Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks during a press conference regarding new gun legislation at the Bloomington City Hall on August 1, 2024 in Bloomington, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the running mate of presidential candidate Kamala Harris, stopped in America's Finest City Sunday amid a campaign fundraiser tour across the West Coast.
The vice presidential candidate drew several big laughs from the crowd at a campaign fundraiser Sunday at the La Jolla home of Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs.
The Minnesota governor joked that he'd "rather eat glass" than be back in Congress, and that even when San Diego is covered in a marine layer, it still has better weather than Minnesota.
Walz also used part of the 15-minute speech to criticize former President Donald Trump for lies and misinformation the Republican presidential nominee has spread about the federal response to Hurricane Helene.
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"This is when Americans do the best," Walz said. "This is when Donald Trump sees a political opportunity."
Walz, 60, flew into the San Diego International Airport around 2 p.m. Sunday and left around 4 p.m., bound for Montecito, in Santa Barbara County, the second stop in his West Coast fundraising swing.
Walz then flew to Long Beach Airport for a Monday appearance on the ABC late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
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The following day, Walz traveled to Seattle and Sacramento for more fundraising events.
Walz's opponent, JD Vance, visited San Diego in late August for his own fundraising for the Trump-Vance campaign. While here, Vance visited the U.S.-Mexico Border where he insisted on reinstating former President Donald Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy. Title 42 was used to block land entry for many immigrants during the coronavirus pandemic.
Walz, an unexpected choice for Harris' running mate among a long list of contenders, has a long history in politics. He's currently serving his second term as governor and also served 12 years in Congress. He was previously a public school teacher and a member of the Army National Guard for more than two decades.
The campaign hopes his midwest roots will hold the states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan — longtime Democratic strongholds at the presidential level that Donald Trump flipped in 2016 and Joe Biden flipped back in 2020.
