Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris, was unable to explain why voters should not blame Harris for the economy and rampant inflation, instead opting to talk about “price gouging” and “false information.”
“Let’s talk about the economy,” ABC News’s Michael Strahan said in an exclusive one-on-one interview with Walz.
WATCH — Harris Dodges on Difference Between “Price Gouging” Plan, Price Controls:
“That is the top issue for voters out there — 74 percent of voters said the past year they’ve had to cut back on groceries because of the rising costs, of course, and a lot of those voters, they’re concerned that they cast a vote for Kamala Harris, but she’s responsible for that,” he said, asking, “So how do you reach those voters? What do you say to those voters who may blame her for the economy?”
Walz said they speak to “folks in the middle” about policies that are “going to make a difference.”
“And we see some of the data, but data doesn’t impact people in their daily lives, going to the grocery store,” Walz rambled before adding, “And you see false information — whether it’s bird flu impacting eggs — but the reality for most people is, if those costs are up, they want to know what you’re going to do about it.”
WATCH — CNN’s Newton: Harris “Vague” About “Gouging,” What She’d Do on Day One:
“I think that’s why she’s focusing on making sure whether it’s home ownership more affordable tax cuts for the middle class. And let’s just be candid about this, this price gouging piece of this,” Walz said, unable to actually answer the question in a meaningful manner.
When asked what Walz would say to people who point out that Harris has been in charge alongside President Biden for the last three and a half years, Walz, bizarrely, pointed to former President Donald Trump.
WATCH — Crowds Gather Outside Pennsylvania Grocery Store to See Trump:
Margo Martin via Storyful
“Donald Trump had four years to do it,” he said, not addressing the fact that Americans were not experiencing an inflationary nightmare during his presidency.
Walz then seemed to blame Congress, asserting, “You need a partner in Congress. You’ve seen these. We’ve seen different bills that are ready to pass, and Donald Trump makes sure he steps in.”
“We saw it around immigration, a bipartisan bill widely respected, wanting to make a difference in this, holding true to our values, securing the border. Donald Trump steps in and says, Look, that’s going to hurt my political future. Let’s not make it happen,” he claimed, failing to mention that the bill was so bad it would not have passed on its own merits, as Breitbart News detailed. For instance, the bill legalized immigration at the extraordinary levels — up to 5,000 migrants per day.
That aside, it remains unclear what that talking point has to do with Americans struggling with higher grocery prices. Overall food at home prices are now up 22 percent from January 2021 to September 2024, under the Biden-Harris administration.
