Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz “misspoke” in a video released earlier this week by the 2018 Harris campaign in which the vice presidential candidate talked about handling guns “during wartime,” a campaign spokesman said Friday.
The clarification comes after Republicans, including veteran and vice presidential candidate JD Vance, attacked Walz. on his military record.
“Governor Walz would never disparage or diminish the service of any American to this country – in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. This is the American way,” the campaign spokesperson said in a statement.
“When he made the case for why weapons of war should not be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke. He controlled the weapons of war and firmly believes that only military personnel trained to carry these deadly weapons should have access to them. Donald Trump, who puts the gun lobby before our children Unlike Trump and JD Vance,” the spokesperson added.
The video clip Walz’s earlier remarks showed him discussing gun control and referring to his military background. In a clip released by Harris’ campaign on Tuesday, Walz says, “We can be sure that those weapons that I carried in the war are the only places where those weapons are.”
During his years of military service, Valz was not sent to a combat zone.