Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, disclosed the controversial nickname he uses for his Asian-American running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, in his phone contacts: “My dry cleaner.”
Walz made the revelation during his debut appearance on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Monday night, as part of what appears to be an intensified media strategy by the Democratic ticket just weeks before the November election.
The Harris-Walz ticket has been repeatedly criticized by Republicans for avoiding interviews and media appearances. Facing dwindling polls and heavy backlash over the failed federal response to recent disasters in the South, Democrats are suddenly pivoting in the media.
Harris’ controversial nickname stems from an August incident when Walz missed Harris’s call offering him the vice presidential spot.
“It was an unmarked number so I’m thinking it’s like a car warranty thing,” Walz explained to a laughing studio audience. He only answered after a high-ranking aide insisted he “pick up your dang phone.”
The nickname has raised eyebrows in political circles. Critics argue that the nickname of “dry cleaner” is racist, particularly as Harris is poised to potentially become the first woman and Asian-American to lead the country.
The Kimmel appearance is part of a broader media push by the Harris-Walz campaign, which has conducted 31 combined interviews to date.
Their Republican opponents, former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance, have participated in 69 interviews, according to reports.
Walz’s late-night debut comes on the heels of Harris’s own controversial media appearance on the popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast. The episode, which aired Sunday, has faced backlash from listeners who criticized the show for not addressing pressing issues such as the recent hurricane disasters in North Carolina and Florida.
Last week’s vice presidential debate against GOP rival JD Vance has hurt the Harris-Walz ticket with just weeks to go before the election. Political pundits and polls both suggested Vance had a stronger showing overall, leaving Walz to use his media allies to try and spin the debate back in his favor.
As the campaign enters its final stretch, the Harris-Walz ticket faces the challenge of connecting with undecided voters they’re hoping will swing the narrow election back in their favor.
Walz concluded his Kimmel appearance with the promise, “I plan to wake up on November 6 with Madame President.”