Minn. Gov. Walz Questions JD Vance's Shooting Skills

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz seemed to question the shooting skills of Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, claiming that the GOP vice presidential nominee can't hunt pheasants the way he can.

"That's what J.D. Vance's shtick is, talking about guns. I guarantee you he can't shoot pheasants like I can," Walz said Tuesday on "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees."

"And that's a part of saying, but you know what, I guarantee I don't want weapons of war in classrooms. And there's no reason that you can't have reasonable restrictions around that without infringing on your Second Amendment."

As he introduces himself to voters, Vance has leaned heavily on his personal story of growing up in Appalachia, sharing at the Republican National Convention (RNC) this month about how his grandmother kept 19 loaded guns in her home.

Walz, a candidate to be Vice President Kamala Harris' VP pick, has branded Vance and former President Donald Trump "weird," a label that the Harris campaign and other Democrats have seized on when describing past statements made by the Republican slate.

While on CNN Tuesday night, Walz disputed the idea that he was somehow insulting Trump-Vance supporters by calling them "weird." Instead, he said these are people Democrats need to reach out to.

"I grew up in a town of 400 and graduated with 24 classmates, 12 cousins. I know these people," he said." "They're — this isn't what this is about. I'm talking about those people there that we need to make the case to them.

"These are people that Democrats, they've felt like Democrats have spoken down to them, that we've not gone and reached where they're at, that they're trying to be who they are."

Walz also said that his use of the word "weird" to describe Harris' Republican opponents is "not name calling" but rather an "observation."

Trump "doesn't scare Vice President Harris," Walz said, while suggesting that the former president doesn't have a plan and has "weird ideas."

"People can feel this," he said. "Why does the guy never laugh? Like, laugh with people but laughing at people? And why are you talking about Hannibal Lecter?"

During his speech at the RNC, Trump went off script and threw in some comments about former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Joe Biden, as well as fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter.

Newsmax has reached out to Vance's office for comment.