Senate Republicans criticized former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, now a U.S. Senate candidate, for his past praise of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The remarks resurfaced after Walz announced he will suspend his reelection campaign amid mounting criticism over fraud committed against state agencies during his tenure.
Senate Republicans' account on X posted a video of Cooper saying in an interview that "Governor Tim Walz is an extraordinary leader. I've worked with him over the years. I've seen his ability to make strong executive decisions."
The account added: "Last year, Roy Cooper praised his buddy Tim Walz as an extraordinary leader. Now, Walz is under fire for a $1 billion fraud scheme that happened on his watch."
Walz, the 2024 Democratic candidate for vice president, appeared to shift blame for the fraud away from himself Monday when he announced the suspension of his reelection bid.
Less than four months after launching his campaign, Walz said negative attention and Republican attacks had contributed to an "extraordinarily difficult year for our state," making it impossible for him to serve full time as governor while also running for reelection.
Audits of state programs are underway, with some reports predicting the fraud could exceed $8 billion.
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