Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ignored multiple reporters who asked what he meant when he said he has “become friends with school shooters” during Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate.
The bizarre remark came during a question on the topic of gun violence. J.D. Vance argued in favor of revamping safety measures and increasing security around schools, while Walz suggested that gun confiscation would be necessary to stop school shootings. He failed to mention which weapons would be prohibited under his plan, however.
At one point during the exchange, Walz delivered one of the most bizarre lines ever uttered in the history of presidential debates. “I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I’ve become friends with school shooters. I’ve seen it,” he said.
The remark emerged as one of the most viral moments of the debate, leaving pundits and viewers alike baffled “’I’ve become friends with school shooters’ may be the worst line in any 2024 debate,” said veteran political pollster Frank Luntz.
Former President Donald Trump also weighed in on the puzzling answer in a Truth Social post. “Second time he has said, ‘I’ve been friends with school shooters.’ What does he mean by this? Is he insane?” the former president wrote.
In a follow-up post, the Republican nominee posted an image of a Trump-Vance campaign sign complete with the slogan, “NOT FRIENDS WITH SCHOOL SHOOTERS.
After the Minnesota governor and his wife left the spin-room and headed to a New York pizza parlor, a handful of reporters asked him for his thoughts on the debate.
“Governor, what do you think your strongest moment was tonight?” asked one reporter.
“Oh, I don’t know. I think it was a good debate. The public got to see a contrast. And I think the ending sums it up, the democracy issue is important,” Walz replied.
Another reporter then asked him to explain what he meant by saying he had “become friends with” school shooters. “Governor, you said you’d become friends with school shooters during the debate. Can you clarify what you meant on that?” the reporter asked.
While he clearly heard the question, Walz refused to turn around or answer the question.
“Can you clarify what you meant when you said you’d be friends with school shooters?” shouted another reporter, once again failing to get an answer from the Democratic Party nominee.
In addition to the school shooters gaffe, Walz was tripped up when confronted over inconsistencies surrounding his frequent trips to China.
CNN reported that Walz had previously claimed to have been in the country during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. The claim was found to be completely untrue, as Walz was in Nebraska at the time.
When confronted over the lie, Walz attempted to deflect by telling a story about his passion for travel and education. The moderators refused to let him off the hook, however, leading to an incoherent follow-up from Walz.
“All I said on this was I got there that summer and misspoke on this. So I will just, that’s what I’ve said,” Walz replied with a stammer.
“So I was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protest went in,” he continued after an awkward moment of silence.
