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How Tim Walz's tone has evolved on the campaign trail

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

Joy - it was a mood that Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz couldn't talk enough about when he joined the Democratic Party ticket in August. But the Minnesota governor's tone has since turned sharper. During a swing-state blitz, Walz has laid into former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance, as well as Trump ally billionaire Elon Musk, disparaging their policies and personalities. Minnesota Public Radio's Dana Ferguson has more.

DANA FERGUSON, BYLINE: Governor Tim Walz took the stage at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin, with a new adversary in his sights.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

TIM WALZ: But, look, I'm not going to waste all the time I'm in. I'm going to talk about his running mate.

(CHEERING)

WALZ: His running mate, Elon Musk.

FERGUSON: By saying that, he was also criticizing former President Donald Trump's actual running mate - U.S. Senator JD Vance of Ohio. Then he honed in on the owner of the social media site X.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

WALZ: Look, Elon's on that stage, jumping around, skipping like a [expletive] on these things.

(LAUGHTER)

WALZ: You know it.

FERGUSON: The Democratic VP candidate entered the race emphasizing positivity in politics. Here's what Walz said when accepting the Democratic Party's nomination in August.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

WALZ: Thank you for your passion. Thank you for your determination, and most of all, thank you for bringing the joy to this fight.

(CHEERING)

FERGUSON: As Walz has traveled through swing states, stopping at college campuses, pro football stadiums and small-town cafes, he has focused some hard hits on his Republican rivals. Here he is speaking with students at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

WALZ: To Donald Trump, anybody who doesn't agree with him is the enemy. I tell you that not to make you fearful or anything. I tell you that because we need to whip his butt and put this guy behind us. That's what we need to do.

(CHEERING)

FERGUSON: Walz also questioned Trump's mental faculties, and pointed to the former president's felony conviction, in highlighting that Trump couldn't pass a background check to buy a gun. During a speech last week, the governor called him a clown, and chastised Vance for failing to acknowledge that Trump lost in 2020. The jeers and more frequent curse words, punctuating points that he hopes to drive home to supporters, have been free flowing in the final stretch to Election Day. Campaign advisors say the shift in tone is a natural evolution in some ways, meant to counter the rhetoric from the other side. Trump and Vance have hurled their share of insults. At a rally in Pittsburgh, Vance mocked Walz as having to defend a troubled Harris record.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JD VANCE: That's a pretty hard job, my friends. But I think that we all - you know, Tim, don't worry, because in 19 short days we're going to end that job, because the American people are not buying your crap and they're not buying Kamala Harris' crap.

(CHEERING)

VANCE: We remember.

FERGUSON: With the clock ticking down to Election Day, both sides are playing up the stakes, and they've focused their attention on states where polls show they're essentially tied. Both parties' tickets made stops in Pennsylvania as early voting kicked off. Walz made a return trip there last week, and stopped in Wisconsin and North Carolina. He also made a quick visit home to Minnesota, to cast an early ballot with his wife and son. In Pittsburgh, campaign volunteers handed college students brochures as they scurried between classes.

UNIDENTIFIED CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER: Good morning. Do you know there's early voting in here?

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER: Excellent. So today and tomorrow...

FERGUSON: As Bill Hurst approached the Soldiers & Sailors Hall to speak with someone about his VA benefits, he said he's ready for the election to be over. He's been inundated with campaign ads, and he's sick of it.

BILL HURST: I just don't need that negativity in my life. And that's what politics is right now.

FERGUSON: And therein lies the tricky balance for Walz, as November 5 nears. He's trying to thread the needle of discrediting Trump and Vance, while not entirely letting go of the optimism and joy that some voters seem to crave. For NPR News, I'm Dana Ferguson in St. Paul.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Dana Ferguson
[Copyright 2024 MPR News]