During Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made a controversial statement that quickly garnered attention. The discussion, centered on gun control, took an unexpected turn when Walz remarked, “I’ve become friends with school shooters.” The comment, made while recounting his meetings with parents of victims from the Sandy Hook tragedy, sparked widespread condemnation.
Walz did not clarify or correct his statement during the debate, leading to strong reactions from various quarters. Andrew Pollack, father of a Parkland school shooting victim, was among the first to respond. “It’s absolutely abhorrent that Tim Walz has befriended school shooters. Disqualifying,” Pollack posted on X.
Republican figures were quick to capitalize on the moment. Former President Donald Trump and his campaign reposted the video clip of Walz’s remarks, with Trump himself mocking the comment by sharing a satirical yard sign that read, “not friends with school shooters.” Trump also suggested that Walz may have repeated the comment twice during the debate, questioning his mental state in his posts on Truth Social.
Walz, defending his stance on gun control, suggested the U.S. should consider Finland’s approach. “They don’t have this happen. Even though they have a high gun-ownership rate in the country, there are reasonable things that we can do to make a difference,” Walz said.
His debate opponent, J.D. Vance, agreed that the comparison to Finland was worth noting, but he shifted the conversation towards mental health issues in the U.S. “We struggle with higher rates of depression and anxiety, which I believe is the root cause of much of the gun violence, particularly among youth,” Vance said.
Post-debate reactions favored Vance, with pollster Frank Luntz reporting that all but two members of his swing voter focus group felt Vance had won the debate.
The fallout from Walz’s performance continues to grow, raising questions about how it might impact the campaign in the coming days.
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“I’ve become friends with school shooters.”
Are we sure that isn’t a true statement?