Donald Trump says Josh Shapiro would have been a better choice than 'shocking pick' of Tim Walz

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump believes Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro would have been a better choice than Minnesota governor Tim Walz as Kamala Harris' running mate for the 2024 election race.

Calling the decision "a shocking pick", the former president said, “I would say my reaction is, I can’t believe it. I never thought I was going to be the one who was picked."

Donald Trump calls Tim Walz a 'smarter version' of Kamala Harris

During an interview on Fox News’ 'Fox and Friends', Trump said Tim Walz is "a very liberal man and he’s a shocking pick. I could not be more thrilled.”

The former president described Walz as a "smarter version" of Harris and likened him to Senator Bernie Sanders, although he acknowledged that Walz's voting record shows him to be more moderate than Sanders.

Trump also criticized Walz on issues such as immigration and transgender rights. He accused the North Star State governor of being “very heavy into transgender.”

As governor, Walz has signed legislation of protecting access to gender-affirming care in Minnesota.

Walz has signed legislation as governor of the North Star State protecting access to gender-affirming care.

Minnesota riots and National Guard's response

Donald Trump also brought up the riots in Minnesota following the murder of George Floyd by police in 2020. He suggested that this was the only time he had interaction with Walz while in office.

Some Republicans have criticized Walz for being slow to activate the National Guard to quell the demonstrations.

Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday morning, August 7, Trump echoed claims from other Republicans that Josh Shapiro was passed over for the role of running mate because of his Jewish heritage.

“I’m no big fan of Josh Shapiro. I know the state very well … but I would have said it would have been a better choice,” said the GOP nominee.

“I have very little doubt … it was because of the fact that he’s Jewish, and they think they’re going to offend somebody else,” he added.

He reiterated his controversial opinion that any Jewish person who would vote for the Democratic Party should “have their head examined.”

Kamala Harris' choice of Tim Walz as running mate

On Tuesday, August 6, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that she had chosen Tim Walz as her running mate for the upcoming November election.

The shortlist for vice president candidacy included Shapiro, Walz, and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Harris held in-person interviews with them on Sunday, August 4, according to The Hill.

In just two weeks, Walz went from being a third-tier candidate to a final contender. This rapid ascent was fueled by widespread support within the Democratic Party, spanning both progressive and moderate groups.