WATCH: Tim Walz On 'Friends With School Shooters' Remark - 'David Hogg Is A Good Friend Of Mine'

On Wednesday, reporters questioned Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) about why he declared he had "become friends with school shooters" during the CBS vice presidential debate against Sen. JD Vance (R-OH). In response, the vice presidential candidate said he's passionate about the issue and is a good friend of David Hogg, a student survivor of the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

"Can you clarify your comment on school shooters?" reporters asked. "I'm super passionate about this. The question comes about school shootings. We're talking about everything except school shootings. And I sat as a member of Congress with the Sandy Hook parents, and it was a profound movement," Walz said. "David Hogg is a good friend of mine. You have seen me do this. I was talking about being people where there are school shooters and I need to be more specific on that, but I am passionate about this," Walz added.

During the debate, 45th President Donald Trump reacted live from his top-rated social media platform, writing, "Did Tampon Tim just say he has 'become friends with school shooters?' He isn’t even qualified to be Governor, let alone Vice President. Walz and Kamala DO NOT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!" "Second time he has said, 'I’ve been friends with school shooters.' What does he mean by this? Is he insane?" Trump wrote in a second post. "Walz made a very big mistake on Gun Shooters. Does anyone think he knows what he said? Will he have a News Conference after the Debate to apologize to the parents and others who were so horribly hurt?" Trump asked. "Why aren’t the after shows talking about the fact that Walz said, 'I’m friends with school shooters!'" Trump asked.

"My daughter was killed in the Parkland school shooting. It’s absolutely abhorrent that Tim Walz has befriended school shooters. Disqualifying," Andrew Pollack, the father of one of 17 people fatally shot in the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, wrote in a now-viral post on X. The richest man in the world, the CEO of Tesla, and Trump supporter Elon Musk also reacted to the clip, writing on X, "Mind-blowing that Tim Walz said he was ‘friends with school shooters."

WATCH:

NEW: Tim Walz is asked to clarify his comment about being friends with school sh**ters, says he is passionate about the topic and is friends with David Hogg.

Reporter: Can you clarify your comment on school sh**ters?

Walz: I'm super passionate about this. The question comes… pic.twitter.com/5yg67WXs8k

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 2, 2024