Trump says he's "thrilled" with Tim Walz as Harris VP pick

State of play: Trump said he "never thought" that Walz would be Harris' choice for vice president, saying Walz was a "very, very liberal man and he's a shocking pick."

• Trump accused Walz of being weak on border security, hammered him for his support for transgender rights, and claimed he was as liberal as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
• "This is a ticket that would want this country to go communist immediately, if not sooner," Trump said.
• Responding to Walz's claim at a rally Tuesday that Trump doesn't understand kitchen table issues, Trump rebutted that "it's just the opposite ... those people are all voting for me, the people that he is talking about with the kitchen table."

Between the lines: Alluding to the fact that Walz was reportedly chosen over runner-up Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — who is Jewish — Trump said Walz placement on the ticket was "very insulting to Jewish people."

• Trump has repeatedly assailed Jewish people who vote for Democrats.

• He made similar remarks Wednesday, telling the program that "I think that any Jewish person who votes for a Democrat, or in this case these people, but who votes for a Democrat, should have their head examined."

The big picture: Walz's addition to the Democratic ticket gives Republicans a new line of attack. The GOP has struggled to find a coherent strategy to target Harris since Biden dropped out of the 2024 race last month.

• The Harris campaign, meanwhile, has relished the contrast between her and Trump, particularly in an election cycle where age and fitness for office have been central themes.

Go deeper:

• Democrats and Republicans go to battle over how to define Tim Walz
• Behind Tim Walz's "weird"-to-VP pipeline