JD Vance returned to slamming Tim Walz on the campaign trail less than 24 hours after an unusually cordial debate between the vice presidential candidates.
“I talked to the president afterwards,” Vance said at a rally in Auburn Hills, Michigan Wednesday. “He said that Tim Walz said he was friends with school shooters twice.”
Vance had missed the flub entirely.
“I actually didn’t notice that Tim Walz had said that on the debate stage,” Vance said. “And I said, ‘Did he really say that, sir?’ And he said, ‘I’m telling you, man, go and watch the clips. He said he was friends with school shooters twice.’”
Vance said he responded to Trump by saying, “That was probably only the third- or fourth- dumbest comment Tim Walz made that night, then.”
Vance was referring to the moment when Walz said he had “become friends with school shooters.” The Democratic vice presidential candidate seemed to have meant to say that he’d become friends with those affected by school shootings, who he has regularly credited with changing his mind on gun control.
When Walz stopped for pizza minutes after the debate, reporters barraged him with questions asking him to clarify his comment, which he ignored. He finally addressed the remark on Wednesday, telling reporters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that Parkland survivor David Hogg “is a good friend,” as are the Sandy Hook parents.
“Pretty clear that my wife and I have dedicated ourselves to making gun violence a top priority, and I’ll continue to do so,” Walz said.
But Donald Trump had already pounced on the error, railing about it multiple times on Truth Social.
“Did Tampon Tim just say he has ‘become friends with school shooters?’” the former president posted. “He isn’t even qualified to be Governor, let alone Vice President. Walz and Kamala DO NOT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!”
Right-wing allies quickly glommed on to the gaffe, painting Walz as sympathetic to murderers. For Vance, joining in on the attacks was a departure from the pleasantries he and Walz exchanged Tuesday night, when they joked about how easy it is to misspeak and introduced each other to their wives.
The “school shooters” blunder wasn’t the only vulnerability Vance picked on. He said that Walz’s comments about what economists say about Trump’s policies “annoyed the hell” out of him. He accused his opponent of ignoring problems related to illegal immigration.
“Look, I gotta be honest,” Vance said. “I feel a little bad for Governor Walz, and the reason I feel bad for him is because he has to defend the indefensible, and that is the record of Kamala Harris.”
