Walz clarifies ‘friends with school shooters’ comment during post-debate press gaggle

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz attempted to clarify Wednesday a comment he made about being “friends with school shooters” during a debate with Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.

CBS News hosted the only scheduled vice presidential debate Tuesday, where Walz was pressed on his shift in stance on an “assault weapons ban.” While in front of a press pool a day after the debate, NBC’s Julie Tsirkin asked Walz if he would like to clarify his “school shooters” comment.

“Yeah, and look, you got to see me, these folks know me. I’m super passionate about this. The question [that] came up on school shootings was talking about everything except school shootings. I sat, as a member of Congress, with the Sandy Hook parents. It was a profound movement — David Hogg is a good friend of mine,” Walz said.

WATCH:

NEW: I asked @GovTimWalz about his comments last night on becoming “friends with school shooters”

“I was talking about meeting people where there are school shooters, and I need to be more specific on that. But I am passionate about this,” he says in 1st post debate stop in PA. pic.twitter.com/YCaMdp5y4i

— Julie Tsirkin (@JulieNBCNews) October 2, 2024

“You have seen me do this, I was talking about meeting people where there are school shooters. I need to be more specific on that, but I am passionate about this,” Walz continued. “This one, for my wife and I, is just — as teachers, as parents — is so personal. So I’ve become good friends with these Parkland students, and of course, the Sand Hook parents, who I credit and thank them for a profound change in how I viewed that.”

During the debate, Walz stated that while he has supported the National Rifle Association (NRA), gun safety practices are different today.

“Yeah, I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I’ve become friends with school shooters. I’ve seen it,” Walz said. “Look, the NRA, I was an NRA guy for a long time. They used to teach gun safety. I’m of the age where my shotgun was in my car so I could pheasant hunt after football practice. That is not where we live today.”

While representing Minnesota’s 1st District in the House from 2007 to 2018, Walz received an ‘A’ rating and donations from the NRA. After becoming governor in 2019, he passed gun control measures and received an ‘F’ rating from the NRA during his campaign, The New York Times reported.

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