Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota criticized Donald Trump in a law school graduation speech Saturday, accusing the Republican president of creating a national emergency by repeatedly violating the rule of law.
Walz, the vice presidential nominee in 2024, used his remarks at the University of Minnesota’s law school commencement ceremony to call on graduates to stand up to abuses of power. Lawyers, he said, are “our first and last line of defense.”
“Right now, more than any other time in my lifetime, we need you to live up to the oath that you’re about to make. Because, I have to be honest with you: You are graduating into a genuine emergency,” Walz told the crowd, which greeted him with loud applause. “Every single day, the president of the United States finds new ways to trample rights and undermine the rule of law.”
Walz pointed to Trump’s immigration crackdown, which includes deporting alleged gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador, questions about lack of due process and the offer of a gifted jet from the Qatari ruling family to the president.
“This is what the crumbling of rule of law looks like in real time. And it’s exactly what the founders of this nation feared: A tyrant, abusing power to persecute scapegoats and enemies,” he said.
Since Kamala Harris’ loss to Trump in November, Democrats have been debating which direction to take the party amid deep frustrations from Democratic voters that its leaders are failing to do enough to check the new administration.
Walz is among a long list of potential 2028 candidates who have been traveling to early voting states.
Others include Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who sharply criticized “do-nothing” Democrats last month for failing to oppose Trump. Pritzker, who is scheduled to headline a Minnesota Democratic dinner in June, drew attention in February when he used part of his joint budget and State of the State address to draw a parallel between Trump’s rhetoric and the rise of Nazi Germany.
This past week, President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, returned to Iowa for a town hall where he criticized Trump’s administration while demanding that Democrats make their agenda clear and reach out to people who disagree with them.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been hosting a high-profile podcast. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been drawing huge crowds to rallies across the country. Walz and Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland have scheduled stops in South Carolina at the end of May.
In his commencement speech, Walz acknowledged his words were particularly pointed for a celebratory ceremony.
“Some would say, ‘Boy, this is getting way too political for a commencement address.’ But I would argue: I wouldn’t be honoring my oath if I didn’t address this head on,” he said to applause and cheers.
Later, he scoffed at some Democrats who have urged the party to focus on issues such as trade, where Trump is polling badly, instead of the rule of law.
He also attacked “feckless” and “cowardly” big law firms that have acquiesced to Trump in the face of threats, with some offering millions in pro bono work and other benefits.
“It’s a flagrant betrayal of the oath they took as lawyers,” he said, urging graduates to refuse to work for or with those firms as they make their way into the workforce.
