Tim Walz Once Received ‘A’ Grade From NRA — Then He Shot Left

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was once a champion of Second Amendment rights during his time in the U.S. House, but he quickly abandoned his policy position during his campaign for governor.

Walz represented Minnesota’s 1st district in the House from 2007 to 2018, earning ‘A’ ratings and donations from the National Rifle Association (NRA), according to Forbes. During his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, he began shifting his policy on guns, and when he became governor in 2019, he passed several gun control measures in Minnesota, receiving an ‘F’ rating from the NRA during his campaign as a result, according to The New York Times.

“Walz is a political shapeshifter,” Rob Doar, senior vice president of government affairs at the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, told the DCNF. “When he was representing Minnesota’s first district, he advocated for the Second Amendment because that’s what he had to be to win, and shortly after campaigning for governor, he started distancing himself away from Second Amendment positions.”

In 2010, the NRA endorsed Walz for his defense of gun rights, according to an NRA press release. Walz welcomed the endorsement, drawing on his military service and upbringing to stress his alleged conviction for the Second Amendment.

“I grew up hunting and spent 24 years in the Army National Guard,” Walz said according to the NRA press release. “I know how important Second Amendment rights are to the people of southern Minnesota. I’m proud to stand with the NRA to protect our Second Amendment rights, and I’m truly grateful for their endorsement.”