A video recorded earlier this month after a debate at FarmFest in Redwood County, Minn., shows Gov. Tim Walz committing to more debates with his Republican opponent.
“I think they have. Yeah, they’ll do more. We always do. I think the process is we start working through it and they’ll get the next couple up on the schedule,” Walz told reporters, according to a video from independent photojournalist Rebecca Brannon.
Just went back and found this….
First Question asked of Governor Walz by media:
“Is your campaign committed doing more of these debates?”
Walz looks to his staffer to his right:
“I think… I think they have. Yeah. They’ll do more. We always do.”
5/4 pic.twitter.com/5OQDwe8C40
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) August 16, 2022
Since then, however, Walz has either declined to participate in or dropped out of four debates, including one at the Minnesota State Fair, Republican challenger Dr. Scott Jensen said this week.
Walz’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment this week. In fact, the governor’s office and his campaign have never responded to a question from Alpha News. His administration was sued in 2020 for banning conservative writer Scott Johnson (an Alpha News board member) from COVID-19 press conferences.
“Gov. Walz has indicated he’d consider debating on Minnesota Public Radio only if it’s late in the election and not in front of an audience. I cannot remember a time when a Minnesota governor refused to debate at the Great Minnesota Get-together. Tim Walz is hiding from Minnesotans,” Jensen said in a statement.
Brannon’s video also shows Walz declining to endorse President Joe Biden’s reelection. The governor didn’t go as far as U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who said last month the 79-year-old president should not seek reelection.
“I’ve got enough on my plate,” the governor said. “That’s two years out.”
“Why don’t you just say no? We’ve already made that mistake once,” one attendee said.
“Courtesy, please. Let us talk,” Walz replied. “Just courtesy. It’s what we do as neighbors.”
Governor Tim Walz is asked if President Biden should run again. Walz doesn't answer:
"I've got enough on my plate… that's two years out."
Someone says: "I'm glad your Emergency powers ended… I'm glad our old people don't need to die alone in nursing homes anymore."
1/4 pic.twitter.com/W2rSH7MznX
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) August 16, 2022
Walz was confronted by several attendees after the Aug. 3 FarmFest debate, including one man who told the governor his administration wiped out his family’s “30-year-old farm.”
A farmer / retired sheriff tells Governor Walz:
“You wiped out my 30 year old farm.”
Walz eventually gets uncomfortable with the conversation and walks away. #FarmFest pic.twitter.com/8ptxsxHi0x
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) August 3, 2022
“Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Gov. Walz’s refusal to debate on Minnesota Public Radio is that he made it clear he does not want to be in front of an audience of Minnesota voters,” Jensen said. “Gov. Walz is literally hiding from Minnesota voters and refusing to have a discussion of the issues.”
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
