In a recent appearance on The Daily Show, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz seized the opportunity to advocate for Kamala Harris’s proposed gun control measures, framing them as part of a broader agenda to address gun violence in America.
He called for red flag laws, universal background checks and an “assault weapons” ban, saying that, “Responsible gun owners know that you can protect the Second Amendment but your first responsibility is those kids,” referring to the increase in school shootings.
Many gun owners take issue with this framing of gun control, and believe that anti-gun activists use school shootings to prey on voters’ emotions with faulty rhetoric, pointing to countries like England where guns are banned, but criminals and terrorists have used knives, bombs and automobiles to commit mass killings.
The Harris-Walz campaign seems astutely aware of the importance of courting gun owners, particularly in battleground states. The campaign has made a point of publicizing that both candidates on the ticket are gun owners, while relying heavily on Walz to boost their credibility on the issue. Shortly after announcing Walz as the vice presidential pick, they began circulating pictures of him hunting, hoping to balance out Harris as a progressive woman of color from California, and make inroads with hesitant heartland voters. They even released an official campaign hat in camouflage, with some Democrats declaring they were “taking back” traditional American pastimes like football and hunting.
However, almost every revelation about Walz following him joining the ticket has undermined this strategy, leading to widespread mockery and condemnation on social media and raising questions about Walz’s authenticity.
During his annual hunting trip, Walz struggled to load a shotgun, leading many avid hunters to question his claims. Videos and images of the incident were widely circulated, leading to a wave of jokes and criticisms about his competence as a hunter. This blunder also called into question the narrative that Walz is a seasoned gun owner and a trustworthy advocate for Second Amendment rights.
A clip was uncovered in which Walz, during a speech about gun control, said he carried “weapons of war,” positioning himself as an ultimate authority on guns. By alluding to his past military service, he aimed to establish a narrative that suggested a deep understanding of firearms and public safety. However, this backfired as it was revealed that Walz retired from the National Guard just before he was due to deploy to a combat zone, and never served in one. This revelation landed the governor in hot water, and led some to believe he was embellishing his military record to push his agenda.
The irony of a sitting governor who touts his gun ownership credentials while simultaneously advocating for stringent regulations is not lost on many voters. The suggestion that he has intimate knowledge of combat weaponry while conveniently omitting the context of his military service raises concerns about his genuine commitment to understanding the complexities of gun ownership and rights in America. Rather than fostering trust, his attempts to leverage his background may come across as opportunistic, undermining his credibility on a highly contentious issue.
Breitbart News reports:
On August 6, 2024, Breitbart News warned that Walz wanted the three central gun controls that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have spent years pushing in Washington, DC. Those three are red flag laws, universal background checks, and an “assault weapons” ban.
As illustrated above, when Walz pushed these gun controls on The Daily Show he did so under the guise of safety. What he did not mention is that California has Harris’s big three gun controls, yet that state led the nation in “active shooter incidents” in both 2021 and 2023.
He lies like kamala! I’ve been inj the war zone and carried a war weapon and was a Command Chief.
He needs to learn how to control his own gun first!