Newport Beach Mayor Blasts Walz's Leadership Ahead of California Fundraising Visit

Republican Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill criticized Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz's leadership in Minnesota, slamming his handling of the George Floyd riots and progressive policies.

Republican Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill has blasted Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's leadership ahead of the Democratic vice presidential candidate's fundraising stop in the California beach town on Tuesday. O'Neill, a staunch conservative, criticized Walz's handling of the George Floyd riots in Minneapolis in 2020, which left the city in ruins with hundreds of businesses destroyed.

"Frankly, Gov. Walz's enduring image as governor was watching Minneapolis and the fire station in that city burn," O'Neill told "Fox & Friends" co-host Steve Doocy. "We saw images like that actually here in California as well, in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and places like Oakland. You end up kind of realizing that our governor out here, Gov. Newsom, and Gov. Walz are sort of the different sides of the same blue coin when it comes to public safety."

Newport Beach Mayor Blasts Walz's Leadership Ahead of California Fundraising Visit

O'Neill, a vocal supporter of law enforcement, expressed his desire to engage Walz in a conversation with the Newport Beach police chief and community members who support the department. He believes this interaction would provide Walz with a firsthand perspective on the importance of maintaining a strong police presence.

"I would love to take him down to our police station, have a conversation with our police chief, and get some community members who really support the police department here at Newport Beach to talk to him about why and why that really matters," O'Neill said.

Newport Beach Mayor Blasts Walz's Leadership Ahead of California Fundraising Visit

Walz is scheduled to travel to Los Angeles today to speak at the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Convention. Later in the day, he will attend a glitzy fundraiser in Newport Beach, where tickets are priced as high as $100,000. O'Neill expressed hope that Walz would take notice of the stark contrast between the progressive policies implemented in Los Angeles and the conservative approach adopted in Newport Beach.

"I hope while he is in his armored vehicles going through the streets of Los Angeles that he actually spends time looking out and seeing the streets filled with encampments and crime and the empty business fronts, and by the time he gets to Newport Beach, where we've got paved roads and a clean environment, that he will actually spend some time looking around and say, okay, maybe that, maybe Newport Beach," he said.

Newport Beach Mayor Blasts Walz's Leadership Ahead of California Fundraising Visit

O'Neill also addressed criticisms that Vice President Kamala Harris has moderated her progressive policy positions since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. He suggested that this shift was necessary due to the unpopularity of progressive policies in California.

"Well, she has to, right?" O'Neill said. "If you were to come up with five words that describe California, would public safety come within the first 25? I don't think so. There are pockets of sanity in California, like Newport Beach. But, I don't think anyone is comparing California to their hometown and saying I want more of that. So she has to change her policy positions."

Ahead of Walz's fundraising stop, O'Neill issued a public statement welcoming the candidate but emphasizing that he should leave his progressive policies at the door. He expressed a willingness to engage in policy discussions with Walz, highlighting the success of Newport Beach's conservative approach.

"As the Mayor of Newport Beach, a City with a 7-0 Republican City Council, I welcome Gov. Walz to spend time with our City leadership while he's dipping into some of our residents' pockets," O'Neill wrote on social media. "We will showcase a city that didn't defund the police, that embraces conservative economic values, that decreases debt and increases quality of life, that did not allow protesters to burn out local businesses, and that cares about human flourishing. If Gov. Walz is as interested in learning policy from a well-run city as he is in political donations, my door will be open."