Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz commented on Democratic messaging against President Trump during a party event in South Carolina this weekend:

GOV. TIM WALZ: I saw recently that apparently the Democrats got together and hired a bunch of people, and they went into a hotel to discuss how we could best message to people-how we could calibrate our words that we’re using. That’s how we got into this damn mess. That’s because we’re really cautious. And look, I know all of you in here-we say stuff like, “Oh, you know, we have to fight food insecurity,” because we believe it. And we’re kind people and compassionate. You’re right. But just say: “We have to fight kids going hungry in the richest country in the world.” Just tell people where they’re at. And don’t be afraid. Stay away from the poll-tested things that are out there, because what Republicans understood was they identified the problem with people and got people thinking they were with them. Like Donald Trump. What the hell does he know about somebody in South Carolina struggling to make ends meet? Almost nothing. But people believe that. Because what I have to think about is-we’ve got to have people know that we’re actually listening to them, that we’re actually hearing what they’re saying. And I’m just going to say this, because it seems so simple and I don’t get it-we’ve got to show the guts. I feel like there’s folks that aren’t willing to say the things necessary because they might be worried they might not get reelected if they say that. I’m not going to say that. And I don’t think any of us can. I’m getting called out on this because I called Donald Trump a wannabe dictator. It’s because he is. It’s because he is. Oh, the governor’s being mean. The governor’s speaking out on that. Well, maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner. Maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce. Because we have to ferociously push back on this. And again, I’ll speak to my teacher colleagues in here-the thing that bothers a teacher more than anything is to watch a bully, to watch this bully, and to stop it. And when it’s a child, you talk to them and you tell them why bullying is wrong. But when it’s an adult like Donald Trump, you bully the sh*t out of him back. You push back. You make sure they know it’s not theirs to take. Because at heart-at heart-this is a weak, cruel man that takes it out and punches down on people. What they don’t want to do is stand toe-to-toe and punch back with someone who’s calling them out for what they do, who’s being there. And for Democrats, here’s what we need to know. You need to embrace this: we win hearts and minds. We win the issues. If you go ask people if they want children to eat, they’ll say yes. If you go ask people if they want smart things to make sure our children aren’t shot in schools, they’ll say yes. If they say, Do you want us to pay our public servants a decent wage? they will say yes. We win the hearts and minds. They win power. And when they take power, they move with it and exercise it. So I’ll tell you what-we have got to have and understand an unshakable responsibility that we have to make sure that, come hell or high water, everyone in this country can afford a decent life, enjoy a secure and dignified retirement, women can still get reproductive care, and no one-no one-regardless of their status, goes without due process and the rights to rule of law.

Here’s his full comments:
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