Minnesota Governor Tim Walz faced a difficult moment during Tuesday’s debate against JD Vance when he made an awkward remark about school shootings, mentioning that he had become “friends” with the perpetrators. The moderators had asked Walz to explain his evolving stance on banning “assault weapons” over the course of his career.

“I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I’ve become friends with school shooters. I’ve seen it,” Walz said, leaving many shocked by his misstatement.

Political analysts and critics quickly condemned Walz for the error.

“‘I’ve become friends with school shooters’ may be the worst line in any 2024 debate,” commented political pollster and consultant Frank Luntz.

Pollster Patrick Ruffini was equally unimpressed by the mistake.

Fox News contributor Guy Benson commented on the slip, stating, “Walz saying he’s become friends with school shooters, when he meant victims, is an innocent misstatement. Repeatedly lying about his military rank, his DUI, IVF and Hong Kong/Tiananmen Square are not innocent misstatements.”

Meanwhile, Andy McCarthy of the National Review defended Walz, saying, “Walz obviously misspoke, he didn’t mean he’d become friends with school shooters. C’mon. This is a good, high-minded debate as things go these days. Let’s not make stuff up.”

In response, X user Three Year Letterman humorously declared, “I am not friends with school shooters. I am here to take firm stands even if they are not popular.”

Republican representatives Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, and Nancy Mace shared the quote on social media, with Luna describing it as “concerning.”

Even former President Donald Trump joined in, posting a mock campaign sign reading, “Not friends with school shooters” on his Truth Social account. His campaign also shared video clips of Walz’s verbal blunder.

Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow Pollack was killed during the 2018 Parkland school shooting, expressed his outrage on social media, saying, “It’s absolutely abhorrent that Tim Walz has befriended school shooters. Disqualifying.”

Despite this gaffe, Walz attempted to appeal to gun owners, reminiscing about how he used to keep his firearm in his car to go “pheasant hunting” after “football practice.” He also suggested that the U.S. should take cues from Finland in preventing school shootings.

“They don’t have this happen,” Walz remarked, adding that while Finland has a high rate of gun ownership, there are “reasonable things” that can be done to reduce violence.

Walz further suggested that the federal government should take action to remove “some of these weapons out there,” though he did not specify which ones.

JD Vance responded to Walz’s Finland reference, saying, “I appreciate what Tim said, actually, about Finland because I do think it illustrates some of the frankly weird differences between our own country’s gun violence problem and Finland.”

Vance also pointed out that the U.S. faces higher levels of depression and anxiety than Finland, which may contribute to the disparity in gun violence rates.

Vice President Kamala Harris has pledged to implement stricter gun control measures, including banning assault weapons, enforcing universal background checks, and supporting red flag laws. These policies are outlined on her campaign website alongside Walz’s.

In the past, the National Rifle Association had given Walz an “A” rating for his voting record on gun legislation, but during his time as governor, his grade has dropped to an “F.”

{Matzav.com}