In annual address, Gov. Tim Walz sharply criticizes President Trump, calls on divided legislature to work together
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in his State of the State address on Wednesday called on the divided legislature to work together in the crucial final weeks of the session and issued a sharp rebuke of President Donald Trump, as the former Democratic vice presidential nominee weighs what comes next in his political career.
In his roughly 20-minute speech in the House chamber, Walz acknowledged the stark reality facing lawmakers this year: The next state budget must include cuts to stave off a potential $6 billion in the future. Negotiations are underway to piece that two-year spending plan together.
He made an appeal for unity across party lines to get it done and drew a contrast between their work in St. Paul to what's happening in Washington, which he described as "chaos" at Mr. Trump's own direction.
He condemned the president for imposing tariffs and slashing federal spending through his administration's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, spearheaded by Elon Musk.
"This isn't servant leadership. It's not any kind of leadership at all," Walz said. "It's small. It's weak. It's petty. It takes the awesome power of the federal government and turns it into a crude weapon, wielded by a man who wants to be a king."
The governor is constitutionally required to give an address to lawmakers each session and Wednesday's speech marked his first State of the State following his defeat on the Democratic presidential ticket last November. It also comes as the DFL governor continues a national tour to GOP-led Congressional districts, where he has hosted town halls in the last month to highlight frustrations with the Trump administration.
Walz will soon decide if he will run for a third term as governor next year or seek another office — he hasn't closed the door on a potential presidential bid of his own.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders criticized Walz for finger-pointing at Washington when there's a lot of work ahead in Saint Paul and a fast-approaching deadline to get it done.
"It was really unfortunate that while there was maybe not quite an olive branch, but maybe, a few buds of an olive tree given by the governor, most of it was overshadowed by a quite frankly angry rant about Donald Trump," said Rep. Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, the Republican leader.
But Walz earned a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats alike when he committed to fighting fraud in public programs, which is a top GOP priority in wake of high-profile scandals like Feeding Our Future. The issue should be a bipartisan bright spot this year.
He pitched some proposals in his budget blueprint as lawmakers work through ideas of their own in the final week and said Minnesota, with a divided government, can show the country that there is a "better way to govern."
"Our legislature is narrowly divided, but I believe we can unify around these ideas of security, opportunity, and freedom. I believe we can continue to make Minnesota the best place in America to live, work, and raise a family," he told lawmakers.
He also touted some Democrats' progressive achievements over the past two years when they had total control of the state capitol, like paid family leave and free school meals. DFL leaders after his remarks said those policies put the state in a good position as uncertainty looms in the nation's capital.
"We've done our work to begin to prepare Minnesotans for what could be a really challenging year ahead. I'm proud of the fact that he was clear about what he has seen coming from Washington, D.C.," said Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-Saint Paul.
The session must end on May 19 to avoid a special session. Leaders in both parties again said they are committed to wrapping up on time.
