Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) addressed the viral comment he made over becoming “friends with school shooters” at the vice presidential debate, explaining he needs to be “more specific” on this topic.
Walz made his comment on befriending school shooters when talking about gun violence during the debate, prompting confusion and jokes from viewers. When asked about this comment, Walz stated he had visited parents of the Sandy Hook school shooting victims, while also noting that gun control advocate David Hogg is “a good friend of mine.”
“You have seen me do this, I was talking about being people where there are school shooters,” Walz said. “And I need to be more specific on that, but I am passionate about this. This one, for my wife and I, is just, as teachers, as parents, is so personal.”
REPORTER: Can you clarify why you said you’ve befriended school shooters?
WALZ: “I’m super passionate about this!”
(No clarification was offered) pic.twitter.com/P0f0Dz4w6G
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 2, 2024
Following the debate, former President Donald Trump posted an image depicting a Trump-Vance yard sign, with the phrase “not friends with school shooters” written underneath it. Gun rights activist Kyle Rittenhouse also shared an image of Walz featuring the governor’s “friends with school shooters” quote.
— Kyle Rittenhouse (@ThisIsKyleR) October 2, 2024
On Wednesday morning, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that Walz ought to clarify his comment, saying he should be disqualified from becoming vice president “if he is truly friends with school shooters.”
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Early data from Nielson ratings on the vice presidential debate indicated that over 38 million people tuned into the vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News, which was also simulcasted on other networks. The viewership is noticeably lower than the 2020 vice presidential debate between then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, which saw almost 58 million people tune in.
In other data, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Trump’s 2024 running mate, earned a 1% lead over Walz when respondents were asked who won the debate, with 17% saying it was a tie. Both candidates saw a noticeable jump in their favorability among respondents, with Vance’s going up by 9% and Walz’s increasing by 8%.