Trump Supporters Outraged After Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Advocates for Abolishing the Electoral College
JOSE LUIS MAGANA/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, stirred controversy when he called for the elimination of the Electoral College during a fundraiser at California Governor Gavin Newsom’s private residence, according to CNN’s Aaron Pellish. Trump supporters swiftly reacted, expressing outrage over Walz’s remarks.
“I think all of us know the Electoral College needs to go,” Walz stated. “We need a national popular vote, but that’s not the world we live in.” His comment highlighted his support for a system where the popular vote directly determines the presidency, rather than the current method where states appoint electors.
Pew Research shows that 63 percent of Americans favor abolishing the Electoral College, citing that the system doesn’t always align with the popular vote. Despite this, the proposal remains divisive. Interestingly, former President Donald Trump himself has previously criticized the Electoral College, calling it a “disaster for democracy.”
He incorrectly blamed it for Mitt Romney’s loss to Barack Obama in the 2012 election. However, after Trump’s own 2016 victory, which saw him win the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote, his supporters have vigorously defended the system as essential to the American democratic structure and consistent with the Founding Fathers’ intentions, told the Washington Post.
Following Walz’s comments, many Trump supporters took to social media to express their disapproval. Donald Trump Jr. reacted strongly on X, writing, “Holy s—, Walz and Kamala are radicals!”
Dustin Grage, a columnist for Townhall, echoed this sentiment, posting, “Tim Walz during a fundraiser today with Gavin Newsom in California: ‘I think all of us know the Electoral College needs to go. We need a national popular vote but that’s not the world we live in.’ This guy doesn’t care about rural America.” Despite this assertion, it is worth noting that the Electoral College does not inherently favor rural states; rather, it benefits swing states like Michigan and Arizona.
Elizabeth MacDonald of Fox Business also weighed in, warning, “Warned this was coming, now Tim Walz w Gavin Newsom in California says get rid of the Founding Fathers’ electoral college. Democrats accused of wanting to cement one-party rule via a mobocracy led by more populated states—like California.” However, several highly populated states, including California, provided Trump with a substantial number of raw votes in the 2016 election.
While Walz’s suggestion has sparked debate, the likelihood of abolishing the Electoral College remains low. Achieving such a change would require either a constitutional amendment or the cooperation of multiple Republican-leaning states to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, both of which are challenging under the current political landscape.
