Republicans are criticizing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for how he handled the protests following George Floyd’s death. As Walz starts his campaign as Kamala Harris’s vice-presidential pick, critics accuse him of delaying the National Guard deployment during the unrest in 2020.
The protests, sparked by Floyd’s killing by police officer Derek Chauvin, led to significant violence, with at least two deaths and hundreds of arrests. The damage in Minnesota was extensive, costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Walz defended his actions, saying his administration did the best it could given the situation. Critics argue that he responded too slowly. Walz didn’t activate the National Guard until three days after the violence began. Reports from 2020 criticize him for not using the Guard more effectively to stop the riots.
At the time, Minneapolis officials struggled with the process of requesting National Guard help. Walz, who has a background with the National Guard, said he needed more information to effectively deploy the troops.
Despite the criticism, some experts and even former President Trump praised Walz’s handling of the situation, suggesting a more aggressive response could have led to even more violence. Civil rights leaders have also commended Walz for addressing social justice issues after the protests.
Republicans continue to use this issue against Walz, but experts think it might not have a major impact on undecided voters.
For more details, you can check out the BBC’s coverage on this topic.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy9e4008252o