Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told Democrats to toughen their tone and go on the offensive against President Donald Trump during remarks at the South Carolina Democratic Party convention on Saturday, comments that have fueled growing speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run.
JUST IN: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tells a cheering crowd in South Carolina to “bully the sh*t out of Donald Trump.” Take this unhinged creep literally.
The Secret Service needs to charge Walz with inciting violence against the president. Start playing hardball with these thugs.
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) May 31, 2025
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Walz, who served as Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election, appeared at the state convention as part of a broader outreach effort that has included stops in several key congressional districts.
His visit to South Carolina—a critical early primary state in Democratic presidential contests—has drawn renewed attention to his national ambitions.
“Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner,” Walz told the crowd.
“When it’s a bully like Donald Trump, you bully the sh*t out of him.”
Tampon @Tim_Walz – trying to look tough – calls on Democrats to “ferociously push back” and “bully the sh*t out of” President Trump. pic.twitter.com/t3ZMgbqOVg
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 31, 2025
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The comment marked a departure from recent calls within the Democratic Party to recalibrate its tone.
Several prominent Democrats have acknowledged that the party’s messaging has alienated voters.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California and Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania have both publicly referred to the party’s image as “toxic.”
In a recent interview, Fetterman criticized Democrats for what he described as a condescending approach toward voters.
“Shaming and scolding and talking down to people and telling them, ‘Hey, I know better than you,’ or you’re dopes, or you’re a bro, or you’re ignorant, or, ‘how can you be this dumb?’ … And then, by the way, they’re fascists,” Fetterman said.
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): “I think their [Democrat Party] primary currency was shaming & scolding & talking down to people and telling them ‘Hey, I know better than you, or you’re dopes, or you’re a bro, or you’re ignorant or how can you be this dumb? … And then, by the way,… pic.twitter.com/qxlRc3aNjQ
— David Burke 🇺🇸 (@ConservativeTht) February 8, 2025
Despite widespread acknowledgment that the party needs to rebrand, Walz struck a different tone, calling for Democrats to push back harder on the Republican Party and its leadership.
“We’ve got the guts and we need to have it to push back on the bullies and the greed,” Walz said.
During the 2024 campaign, Walz attempted to frame the Trump-Harris matchup as a choice between normalcy and extremism, labeling the Trump ticket “weird.”
WALZ: “These guys come up with the weirdest damn ideas you can ever imagine.”
Tampon Tim — a highly unstable individual — forced Minnesota schools to stock menstrual products in boys’ bathrooms and opposes restricting pornography from elementary school libraries. Who’s weird? pic.twitter.com/Twht2w5GNU
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 10, 2024
The messaging ultimately failed to resonate with voters, as Harris and Walz lost the popular vote and all seven battleground states to President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
The Democratic ticket’s loss in 2024 has prompted internal debates about the direction of the party ahead of the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election.
Walz has emerged as one of several potential candidates being floated for the next Democratic nomination.
Walz’s increasing presence in high-profile Democratic events and swing regions has been viewed as part of a broader effort to raise his national profile.
Earlier this year, he held town halls in a number of competitive congressional districts across the Midwest.
While no official announcement has been made, Walz’s travel schedule and rhetoric have intensified speculation that he is preparing for a presidential run in 2028.
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