Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is facing backlash for his comments about speculation surrounding President Trump’s health, including rumors about his death. Walz said he understood why people might think there would be “news” about Trump’s condition, as reported by Washington Tim
“Look, I get it, you get up in the morning and you ‘doom scroll’ through things, although I will say this, the last few days you woke up thinking there might be news,” Walz, a Democrat, said during a Labor Day picnic in Minnesota on Monday.
“Just saying, just saying, there will be news sometime, just so you know, there will be news,” he added, referencing Trump.
Over the holiday weekend, rumors spread about Trump’s health, with some speculating he was either ill or possibly dead, after he had not made a public appearance for several days. The speculation was put to rest when photos surfaced of Trump heading to his golf club in Sterling, Virginia.
Republican lawmakers and Trump supporters criticized Walz’s comments.
“@Tim_Walz, mocking President Trump’s health is a new low, even for you,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican, posted on X. “Wishing ill on others doesn’t make you a leader — it makes you small. Minnesotans deserve better.”
Rep. Pete Stauber, a Minnesota Republican, also took aim at Walz.
“Tim Walz ‘toning the rhetoric down,’ huh?” Stauber wrote on X. “Is there more fraud in Tim’s words or his state government?”
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson called Walz’s remarks “sick.”
“Tim Walz was very excited about the left-wing rumors claiming President Trump had died,” Johnson said.
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President Trump addressed the rumors
President Trump addressed the rumors on Tuesday, telling reporters he hadn’t heard about them to that extent.
He called the false reports about his death “very serious” and slammed them as “fake news.”
“It’s so fake. That’s why the media has so little credibility,” Trump said.
Trump explained that he had limited his public appearances during the holiday weekend, which led some to speculate he was ill. He spent time on Truth Social, gave some interviews, and socialized at his golf club.
“I didn’t do any [public appearances] for two days and they said, ‘There must be something wrong with him,’” Trump said.
However, he reassured the public that he was “very active” over the weekend.
Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election, has not yet announced whether he will run for president in 2028.
