CNN’s Coates: Walz Stolen Valor Charge Is ‘Deflection’ from Gun Control Discussion

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Laura Coates Live,” host Laura Coates stated that criticism of 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz (D) for saying that “we can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at” is a “deflection, because the topic he was discussing was gun control and gun violence and commonsense regulation.”

Former Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), who is an Iraq War veteran, stated that Vance shouldn’t attack fellow veterans, Walz made “one little misstatement” out of thousands of speeches and interviews Walz has done, Walz was talking about weapons he has trained people with, and “the frustrating part” is that Walz was “making a broader point — not about his military service — about how these weapons of war have no place in our schools killing our kids, have no place shooting former presidents, they’re just wrong.”

Coates responded, “I’m very glad that you pointed out this nuance and really what was, I can only describe as deflection, because the topic he was discussing was gun control and gun violence and commonsense regulation. What’s being picked up on instead is something entirely different than what he was actually articulating, which is very important to so many Americans, not the least of which, all the parents like myself who are preparing for yet another school year where our children, elementary kids, will have to have, first, an active shooter response [drill] in our schools.”

Murphy nodded along to Coates’ statement.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett