Walz under fire for saying he is ‘friends with school shooters’ in debate gaffe

Tim Walz is being criticised for a gaffe during his debate against JD Vance, where he said he has become”friends” with shooters while talking about school shootings. Walz made the remark after moderators asked him how he changed his mind about banning “assault weapons.”
“I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I became friends with school shooters. I’ve seen it,” Walz said.
Donald Trump was quick to take to social media to point out Walz’s mistake. “Walz made a very big mistake on Gun Shooters. Does anyone think he knows what he said? Will he have a News Conference after the Debate to apologize to the parents and others who were so horribly hurt?” the former president wrote on Truth Social.
Trump made other posts on Truth Social on the same gaffe. “Did Tampon Tim just say he has “become friends with school shooters?” He isn’t even qualified to be Governor, let alone Vice President. Walz and Kamala DO NOT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!” he wrote in one post.
In another post, Trump said of Walz, “Second time he has said, “I’ve been friends with school shooters.” What does he mean by this? Is he insane?”
Andrew Pollack, whose daughter was killed in a school shooting, shared a video of Walz making the comment. In the caption, Pollack wrote, “My daughter was killed in the Parkland school shooting. It’s absolutely abhorrent that Tim Walz has befriended school shooters. Disqualifying.”
Many commented on Pollack’s post, with one saying, “Tim Walz is a disgrace. I hope they do not replace him because we need Trump more than ever.” “I hope to hell he misspoke — I heard that and was aghast,” one user said, while another wrote, “Walz is a complete embarrassment.”
“Clip taken out of context, I dont think thats what he meant. Sorry about your daughter tho,” one user wrote, while another said, “Walz is a total nutcase”. “On this day, October 1, 2024, Tim Waltz lost the election,” said a user.
During the debate, Walz also revealed that hisson, Gus Walz, witnessed a shooting at a community centre while playing volleyball. The Minnesota governor added that he has met families of children who were murdered during the Sandy Hook massacre.