Celebrities react to Tim Walz running mate

Celebrities are reacting to the news that Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz, the traditional governor of Minnesota, to be her running mate in the 2024 election.

With just over three months until the November election, Democrats are looking to build on Harris’ slim lead over former President Donald Trump. Walz and Harris are preparing for their first campaign meeting in Philadelphia later Tuesday.

Walz, now in his second term as governor, has gained attention for his progressive policies while maintaining the ability to appeal to both urban and rural voters. His election aims to balance the Democratic ticket, using his Central roots and legislative success to attract a broad base of support.

Various celebrities have now shared their thoughts on X’s decision, formerly of Twitter.

Newsweek Walz emailed Harris’ spokesman for comment on Tuesday.

Kellyanne Conway, who gained national recognition as Trump’s campaign manager during his successful 2016 presidential bid, shared her thoughts on the decision.

“Tim Walz? What a relief,” he wrote online.

Conway previously praised Trump for choosing Vance as his running mate in a post on X: “Senator @JDVance1 represents a new generation of America First warriors. His life experiences and vision equip him to fight for forgotten men, women and children together with President Trump. Let’s win in 2024!”

When re-sharing the news on X that Walz had been nominated, Fox News anchor Tomi Lahren simply wrote: “Cringe.”

Lahren previously criticized Vance for her “childless” criticism of Harris, calling it a “bad move” that could cost Republicans the election.

Cynthia Nixon also took the plunge, sharing a video of herself drinking from a coconut on social media. This is a reference to a famous meme created from Harris’ speech at the White House inauguration in May 2023, where he told audience members that his mother used to say: “When I am.” You don’t know what’s wrong with you guys, do you think you just fell off a coconut tree?

At the time, the comment was met with laughter and cheers, but now it’s gone viral, and Harris’ comment has been incorporated into a popular TikTok sound.

“Walzing on air! Thank you @kamalaharris,” Nixon captioned the video, with the TikTok song playing above.

Hollywood actress Bette Midler, a frequent critic of Trump, also shared the news on her X account, writing: “Kamala has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate and this is what he says: “

His post was accompanied by a screenshot of an article that shared Walz’s response to the news of his election.

“‘Excitement in the air, it feels like the first day of school, and as a football coach, we are back,’ Walz said in a video message on X to support the Harris campaign. ‘Vice President Harris brings energy , to ensure that he will be there to protect democracy, and … bring joy back to our politics,'” the screenplay reads.

British TV personality Piers Morgan—often involved in US politics—took to X to criticize Walz’s choice, writing: “Kamala Harris may have just lost the election with this choice of VP. Does Sarah Palin feel it, though for different reasons.”

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis showed her support for the decision on Instagram, sharing a photo of Harris and Walz.

“LET’S GO TO AMERICA!” he wrote, tagging the Instagram accounts of both politicians.

Actress Julianne Moore shared a similar photo of Curtis on Instagram and wrote: “This is great news! Can’t wait to vote for this ticket @kamalaharris @timwalz Text REGISTER to 644-33 to check registration your ballot to make sure you’re ready to vote.”

Walz’s national profile began to rise after he became the first Democrat to publicly call Trump and Vance “weird” — a story that has since been picked up by Democrats.

He brings a unique national political experience: He was a non-commissioned officer in the Army, a public school teacher, and a state high school football coach before entering politics. As a congressman, he represented Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District—a long-held GOP base—and was reelected five times.