During his first campaign stop since the vice presidential debateTim Walz sought to clarify comments he made about his trip to China and Hong Kong in 1989, when bloody pro-democracy protests were taking place.
Walz admitted during the debate that he had already misspoke in 2014 when he said he was in mainland China between April and June 1989, during the Tiananmen Square protests, which took place between April 15 and June 4 of the same year. After this concession, however, Walz repeated the mistake, saying: “So I was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protests, I went there and I learned a lot about what should be in matters of governance. »
A Times-Herald report from Butan Alliance from May 1989 shows then-Staff Sgt. Walz was in the United States and visited a Nebraska National Guard armory. A news radio station also reported in another Nebraska newspaper in August 1989 that Walz said he would “leave Sunday on his way to China,” that is, after the protests.
Responding to a question about his remarks from CBS News in Middleville, Pa., Walz corrected himself and admitted that he got his dates wrong, adding that he needed to be clearer when he spoke.
“So my clarity, to take home the message, is something I want to be very clear: August 1989 in Hong Kong, China,” said the Minnesota governor, who often speaks quickly and in shorthand.
Walz also clarified a verbal inaccuracy from the debate, when he said he was friends with the school shooters. The opportunity was quickly seized by Republicans and former President Donald Trump, who spoke about it on Truth Social.
Walz, a former teacher and football coach, said that although he misspoke, it is “pretty clear” that he stood with victims of school shootings and passed legislation in the aim of reducing this violence.
In the same conversation during Tuesday night’s debate, Walz mentioned that his teenage son, Gus, had witnessed a shooting. On the campaign trail, Walz often says that while he supports the Second Amendment, he doesn’t think it should allow children to be shot in hallways.
Walz’s rally Wednesday in York, Pennsylvania, was filled with supporters who defended him.
“Who can remember where they were 30 years ago?” asked Joan Nagy of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
“Everyone can make a mistake,” Les Ford said, adding, “When was the last time you heard Donald Trump or his running mate correct themselves?”
After taking part in the Harris-Walz campaign bus rally to address a crowd of about 2,000 people, Walz reflected further on his performance in the debate.
“Did anyone watch last night’s debate? Not bad for a football coach, huh?” he joked.
“Now look, there’s a reason Mike Pence wasn’t on stage with me,” he said. Walz added: “I served with Mike Pence in Congress. We disagreed on most issues, but in Congress and as vice president, I never criticized the ethics and commitment of Mike Pence to this country, Walz said, “And he made the decision for the Constitution. Mike Pence did his duty. He honored his oath and he chose the Constitution over Donald Trump,” Walz said.
“Senator Vance has made it clear that he will always make a different choice than Mike Pence,” Walz said, referring to Pence’s refusal to give in to pressure from Trump not to certify the 2020 presidential election. Vance said he would not have certified the election, as Pence had done, which Walz said “should be absolutely disqualifying if you’re asking to be vice president of the United States.”
During their debate, CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell noted that Vance said he would not have certified the last presidential election and would have asked states to submit alternative electors , and she asked, “Are you again seeking to challenge the results of this year’s election, even if every governor certifies the results?” »
Vance did not respond directlysaying only: “What President Trump said was that there were problems in 2020 and my own belief is that we should fight on these issues, peacefully debate these issues in the public square.”
