Oh boy, here we go again. Another day, another “misspeak” from a Democratic politician, and this time, it’s Tim Walz, the vice presidential nominee. Now, let’s just start with the obvious: when you’re trying to convince the American public that you’ve got the moral high ground, maybe don’t stretch the truth about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre. Just a thought.
In Tuesday’s vice presidential debate, when asked about misleading people (a rather frequent activity for him, apparently), Walz sheepishly admitted that he “misspoke.” His excuse? He gets “caught up in rhetoric.” Ah, yes, the ol’ “I talk so much I forget where I was in 1989” defense. Classy. He followed up with some charming self-deprecation, calling himself a “knucklehead.” Sure, Tim, that’s exactly the leadership we need—a guy who’s not only dishonest but also fully aware of it.
And let’s not forget his jab at Trump because, apparently, the best way to excuse your own lies is to blame someone else. According to Walz, if Trump had just come on one of his magical mystery tours of China, maybe he’d stop praising President Xi. Right, because we all know Walz’s knowledge of China is impeccable, seeing as he clearly has no clue where he was during one of the most significant events in modern Chinese history.
What’s worse is that this isn’t a one-off mistake. Walz has a pattern of playing fast and loose with the truth. Minnesota Public Radio (not exactly a Republican echo chamber, mind you) revealed that Walz wasn’t in Hong Kong during the massacre at all. In fact, he was kicking around Nebraska in May 1989, nowhere near the chaos of Tiananmen Square. He didn’t even leave for China until August of that year. But hey, what’s a few months and a little massacre when you’re trying to spice up your resume, right?
JUST IN: Tim Walz turns into a stumbling mess, calls himself a ‘knucklehead’ after he was confronted about the lie that he was in Hong Kong in 1989 during Tiananmen.
After going on a 2-minute rant about how good of a guy he is, Walz finally answered the question.
Walz has… pic.twitter.com/rJ324rYytH
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 2, 2024
It doesn’t stop there. Walz has also given conflicting stories about his family’s infertility treatment, his arrest for drunk driving in 1995, and even his rank in the National Guard. For a guy who’s supposed to be all about “people to people diplomacy,” he sure seems to have a lot of trouble telling people the truth.
And how about his little claim that he’s been to China over 30 times? His own campaign had to step in and correct that whopper—it’s actually closer to 15. I guess when you’ve been to China as many times as Walz apparently has, you start losing track. But again, it’s not like the American people are supposed to expect honesty from their leaders, right?
Look, it’s one thing to have an interest in China. Plenty of Americans study abroad, work there, or even visit for their honeymoon like Walz did. But let’s be real here. The man can’t seem to keep his stories straight, and this whole “I was in Hong Kong during the massacre” tall tale is just another example of the Democrats bending reality to fit their narrative.
Media reactions after the JD Vance vs. Tim Walz debate.
Geraldo Rivera: JD Vance won the debate.
NBC: Does Tim Walz have a problem with the truth?
Chris Cuomo: JD Vance fact-checked the moderators and he was right.
CNN’s John King: Vance carried the important issues.
CNN’s… pic.twitter.com/5rICMSivUC
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 2, 2024
For someone who claims to be so in tune with history and diplomacy, maybe Walz should have taken better notes during his actual trips to China—whenever those really happened. Republicans don’t need to do much here. Walz’s own web of inconsistencies is doing all the heavy lifting.
