Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, whose military service has come under heavy scrutiny, said he “misspoke” in a 2018 video where he is heard talking about his handling of weapons “in war,” a Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson said Friday.
“Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country — in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It’s the American way,” the Harris campaign spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News.
“In making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke. He did handle weapons of war and believes strongly that only military members trained to carry those deadly weapons should have access to them, unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance who prioritize the gun lobby over our children,” the spokesperson added.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event on August 7, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. Kamala Harris and her newly selected running mate Tim Walz are campaigning across the country this week. (Andrew Harnik)
The 2018 video clip shows Walz discussing gun control and referring to his own military background.
“We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at,” Walz said in the clip, which was posted by Harris’ campaign on Tuesday.
