Walz on leader of Democratic Party: ‘The voting public’

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who ran to be vice president on the Democratic ticket alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris, said he believes the next leader of the party is going to be “the voting public.”

Walz appeared Wednesday on CNN to discuss President Trump’s joint address to Congress and the future of his party.

“Who do you think the leader of the Democratic Party is right now?” CNN’s Kasie Hunt asked.

Walz paused, then said he believes the leader is the voting public.

In the aftermath of the election, Democratic officials have questioned who will step up and become the party’s next leader. Harris and Walz have been part of that conversation, though neither of them have explicitly said they will run in 2028.

Walz said he doesn’t believe the party will have “a charismatic leader right in here and save us from” the Trump administration.

He said he believes party leaders need to be “standing alongside” the people who have been protesting the administration and the Department of Government Efficiency.

Hunt again questioned if Walz saw someone who would be able to “dominate” politics in the way that President Trump has for the GOP over the last decade.

“I see a whole lot of them,” he replied. “I see young members of Congress stepping up.”

Walz argued that Democrats have to be out there “every day” to combat Trump.

“We need to be better organized. There is going to be an organic uprising, which we’re seeing out of folks,” he said.