The White House didn’t hold back after Gov. Tim Walz used his State of the State address to take a swing at President Donald Trump, blasting his immigration policies and blaming him for what Walz called national “chaos.”
“It’s rich of Tim ‘Jazz Hands’ Walz to decry chaos when he let his largest city burn to the ground while his wife opened their mansion’s windows to savor the fumes,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields in a statement to Fox News Digital, referencing the 2020 George Floyd riots.
“Walz also willingly served alongside Vice President Harris, who presided over one of the most chaotic administrations in American history.”
Walz targets immigration policies
Walz spent a significant chunk of his seventh State of the State address Wednesday criticizing the Trump administration, including its efforts to deport illegal immigrants.
“The president has also chosen, and I stress this, chosen, to tear up the values that once made America the shining light of the world. In this land of the free and home of the brave, we have university students being swept up, shoved into unmarked vans, and fathers being tossed into Salvadorian gulags without a hint of due process,” Walz said.
He added, “I want to be real clear about this. If you say you love freedom, but you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it’s privilege.”
WATCH: Gov. Tim Walz attacks President Trump and Elon Musk at his State of the State address
"He's just plain confused about how the world really works … It's small, it's weak and it's petty." pic.twitter.com/D4SVhdYise
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) April 24, 2025
Walz’s comments appeared to allude to the controversial case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang member.
The Trump administration, which has labeled MS-13 a foreign terrorist organization, deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador. Federal officials maintain that Abrego Garcia has ties to the violent gang and note a domestic violence allegation from his wife, Fox News reported.
Economic criticism and warning about federal cuts
Walz didn’t limit his criticism to immigration. He took aim at Trump’s economic policies, Elon Musk, and cuts to federal programs.
“I can’t help but point out that we also gather at a moment of great uncertainty for our nation. And let’s be honest, this uncertainty, this chaos is no accident,” Walz said. “The president of the United States has chosen, chosen to destroy the federal government’s ability to help people. He literally hired the richest man in the world to take a chainsaw to the basic services that Minnesotans rely on to build better lives.”
He continued by criticizing Trump’s trade policies, particularly tariffs, which he claimed are hurting everyday Americans.
“And on an hour by hour, day by day basis, the president of the United States has chosen, chosen to throw our economy into turmoil,” Walz said. “When the president took office three months ago, there was no reason to throw a wrench in the works and destroy decades of work. But if you listen to anything that comes out of his mouth, one thing has become clear. He’s just plain confused about how the world really works for working people.”
House GOP Leader Harry Niska said Walz’s attempts at bipartisanship in the address were overshadowed by his “angry rant about Donald Trump.”
“What the governor should have been doing is an honest reckoning of where we are at with the costs of the one-party Democrat control that have gotten us to this place. Spending an entire $18 billion surplus, which is putting us in a looming $6 billion deficit,” he said.
The Republican Party of Minnesota also weighed in, calling Walz’s address more about “distractions” than solutions.
“Tonight, Governor Tim Walz delivered his State of the State Address. As expected, it was full of applause lines, distractions, and spin—but sorely lacking in truth,” the party said in a post on X. “What Minnesotans needed to hear tonight wasn’t polished rhetoric. They needed accountability. They needed a plan. And they didn’t get it.
Tonight, Governor @Tim_Walz delivered his State of the State Address. As expected, it was full of applause lines, distractions, and spin—but sorely lacking in truth. What Minnesotans needed to hear tonight wasn’t polished rhetoric. They needed accountability. They needed a plan.… pic.twitter.com/Na3vwV2dwO
— Republican Party of Minnesota (@mngop) April 24, 2025
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
