Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is facing questions about claims he has made in the past along with his debate performance against Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).
Fox News anchor Shannon Bream sought to give Walz the opportunity to clarify some of his misstatements during an interview Sunday.
“I want to give you a chance, because you called yourself a knucklehead this week, to talk about some of your misstatements,” Bream said.
She continued, “You’ve modified your story or explained that you misspoke about things involving your military rank, about carrying a weapon in war, your 1995 DUI arrest, using IVF to have your beautiful children, Gus and Hope, being in Hong Kong and China in the summer of 1989 during the Tiananmen events. A lot of people would say they couldn’t get away with saying, ‘I’m just too passionate. My grammar is not right. I’m a knucklehead.’ What do you say to the American people who think, ‘I don’t know that I can trust this guy with all those modifications to be the potential commander in chief of this country?'”
Walz replied, “I think they heard me the other night speaking passionately about gun violence and misspeaking. And I got to be honest with you, Shannon, I don’t think people care whether I used IUI or IVF when we talk about this. What they understand is Donald Trump would resist those things.”
Explaining he speaks “passionately,” the governor continued, “I had an entire career decades before I was in public office. They know and I’m very proud of my 24 years in service, and my record. I have never disparaged someone else in this, but I know that’s not what Donald Trump does. They disparage everyone, did personal attacks.”
He added, “I will own up when I misspeak. I will own up when I make a mistake. Let’s be very clear: On that debate stage The other night, I asked one very simple question, and Senator [JD] Vance would not acknowledge that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. I think they’re probably far more concerned with that than my wife and I [using] IUI to have our child, and that Donald Trump would restrict that.”
Walz then went on to tell Bream he believes Americans “know who I am” and his “constituents here in Minnesota have elected me eight times. They know where I’m at and I’m proud to be on the ticket and will deliver, just like we have here in Minnesota.”
Concluding the interview, Bream expressed her appreciation for Walz’s service in the military and as a teacher.
Watch the video below:
The “knucklehead” remark came during the vice presidential debate between Walz and Vance held last week.
When asked about his visits to China and whether he was present during the Tiananmen Square massacre in May 1989, he replied, “I got there that summer and misspoke on this.”
The governor told the moderators he is a “knucklehead at times.”
It was previously reported by the Butan Alliance Times-Herald in May 1989 that Walz was in the U.S. at the time and touring an armory at the Nebraska Army National Guard.
Additionally, per CBS news, a news radio station reported Walz stated in August 1989 he would “leave Sunday en route to China.”
His plans to head to China would have been after the protests considering they occurred between April 15 and June 4 1989.
