Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz disclosed during a Wednesday podcast that he regrets spending valuable time on his 2024 campaign focusing on President Donald Trump’s comments about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.
Trump said during his September debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris that these migrants were “eating the dogs … the cats … the pets” of Springfield residents. Walz, on “Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast,” said he believes he wasted at least three days attacking the Trump campaign over the comment as it ultimately had no effect on the race.
“I will kick myself that I got sucked in. I bet you I spent three or four days, maybe longer, not clowning, but just hammering them over the eating dogs and cats because it was so ridiculous,” Walz said. “And I took that hook, line and sinker. We were talking about immigration at a critical part of the campaign. And it was hurtful. And it pissed me off. And I was standing there to defend people. And it didn’t do a damn bit of good electorally.”
Walz at a Sept. 12 rally in Michigan began criticizing Trump for his remark, prompting the crowd to break into a chant about it. He responded by laughing, smiling and clapping, but then took a more serious turn.
“It would be funnier too if it wasn’t so dangerous,” he said.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance triumphed over the Harris-Walz ticket in November with 312 electoral votes to their 226, also winning the popular vote by over 2 million votes, according to the Cook Political Report.