Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he wasn’t sure anyone does “everything right,” but that President Joe Biden “did everything for the good of the American public” when asked if he would change the actions of the Biden administration. taken in the last term.
“Look, I don’t know if one of us does everything right. But I can say that he has done everything for the good of the American public,” Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, said in an interview that aired Friday on “Good Morning America.”
The governor was asked by “GMA” anchor Michael Strahan if Biden would lead the country at any other point. His running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, couldn’t identify a decision that would have gone the other way when asked a similar question on “The View” this week.
Walz avoided a specific answer Thursday, saying that as governor — in the Trump administration and the Biden-Harris administration — he saw a difference in leadership that ultimately “pulled” the Democratic ticket. Walz also pointed out that Harris’ values have not changed, and that is what the critics have complained about.
“As governor, I was asked to be governor of this state when Donald Trump was president and Joe Biden was there, and I saw Donald Trump ignore the COVID pandemic. I saw an economy go into the ground,” Walz said. “I saw Joe Biden and Kamala Harris getting those pieces … I think the thing that drew me to this card, and I think what the vice president is talking about is that the values around them haven’t changed,” he added.
Walz also discussed past false statements about his past, including being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre and carrying a gun during a war.
These misrepresentations came during a debate with Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, and Walz called himself a “knucklehead” for making these mistakes.
When Strahan asked if it was fair for Walz’s opponents to say he’s making false claims to make himself look better, the governor responded by talking about his own personal background while pointing to recent cleanup efforts that he called the wrong timeline for the Tiananmen Square massacre. .
“Well, look, 35 years ago I had the opportunity to be in Hong Kong, to be in China, I learned a lot about it. He spent 24 years in the National Guard, passionately. At one point, talking about gun violence in schools … proud of my service, proud of being a teacher in that classroom, proud of being very public over the years and owning up, you know, he said, ‘Look, I was there in August of ’89.'” , said Walz.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks with ABC News’ Michael Strahan for an interview that will air on “Good Morning America” on Friday, October 11.
David Sherman/ABC
He also pointed to Minnesota’s achievements under his leadership, noting that the results he was able to oversee outweigh the trust issue.
Walz then referenced former President Donald Trump’s claims of closeness with foreign leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bob Woodward’s new book, which Trump denied.
“What you see here, you saw in Minnesota, being elected here eight times, these things have been very public to the people here. They see the results of the things we go through. We see a state that is a top five state for business,” Walz said.
“We see the third best state to raise a child, the best three states. And we have the best health care. And I think the politics, dealing with China and understanding China’s human rights history, what you can be sure of is that Kamala Harris and I are not going to, you know, put dictators on speed dial,” Walz said.
He also reiterated that voters, like his constituents, will vote for him because they know “who I am,” when Strahan pressed him about trust concerns.
As Strahan points out, Walz said, in an interview that aired on “60 Minutes” earlier this week, that Harris told him to “be more careful how you say things” on several occasions when the campaign had to clarify his false statements.
“I, you know, I wear my… my emotions on my sleeve. And I think in these positions, whether you’re governor or vice president of the United States, you have to be careful,” Walz replied.
Walz also said he supports the Electoral College after saying earlier this week that he supported removing it.
On the economy, Strahan pointed out that according to recent polls, Americans had to cut back on food costs and how voters could be worried that Harris could be responsible for this inflation.
Walz came out saying that in order to reach those voters who blame Harris for the economy, the campaign should focus on their economic proposals.
“The reality for most people is if those costs go up, they want to know what you’re going to do about it,” Walz said.
