Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, explained that the Harris campaign has received “a big tent” of endorsements, including figures as diverse as the Cheneys, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and musician Taylor Swift. This remark led Comedy Central’s The Daily Show host Jon Stewart to jokingly ask, “What country did Taylor Swift get us to invade?” a quip referencing former Vice President Dick Cheney’s support for the Iraq War during the Bush administration.
“There is still a core group of folks out there, you know, your point being, the ‘don’t tread on me,’ the Reagan piece of this, the Libertarian piece, the Constitutional piece. There are a lot of people out there,” Walz said on Stewart’s show. “I think Liz Cheney and Dick Cheney give permission to those folks who want to find a reason to do the right thing.”
Walz noted that accepting endorsements from Republican politicians doesn’t mean adopting their entire viewpoint, particularly on foreign policy. Stewart followed up with a light-hearted question, asking if Walz would “promise” not to enact Dick Cheney’s foreign policy decisions. Walz laughed and replied, “Yes.”
The endorsement from Dick Cheney has sparked both praise and criticism as the 2024 election nears. Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) questioned why Democrats would embrace someone he labeled a “genocidal war criminal,” while Bernie Sanders praised both Cheneys for supporting Harris and their “courage in defending democracy.”
Walz, when asked about his proudest accomplishment as governor, pointed to his work on ensuring free breakfast and lunch for schoolchildren. “And the philosophy we have, and this is what I know Kamala agrees in, you’re either going to buy school buses and school meals or prison buses and prison meals,” Walz said. “It makes more sense to bulk on the front end. You solve a lot of those problems.”
With just two weeks left before the election, both Harris and former President Donald Trump have little time to sway undecided voters. Harris recently joined Liz Cheney for a town hall event in Pennsylvania, emphasizing a need to move beyond “the last decade” under Trump.
Trump, in a statement on Monday, criticized Harris for campaigning with “dumb as a rock War Hawk” Liz Cheney, warning Arab-American voters that Cheney “wants to go to War with every Muslim Country known to mankind.” Trump also claimed a Harris presidency could lead to World War III and urged voters to “vote for peace.”
During his recent visit to Pennsylvania, Trump made headlines for a visit to a McDonald’s, where he worked behind the counter and in the drive-thru window. His appearance at a Pittsburgh Steelers game on Sunday night also generated significant buzz on social media.
