If there was any doubt that the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket would continue Joe Biden’s initiatives while pushing them further left, Tim Walz has certainly clarified that stance. In a 2022 interview with MSNBC’s The ReidOut, Walz remarked, “There’s no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech, especially around our democracy.”
He reiterated this point to the show’s guest host, emphasizing the need to push back against misinformation and hate speech, particularly regarding democracy. While he did not specify what constitutes misinformation, he labeled it as “insidious” and highlighted its prevalence in discussions about elections, January 6th, and COVID-19.
Discussing voting procedures, Walz mentioned Minnesota’s goal to make voting as accessible as possible, including automatic voter registration and multilingual ballots, celebrating that “it’s an exciting time that democracy prevails.”
Walz also addressed voter intimidation, suggesting that the First Amendment is not absolute in this context due to the excessive misinformation surrounding voting.
This stance was exemplified by the prosecution of meme creator Douglass Mackey, who was convicted for a joke about voting via text in the 2016 election, despite no evidence that anyone was misled by his post. Conversely, Kristina Wong, who made a similar joke targeting Trump voters, was not prosecuted.
Walz’s views on the First Amendment mirror Joe Biden’s assertions that “no right is absolute,” a statement Biden made in the context of gun control and the Second Amendment. Walz has extended this reasoning to the First Amendment, which underpins all other amendments.
Additionally, Walz has made Minnesota a “trans refuge” for minors seeking gender-affirming treatments and has often spoken about his own “white male privilege.” He has positioned himself as the chair of the diversity, equity, and inclusion board he established upon taking office as Minnesota’s governor.