Midwest
Former Minnesota lawmakers unload on Harris' 'partisan' VP pick Tim Walz: 'Very thin-skinned'
MINNEAPOLIS – A former Republican Minnesota lawmaker and the head of the state Republican party slammed Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, telling Fox News Digital he is a pure “partisan and abandoned the city during the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots, which was echoed by another former Walz colleague.
“It was absent,” Minnesota GOP Chair David Hann told Fox News Digital about Walz’s leadership as the city of Minneapolis was destroyed by Black Lives Matter rioters in 2020, resulting in hundreds of buildings being destroyed and an estimated $500 million in damage.
Walz has faced criticism for waiting several days to call in the National Guard, which Hann tells Fox News Digital was a decision made for political reasons.
“He didn’t do anything for three days, and I think it’s because he was fearful of alienating this left-wing base that is the Democratic Party,” Hann said. “They were talking about this as a protest against police violence,” Hann said. “I think that if he were to call in the National Guard when it started to get out of control, that would have been seen as, oppositional to their narrative of, we’re just out here protesting, you know, excessive police force.”
HARRIS VP PICK TIM WALZ’S TOP FIVE ‘WEIRD’ MOMENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Gov. Tim Walz waited several days to call in the National Guard as riots destroyed Minneapolis in 2020. (Getty Images)
“So, he did nothing for three days until it got completely out of hand. And it was really unbelievable. We would see these things on the news, and I’ve lived here most of my life and know the city very well,” he said. “It was just hard to believe that this was going on and that the governor was doing literally nothing.”
Hann, who served as minority leader of the Minnesota Senate, told Fox News Digital that as the city was burning, he knew of multiple people, including the Republican majority leader at the time, who tried to urge Walz to call then President Trump for assistance.
“He wouldn’t do it,” Hann said. “It only took after about four days that he finally did that, when it was clear that this thing was not going to stop on its own. So he was completely absent. He has never acknowledged that it was his responsibility that he failed.“
Hann told Fox News Digital that four years later, the city has yet to fully recover from the destruction.
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MN GOP Chair David Hann speaks to Fox News Digital (Fox News Digital)
“It’s still, I call it a ghost town,” Hann said. “A few weeks ago, I had a meeting in downtown Minneapolis. I try to avoid going there as much as I can. This was on a Tuesday or Thursday morning, 10:00 in the morning. I drove down there. It was like 7:00 Sunday morning. There were no cars. There were no people. There was no activity. It was just dead.”
Hann continued, “There’s no places to eat. In the evening, people don’t want to be around. There are sports, you know, basketball games or baseball games with people that do not want to stay around the city after dark. And at one point, Minneapolis was a pretty good city for nightlife. Not anymore. People are fearful. The crime is out of hand and carjackings, shootings. We’re a high crime place now, which is unbelievable, and this is all under the watch of Governor Walz because he has failed to try to address the crime, and he has gotten himself aligned with this defund-the-police movement.”
Hann told Fox News Digital that he also believes that Walz is a far more partisan politician than the narrative is letting on.
“Partisan, divisive, very thin-skinned, mean-spirited,” Hann said. “He does not like to be challenged. He does not like people to differ with him, and he can get angry if he thinks that you’re not agreeing with him sufficiently.”
Building goes up in flames during the George Floyd riots. (Getty Images)
Hann added that Republicans he has spoken to called Walz the “most difficult guy to deal with they’ve ever had to deal with.”
A former Republican state senator in Minnesota who worked alongside Walz for several years, interviewed under anonymity in order to speak more freely, echoed Hann’s claim and shared with Fox News Digital that it was “very frustrating” and “difficult” to work with Walz.
“He doesn’t handle stress very well. He gets very, very angry and displays it,” they said.
“He’s very nice, very engaging. Comes off like everybody’s friend. But it’s very treacherous as far as what he’s done to the state and his vision,” the former lawmaker added. “He’s got a veneer of extreme liberalism that is quite obvious now.”
When it came to decision-making, the former state senator claimed that Walz listened to “the last person that got to him.”
The Minnesotan said they are “very concerned” about a potential Harris-Walz presidency, urging voters to “listen to what he’s saying, you can’t decipher it. He talks and talks and never really answers the questions.”
Fox News Digital asked Hann, now that Walz has become the vice presidential nominee and is being introduced to a brand new national audience, what is the most important thing people should know about Walz’s tenure as governor.
“I hope the word gets out that Governor Walz is partisan and he’s very much aligned left, left-wing politically, and he is far from a moderate and is unwilling to try to work with people who differ with him,” Hann said.
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Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event on August 7, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan. Kamala Harris and her newly selected running mate are campaigning across the country this week. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“I think his record as governor has not been good for the people of the state. His allies are this, left-wing political base, public employee unions. That’s where his base is. That’s what he caters to. But for most of us who are just trying to, you know, live our lives, take care of our families, start businesses. It’s tough and he doesn’t seem to have much empathy for that.”
The Harris Walz campaign pointed Fox News Digital to a recent Fox op-ed from a Republican who worked with Walz that praised his bipartisanship along with other quotes from former colleagues calling him someone who works across the aisle.
The campaign also pointed to newly unearthed audio first reported by ABC News where Trump said he was “very happy” with Walz’s handling of the riot and calling him an “excellent guy.”
The Trump campaign told ABC News those comments were made after Walz sent in the National Guard.
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Ohio State will travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 31 to face USC in a much-anticipated matchup between the two blue bloods and first as Big Ten opponents.
The Buckeyes present the toughest offensive triplets — consisting of a starting quarterback, lead running back and a top pass catcher, the Trojans are set to face in 2026.
Ohio State Offensive Triplets
It’s a close debate between them and Oregon. The Ducks have the advantage at quarterback with Dante Moore, but the Buckeyes have the edge at running back and wide receiver.
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is the only returning Heisman finalist in college football. The Southern California native was excellent in his first season as the starter in Columbus.
Sayin threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns last season. His biggest superpower is his accuracy. When he gets in a rhythm, the Buckeyes redshirt sophomore signal-caller is surgical. Sayin’s 77.0 completion percentage set a new is a Big Ten Record. He enters this season high on NFL Draft boards but with something to prove as well after a disappointing two-game stretch to end last season.
Bo Jackson proved very early last season that he was the best running back on the Ohio State roster. He took over as the starter in September and was one of three true freshmen to top 1,000 rushing yards in 2025. The sophomore tailback is underrated pass-catcher out of the backfield and is just scratching the surface of the player he can be.
Jeremiah Smith would have been a top 10 pick two years after a sensational freshman season. For a school that has produced the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Garrett Wilson, just to name a few in recent memory, Smith tops all of them in an Ohio State uniform.
The 6-foot-3, 223-pound Smith is a two-time first team All-American. He’s an alien at the position. The junior receiver has his eyes on winning the Biletnikoff Award, after USC’s Makai Lemon brought home the hardware last year, and helping the Buckeyes get back to the national championship.
Ohio State hired former NFL head coach Matt Patricia to be their defensive coordinator and the results was No. 1 defense in the country. They dove back into the NFL ranks again this offseason and hired former head coach Arthur Smith to be their offensive coordinator.
New-Look Defense at USC
USC made a big splash this offseason with the hiring of defensive coordinator Gary Patterson. The former longtime TCU head coach built great defenses for two decades in Fort Worth and a big reason why he’s headed to the College Football Hall of Fame.
He is looking to build similar success in Los Angeles. Except now, Patterson has more talent and resources than he’s ever had in front of him. The question is he can maximize it in year one and build a unit that creates problems for its opponents.
Rutgers receiver KJ Duff will challenge the Trojans secondary in week 3 with his 6-foot-6 and 225-pound frame. And then USC will see the entire offensive package when Oregon rolls into town the following week. Matchups against Washington and Penn State in early October will also test the Trojans new-look defense before they host Ohio State in late October.
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RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Beginning July 7, six Little League All-Star teams from across South Dakota will compete at Collins Field during the 2026 South Dakota Little League State Tournament.
For many players, it’s the biggest stage they’ve experienced. Every pitch, hit and catch could help extend their summer and earn a trip to regional competition.
Rapid City will be well represented with both Canyon Lake and Harney Little League taking the field, while teams from Pine Ridge, Pierre, Brandon Valley and Sioux Falls round out the tournament.
The weeklong event also brings families, coaches and fans from across South Dakota to the Black Hills, creating a busy week at the ballpark filled with community support and hometown pride.
When the final out is recorded on July 12, one team will leave Rapid City carrying a state championship trophy—and a chance to keep its postseason journey going.
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Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.
You don’t need anonymous coaches to tell you that Wisconsin football was a mess in 2025.
But sometimes it helps to hear how bluntly the rest of the league sees it.
In Athlon Sports’ 2026 College Football Preview, one Big Ten coach did not exactly dance around the issue.
“They scored 81 points in nine conference games. I don’t care who your quarterback is. That speaks to a lot of bigger issues than just the quarterback position,” an anonymous Big Ten coach told Athlon Sports.
“There are teams in the conference who could not throw a single pass and score more than nine points per game. It also speaks to, defensively, your ability to make turnovers, and special teams, your ability to make kicks. I thought it was a whole package thing.”
That is harsh, but it’s also hard to argue with.
Wisconsin absolutely had quarterback problems last season. Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. got hurt. Danny O’Neil was forced into action, then got hurt. Hunter Simmons had his turn, but couldn’t take care of the ball. Carter Smith eventually entered the picture. It was not a normal year at the most important position on the field, and that context matters.
By season’s end, Wisconsin had become the first Badgers team since 1956 to have four different quarterbacks attempt at least 10 passes in a season, and the only Big Ten program to do so in 2025.
But the quarterback carousel also exposed something deeper.
The Badgers finished 132nd nationally in offensive EPA per play, 131st in EPA per dropback, and 115th in EPA per rush, per Game on Paper. They ranked 135th nationally in scoring offense at 12.8 points per game, averaged 253 yards per game, and threw for just 136.4 yards per contest.
That is not just bad quarterback play. That is system-wide dysfunction.
The offensive line had very little depth and was constantly shuffled. The run game never became reliable. The passing game lacked answers. Wisconsin could not consistently create explosives, sustain drives, or put players in position to steal easy yards. At some point, injuries stop being the explanation and start becoming part of a larger failure to adjust.
And while the offense deservedly absorbed most of the criticism, the defense wasn’t without fault either. Wisconsin finished dead last nationally in turnovers forced with just five interceptions and one fumble recovery, ranked 73rd in defensive EPA per dropback, and struggled to defend the pass consistently. The pass rush improved, and the run defense was great, but the complementary football simply wasn’t there.
The next anonymous coach took that criticism a step further.
“Truthfully, I was surprised that both Wisconsin and Maryland decided to run it back with their head coaches,” another anonymous coach told Athlon Sports. “I wasn’t really impressed with either one of those teams. It almost felt like they didn’t really know who the next guy was gonna be, so they decided they’d rather have a year to prepare a move like that.”
Plenty of Wisconsin fans probably felt the same way when “Fire Fickell” chants started raining through Camp Randall Stadium.
Luke Fickell is 17-21 at Wisconsin, including 10-17 in Big Ten play. The Badgers have missed back-to-back bowl games, failed to produce an NFL Draft pick for the first time since 1978, and looked a lot closer to being a bottom-feeder in the conference than a serious contender.
In the midst of all those struggles, the athletic director, Chris McIntosh, publicly backed Fickell and promised more financial resources to the program. Then, to Wisconsin’s credit, the Badgers responded by knocking off AP Top 25 opponents Washington and Illinois down the stretch, showing there was still enough belief inside the locker room to finish the year with some fight. That, coupled with a significant roster investment through NIL and the transfer portal, bought this staff another chance.
Now there is no hiding from the expectations.
FanDuel has Wisconsin’s regular-season win total at 6.5, which feels closer to the national perception of this team. But given the schedule, the roster investment to raise the talent floor, and the years this staff has already had to build its program, seven wins should not be the ceiling.
Eight or nine wins should be on the table.
Wisconsin has seven games at home, including a neutral-site opener against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, avoids several of the Big Ten’s heavyweights, and draws a schedule that’s far more manageable than the gauntlet this program navigated a year ago. If the increased investment was truly the missing piece, there is little room left for excuses.
And with Shawn Eichorst now stepping in as athletic director, the dynamic changes. McIntosh, who hired Fickell, was tied to him and publicly backed him through some difficult moments, is now with the Big Ten. Eichorst has deep Wisconsin ties and likely isn’t eager to make a coaching change and pay a sizable buyout figure before it’s necessary, but this is no longer the administration that made the original hire.
Fickell got the resources. He got another offseason. He got a schedule that gives them a legitimate opportunity to take a step forward.
Now he and his staff have to deliver.
At this point, there isn’t much left to sell besides results.
We appreciate you taking the time to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. Your support means the world to us and has helped us become a leading independent source for Wisconsin Badgers coverage.
You can also follow Site Publisher Dillon Graff at @DillonGraff on X.
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