Gwen Walz, the first lady of Minnesota, has faced criticism for her recent campaign speech in Wisconsin, where she used a hand gesture to say "bye bye" to former President Donald Trump.
As reported by Fox News, her speech was deemed "cringe" and "condescending" by critics who found her gestures and remarks inappropriate.
Walz, who was campaigning for her husband, Governor Tim Walz, and Vice President Kamala Harris, used a sweeping hand gesture to illustrate the need to "turn the page" on Trump's presidency. This gesture was met with applause from the audience but drew criticism from others who found it disrespectful and in poor taste.
Gwen Walz began her speech by referencing Vice President Kamala Harris's debate performance, where Harris repeatedly called for turning the page on the current political climate. Walz echoed this sentiment, asking the audience to join her in a symbolic gesture of turning the page.
Gwen Walz said:
Now you probably saw that debate the other night. Yeah, that was great. And what Kamala Harris told us we had to do, was we had to turn the page. Yeah, because we have something really exciting headed in our direction.
She then asked the audience to mimic her gesture, emphasizing the need to move on from Trump's presidency. Walz continued by saying, "You know what else that looks like? Bye, bye. Bye bye, Donald Trump," which elicited mixed reactions from viewers.
Critics were quick to condemn Gwen Walz's speech, labeling it as "cringe" and "condescending." Some compared her to Hillary Clinton, suggesting that her remarks were even worse. The backlash highlighted the polarizing nature of political rhetoric and the sensitivity surrounding discussions about former President Trump.
The first lady's speech was seen as an embodiment of "Trump Derangement Syndrome," a term used to describe an irrational hatred or fear of Trump. This criticism underscores the divisive nature of political discourse and the challenges faced by public figures in navigating such contentious issues.
"I'm sorry you have to watch this," one critic quipped of a clip of Gwen Walz.
Gwen Walz is a former teacher who met her husband, Tim Walz, when they both worked as educators in the 1990s. She has served as the first lady of Minnesota since 2019, when Tim Walz was sworn in as governor. This is not the first time Gwen Walz has drawn criticism for her public remarks.
Previously, she made headlines for her comments about the 2020 Minnesota riots. In an interview with KSTP, Walz described how she kept her windows open to smell the burning tires during the riots, a remark that was widely criticized as bizarre and insensitive.
Again we had more sleepless nights during the riots. I could smell the burning tires, and that was a very real thing. And I kept the windows open as long as I could because I felt like that was such a touchstone of what was happening.
Gwen Walz's campaign speech in Wisconsin has drawn criticism for her use of a hand gesture to say "bye bye" to former President Donald Trump. The speech was deemed "cringe" and "condescending" by critics who found her gestures and remarks inappropriate. Walz echoed Vice President Kamala Harris's call to "turn the page" on the current political climate, but her symbolic gesture was met with mixed reactions. Critics compared her to Hillary Clinton and labeled her remarks as an embodiment of "Trump Derangement Syndrome." This is not the first time Walz has faced criticism for her public remarks, as she previously drew backlash for her comments about the 2020 Minnesota riots.
