During NBC’s coverage of the vice presidential debate on Tuesday, co-host Savannah Guthrie stated that 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) has “a rather progressive record on immigration,” and has supported benefits, including taxpayer-funded ones, for illegal immigrants in Minnesota.
While speaking with Harris-Walz Campaign Surrogate Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) before the debate, Guthrie said, “Tim Walz has a rather progressive record on immigration, Minnesota gave undocumented migrants driver’s license[s], made them eligible for free college tuition, as well as state health insurance. How’s that going to play in Arizona?”
Kelly responded by pointing to Walz’s voting record while he was in the United States Congress and saying both Walz and his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris have experience and criticizing 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on other issues like taxes, foreign policy, and abortion.
After Guthrie cut in to further press about the immigration issue and how some of Walz’s stances on the issue will play in Arizona, Kelly said that Harris understands the border and her visit to the border with him went well and that she would sign the Senate border bill that Trump killed.
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett