Tim Walz is explaining and explaining and explaining.
During an interview with Michael Strahan on “Good Morning America” that aired Friday, the Minnesota governor tried to clarify his latest rogue remarks, despite a warning from Vice President Kamala Harris that he needs to be more careful when speaking.
“I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I do think in these positions, whether it be governor or being vice president of the United States, you do need to be careful. You do need to be a little more thoughtful on it,” Walz said.
But Walz also seemed to lay some blame for his comments on Republicans, saying his remarks were getting “spun in a political environment.”
In an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired Monday, Walz said Harris cautioned him, paraphrasing her telling him he needed to be more careful with his words.
Since being tapped as Harris’ running mate in August, the folksy, plain-speaking Minnesota governor has had to spend time on the campaign trail responding to a growing number of inaccurate statements — and at times embellishments — about his past. Walz got tripped up during his recent vice presidential debate with JD Vance when a moderator asked him to explain why he claimed he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protests when in fact he wasn’t in the region until several months later.
Walz downplayed the remarks in a similar fashion Sunday in an interview with Fox. And when pressed on the point during Friday’s interview, he reprised a common explanation for his misstatements: “I said they know who I am. I know who I am. I know the work that I’ve done.”
The governor has also argued in recent days that his comments aren’t the same as those of Donald Trump, who he calls a “pathological liar.” Walz recently assured rallygoers that he and Harris won’t have “dictators on speed dial.”
Walz was also asked Friday to clarify comments he made earlier this week that the Electoral College “needs to go” and is something he and Harris disagree on.
“I have spoken about it in the past and she’s been very clear on this, and the campaign and my position is the campaign’s position,” he replied.
Emmy Martin contributed to this story.
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