Walz: Trump has unleashed ‘chaos’ on world

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) criticized President Trump in his 2025 State of the State address, saying the president has unleashed “chaos” on the world.”

During his speech Wednesday evening, Walz pledged to protect Minnesotans from the impacts of Trump’s policies. He highlighted the state’s strength but called today a “moment of great uncertainty for our nation.”

“Let’s be honest. This uncertainty, this chaos, is no accident,” Walz said. “The president of the United States has chosen. Chosen to destroy the federal government’s ability to help people.”

Walz, who ran alongside former former Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump and Vice President Vance, sharply criticized Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk and his role in scaling back federal spending by cutting jobs and programs.

He argued that people in Minnesota previously could seek help from the federal government, but now, the government has “switched sides” and aids corporations over everyday people.

Walz also highlighted the recent detention of international university students who protested for Palestine as well as the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

“In the land of the free and home of the brave,” they have yet to receive due process from the Trump administration, he said.

“I want to be real clear about this. If you say you love freedom, but you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it’s privilege,” Walz added, prompting a standing ovation from Democratic state lawmakers.

The State of the State was Walz’s first statewide address since the 2024 campaign. He has yet to say whether he will run for a third term as governor, but he said he would decide after the legislative session, The Associated Press reported.

In 1958, Minnesota adopted an amendment that allowed governors to serve four-year terms without a term limit. No candidate has ever won three consecutive terms.

Walz has been eyed as one of the next leaders of the Democratic Party after the election loss. He became a nationally known candidate and has since held town halls in various GOP congressional districts to speak about DOGE’s impact on Americans.

During his address, Walz highlighted the economic “turmoil” Trump has thrown the country into with his sweeping tariff agenda.

“As governor, I will continue to do everything in my power to protect Minnesotans from getting hurt,” he added.

While Walz has been an advocate against the administration's policies, he noted in his speech that it’s not enough to simply speak out.

“We need to prove to the people of Minnesota and to the American people, there is a better way to govern, because the truth is, this current administration in Washington, they’re not forever,” Walz said. “These small, petty men will disappear into the dustbin of history, and when they do, there will be an opportunity, and an obligation, to actually rebuild government so that it works for working people.”

In a statement to The Hill, the White House noted Walz ran with Harris, saying she was part of one of the "most chaotic administrations."

"It’s rich of Tim 'Jazz Hands' Walz to decry chaos when he let his largest city burn to the ground while his wife opened their mansion’s windows to savor the fumes," White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement. 

Updated at 2:42 p.m. EDT