--- title: Tim Walz Tells Democrats to 'Be Meaner,' Calls Trump 'Cruel' description: "Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce," said Walz. canonical: https://time.com/7290249/tim-walz-speech-democrats-meaner-donald-trump-bully-analogy/ author: Rebecca Schneid article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-05-31T19:27:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-11T00:42:08.150Z article:section: Politics og:title: Tim Walz Tells Democrats to 'Be Meaner,' Calls Trump 'Cruel' og:description: "Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce," said Walz. og:url: https://time.com/7290249/tim-walz-speech-democrats-meaner-donald-trump-bully-analogy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte97fe341434f185a/6998c714e2d64b6efdc5f63a/Minnesota-Gov.-Tim-Walz-speaks-to-delegates-at-the-South-Carolina-Democratic-Party-Convention-Saturday-May-31-2025-in-Columbia-S.C.-AP-PhotoMeg-Kinnard-.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1884 og:image:height: 1060 og:image:alt: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks to delegates at the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Tim Walz Tells Democrats to 'Be Meaner,' Calls Trump 'Cruel' twitter:description: "Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce," said Walz. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte97fe341434f185a/6998c714e2d64b6efdc5f63a/Minnesota-Gov.-Tim-Walz-speaks-to-delegates-at-the-South-Carolina-Democratic-Party-Convention-Saturday-May-31-2025-in-Columbia-S.C.-AP-PhotoMeg-Kinnard-.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Gov. Tim Walz Suggests It's Time for Democrats to 'Be a Little Meaner,' Calls Trump a 'Cruel Man' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=17f25d85-bf7f-4c7b-9540-2b1d37f5f2df&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter May 31, 2025 7:27 PM UTC  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks to delegates at the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention on Saturday-May 31, 2025\. in Columbia, South Carolina. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks to delegates at the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention on Saturday-May 31, 2025\. in Columbia, South Carolina. Meg Kinnard—AP  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter May 31, 2025 7:27 PM UTC Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shared some stark words for Democrats on Saturday, calling for his fellow party members to "be a little meaner" in the pushback against President Donald Trump. “It’s because he is,” Walz said at the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention, addressing why he called Trump a “wannabe dictator.” Walz ran as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris against Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance in 2024\. The [former public school teacher ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh8M41Gk9eU)was initially praised during the election for his [relatability](https://time.com/7009138/tim-walz-authenticity-charm-essay/) and [Midwestern appeal](https://time.com/7009644/tim-walz-midwest-jd-vance/). “‘Oh, the Governor’s being mean,’ well, maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce,” Walz said. “We have to ferociously push back on this…the thing that bothers a teacher more than anything is to watch a bully.” When the bully is a child, you teach them why bullying is wrong, Walz explained, but when the “bully is an adult like Donald Trump, you bully… him back.” “At heart, this is a weak, cruel man,” Walz said of Trump. Walz’s comments come amid wider efforts among the Democratic Party to step toe-to-toe with Trump’s far-reaching and sweeping changes at the federal government, which have seen him attempt to flex his [executive power in unprecedented ways](https://time.com/7280106/trump-interview-100-days-2025/). **Read More**: [_Sen. Bernie Sanders Issues Stark Warning About Trump During Surprise Coachella Appearance_](https://time.com/7277392/bernie-sanders-coachella-appearance-speech-donald-trump-warning/) Other efforts from the Democratic Party and beyond include work by progressives like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat, and Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who are currently holding rallies across the U.S. as part of their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, in an attempt to push back against and highlight the growing [power of wealthy individuals](https://time.com/7221154/rise-of-americas-broligarchy/) in and around Trump's government. Meanwhile, leaders like Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy are looking for ways to [rebuild the Democratic Party](https://time.com/7286163/inside-the-democratic-party-reboot/), leaning further into economic populism in order to win elections, especially after the economy loomed so large during the 2024 campaigns. As the left is rocked by just the first few months of Trump’s second term at the White House, Democratic leaders seem eager to embrace new ideas in the hope they can rebound in 2026 and—eventually—2028. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7290249/tim-walz-speech-democrats-meaner-donald-trump-bully-analogy/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7290249/tim-walz-speech-democrats-meaner-donald-trump-bully-analogy/"},"headline":"Gov. 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