“So, governor, for a long time you had an ‘A’ rating from the NRA, but now you have an ‘F’ rating,” co-host Joy Behar said, congratulating the Democratic vice presidential candidate during his interview on the ABC News show on Monday.

“I sleep just fine,” Walz responded.

“I was a teacher, too. This is the only time that an ‘F’ is a proud thing,” she quipped.

“Both you and Vice President Harris have leaned into your gun ownership. She’s got a Glock, and she says that she’s not afraid to use it on intruders. OK? So you’re out hunting pheasants,” she said. “Is that enough to convince people that there’s a middle ground on this issue? Because right now, right-wingers are coming after you for how you handle your shotgun.”

“Well, I can shoot better than all of them, I guarantee it. I got the trophies to prove it,” Walz clapped back.

Walz was widely mocked when viral social media clips of him showed the nominee in a field hunched over a Beretta shotgun, appearing to struggle to work his gun properly.

Tim Walz brought his own gun, a beretta, to hunt for pheasants, he tells me. “

I bought it when I was we shooting a lot of trap,” the Minnesota governor said. pic.twitter.com/K1zGkWYEPY

— Shawna Mizelle (@shawnamizelle) October 12, 2024

Walz touted his being a veteran and hunter. He went on to share his memories of growing up in a small town and going hunting after football practice.

“I have been doing this my whole life, but the idea that you can protect the Second Amendment, which the vice president and I obviously do,” Walz said. “But our first response is to our kids and their safety so they’re not shot dead in schools.”

“These are folks that cosplay with the guns. There are no reasons we need assault weapons on streets or in our schools,” the governor criticized.

“We are both gun owners, first time maybe on the Democratic ticket in modern times,” he added.