The Leadership Dilemma: Tim Walz Let Minneapolis Burn

As Minnesota faced the protests, riots, and violent fallout from George Floyd's murder in May 2020, Governor Tim Walz found himself at a critical juncture. While buildings were burning and businesses were suffering, Governor Walz was missing in action, not taking any action whatsoever. 

Following the death of George Floyd, chaos ensued. The City of Minneapolis burned for four days before Walz finally brought in the National Guard on Friday, May 29, 2020. By that point, it was too late and Minnesotans were already struggling to recognize their city. But, this was only the beginning of Governor Walz’s messy negligence. 

As more unrest unraveled Governor Walz allowed police officers to take the brunt of the hit. He not only failed to act, he stood by and let violent criminals burn down Minneapolis. Fires and riots raged through the streets, and storms of people destroyed the city so many call home. Tim Walz’s daughter publicly tweeted that the National Guard was not coming, only further enabling the protesters. As people chose violence over genuine change, Tim Walz continued to stand by and watch. 

Governor Walz’s wife, Gwen Walz, distastefully commented on keeping her windows open to smell the "burning tires." She claims this was her way of connecting with the issue, stating that it “was such a touchstone of what was happening” yet neither she nor her husband did anything to stop it. It goes without saying that both the Governor and his family remained out of touch with the situation.

The unrest not only resulted in the destruction of large portions of Minneapolis but also severely impacted small businesses—many owned by black and brown entrepreneurs—that struggled to recover in the aftermath, something that Democrats continue to hide and brush over to this day. Minneapolis will truly never be the same. 

Amongst all of the violence and turmoil, the lack of protection for Minnesota officers remained. Governor Walz doing nothing to fight the defunding of police, putting the safety of all Minnesotans at risk. 

In the wake of some of the biggest moments in recent history, Governor Walz failed to lead and failed to act. His ignorance and enabling proved to only make matters worse. To this day, his inadequate leadership and negligence have cost Minnesota greatly, with the election fast approaching we are forced to consider, that maybe the sideline is where he should stay.