Trump’s olive branch to Tim Walz isn’t quite what it seems — it’s part of a calculated move to win back voter trust
Donald Trump may be softening his stance on Minnesota a bit since the brutal killing of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents last week, but that does not necessarily mean that he has suddenly grown a conscience. At least that is what Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is saying, and honestly, I think, given Trump’s nature, most people believe him.
In his recent appearance on MS Now, Tim Walz made it a point to clarify some of the misconceptions people have about Donald Trump, particularly regarding his changed attitude towards Minnesota, including his announcement that he was considering scaling back operations in the state. While discussing this topic, Walz mentioned that he understood why Trump called him, hinting that it wasn’t out of concern but rather with ulterior motives. He said:
I talked to the White House. I talked to Tom Homan. I talked to numerous people, and not once did they ever say Alex or Renee’s name. Not once did they ask how the people of Minnesota were doing. So, look, I know who I am dealing with, and I know the reason he was calling me was he needed something from us.”
Walz continued to discuss the issue, emphasizing that Trump didn’t call him because he was upset about the “horrific situation of a violation of human rights, the potential murder of Minnesotans,” or an “assault” on Minnesota “that is unprecedented in American history,” but because he noticed a drop in his poll numbers and “it looked bad on TV.”
Walz is not lying or reaching incorrect conclusions about Trump’s intentions in this case, as Trump’s poll numbers and approval ratings have indeed dropped significantly since he took office at the beginning of last year. And really, why wouldn’t they?
Ever since Trump became president, he has been taking one action after another, which hasn’t necessarily yielded positive results for Americans. With immigration policies and crackdowns, tariffs, government shutdowns, rising prices, inflation, increasing healthcare costs, vilifying Democratic leaders and sometimes individuals, and spending more time on flights than in the office, it has been a long rollercoaster ride that continues with no signs of an end in sight. So, after all this, if Trump thinks that his approval ratings wouldn’t be affected, it is quite naive of him to think so, and the recent research done by the Pew Research Centre is proof.
Based on it, Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 37 per cent from an earlier 40 per cent, highlighting a steady decline in his popularity. The research also indicates that 50 per cent of people believe the Trump administration’s actions since taking office last year have been worse than expected, and only 27 per cent of people say they support all or most of Donald Trump’s policies and plans.
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