There was one moment from Tuesday’s vice presidential debate that Donald Trump couldn’t stop thinking about. The former President posted on Truth Social eight times about it, and his campaign and supporters have also latched on, in a sharp contrast from the notable cordiality shown on stage between Trump’s running mate Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minn. Gov. Tim Walz.
Read More: Vance Outperformed Walz in Debate That’s Unlikely to Shift Race
“I’ve become friends with school shooters,” Walz said, seeming to mean parents of school shooting victims.
“Is he insane?” Trump posted, calling it “a very big mistake.”
Trump’s campaign shared a video clip of the moment on X that racked up over 5 million views within hours.
“Yikes! Not ready for primetime,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. “Gaffe of the 2024 election,” said conservative social media influencer Andy Ngo, while longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz said it “may be the worst line in any 2024 debate.”
“This is concerning,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), one of several Trump-supporting members of Congress to also highlight the moment.
“My daughter was killed in the Parkland school shooting,” said Andrew Pollack, a pro-Trump school safety activist, in a widely-shared post on X. “It’s absolutely abhorrent that Tim Walz has befriended school shooters. Disqualifying.”
Elon Musk, who has endorsed Trump, called it “mind-blowing” and shared a clown emoji.
Walz’s remark came during a discussion on school shootings just after Vance had been asked if he thinks parents of school shooters should be held criminally responsible. It depends on the circumstances, Vance said, before adding: “We know, unfortunately, that a lot of kids are gonna experience this terrible epidemic of…
