Olson’s Cheers & Jeers: Firefighters, a fraught fundraiser and a possible pardon

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Cheers and godspeed to the firefighters, many of them volunteers, working to fight the multiple forest fires in northern Minnesota. It’s only May with a long, potentially hot summer ahead, so please exercise caution and heed the caution of Gov. Tim Walz, who said Minnesotans should pay attention to weather advisories and burn restrictions when the temperatures are high and the humidity is low. “Just don’t burn,” Walz said. “It is just too hot, too dry, too dangerous, and our resources will get spread too thin.” Or take it from the ageless Smokey Bear: “Only you can prevent wildfires.”

Jeers and get well soon to the state Republican Party. A year ago, President Donald Trump was the featured speaker at the GOP’s annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner and more than 1,000 guest paid $500 a plate to dine at St. Paul’s RiverCentre. Party luminaries from former Sen. Rudy Boschwitz to U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer were hailed by the crowd as Trump pledged to rescue the Iron Range and turn Minnesota red. This year, the state’s GOP congressional delegation skipped the fundraiser Monday night, even though Congress isn’t in session. Ouch. Even worse, no potent U.S. Senate or gubernatorial candidate has yet to emerge in the 2026 races. Minnesota benefits when both the DFL and GOP are on solid ground and producing talented electoral contenders that push each other to do better.

Cheers to University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter, who can be counted on to speak truth to the powerful and ethically troubled. Painter’s public critique provides a golden opportunity to jeer the prospect of Trump accepting a gifted Boeing 747-8 from Qatar. Painter was one of a trio of former White House ethics lawyers who wrote a critical piece for the New York Times about the gilded jumbo jet and Trump’s crypto entanglements, which the three watchdogs say may be even worse. Never back down, professor.

Jeers to the NIMBY attitude toward homelessness and expanded housing investments throughout Minnesota, but especially in a Duluth neighborhood where the city’s proactive Planning Commission had agreed to move Safe Bay, a car-living program, to a more residential-friendly part of the city after it had operated downtown for two uneventful years. Neighbors complained the program was “enabling” the car-dwellers, as if living in one’s vehicle through a North Shore winter is the least bit comfortable. At the Legislature, we offer a coinciding cheers to Sens. Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville, and Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls, and Reps. Mike Howard, DFL-Richfield, and Spencer Igo, R-Wabana Township, who fought the good fight but saw their hard work attempting to address the statewide housing shortage derailed. This is a smart, tough, tenacious and geographically diverse group of legislators that we hope will keep leading and pushing back against NIMBYism.

Cheers to two Democrats: former U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips and current Rep. Angie Craig for early calls for President Joe Biden to step aside, a discussion renewed by the publication of “Original Sin,” a book that puts blistering detail on how the former president’s inner circle shielded his declining health from public view. Phillips was among the most prominent Biden critics in the country as he launched his own presidential campaign underscoring the need for an alternative. His effort was met with derision from fellow Democrats. Last summer, Craig called on Biden to step aside days after his disastrous debate with Trump in late June. As early as 2022, however, both Craig and Phillips voiced the need for a new generation to lead the party. This begs the question: Were other prominent Minnesota Democrats aware of Biden’s apparent cognitive decline and, if so, why didn’t they join Phillips and Craig in sounding the alarm?

Jeers to the rumor mill for grinding out the unsubstantiated claim that a presidential pardon is imminent for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin as the five-year anniversary approaches of the murder of George Floyd. A pardon wouldn’t free Chauvin, but would transport him from federal custody in Texas into protective state custody at Minnesota’s correctional facility in Oak Park Heights. Contrary to what ill-informed revisionists would have us believe, the nearly 10-minute bystander video of his crime proves Chauvin doesn’t deserve a pardon. Is the rumor mill correct about Trump’s pardon plans? We’ll find out soon enough — without the need for baseless speculation.

Cheers to Gus Walz for speaking with candor and compassion about the challenges of being in the national spotlight as the son of Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz. During the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Gus went viral for tearfully and proudly standing up for his dad. In his CBS News interview, Gus said, “There’s nothing wrong with showing emotions.” Amen to that. In another sign of courage, Gus allowed his promposal to be televised by CBS News. (She said yes.) Adolescence in the spotlight has to be difficult, but Gus has always done St. Paul and Minnesota proud. We hope he enjoys prom, his upcoming graduation from Central High School and that he feels the warmth and appreciation from Minnesotans.