In his first campaign stop after Vice Presidential DebateTim Walz has tried to clarify comments he made about a trip to China and Hong Kong in 1989 during bloody pro-democracy protests.
Walz acknowledged during the debate that he had previously said things incorrectly, saying in 2014 that he had been in mainland China from April to June 1989, during the Tiananmen Square protests that took place between April 15 and June 4 of that year. However, after the concession, Waltz repeated the false statement, saying, “So I went to Hong Kong and China during the pro-democracy protests, and there I learned a lot of what is necessary for governance.”
A May 1989 Butan Alliance Times-Herald news report shows then-Staff Sgt. Walz was in the United States and toured the Nebraska Army National Guard armory. The news radio station reported to another Nebraska newspaper in August 1989 that Walz said he would “leave for China on Sunday” after the protests ended.
When asked about his remarks by CBS News in Middleville, Pennsylvania, Walz corrected himself and admitted his dates were wrong, adding that he should have been clearer when speaking.
“So, to get off the message, what I want to be clear about is Hong Kong and China in August of ’89,” said the Minnesota governor, who often speaks quickly and in shorthand.
Walz also made clear verbal misstatements in the debate, saying he was friends with school shooters. The moment was quickly captured by Republicans and former President Donald Trump and posted on Truth Social.
Waltz, a former teacher and football coach, said it was “very clear” that although he made mistakes, he stood with victims of school shootings and passed the law in an effort to curb such violence.
In the same exchange during Tuesday night’s debate, Walz noted that his teenage son Gus witnessed the shooting. On the campaign trail, Walz often said that even if he supported the Second Amendment, the bill should not allow children to be shot to death in the hallways.
Waltz’s rally in York, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday was packed with supporters defending him.
“Who can remember where they were 30 years ago?” asked Joan Nagy from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
“Everyone makes mistakes,” Les Ford said. “When was the last time you heard Donald Trump or his running mate correct themselves?”
Walz went into more detail about her debate performance after riding the Harris-Walz campaign bus to the rally to address a crowd of about 2,000 people.
“Did anyone watch the debate last night? Not bad for a football coach, right?” he quipped.
“Now, look, there’s a reason Mike Pence isn’t on stage with me,” he said. “I worked with Mike Pence in Congress. We disagreed on most issues, but in Congress and as Vice President, I never criticized Mike Pence’s ethics and commitment to this country,” Waltz said. constitution. Mike Pence did his duty. “He honored his oath and chose the Constitution over Donald Trump.”
“Senator Vance has always made it clear that he will make different choices than Mike Pence,” Waltz said. Waltz cited Pence’s refusal to bow to Trump’s pressure not to certify the 2020 presidential election. Vance said he would not have certified the election like Pence did. Walz said, “If you ask to be vice president of the United States, you should absolutely be disqualified.”
During the debate, “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell noted that Vance had said he would not have certified the last presidential election and would have asked states to submit alternate electoral votes, and she asked, “Would you like to try again?” “Will you challenge the results of this year’s election, even if every governor certifies the results?”
Vance did not answer directly“What President Trump said was that there was a problem in 2020, and my own belief is that we need to fight for that problem and discuss that problem peacefully in the public square,” he said.
