Tim Walz, the little-known governor chosen to be Kamala Harris' running mate, sells himself as a fun, "folksy" dad. But beneath that benign image is a weak leader who failed to protect his people during a crisis.

When rioters burned down Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd, Walz all but surrendered control of the city. The burning of the 3rd Police Precinct created a haunting and indelible picture of the chaos that rocked the nation that summer.

This is the image that defines Tim Walz. During the Floyd riots, he allowed a mob of thugs to burn a police station to the ground right in the middle of Minneapolis. Everything you need to know about him can be seen here. A thousand words, as they say. pic.twitter.com/5L0qzCy0d6

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 6, 2024

Walz waffled during riots

Walz was quick to blame the police for Floyd's death, but he was less aggressive about stopping the bedlam that followed.

"I want to just be clear there's philosophically an argument to be made that an armed presence on the ground in the midst of where we just had a police killing is seen as a catalyst," Walz said at the time.

On the second night of rioting, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey asked the governor to assist outnumbered local police. Walz waffled.

"We expressed the seriousness of the situation. The urgency was clear," Frey told the Star Tribune in August 2020. "He did not say yes," Frey added. "He said he would consider it."

Police had already evacuated the city's 3rd Precinct by the time Walz sent in 90 National Guard troops. Thugs surrounded the precinct and set it on fire, creating a lasting image of anarchy.

Point the finger

At the time, Walz pointed the finger at Minneapolis, calling its response an "abject failure." Walz claimed he didn't have the information he needed to respond effectively.

By the time the rioters were finished, three people were dead and downtown Minneapolis was a ruin. 1,500 structures were destroyed, totaling $500 million in property damage.

While the flames eventually died down, the Twin Cities have yet to recover, and crime has skyrocketed.

Republicans see Walz's rise as an opportunity to remind voters of the chaos that the left unleashed in 2020 - and the radical elements that see Walz as an ally.