Governor Tim Walz ((D-MN) recently announced his intention to join Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign as her running mate, and one Italian American group was quick to express frustration with this decision. The Italian American Civil Rights League, a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to the preservation of Italian culture in the US, released a statement on Wednesday decrying Walz’s vice-presidential candidacy and accusing him of racism against the Italian American community before demanding that he drop out of the race.
The statement begins with IACRL Board Member and former New Jersey congressional candidate Mike Crispi denouncing the actions of the Minnesota governor, or should I say, his inaction when a statue of Christopher Columbus was targeted outside the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul. This statue was funded through donations from Italian Americans and was erected to curb the discrimination faced by this ethnic group in the early 20th century.
Yet, this did not deter members of the American Indian Movement from broadcasting their intentions to attack the monument in 2020, announcing their plans via social media for everyone, including Governor Walz, to see. Even so, Walz did little to ensure that the nearly 100-year-old work of art by Italian American sculptor Carlo “Charles” Brioschi would be preserved, leading to its toppling on June 10th of that year. No arrests were made on the day of the incident, and only one of the perpetrators was ever held accountable: Mike Forcia of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians. However, despite Forcia’s role as the organizer of an unlawful demonstration that led to north of $150,000 in damages to public property, his punishment was laughable as he received just 100 hours of community service following a plea agreement.
“Tim Walz did nothing to stop radical vandals from targeting the most prominent symbol of Italian-American culture in a flagrant hate crime,” said Crispi in the statement. “He knew they were coming and he did nothing to protect the statue.” For some, this may beg the question: Why didn’t Tim Walz do more to protect Christopher Columbus monuments in the state of Minnesota during a time of political unrest stemming from the death of George Floyd?
According to the IACRL, the answer is to “placate indigenous activists and other anti-Italian-American sympathizers.” “They hate the Western tradition that made America great,” the statement continued. “They will do anything to undermine it and destroy our country from within.”
These bold words make it unequivocally clear that the Italian American Civil Rights League will not support the Harris-Walz ticket in the 2024 election as the group has thrown its full support behind President Donald J. Trump. Previously hailing the former commander-in-chief as a “modern-day Columbus,” the organization has also officially endorsed Trump for the 2024 race. This endorsement was even issued while Ron DeSantis was still vying for the Republican nomination, who is a politician of Italian descent.
In response to the endorsement, Trump posted on Truth Social to highlight the honor.
As the 2024 presidential election draws closer, Italian Americans are faced with one question as it pertains to their community: Will the Trump-Vance or Harris-Walz campaign place more of an emphasis on Italian American causes? Given Harris and Walz’s previous support for Indigenous Peoples’ Day and lack of rapport with Italian Americans, this question is not a difficult one to answer.
I am from Italy, and a second Trump presidency would be a disaster for Europe. I do not know a single Italian. who doesn’t fear a second Trump presidency. The Italian American Civil Rights League is further cementing their reputation as a mob of fools with yet more absurd nonsense. This brainwashed fool in New Jersey does not speak for Italy or its citizens.