Minnesota Governor Tim Walz raised some eyebrows during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday, where he hinted at his hopes for the outcome of the 2024 election.

During the late-night show, Walz and host Jimmy Kimmel took jabs at his GOP rival, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, criticizing Vance’s refusal to acknowledge that former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election during the recent vice presidential debate.

Walz described the debate as “very surreal,” referring to Vance’s reluctance to clearly state that Trump had lost the election.

However, Walz quickly shifted the conversation to his optimism about the upcoming election, expressing confidence in a significant political shift.

“For me, and being an eternal optimist, I always say that. I supervised a high school lunchroom – you’re an optimist or you’re dead,” Walz said. “This idea that, look, we get to turn the page on that, and I plan on waking up on November 6 with Madam President.”

The statement drew loud cheers from the liberal audience, prompting Kimmel to joke, “I want to be clear, you won’t be waking up together,” eliciting laughter from both the crowd and Walz.

“No,” Walz responded with a chuckle. Kimmel continued, “Unless you guys have gotten closer than we thought,” to which Walz laughed and admitted, “I have a problem about not being specific with my language.”

During last week’s debate, Walz faced backlash for an awkwardly worded comment in which he said he had “become friends with school shooters.”

#BREAKING: Watch as Tim Walz shocks and confuses many when he states, ‘I’ve become friends with school shooters,’ during a heated debate with JD Vance. The unexpected remark leaves the Many people stunned and uncertain about his statement pic.twitter.com/Q7057occ7L

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) October 2, 2024

The governor intended to refer to his relationships with parents who had lost children to school shootings but misspoke, leading to widespread criticism.

“I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I’ve become friends with school shooters. I’ve seen it,” Walz said during the debate, sparking confusion and controversy over the poorly timed remark.

Walz has also been criticized for previous misstatements, including a claim that he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre, which he later admitted was false.

During an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Walz was pressed by correspondent Bill Whitaker about whether such falsehoods raised questions about his trustworthiness.

“Is that kind of misrepresentation— isn’t that more than just being a knucklehead?” Whitaker asked Walz, referring to the governor’s previous falsehoods.

“I think folks know who I am, and I think they know the difference between someone expressing emotion, telling a story, getting a date wrong… than a pathological liar like Donald Trump,” Walz responded, defending his credibility.

Whitaker followed up by questioning whether voters could trust Walz to tell the truth. Walz acknowledged his past mistakes but assured viewers that he is honest. “Yeah, well, I can. I think I can,” Walz said. “I will own up to being a knucklehead at times, but the folks closest to me know that I keep my word.”

60 Minutes obliterated Harris/Walz

Wow

Tim Walz gets called out as someone Americans can’t trust
pic.twitter.com/wY0pWUpA9N

— Tim Pool (@Timcast) October 8, 2024

As Election Day approaches, Walz’s remarks on Jimmy Kimmel Live and his performance in the vice presidential debate have placed him under heightened scrutiny.

With his comments drawing both laughter and criticism, Walz faces an uphill battle in maintaining voter confidence as the 2024 race intensifies.

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