As governors battle Trump over pandemic, Walz plays Minnesota nice
President Donald Trump said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is “always complaining” after he criticized the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus. In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s frequent criticism of Trump’s “slow” response earned her the nickname “Gretchen ‘Half’ Whitmer.”
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told the president the nation needed a “Tom Brady” not a “backup quarterback” in addressing the global pandemic. A day later, Trump referred to Inslee as a “failed presidential candidate” who is “constantly chirping.”
Those governors, all Democrats, have been outspoken in their criticism of Trump amid frustrations over a lack of testing kits and personal protective equipment. But in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz, also a Democrat, has held back, toeing a fine line between pushing his own administration’s response to the pandemic while not criticizing Trump’s.
“I can only make a judgment as governor that I believe is in the best interest, the health and safety of Minnesotans and stick with that,” Walz said during a recent coronavirus press briefing. “I certainly … have not had open clashes with the administration. We’ve worked together, we have been grateful for the work we are doing together.”
Read more: https://www.startribune.com/as-governors-battle-trump-over-pandemic-walz-plays-minnesota-nice/569772672/