Midwest
Minnesota GOP leader sounds alarm on Walz trying to 'bamboozle' rural voters: 'Bernie Sanders in flannel'
DULUTH, Minn. — The Republican Party chair of a rural county in central Minnesota is blasting the prevalent media narrative that Gov. Tim Walz is a “moderate” and tells Fox News Digital that rural voters across the country are being “bamboozled” by that talking point.
“I do have a message for most of our rural people here and anybody else that may be watching this, please, you’re getting hoodwinked,” Lowell Smith, a state college educator and chair of the Crow Wing County GOP in Brainerd, Minnesota, told Fox News Digital.
“You’re getting bamboozled. He’s lying to you. He is not for rural America. He only cares about very liberal policies that would be embraced by the elite. He’s not for us. He’s basically – you can’t remember who said it, but he really is Bernie Sanders [in] flannel. They’re trying to market him as not being that. But he’s a liberal just dressed in flannel. He’s against the Second Amendment. He’s not for rural America.”
Smith continued, “Gov. Walz’s values do not align with much of rural Minnesota at all or for much of rural America. He kind of originally ran to try and be a moderate, but every policy he has taken, everything that he has done since being elected has been ultra liberal and nothing has reflected that he’s a moderate at all, so it made perfect sense that Kamala Harris picked him to be her running mate.”
Smith told Fox News Digital that when he speaks to rural voters in Minnesota, “everybody’s really angry” about Walz “letting the state burn for about four days” during the George Floyd riots in 2020 that caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
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A rural GOP chair in Minnesota told Fox News Digital that Gov. Tim Walz is trying to “bamboozle” rural voters.
Additionally, Smith pointed to the tax policy and business climate under Walz in Minnesota and said that Democrats in control of the state have “squandered” a $17 billion surplus under Walz’s leadership.
The right-leaning Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index for 2024, which was published in October 2023, ranked Minnesota as having the 44th best tax climate for businesses in the country.
An analysis published by the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy in January found that Minnesota’s tax code was the most progressive of all 50 states, with only the District of Columbia having a more progressive tax code.
“In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and their personal choices that they make,” Walz told a Philadelphia crowd about abortion during his introduction as Vice President Harris’ vice presidential pick. “Even if we wouldn’t make the same choice for ourselves, there’s a golden rule: Mind your own damn business.”
Smith told Fox News Digital that rural voters in Minnesota take issue with that claim given Walz’s record on COVID, which he has been widely criticized for by Republicans.
“His policies did not reflect that at all,” Smith said. “He set up a tip line to where, basically, you could snitch off your neighbor if they were not wearing their mask, or they kept their business open and there would be civil fines attached to that.”
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speaks during a campaign event on Aug. 7, 2024, in Detroit. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“So, that was kind of reminiscent for up here back in communism when you had family members spying on family members and that is not what us in rural Minnesota really believe in.”
Smith told Fox News Digital that residents in his county colloquially refer to Walz as “Tampon Tim” due to his policies on transgender issues, including allowing menstrual products to be placed in school bathrooms across the country, including boys’ bathrooms. Democrats have pushed back against that line of attack, but Smith says Walz has essentially made Minnesota a “sanctuary state” for transgender issues.
“Embracing that transgender ideology, so much so that he’s made Minnesota a sanctuary state to where if you’re a minor in Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and your parents do not agree with you, you can drive into Minnesota, then at that point, for lack of a better term, Minnesota can take possession of you and allow you to get that transgender surgery or health care without your parents’ consent or even knowledge,” Smith said. “Even in Minnesota, if your child is gender confused, the state may step in and take your child and allow health care directives to be directed toward your child against the parent’s wishes. This just does not sit well with us up here.”
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Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz attend a campaign rally at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas on Aug. 10, 2024. (Ronda Churchill/AFP via Getty Images)
Smith told Fox News Digital that residents around Brainerd are so fed up with Walz’s policies that a local business along Highway 10 in Royalton, Minnesota, put up a sign seen by thousands of motorists showing Walz with his head inserted in his rear end that reads, “Gov. Walz, Northern MN is trying to see things from your point of view. Sponsored by Rocks & Cows of the North.”
The “Rocks & Cows” refers to a comment made by Walz in 2017 about rural America that the Trump campaign has seized on, but some say was taken out of context.
Fox News Digital asked Smith what issues rural voters in his county tell him they are most concerned about in the November election.
“The top three issues that we hear first and foremost is our budget nationally as far as our money,” Smith explained. “We want to ensure that we have a strong economy, and that does not look to be going that well. The next thing will be control of crime. Crime is rampant through most of the democratically controlled areas and people want to be safe in their neighborhoods and in their homes.”
“Lastly would be the control of the border, which would be the massive flood, or what we hear up here, as they call it, an invasion from other countries into our country every week. Those are the three things that I hear most from the people in our county.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign for comment but did not receive a response.
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- TORNADO & HAIL THREAT NORTH THIS EVENING
- STORMS SINK SOUTH OVERNIGHT
- STORMY FOR THE WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE
Severe weather will be possible for some this evening in northern locations. Most of central Indiana will remain storm-free until after midnight. The rare (for Indiana) Moderate Risk has been issued for far northwestern parts of the state this evening. Super-cell storms are expected to develop and move northeast along a cold front. Strong tornadoes will be possible, as well as very large hail, up to baseball size, in the most intense storms. The Moderate Risk is a threat level 4 out of 5.
WRTV
The best chance for the most severe storms this evening will be north of a line from Lafayette to Hartford City. If you live in this area, be very weather aware this evening and have a plan in place with your family. South of that line, we likely won’t see much storm activity until after midnight. This is when the line will start to sink south. It will weaken as it does so, but severe weather will still be possible, as well as flooding from very heavy rain.
wrtv
Plan ahead for your Wednesday morning commute. Whether or not the storms are still severe, heavy rain is expected, and localized flooding will also be possible. The ground is very saturated from all the recent rain. Strong wind, hail, and even an isolated tornado will still be possible. The severe threat is just lower given the timing and how this will unfold in the weather setup.
WRTV
Once the rain ends and we start to clear out, temperatures will tumble.
WRTV
Indianapolis Weather Forecast:
This Evening: Severe storms north. Mostly cloudy elsewhere.
Overnight: Storms sink south. Low: 64°
Tomorrow: Stormy morning. Then drying out. Temps fall. High: 69°
Thursday: Mostly sunny. High: 49°
Indianapolis 7-Day Weather Forecast
WRTV
The Cleveland Cavaliers were crowned NBA champions for the first time in their franchise’s history ten years ago. The 2016 NBA Finals seems like it was just yesterday.
The memories of LeBron James pouncing on a vulnerable Andre Iguodala to swat away his layup attempt is still fresh in the memory of Cavs fans watching at the time.
Kyrie Irving’s stepback three-point shot over Stephen Curry is a moment in time that will be replayed in NBA documentaries and compilations for decades to come. This period of time was truly a magical time for the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio.
The city had never experienced anything similar to what the 2016 Cavs did for Cleveland. The star duo of Mark Price and Brad Daugherty from the late 1980s and early 1990s got far into the playoffs routinely, but never into the NBA Finals, largely because of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.
The Cavaliers toppled the mighty record-breaking 73-win Golden State Warriors in 2016 and now the organization is keeping that memory alive in a huge way.
A professional-sized basketball court
Plans to advance development of “Meet Me Here” Park went through City of Cleveland this past Friday. Developers are speeding up plans to revamp the park in order to have it ready by the 10th anniversary of the championship victory later this summer.
The #Cavs have unveiled development plans for a space on the corner of E 4th St. and Huron Rd. to commemorate the Cavs 2016 NBA Championship.
The project will feature a professional-size basketball court, seating, active greenspace and artwork. pic.twitter.com/aRwPLnwGjA
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) March 10, 2026
The space where this development will be built is in Downtown Cleveland. A NBA-sized basketball court will dominate the space, but benches for spectators and artwork is slated to be included as well. The design of the court will be based on the 2016 NBA championship victory. There’s room for additional mobile hoops to be inserted for specific community events.
The space is temporary and has room to grow
The current plans unveiled last Friday are set to be a temporary solution due to the 10th anniversary approaching. There could be more grand plans to revamp the surrounding area beyond the one professional-sized basketball court. The current space will feature grass areas, trees, and a fence to block basketball from wildly rolling into the street.
A nearby parking garage will also hang a banner with LeBron James famous “Cleveland, this is for you” quote after winning game seven of the 2016 NBA Finals.
This development is one of many recent advancements geared toward building up the surrounding areas of Rocket Arena. A riverfront park that supports residences is being developed near Rocket Arena.
The Cavaliers are opening a brand new practice, training, and sports medicine facility in 2027 called the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center. On top of these developments and the new basketball court, a riverfront amphitheater fit to seat about 6,200 people is set to open around 2028. Cleveland is developing right before the eyes of nearby residents and it’s the consistent success of the Cavaliers that have contributed heavily to these possibilities.
Tornadoes rip through Michigan just hours after deadly tornado in Oklahoma
Destructive tornadoes wreaked havoc hundreds of miles apart from March 5-6, as severe storms roared through the middle of the U.S.
Central Illinois is expected to be hit with tornado alerts Tuesday afternoon and evening, with the highest risk between 6 and 10 p.m.
The National Weather Service announced on X that a Tornado Watch is 95% likely in east-central Illinois through 4:30 p.m. The potential storm is forecast to reach a peak intensity of 2-3.5 inch hail, 55-70 mph winds and 120-150 mph tornadoes.
Here’s how to stay updated on weather alerts in your area.
How to sign up for weather alerts in Illinois
Most residents throughout Illinois will automatically receive Wireless Emergency Alerts on their mobile phones from the NWS, warning them of potentially dangerous weather in their area. These will look like normal text messages and will typically show the type and time of the alert, any action you should take and the agency issuing the alert.
Other sources of information include NOAA Weather Radio, the Storm Prediction Center’s live map of nationwide tornado watches and the Emergency Alert System on radio and TV broadcasts.
Residents can also sign up for text alerts through their local county emergency management agency, such as NotifyChicago.
Sign up for USA TODAY Network weather alerts
Illinois residents can sign up for alerts from the USA TODAY Network to receive texts about current storms and weather events in their area.
Tornado watch vs warning
The NWS explains the difference between the varying tornado alert terminology on its website.
A tornado watch means tornadoes are possible in the area, while a tornado warning means a twister has been sighted or indicated by the weather radar. A tornado emergency is the most severe alert, meaning a violent tornado has touched down in the area.
The website uses the phrases “be prepared,” “take action” and “seek shelter immediately” to summarize the three alerts.
Central Illinois weather radar
Chicago weather radar
ALERT DAY: Tornado threat north this evening; severe threat sinks south overnight
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