Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz "misspoke" in a 2018 video circulated by the Harris campaign earlier this week that included the vice presidential candidate talking about his handling of weapons "in war," a campaign spokesperson said Friday.
The clarification comes after Republicans, led by veteran and vice presidential candidate JD Vance, have attacked Walz over his military record.
"Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American's service to this country — in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It's the American way," a campaign spokesperson said in a statement.
"In making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke. He did handle weapons of war and believes strongly that only military members trained to carry those deadly weapons should have access to them, unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance who prioritize the gun lobby over our children," the spokesperson added.
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The video clip of Walz's previous remarks showed him discussing gun control and referring to his own military background. "We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at," Walz says in the clip posted by Harris' campaign on Tuesday.
Walz was not deployed to a combat zone during his years of military service.
