Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz falsely claimed that President Donald Trump wanted to use the George Floyd memorial “as a backdrop” during his Monday visit to the state, according to the White House.
The Democrat governor said that he “spent this weekend trying to tell the White House why it was a really bad idea to have President Trump go down and stand at the George Floyd memorial and use it as a backdrop for his campaign and ignore the pain and the anguish that we’re feeling in Minnesota.”
His comments were made during an online event for the opening of the Democratic National Convention.
However, according to Senior White House Communications Advisor Ben Williamson, the governor lied.
“Nobody in the Chief of Staff’s office, or anybody in the White House for that matter, heard from Governor Walz this weekend. So this is false on multiple levels,” said Williamson, who is also a deputy assistant to the president.
Nobody in the Chief of Staff’s office, or anybody in the White House for that matter, heard from Governor Walz this weekend. So this is false on multiple levels. https://t.co/EV86u21dKa
— Ben Williamson (@_WilliamsonBen) August 17, 2020
Several hours after the White House refuted Walz’s claim, many Minnesota news outlets had not updated their reports alleging Trump attempted to use the George Floyd memorial as a campaign prop.
In a statement released prior to the president’s visit, Walz said Trump has demonstrated an “inability to confront the health and economic impacts of COVID-19.”
“Rather than further divide us and distract from the real issues facing the country, we need a President who can unite our country and build a better future for our families. That President is Joe Biden,” said Walz, who claimed “divisive rhetoric” has “defined” Trump’s presidency.
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
