Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently admitted to “misspeaking” about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Recent news reports showed that he was actually in the United States at the time and only traveled to China later that summer. During the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate, Walz struggled to explain this discrepancy, attributing it to his tendency to get caught up in rhetoric. He cited his time in China as a valuable learning experience that impacted his career in public service.
Previously, Walz had claimed to be in Hong Kong during the massacre, including during a 2014 Congressional hearing and on a podcast in February. However, local news reports from Nebraska indicated that he was still in the United States at that time. Walz was photographed touring a National Guard storeroom in Nebraska in May 1989, and an article from April of the same year mentioned his upcoming trip to China in August, after the protests had ended.
Walz has also been criticized for his numerous trips to China, with conflicting statements about how many times he has visited. Republicans have raised concerns about his connections to China, leading to House Oversight Chairman James Comer subpoenaing documents related to this issue. The Harris campaign has defended Walz, stating that he has always prioritized American jobs and stood up to the Chinese Communist Party.
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