In an interview with CNN aired Thursday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, blamed “poor grammar” and “misspeaking” on his past lies about his military service.
“I want to ask you a question about how you described your service in the National Guard,” CNN’s Dana Bash said. “You said that you carried weapons in war, but you have never deployed actually in a warzone. A campaign official said that you misspoke. Did you?”
“Well, first of all, I’m incredibly proud. I’ve done 24 years in the uniform of this country…My record speaks for itself but I think people are coming to get to know me. I speak like they do. I speak candidly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves. I speak especially passionately about our children being shot in schools and around guns,” he droned on.
“I think people know me. They know who I am,” Walz continued right after he stated that people were just starting to get familiar with him.
“They know where my heart is, and again, my record has been out there for 40 years,” he added.
“The idea that you said that you were in war…” Bash began. “Did you misspeak as the campaign has said?”
Walz said that those particular remarks came in the wake of a school shooting.
“We were talking about carrying these weapons of war…my grammar’s not always correct,” Walz said, before comparing this to the attacks that have come in on his children and his dog.
CNN’s Dana Bash presses Gov. Tim Walz on his military service.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 30, 2024
Walz: I speak candidly, I wear my emotions on my sleeves...
Bash: So did you just misspeak as your campaign claimed?
Walz: Well, my grammar's not always correct. pic.twitter.com/5jNHpUCKAP
This wasn’t the only falsehood Walz was confronted about in the interview. Bash pointed out that Walz was dishonest about how his children were conceived. While he touted time and time again that they were born because of in vitro fertilization, it turns out that Walz and his wife used intrauterine insemination, or IUI, as Townhall covered.
“What do you say to voters who aren't sure whether they can take you at your word?” Bash pressed.
Walz claimed that his former students and people he served with can “vouch” for him.
“I certainly own my mistakes when I make 'em…I spoke about our infertility issues because it’s hell…I spoke about the treatments that were available to us that had those beautiful children..I think people know who I am. They’ve seen that record…I won’t apologize for speaking passionately…the contrast could not be clearer between what we’re running against…I think most Americans get it if you’ve been through that,” he said.
CNN’s Dana Bash: You also lied about using IVF and about a past drunk and reckless driving arrest. “What do you say to voters who aren't sure whether they can take you at your word?”
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 30, 2024
Walz: “I certainly own my mistakes when I make 'em.” pic.twitter.com/5UveGAAplH