Exclusive: Tom Emmer torches Tim Walz's 'failed' leadership, says he should 'have his head examined'



House Majority Whip and Minnesota native Tom Emmer (R) bashed Democratic Gov. Tim Walz for his "failure to lead" in the aftermath of the gruesome Minnesota shooting during an exclusive interview with Blaze News.

Following the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School, Emmer spoke about the heartbreak felt in the community while also criticizing Walz's repeated inaction to protect Minnesotans.

'There were warnings all along the way.'

"I'm a Minnesotan and father of seven kids, and we're a Catholic family," Emmer told Blaze News. "The Annunciation school is one of the strongest Catholic parishes in the Twin Cities."

"Words just can't describe the amount of heartbreak and anger that I think all of us feel about this unspeakable act of evil."

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The shooter was later identified as Robert Westman, a man who suffered from gender confusion, raising concerns about transgender gun ownership. Emmer said that rather than addressing Westman's mental health, Democratic policies like those backed by Walz exacerbate the issue.

"Everyone has their own challenges. We respect that. We understand that," Emmer told Blaze News. "But Tim Walz and all of these radical left-wing Democrats that look at a young man like the one involved in this case and tell them, 'You're confused. We're going to make it worse. We're going to encourage you to make it worse.'"

Under Walz's leadership, Minnesota became a "trans refuge" that allowed the state to take children with gender dysphoria away from their parents if they weren't giving them "gender-affirming care." Additionally, Catholic schools were on guard and asking for increased security following the Tennessee shooting in 2023, but Walz ignored their pleas.

"The trans community, God bless them for the challenges they already have, but the suicide in that community is well above the national average. Why aren't we talking about that?" Emmer added. "... He was screaming for help."

"There were warnings all along the way," Emmer told Blaze News.

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Since the shooting, Walz and other Democratic officials have pointed the finger at firearms instead of the underlying motives that may have led Westman to commit the heinous act. Rather than politicizing the atrocity, Emmer said leaders should come together to address the "root of the problem."

"We should be focused on what the root of the problem is," Emmer told Blaze News. "It's mental health. It's a failure of people to actually speak up and follow the laws that are there and enforce them."

"It's all about us and them for Tim Walz, as opposed to how do we all work together and live together in peace and security and respect," Emmer told Blaze News.

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Unfortunately, the recent violence in Minnesota was not an isolated incident. Like many other blue cities across the country, Minneapolis is plagued by high crime rates. Although Trump has previously extended a hand to blue cities like Minneapolis, Walz continues to dig his heels in.

"I'm hoping partisan, hateful, failed leaders like Tim Walz, JB Pritzker, and others follow the model," Emmer told Blaze News. "You don't have to embrace Donald Trump. ... But certainly you should care enough about your own people. The people that you work for that elected you to protect them and their families from the violence that we've been seeing in Minneapolis as a result of the failure to lead."

"Seriously, there's something wrong with Tim Walz," Emmer told Blaze News. "Somebody should have his head examined and offer him some help, because he's completely gone off the edge."

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'White, well-educated' Democrats are demanding lawmakers 'get shot' to prove they're anti-Trump as deadly violence rises



While President Donald Trump continues to deliver big wins for the American people, the Democrat base is becoming increasingly desperate.

Several Democrat lawmakers have expressed concerns as their constituents grow increasingly frustrated with what they view as inaction.

"We've got people who are desperately wanting us to do something. ... No matter what we say, they want [more]," Democrat Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois said.

'The expectations aren't just unreal. They're dangerous.'

"Some of them have suggested ... what we really need to do is be willing to get shot," another Democrat said.

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These lawmakers, most of whom spoke to Axios on the condition of anonymity, also said most of these voters were "white, well educated, and live in upscale suburban or urban neighborhoods."

"What I have seen is a demand that we get ourselves arrested intentionally or allow ourselves to be victims of violence, and ... a lot of times that's coming from economically very secure white people," one Democrat said.

"Not only would that be a gift to Donald Trump, not only would it make the job of Republicans in Congress easier if we were all mired in legal troubles ... [we are] a group that is disproportionately people of color, women, LGBTQ people — people who do not fare very well in prison."

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Democrats are growing increasingly concerned that the grassroots base is expecting bloodshed as penance for Trump's historic victory in November 2024 and all his administration has accomplished since then.

"Our own base is telling us that what we're doing is not good enough ... [that] there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public," one Democrat said.

"It's like ... the Roman coliseum. People just want more and more of this spectacle," another Democratic lawmaker said.

The increase in calls for violence coincides with the increase in attacks against law enforcement officers.

As recently as Monday, two Border Patrol officers and one employee were shot by a suspect in tactical gear. The three victims are currently being treated for their injuries at a nearby hospital in Texas. The suspect was shot dead by law enforcement. Another Texas police officer was shot in the neck on Thursday in what appears to be a coordinated attack outside an ICE detention facility.

"The expectations aren't just unreal," one Democrat said. "They're dangerous."

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The growing list of lawmakers ditching the Democratic Party



The Democratic Party is hemorrhaging not just voters, but lawmakers too.

Most recently, Florida state Rep. Hillary Cassel announced Friday that she would be switching her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican because she believes in "their vision for a better, more prosperous Florida."

There is no greater evidence of this shift than the overwhelming loss Democrats endured on November 5, especially among constituents and voting demographics that have reliably voted blue for decades.

"As a mother, I want to help build a world where our children are judged on their character and their actions, not on their labels," Cassel said. "As a proud Jewish woman, I have been increasingly troubled by the Democratic Party's failure to unequivocally support Israel and its willingness to tolerate extreme progressive voices that justify or condone acts of terrorism.

"I'm constantly troubled by the inability of the current Democratic Party to relate to everyday Floridians," Cassel continued. "I can no longer remain in a party that doesn't represent my values."

Although she is switching her affiliation, Cassel points out that her values won't necessarily always be in line with the entire Republican conference.

"I know I won't always agree on every detail with every Republican, but I do know that I will always have input, collaboration, and respect," Cassel said. "The House Republican Conference empowers members to find common-sense solutions to real issues facing all Floridians. They welcome different ideas and collaboration, which is the cornerstone of effective government. Those are my values."

Cassel is the second Florida lawmaker to switch her party affiliation this December. Recently re-elected Florida state Rep. Susan Valdes also announced that she will be changing her affiliation from Democrat to Republican in a statement echoing Cassel's.

"In the House, I have long known that no one has a monopoly on good ideas," Valdes said. "I will not waste my final two years in the Florida Legislature being ignored in a caucus whose leadership expects me to ignore the needs of my community."

"I want to roll up my sleeves and work," Valdes continued. "I want to be a part of solving problems for West Tampa. I'm tired of being the party of protesting when I got into politics to be part of the party of progress. I know that I won't agree with my fellow Republican House members on every issue, but I know that in their caucus, I will be welcomed and treated with respect."

This change of heart from Valdes and Cassel is not an isolated incident. California state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil also announced in August that she would be abandoning the Democratic Party and switching to the Republican Party.

“In the past two years that I’ve been working in the Senate, I have not recognized the party that I belong to,” Alvarado-Gil said. “The Democratic Party is not the party that I signed up for decades ago.”

Among the lawmakers and voters who have increasingly rejected the Democratic Party, the common thread has been the fact that the party has become unrecognizable. There is no greater evidence of this shift than the overwhelming loss Democrats endured on November 5, especially among constituents and voting demographics that have reliably voted blue for decades.

Whether Democrats decide to correct course for the sake of political viability is yet to be seen.

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