Minnesota governor Tim Walz criticised US President Donald Trump during a commencement address at the University of Minnesota Law School on Saturday, warning graduates that they are stepping into “a genuine emergency” caused by a president who “tramples rights and undermines the rule of law.”Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, used the platform to rally future lawyers against what he described as authoritarian overreach. “Every single day, the president of the United States finds new ways to trample rights and undermine the rule of law,” Walz declared, drawing loud applause from the audience, according to news agency AP.Calling lawyers the “first and last line of defense,” Walz told the crowd, “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.”Citing recent policy moves, Walz condemned Trump’s immigration crackdown, including the deportation of alleged gang members to El Salvador’s notorious mega-prison without due process. He also questioned ethical boundaries around Trump’s acceptance of a private jet from the Qatari royal family, both examples he used to illustrate the erosion of democratic norms.Walz also took aim at major law firms he accused of enabling the administration. “Feckless” and “cowardly,” he called them, for offering pro bono services and support to Trump’s legal causes. “It’s a flagrant betrayal of the oath they took as lawyers,” he said, urging graduates to refuse employment with such firms.Anticipating criticism for the speech’s political tone, Walz said, “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,” according to CBS News.Walz’s high-profile speech comes as the Democratic Party continues soul-searching following Kamala Harris’ loss to Trump in the 2024 presidential race. As per AP, frustration within the party remains high over perceived failures to counter Trump’s return to power. Walz, seen as a possible 2028 contender, has been making early moves in key primary states alongside other potential candidates like Illinois Gov JB Pritzker, California Gov Gavin Newsom, and former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg.Pritzker, who is scheduled to headline a Minnesota Democratic dinner in June, made headlines earlier this year when he likened Trump’s rhetoric to the early days of Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, Buttigieg drew attention last week in Iowa by urging Democrats to sharpen their messaging and reach out to ideological opponents.Other prominent Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, have continued rallying large crowds nationwide with their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, while Maryland Gov Wes Moore is set to join Walz for campaign stops in South Carolina later this month.The White House responded swiftly. Trump campaign spokesman Harrison Fields pointed to Walz’s leadership during the 2020 protests in Minnesota after the police killing of George Floyd, saying Walz had failed to control unrest. Fields also mocked Walz’s role on the losing Democratic ticket, calling the Harris-Walz campaign “one of the most chaotic administrations in American history.”
