one area we should think about.”
He further elaborated, “I think we probably should have just rolled the dice and done the town halls, where [voters] may say, ‘you’re full of shit, I don’t believe in you.’ I think there could have been more of that.”
Walz characterized the party's approach as overly cautious in media engagement, stating, “We, as a party, are more cautious” in dealing with both mainstream and non-traditional outlets. He highlighted that during the 2024 campaign, “in football parlance, we were in a prevent defense to not lose when we never had anything to lose because I don’t think we were ever ahead.”
Having transitioned from a relatively unknown governor to a prominent figure in the vice president's orbit, Walz is re-entering the national political scene, returning to television and podcasts while promising to engage in House districts where Republicans are less accessible. He himself faced challenges during the campaign, including a lackluster debate performance. His introspection about the Democrats’ missteps—and the surrounding media scrutiny—could also be seen as self-serving, as he keeps the option for a presidential bid in 2028 open and could potentially run for governor again next year.
However, this self-assessment serves as a frank evaluation of the Harris-Walz campaign at a pivotal time when Democrats are grappling with the possibility of a second Donald Trump term and strategizing for 2026 and 2028.
Walz's reflection on the campaign's shortcomings—an assessment he underscored by taking responsibility for his role, stating, “when you’re on the ticket and you don’t win, that’s your responsibility”—resonated with several former presidential campaign staffers interviewed anonymously for candid insights. Many of them expressed concerns about the vice president's campaign schedule, which at times limited her interactions with the media and voters.
“He was underutilized and that was the symptom of the larger campaign of decision paralysis and decision logjam at the top,” remarked one former senior Harris aide. “Could he have changed a percent in Wisconsin? Maybe. We still lose even if we win Wisconsin.”
Despite this, the aide noted that Walz was “put in a box,” and voiced regret that “we didn’t use him the way we could’ve.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison voiced a similar sentiment, saying he “wished they would’ve put him out there more” because “the world seemed to want more Tim Walz, and there were times when I wish they could’ve gotten more Tim Walz.”
As the Democratic Party processes its 2024 election losses, grappling with a lack of clear leadership or a unified narrative about its diminished standing, this period has been marked by chaos. This week, congressional Democrats faced criticism from within their ranks for their fragmented response to Trump’s address to Congress, highlighting ongoing disarray. While Trump’s actions could provide Democrats with political leverage, the party is still searching for a cohesive strategy.
Looking ahead to the midterms, Walz has stressed that Democrats “should be everywhere.” Recently, he has visited primarily supportive news platforms, including MSNBC, and participated in events such as the South by Southwest stage. His interview for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new podcast is forthcoming, and he has already recorded a session with David Remnick of The New Yorker. Additionally, his call-out on X to engage with town halls in GOP districts has spurred a significant interest among county party chairs and activists eager to invite him.
In Montana, while addressing Democrats at a state party dinner, Walz told attendees that there is “no charismatic leader who is coming to save us.” Instead, he asserted—drawing from his notes and speaking mostly extemporaneously—that “our way back out of the wilderness is sitting at each and every one of these tables,” underscoring grassroots efforts that have emerged in recent town halls as a remedy for the party's current malaise.
This position is particularly advantageous for a candidate whose future in politics remains uncertain. Although Walz has not declared his intentions regarding a third gubernatorial term, he did pass on the open Senate seat provided by retiring Sen. Tina Smith last month.
As for a potential presidential run, he stated, “I’m not saying no.”
“I’m staying on the playing field to try and help because we have to win,” Walz noted. “And I will always say this, I will do everything in my power [to help], and as I said, with the vice presidency, if that was me, then I’ll do the job.”
Walz was chosen as a running mate partly due to his communication skills, as several former campaign staffers pointed out. He leveraged a series of viral moments on cable news, branding Republicans as “weird,” and his moderate profile combined with a progressive governing record positioned him attractively in the campaign. However, his visibility during the veepstakes made his absence from the media spotlight—in the weeks following his selection—all the more noticeable.
After being chosen in early August, Harris had yet to begin interviews, and aides were hesitant to let Walz overshadow her, according to former campaign staffers. Harris and Walz only conducted their joint CNN interview three weeks later. Even several months into the campaign, The Washington Post characterized his presence as “surprisingly bubble-wrapped.”
“By the time they finally let him do anything at all, it’s like 20 days left, and he’s doing four states a day, and there’s only so much you could do,” a former Harris staffer explained. “It was too short.”
There were also attempts to temper some of his signature messaging, such as the “weird” critique leveled at Trump and Republicans, which eventually disappeared from his speeches.
“He was encouraged to stop focusing on the ‘weird’ criticism,” one former Harris aide disclosed. “I think it is fair to ask whether, even if ‘weird’ wasn’t quite right, his instinct about how to approach Trump, to make him seem small and a huckster, wasn’t closer to correct than the more self-serious tone that may have made us sound too in defense of the status quo.”
Another staff member echoed the sentiment that Walz “wasn’t utilized the way he should’ve been,” indicating he should have had a presence similar to that of then-Sen. JD Vance, who was constantly engaged.
Conversely, some former staffers argued that Walz did manage to make appearances across various media platforms, regardless of their mainstream or non-traditional orientation. He connected with audiences by playing Madden on Twitch with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, participated in a pheasant hunt with Outside Magazine, and discussed football on Rich Eisen’s show. He also featured in podcasts like “Smartless” and “We Can Do Hard Things.” Throughout this period, he consistently reached out to digital influencers during his outreach time, typically reserved for soliciting funds and engaging with elected officials.
That being said, Walz also faced intense scrutiny from national media, exposing his own missteps and gaffes. He “misspoke” about his experiences with firearms “in war,” prompting Republicans to scrutinize his military record, and also made misleading claims about being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
“This was a guy who definitely was embarrassed by his flubs, didn’t handle them well, and seemed like there was a never-ending supply of them, so that was part of the issue of getting him out there everywhere,” one former Harris staffer reflected. “I don’t look back on that campaign and think that the way we used Walz was a critical error.”
A former elected official acknowledged that while Walz “messed up, but was immediately up front about it,” referring to his past misstatements, he noted that the Harris campaign “didn’t do enough to punch back” in his defense.
In a statement, a Harris adviser—granted anonymity for candid discussion—stated, “In the shortest presidential campaign in modern history, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz put forward a vision of the future that prioritized the health, safety and prosperity of the American people. She is proud to have chosen Governor Walz as her running mate and earned the vote of 75 million Americans.”
One particularly challenging moment for Walz arose ahead of the debate, with former staffers describing him as “in his own head” and “super nervous.” They sensed he didn’t want to “let down the ticket” with his performance, a concern he had voiced to Harris during their running mate interviews. While staffers rated his debate performance as net-neutral, others within the party criticized him more harshly.
“It looked as if Vance was the conductor and Walz was following the script,” observed David Axelrod, a veteran Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to President Barack Obama’s campaigns. “I don’t think that was the reason they lost, but that was not helpful either.”
Despite the whirlwind of his three-month journey through national politics, Walz remained unfazed, according to those close to him.
“To be able to travel the country and connect with so many people, he talks about it a lot,” remarked one Minnesota Democratic operative.
Back in Montana, attendees felt that the Harris-Walz campaign had missed opportunities last year. Andrea Davis, the mayor of Missoula, noted, “when I heard his speech at the DNC convention, I was like, ‘Where has this guy been?’”
Among those in the crowd, forward-looking thoughts towards 2028 emerged as Raph Graybill, who ran for Montana lieutenant governor in 2024, remarked, “of the whole coterie of folks who might do it, I don’t see a better candidate than Walz.”
“You need people who are good on their feet, who know what they’re talking about, who don’t need a giant briefing book with a bunch of talking points to be able to say, ‘here’s how my values apply to this question,’” Graybill articulated. “What I really like about Tim Walz is that he’s that kind of guy.”
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
He feels they should have conducted more town halls, had not enough time to find their footing, and that Democrats ought to have taken greater risks by reaching out to a wider variety of places.
“We shouldn’t have been playing this thing so safe,” the Minnesota governor remarked in an interview with PMG before addressing nearly 1,000 Democrats at the Helena fairgrounds last weekend.
Walz noted that the campaign's measured strategy stemmed from the short, 107-day campaign, explaining, “these are things you might have been able to get your sea legs, if you will, 18 months out, where the stakes were a lot lower.” After the loss, he emphasized the need for reflection: “after you lose, you have to go back and assess where everything was at, and I think that is one area, that is one area we should think about.”
He further elaborated, “I think we probably should have just rolled the dice and done the town halls, where [voters] may say, ‘you’re full of shit, I don’t believe in you.’ I think there could have been more of that.”
Walz characterized the party's approach as overly cautious in media engagement, stating, “We, as a party, are more cautious” in dealing with both mainstream and non-traditional outlets. He highlighted that during the 2024 campaign, “in football parlance, we were in a prevent defense to not lose when we never had anything to lose because I don’t think we were ever ahead.”
Having transitioned from a relatively unknown governor to a prominent figure in the vice president's orbit, Walz is re-entering the national political scene, returning to television and podcasts while promising to engage in House districts where Republicans are less accessible. He himself faced challenges during the campaign, including a lackluster debate performance. His introspection about the Democrats’ missteps—and the surrounding media scrutiny—could also be seen as self-serving, as he keeps the option for a presidential bid in 2028 open and could potentially run for governor again next year.
However, this self-assessment serves as a frank evaluation of the Harris-Walz campaign at a pivotal time when Democrats are grappling with the possibility of a second Donald Trump term and strategizing for 2026 and 2028.
Walz's reflection on the campaign's shortcomings—an assessment he underscored by taking responsibility for his role, stating, “when you’re on the ticket and you don’t win, that’s your responsibility”—resonated with several former presidential campaign staffers interviewed anonymously for candid insights. Many of them expressed concerns about the vice president's campaign schedule, which at times limited her interactions with the media and voters.
“He was underutilized and that was the symptom of the larger campaign of decision paralysis and decision logjam at the top,” remarked one former senior Harris aide. “Could he have changed a percent in Wisconsin? Maybe. We still lose even if we win Wisconsin.”
Despite this, the aide noted that Walz was “put in a box,” and voiced regret that “we didn’t use him the way we could’ve.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison voiced a similar sentiment, saying he “wished they would’ve put him out there more” because “the world seemed to want more Tim Walz, and there were times when I wish they could’ve gotten more Tim Walz.”
As the Democratic Party processes its 2024 election losses, grappling with a lack of clear leadership or a unified narrative about its diminished standing, this period has been marked by chaos. This week, congressional Democrats faced criticism from within their ranks for their fragmented response to Trump’s address to Congress, highlighting ongoing disarray. While Trump’s actions could provide Democrats with political leverage, the party is still searching for a cohesive strategy.
Looking ahead to the midterms, Walz has stressed that Democrats “should be everywhere.” Recently, he has visited primarily supportive news platforms, including MSNBC, and participated in events such as the South by Southwest stage. His interview for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new podcast is forthcoming, and he has already recorded a session with David Remnick of The New Yorker. Additionally, his call-out on X to engage with town halls in GOP districts has spurred a significant interest among county party chairs and activists eager to invite him.
In Montana, while addressing Democrats at a state party dinner, Walz told attendees that there is “no charismatic leader who is coming to save us.” Instead, he asserted—drawing from his notes and speaking mostly extemporaneously—that “our way back out of the wilderness is sitting at each and every one of these tables,” underscoring grassroots efforts that have emerged in recent town halls as a remedy for the party's current malaise.
This position is particularly advantageous for a candidate whose future in politics remains uncertain. Although Walz has not declared his intentions regarding a third gubernatorial term, he did pass on the open Senate seat provided by retiring Sen. Tina Smith last month.
As for a potential presidential run, he stated, “I’m not saying no.”
“I’m staying on the playing field to try and help because we have to win,” Walz noted. “And I will always say this, I will do everything in my power [to help], and as I said, with the vice presidency, if that was me, then I’ll do the job.”
Walz was chosen as a running mate partly due to his communication skills, as several former campaign staffers pointed out. He leveraged a series of viral moments on cable news, branding Republicans as “weird,” and his moderate profile combined with a progressive governing record positioned him attractively in the campaign. However, his visibility during the veepstakes made his absence from the media spotlight—in the weeks following his selection—all the more noticeable.
After being chosen in early August, Harris had yet to begin interviews, and aides were hesitant to let Walz overshadow her, according to former campaign staffers. Harris and Walz only conducted their joint CNN interview three weeks later. Even several months into the campaign, The Washington Post characterized his presence as “surprisingly bubble-wrapped.”
“By the time they finally let him do anything at all, it’s like 20 days left, and he’s doing four states a day, and there’s only so much you could do,” a former Harris staffer explained. “It was too short.”
There were also attempts to temper some of his signature messaging, such as the “weird” critique leveled at Trump and Republicans, which eventually disappeared from his speeches.
“He was encouraged to stop focusing on the ‘weird’ criticism,” one former Harris aide disclosed. “I think it is fair to ask whether, even if ‘weird’ wasn’t quite right, his instinct about how to approach Trump, to make him seem small and a huckster, wasn’t closer to correct than the more self-serious tone that may have made us sound too in defense of the status quo.”
Another staff member echoed the sentiment that Walz “wasn’t utilized the way he should’ve been,” indicating he should have had a presence similar to that of then-Sen. JD Vance, who was constantly engaged.
Conversely, some former staffers argued that Walz did manage to make appearances across various media platforms, regardless of their mainstream or non-traditional orientation. He connected with audiences by playing Madden on Twitch with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, participated in a pheasant hunt with Outside Magazine, and discussed football on Rich Eisen’s show. He also featured in podcasts like “Smartless” and “We Can Do Hard Things.” Throughout this period, he consistently reached out to digital influencers during his outreach time, typically reserved for soliciting funds and engaging with elected officials.
That being said, Walz also faced intense scrutiny from national media, exposing his own missteps and gaffes. He “misspoke” about his experiences with firearms “in war,” prompting Republicans to scrutinize his military record, and also made misleading claims about being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
“This was a guy who definitely was embarrassed by his flubs, didn’t handle them well, and seemed like there was a never-ending supply of them, so that was part of the issue of getting him out there everywhere,” one former Harris staffer reflected. “I don’t look back on that campaign and think that the way we used Walz was a critical error.”
A former elected official acknowledged that while Walz “messed up, but was immediately up front about it,” referring to his past misstatements, he noted that the Harris campaign “didn’t do enough to punch back” in his defense.
In a statement, a Harris adviser—granted anonymity for candid discussion—stated, “In the shortest presidential campaign in modern history, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz put forward a vision of the future that prioritized the health, safety and prosperity of the American people. She is proud to have chosen Governor Walz as her running mate and earned the vote of 75 million Americans.”
One particularly challenging moment for Walz arose ahead of the debate, with former staffers describing him as “in his own head” and “super nervous.” They sensed he didn’t want to “let down the ticket” with his performance, a concern he had voiced to Harris during their running mate interviews. While staffers rated his debate performance as net-neutral, others within the party criticized him more harshly.
“It looked as if Vance was the conductor and Walz was following the script,” observed David Axelrod, a veteran Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to President Barack Obama’s campaigns. “I don’t think that was the reason they lost, but that was not helpful either.”
Despite the whirlwind of his three-month journey through national politics, Walz remained unfazed, according to those close to him.
“To be able to travel the country and connect with so many people, he talks about it a lot,” remarked one Minnesota Democratic operative.
Back in Montana, attendees felt that the Harris-Walz campaign had missed opportunities last year. Andrea Davis, the mayor of Missoula, noted, “when I heard his speech at the DNC convention, I was like, ‘Where has this guy been?’”
Among those in the crowd, forward-looking thoughts towards 2028 emerged as Raph Graybill, who ran for Montana lieutenant governor in 2024, remarked, “of the whole coterie of folks who might do it, I don’t see a better candidate than Walz.”
“You need people who are good on their feet, who know what they’re talking about, who don’t need a giant briefing book with a bunch of talking points to be able to say, ‘here’s how my values apply to this question,’” Graybill articulated. “What I really like about Tim Walz is that he’s that kind of guy.”
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
