Despite current attacks from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers criticizing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s handling of the 2020 riots following George Floyd’s murder, audio recordings reveal a stark contrast. In a phone call with governors, including Walz, then-President Trump praised Walz’s response, stating he was “very happy” with it, CBS News reports.
The audio, obtained by the media outlet, captures Trump saying, “I know Governor Walz is on the phone, and we spoke, and I fully agree with the way he handled it the last couple of days.”
While Trump later alluded to the conversation in a Fox News interview, he misrepresented it as a one-on-one call where Walz sought help. Trump claimed Walz was “very concerned” about the situation and asked for Trump to portray him positively, which Trump claimed to have done.
During the call, Walz agreed with Trump on the need for force to quell the riots, but also advocated for peaceful protests to continue.
Asked for comment about Trump’s earlier remarks, his campaign press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said in a statement Wednesday:
“Governor Walz allowed Minneapolis to burn for days, despite President Trump’s offer to deploy soldiers and cries for help from the liberal Mayor of Minneapolis. In this daily briefing phone call with Governors on June 1, days after the riots began, President Trump acknowledged Governor Walz for FINALLY taking action to deploy the National Guard to end the violence in the city.”