Minnesota Governor Tim Walz delivered an expletive-laden speech to Democratic activists over the weekend.
He explicitly called on party members to adopt aggressive tactics against President Donald Trump.
The 2024 vice presidential candidate made the inflammatory remarks while serving as keynote speaker at the South Carolina Democratic Party state convention in Columbia on Saturday.
Walz directly instructed the crowd of Democratic activists to abandon traditional political civility in favor of confrontational approaches against the current president.
The 61-year-old politician repeatedly used profanity throughout his address, telling attendees they needed to fundamentally change their strategy when dealing with Trump.
“‘Oh, the Governor’s being mean,’ well, maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce,” Walz stated during his speech.
The Minnesota governor emphasized the need for Democrats to adopt more aggressive tactics, declaring that party members must “ferociously push back” against the president.
Walz drew upon his background as a former schoolteacher to justify his call for confrontational politics, addressing educators in the audience directly.
“And again, I’ll speak to my teacher colleagues in here,” he said, before explaining his perspective on dealing with adult versus child behavior.
“The thing that bothers a teacher more than anything is to watch a bully,” Walz continued.
The governor distinguished between approaches for children and adults, stating that while young bullies deserve patience and understanding, different methods apply to grown individuals.
“And when it’s a child you talk to him and you tell him why bullying is wrong,” Walz explained to the convention audience.
“But when it’s an adult like Donald Trump, you bully the s*** out of him back,” the governor declared.
Walz continued his aggressive rhetoric by instructing Democrats to “push back” and ensure opponents “know it’s not there.”
The Minnesota politician characterized Trump as fundamentally weak, stating, “Because at heart, this is a weak, cruel man that takes it out and punches down on people.”
Walz escalated his criticism by labeling the president as a threat to American democratic institutions and governance.
“Donald Trump is the existential threat that we knew was coming,” he declared.
The governor further described Trump as a “wannabe dictator,” using terminology typically associated with authoritarian leaders rather than elected officials.
Walz criticized what he perceived as Republican reluctance to engage in direct confrontation, stating, “What they don’t want to do is stand toe-to-toe and punch back with someone who’s calling him out for what they do who’s being there.”
The Minnesota governor concluded his remarks by encouraging Democrats to maintain enthusiasm while adopting tougher tactics against political opponents.
“Damnit, we should be able to have some fun and be joyful,” Walz said, before adding, “We’ve got the guts, and we need to have it to push back on the bullies and the greed.”
The speech comes as Walz continues to maintain visibility in national Democratic politics following his unsuccessful vice presidential campaign in 2024.
The governor’s remarks at the South Carolina convention represent one of his most combative public statements since the election defeat.
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