Inside 2020 call between Trump and Walz after controversial tweet led armed Proud Boys to show up at his house

New details have come to light about a 2020 phone call between Tim Waltz and Donald Trump when armed Proud Boys showed up outside the Democratic vice presidential candidate’s home in what appeared to be a response to a tweet from the then-president.

When theCovid-19 pandemic ravaged the US, Minnesota Governor Walz – like other state governors – implemented restrictions to try to combat the spread of the virus.

The restrictions prompted some protesters to come out in force and, on April 17 2020, Trump appeared to encourage them – with a cryptic post on Twitter, now X, specifically targeting Minnesota.

“LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” he posted.

Following Trump’s tweet, members of the far-right group the Proud Boys – who months later were instrumental in the January 6 riot on the US Capitol – descended on Walz’s home armed with guns.

Walz was left stumped about the meaning behind Trump’s tweet and contacted him to find out, according to a 2021 interview Walz gave to Politico columnists Alexander Burns and Jonathan Marti for their bookThis Will Not Pass.

The interview was published for the first time on Wednesday, hours after Walz was unveiled as Kamala Harris’s vice presidential pick to take on Trump and his running mate JD Vance in November.

Walz was desperate to quell the unrest in his state and keep his family – and dog – safe, and wanted to understand what Trump meant by his tweet.

The Minnesota governor said that he called Trump for clarification.

“What does ‘Liberate Minnesota’ mean? What do you want me to do differently? What do you think that I’m doing or not doing?” Walz said he asked the president over the phone.

“I never got a response,” he admitted.

Walz said he told Trump that his language was unhelpful and would result