Doug Ford 'happy as punch' to see Minnesota governor get tapped for VP

The Canadian Press / Arlyn McAdorey and AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed joy after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was picked by current US Vice President Kamala Harris to be her running mate in her presidential campaign.

“I was happy as punch to see the governor get nominated,” said Ford during a press conference on Wednesday.

Ford said that Walz joined him at Queen’s Park for a meeting just two months before he was asked by Harris to join her ticket: “We shared a lot in common when we sat down, we tossed the football around a little bit in my office. … We’re going to work well together if he gets elected.”

Walz could prove helpful to Harris’ campaign in the Midwest, where her opponent, former President Donald Trump, had success in his victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. While Trump would go on to lose in the 2020 election, the Midwest is still very much considered a battleground in the coming election.

Walz appeared before supporters at a Harris rally in Philadelphia on Thursday, where he was met with applause. The selection has been praised by those on the left, while political opponents have pointed to Walz’s handling of the Covid-19 health crisis and mismanagement during the civil unrest during the George Floyd riots as indicators of his inability to govern.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s handling of the Covid-19 health crisis, as well as the civil unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer, have both been criticized by his opponents.

MORE: https://t.co/YFmf1dcrjH pic.twitter.com/WCt4SXEZMh

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 6, 2024

The 2020 riots in particular saw $350 million in damages, and approximately 1,300 properties in Minneapolis damaged by the civil unrest, of which nearly 100 were destroyed entirely.

As governor, Walz travelled to Canada in June to promote Minnesota as a prime location for trade and investment, aiming to strengthen economic ties.

Photos from his meeting with Ford showed an exchange of gifts, including a Minnesota license plate reading “FORD” and a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. On Wednesday, Ford mentioned he also gave Walz, who was a high school football coach and teacher before entering politics, a CFL football.

Ontario and Minnesota do nearly $8 billion in two-way trade annually, with Ford saying that the province is a top trading partner for the North Star state.

“I’ll work with anyone, I don’t care whether Republican or Democrat, I don’t care who’s in there. We’ll work with them,” Ford added.