Sharp divisions persist over Walz's response to the riots that followed the murder of George Floyd

Gov. Tim Walz faced the biggest crisis of his political career when Minnesota ’s two largest cities erupted in protests and riots after a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd .

What the governor did — or failed to do — during and after the violence in Minneapolis and St. Paul drew sharp criticism from Republicans in Minnesota .

Some progressives are saying he was not radical enough in addressing police abuses.

Walz's defenders say he did an exemplary job under unprecedented circumstances.

Trump falsely claimed that he personally was responsible for deploying the National Guard , even though it was actually Walz who gave the mobilization orders.

That contrasts sharply with the praise that Trump heaped on Walz as the dust settled on the crisis.

Two nonpartisan external reviews found shortcoming in both the city's and the state's responses.

“Somebody’s loved one is killed by the police, and you can’t restore that person because death is final,” Ellison said.

“The best you can do is hold the (police) accountable” says Ellison .

Ben Crump , the influential civil rights attorney who represented Floyd 's family, praised Walz as a “concerned and compassionate leader”.