Walz is 'terrible in a crisis,' says former Republican Minnesota Senate leader

MINNEAPOLIS - A former top Republican state lawmaker says there are two concerning things about a potential Gov. Tim Walz vice presidency: He "is terrible in a crisis" and "how he spends money."

Paul Gazelka, former Republican Senate majority leader, shared his experience working alongside Walz over the years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 riots.

The former lawmaker said his early experiences with Walz were collaborative, but that, eventually, "rather than working with him, I was working against him."

"I wouldn't say at first that he was difficult to work with. He comes in with what I would say is kind of a country charm, but that is not really where he is trying to drive his agenda. It is much more liberal," Gazelka told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

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Paul Gazela, who served as state Senate majority leader from 2017 to 2021, spoke with Fox News Digital about his experience working with Gov. Tim Walz. (Fox News Digital)

"When he has power, I don't think he can be trusted. And when he has to make decisions in a crisis, they're terrible decisions," the former lawmaker added.

There are two top concerns that Gazelka, who served as the state's Senate majority leader from 2017 to 2021, has about Walz in a leadership role.

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"My concern for him as a leader, number one, is he's terrible in a crisis. And then how he spends money. It's like he has no sense of what the value of a dollar is. And they just spend money until they go into debt. And so people need to pay attention."

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event on Aug. 7, 2024, in Detroit. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Gazelka reflected on the 2020 riots that erupted in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd and Walz's leadership during the chaotic event.

"The mayor of Minneapolis, Mayor Frye, said to the governor, ‘I need your help. I need the Guard.’ And that's when the governor just sat on his hands. He froze. He didn't do anything," Gazelka said.

He added that voters "need to know" that "when he presents this country charm, it does not represent rural American values."

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, arrive at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (Matt Rourke/AP Images)

Gazelka drew a contrast between the Harris-Walz and Trump-Vance tickets.

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"Both sides are very, very clear. They didn't pick somebody opposite of them to get votes. They just said, you know, this far-left liberal that goes toward socialism or the Trump direction, which is Make America Great Again," he said. "Trump is a strong leader. Harris is not. She hasn't even done a press conference. She won't get out there and stand up and be who she is. And that presents herself and therefore America as weak, and that is not what we want to do."