WATCH: Walz Runs Away From Question on Hamas Hostages at Minnesota State Fair
The Harris-Walz campaign found themselves in hot water after an awkward moment at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was busy enjoying the fair, was caught on camera seemingly ignoring a serious question about the recent killings of hostages by Hamas.
Wearing a casual baseball cap and a rumpled t-shirt, Walz looked like any other fair-goer as he strolled through the crowd, vanilla milkshake in hand. As he boasted about how the Minnesota State Fair is the best in the country, reporters began asking him easy questions about balancing his duties as governor with national campaigning. But then things took a turn.
A female reporter loudly asked, “What’s your reaction to the six hostages being found dead in Gaza?” Walz appeared to glance at an aide, nod, and then quickly wrapped up the session, shouting, “Alright, thanks everybody!” before walking off without addressing the question.
At the Minnesota State Fair, Gov. Tim Walz walks away when asked about the 6 dead hostages found in Gaza pic.twitter.com/WmDxJZ7bUV
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) September 1, 2024
This awkward moment didn’t go unnoticed. The clip quickly spread across social media, with many doubting the governor’s claim that he didn’t hear the question. After the video went viral, Walz’s campaign scrambled to release a statement condemning Hamas and mourning the loss of the hostages, but the damage was already done.
Among the hostages was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American found dead in the tunnels of Gaza. The backlash against Walz was swift, with critics accusing him of only responding because he was caught on tape. “You wouldn’t have said anything if this wasn’t caught on tape,” one person commented online. Another went as far as calling the governor a “coward” for refusing to answer such a critical question.
The criticism didn’t stop there. Walz was roasted for his laid-back demeanor at the fair, especially after being seen dining on a pork chop on a stick. “You pork chop on a stick loser…Harris caused this…be better,” one commenter harshly wrote. Buzz Patterson, a columnist for Red State, added to the criticism, doubting that Walz had ever had to console a grieving parent. “Your ‘condolences’ will never be enough. You’re a coward,” he said.
The incident at the state fair has left the Harris-Walz campaign scrambling to do damage control, but for many, the governor’s response (or lack thereof) has left a lasting impression.
