But Walz said Wednesday during a stop on his bus tour around Pennsylvania that he was "talking about meeting people where there are school shooters," and highlighted the relationships he has made victims of mass shootings, including those who survived the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.

Walz, the Democratic candidate for vice president, remarked on his at-times shaky debate performance Tuesday night as “civil, but spirited” with Republican U.S. Sen. JD Vance.

Four years ago, 57 million tuned in to the only vice presidential debate of the 2020 election cycle between Harris and then-Vice President Mike Pence. In 2008, a record 69.9 million watched Joe Biden and Sarah Palin face off on television in the most-watched VP debate, according to Nielsen.

The showdown between Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MI) offered a window into how the vice presidential hopefuls would tackle issues.

Trump and his supporters have pounced on the obvious misstatement—a sharp contrast to the vice presidential candidates’ cordiality on stage.

Tim Walz apparently fumbled a response about school shootings, saying he’s become “friends” with the shooters. The moderators asked Walz how he changed his mind about banning “assault weapons” over his career.

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz attempted to clarify Wednesday a comment he made about being “friends with school shooters” during

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Wednesday sought to clarify a comment from the vice presidential debate in which he said he’s “become friends with school shooters,” telling reporters he was speaking about people impacted by school shootings.

You previously opposed an assault weapons ban, but it's only later in your political career. Did you change your position? Why yeah, I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I've become friends with school shooters.