Tim Walz expresses surprise over election loss: "Believed the nation was prepared for change"

In his first post-election interview, Walz acknowledged that there were things that could have been done differently, given the loss.

Tim Walz expresses surprise over election loss: "Believed the nation was prepared for change"
Tim Walz expresses surprise over election loss: "Believed the nation was prepared for change"

In his first interview since the November election, Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate Tim Walz expressed his disappointment over losing to President-elect Donald Trump.

On Thursday, the Minnesota governor confessed to KSTP-TV that he was taken aback by the election results.

"At the rallies, shops, and things I was going in, it felt like momentum was going our way, but it wasn't at the end," Walz said.

He was taken aback because he believed we had a favorable message and that the nation was prepared for it.

Tim Walz on stage
MADISON, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 22: Former Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he was surprised by the Democratic ticket's election defeat.

Although Walz lost the election, he considered it an honor to be chosen as Harris' running mate on the Democratic ticket.

He was honored to serve alongside Vice President Harris and got to witness America.

Walz stated that he couldn't determine if he helped or harmed Harris' presidential campaign when asked about his involvement.

""The vice president made the decision, not me," he said to KSTP-TV, adding that history would record his stance."

In this campaign, I stated that if you asked the question 'Were there things you could have done differently?', the answer would be yes since we lost. I did my best on this one.

Harris and Walz
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Walz expressed his anticipation for resuming governance in Minnesota after missing the thrill of the presidential campaign.

"Being able to return here and perform this work again brings me immense satisfaction," he stated. "I am genuinely excited for this upcoming legislative session with some new and exciting changes."

Since 2004, the Democratic ticket of Harris and Walz lost the popular vote, while Trump and JD Vance won major battleground states and gained ground in blue states in 2020.

One senior adviser for the Harris campaign stated that internal polling never showed her defeating Trump.

Kamala Harris and David Plouffe split image
Harris campaign senior advisor David Plouffe said that Vice President Kamala Harris' loss to President-elect Trump was due to the electoral weaknesses in the battleground states. (Getty Images)

According to David Plouffe, a top aide on the Harris campaign, the public polls that emerged in late September and early October were unexpected, as they showed the campaign with leads that were previously unseen.

He told the show that they didn't receive the necessary breaks on Election Day.

Planet Chronicle' Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

by Kristine Parks

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