MINNEAPOLIS – Although former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance criticized Minnesota Governor Tim Walz over his response to the violence that erupted after The murder of George FloydTrump told the governor at the time that he completely agreed with Walz’s handling of the situation.
“What they did in Minneapolis was incredible. They came in and dominated, and it happened immediately,” Trump told Walz and other governors and officials in a phone call on June 1, 2020. The Associated Press on Wednesday obtained an audio recording of the call, which has now gained a new meaning. that Walz was chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate against Trump and Vance.
Other administration officials present on the call included Defense Secretary Mark Esper; Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Attorney General William Barr.
ABC News reported on the call on Wednesday, a day after Harris introduced Walz as her vice presidential pick. CNN posted a transcript of the call back in 2020.
Protests erupted in Minneapolis and around the world after Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin, a white former officer who knelt on the Black man’s neck for nearly 9 and a half minutes, on May 25, 2020. A bystander’s video captured Floyd’s screams of “I can’t breathe. His death forced counting on police brutality and racism. Some of the protests turned violent.
waltz mobilized the Minnesota National Guard three days later to help restore order in Minneapolis after riots that included the burning of a police station and several businesses. trump offered federal aid to Walz later that day, but the governor declined.
During a May 2024 fundraiser in St. Paul, Trump repeated a statement he had been making lately that he was responsible for sending the National Guard. “The whole city was on fire… If you didn’t have me as president, you wouldn’t have Minneapolis today,” Trump told a Republican audience. rally in St. last month.
In fact, it was Walz who gave the order to mobilize in response to requests from the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Although Walz was criticized at the time for not acting faster. There were finger-pointing between Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Walz over who was responsible for the delays.
Trump, in the June 1, 2020, call, described Walz as “a great guy” and later said, “I don’t blame you. I blame the mayor.” The president did not criticize the governor at the time.
“Tim, you called for big numbers and the big numbers knocked them down so fast it was like bowling pins,” Trump said.
But Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt took a different spin on the call in a statement to the AP on Wednesday.
“Governor Walz allowed Minneapolis to burn for days, despite President Trump’s offer to send troops and pleas for help from Minneapolis’ liberal mayor,” Leavitt said. “In this daily briefing call with governors on June 1, days after the riots began, President Trump recognized Governor Walz for FINALLY taking steps to mobilize the National Guard to end the violence in the city.”
Walz thanked Trump on the call, as well as Esper and Milley, “for their very helpful strategic guidance. … Yes, our city is in mourning and in pain.”
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Merica reported from Washington.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
