The reaction of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the 2020 George Floyd protests in Minneapolis raised concerns among some residents about the state’s leadership.
As Walz, now 60, has become Vice President Harris’ running mate for the 2024 Democratic ticket, those concerns have expanded to questions about future leadership at the national level.
“In my area, people are appalled by Tim Walz. However, my perspective may not reflect a broader segment of Minnesota’s population,” expressed Max Rymer, who, alongside his family, relocated from a neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis to a suburb about 45 minutes north during 2020, in comments to Fox News Digital.
Rymer, now campaigning as a Republican candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives District 28B, noted, “I still find it hard to believe that there are individuals in the state who support him after all that residents have endured these past four years.”
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Max Rymer and his family moved from south of downtown Minneapolis to a suburb 45 minutes north of the city in 2020. (Max Rymer)
Police reported that a man seen on surveillance footage breaking windows at a South Minneapolis auto parts store following George Floyd’s death was affiliated with the Hell’s Angels and was intent on inciting civil disorder. (Mark Vancleave/Star Tribune via AP)
He remembered a local roast beef shop owner down the street from their previous residence who was “robbed and shot” during that period, stating, “That type of violence was unprecedented.”
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This period also included COVID-19 lockdown regulations that forced local eateries and businesses to shut down; the riots in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, which obliterated over 360 businesses; escalating violent crime statewide, especially concerning carjackings; and immigration policies that have contributed to Minneapolis having the largest Somali community in the United States. Reports suggest that the state accounts for 25% of all ISIS recruits in the nation, according to the nonprofit Minnesota American Experiment.
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The devastation in 2020 was so severe that an entire police precinct in Minneapolis was set ablaze.
Business owners Lloyd Drilling and Elijah Fhima recounted their harrowing experience during the riots, telling Fox News’ Martha McCallum in 2021 that upon receiving an alarm notification from their store, they reached out to authorities. After 30 minutes of no response, both the alarm company and police informed them they were on their own due to being overwhelmed.
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A building is engulfed in flames during the George Floyd riots in 2020. (Getty Images)
Charles Stotts and Kacey White, owners of Town Talk Diner & Gastropub, told “Fox & Friends” in 2020 about the moment they woke up on May 29, 2020, at around 4:30 AM to a call urging them to “turn on the TV real quick.” The couple was devastated to find their historic downtown restaurant engulfed in flames.
After the area was deemed safe, Stotts and White went to assess the damage firsthand.
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“Seeing the historic sign reduced to rubble was truly heartbreaking,” White shared.
Statistics indicate that more residents are leaving Minnesota than those relocating to the state. Although there was a significant migration decline in 2020, it has since stabilized according to state data.
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More individuals are departing Minnesota than are arriving in the state. The state faced a notable migration downturn in 2020, which has now stabilized, per state statistics. (Minnesota Migration Report 2023)
“With the chaos from the riots and the COVID restrictions, downtown feels almost lifeless now. Areas like Uptown are almost unrecognizable from what they used to be back when I moved here in 2009 for college,” Rymer expressed.
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Some Minnesotans have voiced concerns regarding Gov. Tim Walz’s management of the 2020 riots that ravaged Minneapolis businesses.
Protests erupted across the nation following the death of George Floyd while in police custody. (Salwan Georges/Washington Post via Getty Images)
“I think he’s extremely progressive,” Rymer commented on Walz, “and while he may not have always been this way, his governance has clearly reflected this stance.”
Others who spoke to Fox News Digital back in October 2020 shared their reasons for moving from Minneapolis to the suburbs, citing the riots, an increase in violence, and the shuttering of businesses.
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Walz chose to wait four days before deploying the National Guard to Minneapolis amidst the riots. Even Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey disclosed to the Star Tribune his frustrations with Walz’s delayed response to his urgent requests for assistance during that tumultuous time.
Protesters are seen outside a burning fast-food establishment on May 29, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests over George Floyd’s death intensified for a third night. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
“His leadership has been disastrous for Minnesota, and he ranks as the most partisan governor I can recall,” stated Minnesota GOP Chair David Hann in a conversation with Fox News Digital last month when Walz was being considered as a VP nominee. “Reflecting on 2020, he failed to take any action to halt the chaos engulfing Minneapolis. I suspect he feared losing favor with his progressive supporters who were supporting the dissenting movements. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris was fundraising for the demonstrators.
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Nonetheless, Democrats have celebrated Harris’ choice of Walz, portraying the governor, who has two children, as the quintessential “Minnesota dad” while showcasing his background in serving Minnesota in Congress, as well as his military service and teaching experience, rather than emphasizing his governorship.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris is welcomed by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, before making remarks at a campaign event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on August 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
“Governor Walz has demonstrated solid leadership and has been an excellent collaborator with the legislature,” commented Minnesota Democrat House Speaker Melissa Hortman in a statement to Fox News Digital previously. “Over the past two years, we have worked together on what has been Minnesota’s most productive session in recent memory, enacting policies designed to support Minnesotan families in leading better lives.”
Hortman concluded by stating that “the last two years serve as a testament to Tim Walz’s capacity to collaborate effectively with impactful women to achieve results.”
