BURSTMinnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) warned on Wednesday the country is “fully headed towards authoritarianism,” pointing to President Trump’s threats against political opponents and plans for a military parade that coincides with his birthday.
In an interview on MSNBC’s “The Briefing with Jen Psaki,” the anchor and former Biden-era White House press secretary asked Walz whether he thinks the country is in “the worst-case scenario” yet, noting the Minnesota governor previously said in March that’s where the country was headed.
“No, I think it gets worse, Jen. I don't say that as a pessimist. I say it as a realist,” Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, told Psaki.
Walz pointed to Trump’s plans for a military parade on Flag Day, which happens to fall on the president’s birthday, June 14. The Associated Press reported that 6,600 soldiers could be involved in such a parade.
“Look, we're going to have a military parade for him,” Walz said. “I was only half tongue-in-cheek saying this guy will be in a military uniform before long.”
“He is fully headed towards authoritarianism,” Walz continued. “It is fully about the corruption, about those who are around him.”
Walz said he’s confident the country will get through this period but expressed concerns about recent steps the Trump administration has taken.
“We will win this. We will win it because the Constitution will stay strong. We're still seeing the courts, while they're under stress, upholding,” Walz said. “I see Donald Trump, and I said it many months ago, that he will eventually try and incarcerate political opponents. We saw it, whether threatening my neighbor and dear friend and a man of perfect character in [Democratic Wisconsin Gov.] Tony Evers next door, to threatening people who don't fall in line.”
Walz was referring to an ongoing tiff between Trump and Evers. Evers has said Trump border czar Tom Homan “in not so many words, apparently threatened to arrest me for distributing guidance that asked state agency employees to consult with an attorney if federal agents show up at state buildings with legal documents.”
Homan suggested that Evers could face felony charges over these efforts, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
"I meant what I said, you can not support what we're doing, and you can support sanctuary cities if that's what you want to do, but if you cross that line to impediment or knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that's a felony and we're treating it as such," Homan said on May 1.
Evers put out a statement clarifying that “the goal of this guidance was simple—to provide clear, consistent instructions to state employees and ensure they have a lawyer to help them comply with all federal and state laws. Nothing more, nothing less.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for a response.