Walz Explains ‘Friends with Shooters’ Gaffe from VP Debate with Vance
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has addressed the controversy surrounding his statement during the vice presidential debate with Ohio Senator JD Vance. The debate took place on October 1, 2024, and was hosted by CBS News. During the discussion on changing his position on banning assault weapons, Walz mistakenly said he had “become friends with school shooters,” which he intended to mean he had developed friendships with the families affected by school shootings, including those of the Sandy Hook victims.
Walz clarified his statement, saying, “I’m super passionate about this. The question came up about the school shooting. We’re talking about everything except school shootings. And I sat as a member of Congress with the Sandy Hook parents, and it was a profound movement. David Hogg, a leading gun control activist and school shooting survivor, is a good friend of mine.” He acknowledged that he needed to be more specific but emphasized his passion for the issue.
Vance, speaking at a rally in Michigan, expressed sympathy for Walz but also criticized him for the gaffe. Vance stated, “I actually didn’t catch that Tim Walz had said that during the debate. And I told [Trump] ‘That probably only the third or most foolish comment Tim Walz made that night.'” The Trump campaign and many Republicans quickly capitalized on the error, implying Walz was sympathetic to gun violence, although supporters of Walz, like Fred Guttenberg, a Parkland shooting victim’s father, defended him, stating that Walz’s comment was a clear gaffe and not an endorsement of gun violence.
The debate also saw other contentious moments, including Vance’s refusal to acknowledge President Biden’s 2020 election victory and Walz’s admission of having incorrect dates regarding his presence in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Despite these issues, both candidates maintained a generally respectful tone during the debate, focusing on policy discussions and criticizing each other’s running mates for various problems facing the U.S.
