Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz found himself at the center of a political storm during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. While discussing gun violence, Walz, the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris, made a comment that sparked immediate controversy among conservatives.
Speaking at a rally in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Walz discussed the importance of gun control measures such as enhanced background checks and red flag laws. He then took a detour from his prepared speech, addressing an audience member who appeared to need water.
“Things like we did in Minnesota, to have enhanced background checks and red flag laws, to get guns out of there, to make a difference,” Walz explained. “And I still got my guns to go shoot pheasants in a couple weeks….We need some water, can we get [a] check on him?” he added, while pointing at the attendee.
Returning to his speech, Walz criticized former President Trump and his running mate, JD Vance. He stated that “Kamala Harris made it clear these guys want to instill fear. They want to tell you that [you should] just get over it, it’s a fact of life. This is the way it is.”
He continued, “[Harris] simply has said it doesn’t have to be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can’t afford four more years of this.”
Walz then transitioned into discussing Project 2025, a plan the Trump campaign has repeatedly denied.
While Walz may have been referring to gun violence or Trump’s rhetoric with the phrase “four more years,” the ambiguity of his statement left conservatives on social media interpreting it as a criticism of the Biden administration.
“Dude is campaigning for Trump now?” commentator Rita Panahi wrote on X. “I’m with Him/Tim,” Donald Trump Jr. jokingly replied.
Trump War Room, an X account run by Trump’s presidential campaign, wrote, “WALZ FINALLY TELLS THE TRUTH: ‘We can’t afford four more years’ of Kamala Harris.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for clarification on Walz’s comments, but no response has been provided at this time.
The incident has sparked a heated debate, highlighting the highly charged atmosphere surrounding the upcoming election and the intense scrutiny surrounding the candidates’ every word.
