Kimmel pokes fun at Walz after interview gaffe about ‘waking up on November 6 with Madam President’

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz raised some eyebrows about what he plans to do on Nov. 6 during his late-night debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

On Monday, Walz and liberal host Jimmy Kimmel took turns knocking his GOP rival Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, over his refusal to say that former President Trump lost the 2020 election during last week’s vice presidential debate.

Walz called it “very surreal” to listen to, but pivoted to his own optimism that the country will “turn the page” on Election Day.

“For me, and being an eternal optimist, I always say that. I supervised a high school lunchroom – you’re an optimist or you’re dead,” Walz said.  “This idea that look, we get to turn the page on that, and I plan on waking up on November 6 with Madam President.”

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While the liberal audience roared with cheers, Kimmel jokingly asked for a clarification. 

“I want to be clear, you won’t be waking up together,” Kimmel responded with a grin.

“No,” Walz laughed. 

“Unless you guys have gotten closer than we thought,” Kimmel quipped. 

“I have a problem about not being specific with my language. So thank you for that, specifically right,” Walz chuckled. 

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Walz previously went viral when he mistakenly claimed that he had “become friends with school shooters” during the vice presidential debate.

“I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I’ve become friends with school shooters. I’ve seen it,” Walz said.

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The poorly timed mishap occurred when Walz was asked about changing positions on banning assault weapons, which he previously opposed but now supports. Walz meant he had become friendly with parents who lost children to school shootings. 

He also made headlines when he referred to himself as a “knucklehead” after he was pressed about his falsehood about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre. 

During an interview on “60 Minutes,” Walz was asked whether he could be trusted as other past statements have faced intense scrutiny. 

“Is that kind of misrepresentation- isn’t that more than just being a knucklehead?” CBS News’ Bill Whitaker asked. 

“I think folks know who I am and I think they know the difference between someone expressing emotion, telling a story, getting a date wrong … than a pathological liar like Donald Trump,” Walz said. 

“But I think it comes down to the question of whether you can be trusted to tell the truth,” Whitaker followed. 

“Yeah, well, I can. I think I can,” Walz responded. 

“I will own up to being a knucklehead at times, but the folks closest to me know that I keep my word,” Walz added.

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.