Democratic nominee for Vice President Tim Walz made a SMDH gesture as he relayed the subject matter of a recent Wall Street Journal article that outed him as the “poorest person to ever run for Vice President.” Walz shrugged off the charge, getting cheers while knowing his less-than-wealthy status is perceived as an accolade in many corners of the heartland.
But the WSJ followed up calling him the “poorest person” to run with a story that claimed, to Walz’s evident astonishment, that he was actually “richer than his statement says.” As a government employee — Walz served in the National Guard, was a teacher, served in Congress and is now the Governor of Minnesota — he has a pension plan. That’s where Walz uses air quotes and verbally hits the “and I quote” note to emphasize the phrase “defined benefit pension plan.”
Walz: The Wall Street Journal… they did another story that said oh, he’s actually richer than his statement says because he has a “defined benefit pension plan.” That is my wish for every American to have a defined benefit pension plan. pic.twitter.com/kVYYLa3rNK
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 2, 2024 q
Describing the Wall Street Journal‘s assertion of his allegedly latent wealth, Walz’s quotes the WSJ reporting that “he has, and I quote — like this is an evil thing — a defined benefit pension plan,” Walz told a receptive Wisconsin crowd on Labor Day.
Assuming solidarity on the matter with the working class crowd at his rally, Walz sought to differentiate the way in which he says the WSJ characterized his pension — as an “evil thing” — from what it really is: a promise of a secure retirement, and also simply a deferred part of the compensation bargain he entered into when he took those jobs.
Walz said: “That is my wish for every American — to have a defined benefit pension plan.” In that wish Walz is joined by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) who shared his video, calling the pension plan “good” and saying that he “earned it.”
Yes, Governor Walz has a defined benefit pension plan. That’s good. He earned it.
At a time when about half of older workers have no retirement savings, we’ve got to restore defined benefit pensions so that all Americans can retire with the respect and the dignity they deserve. https://t.co/fuzKeFoS6l
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 3, 2024