Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Calls Post-Election Period ‘Pure Hell’ in MSNBC Interview

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former Democratic vice presidential nominee, described the aftermath of the 2024 election as “pure hell” during an interview with MSNBC‘s Rachel Maddow on Tuesday. Walz, who ran alongside Kamala Harris in the losing Democratic ticket, expressed frustration over the challenges faced by his party since President Donald Trump‘s re-election.

“You know that overused term, ‘The frog in the boiling water?’ We’ve been in the damn pot way too long,” Walz said. “I think it is speaking up. It’s thinking about your neighbors. It’s writing and putting those members of Congress – look, there is no spine among those folks – but this is real.”

Walz acknowledged the fatigue felt by Democratic voters, many of whom are grappling with the implications of Trump’s policies. “To the voters, I’m with this too. Everybody’s fatigued. Trust me, I get it,” he said. “It was pure hell, and the disappointment and the frustration, and I’m, you know, soul-searching – what could we have done to make the case? Because we knew this was coming. We knew the implication. And they’re throwing so much at us that we’re fatigued.”

The governor criticized recent distractions, such as debates over whether a Trump ally gave a “Nazi salute” at a rally, calling them a diversion from pressing issues. “That is a distraction from what, I think you said it, this is ‘game on’ stuff right here,” Walz said. He expressed concern for federal employees, particularly those working on environmental and criminal justice reforms, who he said are under pressure from the Trump administration.

Walz urged Democrats to remain focused and organized in the face of Trump’s agenda. “So I would tell people stay focused. Don’t take the bait on the distractions. Surround yourself with people who understand this, and recognize the things they went after today are basically a big chunk of what society does,” he said. “We have to find that voice. We have to push back. We have to be organized.”

While Walz encouraged the use of the courts to challenge Trump’s policies, he cautioned that the president may not heed judicial rulings. “I think it’s taking it to the individual people. Show what each of these programs does and what it means for people’s lives,” he said.

Maddow echoed Walz’s concerns, highlighting the impact of Trump’s policies on everyday Americans. “No matter what people motivated anybody’s vote, if you didn’t think you were voting to cut firefighting, if you didn’t think you were voting to cut meat inspections, if you didn’t think you were voting to cut air traffic control, well it’s all becoming very, very clear right now,” she said.

The Harris-Walz ticket marked the first time since 2004 that a Democratic presidential candidate lost the national popular vote. Walz had previously spoken to local Minnesota outlets in December but described the MSNBC interview as his first national appearance since the election.