WATERTOWN, Wis. — Kamala Harris’ choice of Tim Walz as her running mate may have taken some by surprise, but not the politically plugged-in Minnesotans who spoke with The Post in the days that followed his rise to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Walz’s Midwestern “aw shucks” persona, they say, is a politically savvy maneuver to mask his true colors as a lefty progressive who won’t be afraid to go on the attack on behalf of Harris.

Walz played well to the western Wisconsin crowd in his first rally in the critical swing state on Wednesday, joking, “Isn’t it nice to have a candidate who knows how to pronounce Eau Claire?”

His Midwestern savvy was in full swing for the mostly middle-aged Wisconsin crowd, a notable shift from his speech in Philadelphia the night before.

But his home state critics say he isn’t your typical “Minnesota Nice” guy.

“Tim Walz is the embodiment of Minnesota passive-aggressive,” Preya Samsundar, a Minnesota Republican strategist told The Post.

“He will smile to your face, then when you turn around he will stab you in the back and drag the blade down.”

Samsundar lived in Minneapolis when it was engulfed in flames from the George Floyd riots.

Walz waited days for the city to burn before calling out the National Guard, the Minnesota native said.

“You could smell smoke everywhere from all the burning,” she said.

“Reporters on newscasts at the time actually said, ‘Where’s the governor? Why isn’t he doing anything?’” 

Walz’s support for Minnesota’s sanctuary state bill and handling of illegal immigration is particularly troubling to Samsundar.

“He got free driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants. That’s what you need to vote!” she said, exasperated.

Walz’s list of handouts for illegal immigrants includes state-funded health care and free college tuition.

The Midwestern governor has a reputation for friendliness and charm that are useful distractions from his policies.

“Yeah, he’s so friendly he’s welcoming all those illegals into our state,” Samsundar noted ironically. 

“He is ‘JD Vance’ liberal,” Samsundar concluded, comparing the two vice presidential picks.

“[Walz] has a ‘folksy’ background with the story of growing up in rural America but at the heart of it he’s a true-blooded LA liberal.”

Jen DeJournett is the president of Ballot Box Strategies in Minnesota, and she says Walz is the perfect package for Harris, with a veneer of Midwest nice but the heart of a California progressive. 

“Bring some popcorn to the debate with J.D. Vance,” DeJournett joked to The Post, predicting that the vice presidential debate would be much more interesting than the Trump-Harris matchup.

“Walz likes to roll up his sleeves and fight back,” the small business owner said, with grudging appreciation. 

DeJournett is not convinced of Walz’s much-advertised electability, noting the millions in support his campaign received in 2022.

His Republican opponent, by comparison, did not garner nearly as much outside support as Walz, who was the leader of the Democrat Party — known in Minnesota as the Democratic-Farm-Labor Party.

“We don’t actually know about his electability,” DeJournett mused.

Walz touts his background as a hunter, but one former Minnesota Republican state legislator warned: “Hunting and fishing have nothing to do with the 2nd Amendment. He will take our guns.” 

The former legislator, who spoke with The Post anonymously, said Republicans fought the red flag and expanded background check laws for years before Walz and a Democratic legislature got the restrictions signed into law. 

Cal Brink, a retired Minnesota businessman told The Post that Walz is basically a cookie cutter Democrat who is just like Harris.

Brink also said his policies “mirror California,” referring to Walz’s strict tail-pipe emissions standards and zero-emission vehicles mandate.

“We’ve seen businesses shut down and move to other states,” Brink said, “You can’t be pro-business if your [policies] hurt profitability. You can’t pay employees more if you’re not being profitable.”

Under Walz’s leadership Minnesota has become a high tax state for businesses, raising taxes even while the state benefited from a $17.6 billion surplus.

Brink shared a warning for Republicans this election cycle, echoing his fellow Minnesotans: “He’s a good speaker, good debater. I wouldn’t take [him] lightly that’s for sure.”