Watch: Tim Walz looks dejected as reporters question him about his ‘school shooter’ remark while staring at pizza
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, campaigning as the Democratic vice presidential candidate alongside Kamala Harris, commented positively on a recent vice presidential debate against Republican Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio. After the debate, while visiting a New York City pizzeria, Walz expressed that the debate effectively showcased contrasting views on democracy, emphasizing its importance. However, he faced backlash over an inappropriate comment made during the debate where he claimed to have “befriended school shooters,” which drew significant criticism, especially from families affected by school violence. Andrew Pollack, whose daughter was a victim of the Parkland shooting, called Walz’s statement “abhorrent” and “disqualifying.”
Post-debate analysis highlighted that while Vance appeared confident and authentic, Walz came off as anxious and inconsistent, leading to a perception of him being less credible. Body language expert Carole Lieberman noted that Walz exhibited signs of nervousness and discordance in his responses, contrasting sharply with Vance’s steady demeanor. Walz’s performance was not only marred by the controversial remark but also by concerns over his debate presence, leading to a challenging night for the Democratic campaign.
Talkative Tim Walz had very little to say Tuesday night after the vice presidential debate against Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio.
After the debate, the Minnesota governor, who is the Democratic running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris, visited Justino’s Pizza in New York City and was asked about the debate.
“I think it was a good debate. The public got to see a contrast, and I think the ending sums it up. The democracy issue is important,” he said in a video posted to social media platform X.
Gov. Tim Walz told reporters he thinks “it was a good debate” while ordering pizza with his wife at Justino’s Pizzeria in New York.
“I think it was a good debate. The public got to see a contrast, and I think the ending sums it up. The democracy issue is important.” @Tim_Walz… pic.twitter.com/DzMHFgqoAb
— Ebony Davis (@ebonyjdavis) October 2, 2024
After that, Walz studiously ignored the next two questions, which were requests to clarify the gaffe of the evening, when he said he was friends with school shooters.
“Can you clarify what you meant when you said you befriended school shooters?” one asked, while another asked, “You said you’ve become friends with school shooters during the debate, can you clarify what you meant by that?”
Andrew Pollack, the father of a 2018 school shooting victim, said the comment transcended a live TV gaffe.
“My daughter was killed in the Parkland school shooting. It’s absolutely abhorrent that Tim Walz has befriended school shooters. Disqualifying,” he posted on X.
My daughter was killed in the Parkland school shooting. It’s absolutely abhorrent that Tim Walz has befriended school shooters. Disqualifying. https://t.co/Q0tkhmHFAi
— Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) October 2, 2024
Elon Musk noted on X that it was “Mind-blowing that Tim Walz said he was ‘friends with school shooters.’”
Walz came out a distant second to Vance when body language expert Carole Lieberman reviewed the debate for Fox News.
“What JD Vance had that made him most likable and most trusted was that he was authentic … you could just say it in one word. JD Vance was authentic. He did big hand movements and so on, but they were just to explain what he was saying,” Lieberman said.
Walz acted anxious over his responses, she said.
“With Tim Walz, he was all over the place. He was very nervous, and he also had body language signs of lying. His body language was discordant with what he was saying. It was like too much, it made you feel exhausted and scared,” she said.
Vance, on the other hand, exuded confidence.
LIAR: The debate moderators asked Tim Walz why he lied about being in China during the Tiananmen Square Massacre. After rambling for two minutes about sometimes being a knucklehead and getting caught up in the rhetoric it seemed like Tim Walz admitted lying. When the moderator… pic.twitter.com/cuYyWojaG6
— @amuse (@amuse) October 2, 2024
“He wanted to ‘Let’s go, I can’t wait to do this, I’m going to do it’… he’s Trump lite,” she said. “It’s kind of the authenticity that ‘I want to take care of America, I want to make America great again,’ all of that just came through naturally and by the end, you just kind of wanted him to push Tim Walz away. ‘You’re making me nervous’ kind of thing, and with JD Vance, you just kind of felt, ‘OK, that’s good,’” she said.
She said Vance was steady, “like you can kind of see him as a captain of the ship, and he wasn’t too stiff, but you knew what you were going to get. Each time he seemed sure of himself … And so you felt like you would be safe with him. He gave an air of stability,” she said.
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