{"id":2322804,"date":"2024-08-11T18:21:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-11T22:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-tim-walz-went-from-being-nra-endorsed-to-receiving-straight-fs-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-11T18:26:57","modified_gmt":"2024-08-11T22:26:57","slug":"how-tim-walz-went-from-being-nra-endorsed-to-receiving-straight-fs-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-tim-walz-went-from-being-nra-endorsed-to-receiving-straight-fs-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"How Tim Walz went from being NRA-endorsed to receiving \u2018straight F\u2019s\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-tim-walz-went-from-being-nra-endorsed-to-receiving-straight-fs-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2322804&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The \u200carticle discusses the evolution of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz&#8217;s stance \u2064on gun control, highlighting his shift from being a gun rights\u200c advocate endorsed by the NRA to adopting \u2064more progressive views aligned with the Democratic Party. Initially, Walz, who is a\u2064 lifelong hunter, gun owner, and veteran, held\u2062 an NRA endorsement and even\u200b campaigned on his support for the organization during his time in Congress.\u2062 However, following\u2064 events like the Las Vegas\u2063 mass shooting in 2017, his views began to change. He \u2064rejected his NRA endorsement, returned campaign contributions from pro-gun lobbies, and declared receiving &#8220;straight F&#8217;s&#8221; from the NRA. Walz \u200cemphasized that his focus has \u200dshifted toward \u200bpromoting gun safety measures \u2063to protect children. Acknowledging past\u200b criticisms regarding his ties to the NRA, he \u2063committed to avoiding future contributions from them and aligns his\u2063 current policies with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/actress-julianne-moore-delivers-speech-outside-supreme-court-amid-hearing-on-gun-limits-for-domestic-abusers\/\" title=\"Actress Julianne Moore delivers speech outside Supreme Court amid hearing on gun limits for domestic abusers\">ensuring gun safety<\/a> and reducing access to firearms\u2063 for individuals deemed unsafe.\u2064 This transformation reflects a broader trend among some politicians moving away from\u200c strong ties to the gun lobby \u200bin response\u200d to growing public demand for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/3-dead-after-shooting-at-party-at-denver-industrial-storefront\/\" title=\"3 killed in shooting at Denver industrial storefront party.\">stricter\u2064 gun control measures<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">How Tim Walz went from being NRA-endorsed to receiving &lsquo;straight F&rsquo;s&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1727401\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tim Walz<\/a> (D-MN) has made the fact that he is a lifelong hunter, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/second-amendment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>gun-owner<\/a>, and veteran central to his political image, and he once even held a rare endorsement from the National Rifle Association.<\/p>\n<p>But Walz&rsquo;s stance on gun control has shifted throughout his time in political office, with the Minnesota governor saying he now receives F&rsquo;s from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nra\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>NRA<\/a>, and his stance on guns has shifted more in line with the mainstream Democratic Party.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly before Walz was tapped as Harris&rsquo;s running mate, he touted his &ldquo;straight Fs&rdquo; from the NRA in a post on X, saying he sleeps &ldquo;just fine&rdquo; without it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It&rsquo;s true. I&rsquo;m a veteran, a hunter, and a gun owner. But I&rsquo;m also a dad. And for many years, I was a teacher.<\/p>\n<p>I know basic gun safety isn&rsquo;t a threat to my rights. It&rsquo;s about keeping our kids safe. <\/p>\n<p>I had an A rating from the NRA. Now I get straight F&#8217;s. And I sleep just fine. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/R3ZX4A35GB\">https:\/\/t.co\/R3ZX4A35GB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Tim_Walz\/status\/1817345041318477937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 27, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a gun owner, veteran, lifelong hunter, and dad,&rdquo; Walz posted on X back in January. &ldquo;I know basic gun safety isn&rsquo;t a threat to the Second Amendment. It&rsquo;s about keeping guns out of the wrong hands for the safety of our kids.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Still, at one time, Walz proudly touted his ties to the NRA. In 2010, Walz, who represented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Minnesota<\/a>&rsquo;s largely rural First Congressional District, aired an advertisement that touted his support for the organization and his love for hunting.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Growing up, hunting taught me a lot about responsibility and respect,&rdquo; Walz <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msnbc.com\/top-stories\/latest\/tim-walz-nra-gun-control-evolution-2024-rcna165589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"said in the ad\">said in the ad<\/a>, according to NBC News. &ldquo;Lessons I hope to pass on to my kids. I&rsquo;m proud to stand with the NRA to protect the rights of sportsmen and gun owners.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Walz&rsquo;s support for gun rights also extended to his voting record on the House floor, where he was largely a centrist voter on many issues and parted ways with his party on multiple pieces of legislation pertaining to guns. <\/p>\n<p>He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/checkpoint\/wp\/2017\/03\/22\/a-congressional-bill-could-allow-veterans-deemed-mentally-incompetent-to-own-guns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>voted<\/a> in favor of legislation that sought to turn the decision of whether veterans who had been given fiduciaries and deemed &ldquo;mentally incompetent&rdquo; were able to own a gun over to the courts rather than the federal government. Walz also co-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/articles\/us-house-passes-pro-sportsmen-share-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"sponsored\">sponsored<\/a> a bill that expanded access to hunting and recreational shooting, among other measures in the bill.<\/p>\n<p>In 2012, he was one of 17 House Democrats who voted with Republicans in favor of holding then-Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to produce documents from the Department of Justice that Republicans were looking for during an investigation into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/SB10001424052702303649504577493822358194332?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>gun-trafficking operation<\/a>&nbsp;called Fast and Furious.<\/p>\n<p>Walz&rsquo;s transition from one of the few Democrats to be endorsed by the NRA to advocate gun control started around the time of the Las Vegas mass shooting in 2017, which left 60 concertgoers dead. Shortly after the shooting, Walz pledged to send back all of the money he had received from pro-gun lobbies. At the time, he had received donations totaling $18,950 from the NRA and $6,000 from the National Shooting Sports Foundation during his time in Congress, according to campaign records.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The following year, while running for Minnesota&rsquo;s governorship, Walz also faced pressure from the Democratic Party to disavow his former NRA endorsement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I hear the criticisms from those who take issue with my past campaign contributions from the NRA. That&rsquo;s why I donated all of that money to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund last year. I won&rsquo;t be taking any contributions from them in the future. In fact, I expect them to start spending heavily to defeat me,&rdquo; Walz said during his gubernatorial run in 2018.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s no surprise he turned away from the NRA as the NRA turned more and more extreme,&rdquo; John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, told the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2024\/08\/11\/tim-walz-gun-control-nra-endorsement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>Washington Post<\/em><\/a>. &ldquo;Governor Walz has proven that he&rsquo;s not afraid to stand up to the gun lobby to keep his constituents safe.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Walz was also one of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/115th-congress\/house-bill\/5087\/cosponsors?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22actionCongressTotal%3A%5C%22115%7Cintroduced%5C%22+and+%28billIsReserved%3A%5C%22N%5C%22%29%22%7D&amp;s=1&amp;r=32&amp;overview=closed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;co-sponsors of the House&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pelosi-announces-house-will-vote-immediately-on-assault-weapon-ban-after-democrat-infighting\/\" title=\"Pelosi Announces House Will Vote Immediately on \u2018Assault Weapon\u2019 Ban After Democrat Infighting\">assault weapons ban legislation<\/a><\/a> in the aftermath of the 2018 Parkland shooting. After the shooting, Walz penned an op-ed to the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/tim-walz-please-understand-my-full-record-on-guns\/475013423\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Star Tribune\">Star Tribune<\/a><\/em>  detailing his support for a ban on assault weapons, which he proposed during his run for governor.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve listened hard to students, parents, law enforcement, teachers, sportsmen and survivors of gun violence, in every corner of Minnesota. And while they have different perspectives, I&rsquo;ve heard them all say one thing loud and clear: This. Needs. To. Stop,&rdquo; Walz wrote in 2018.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;After some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/he-did-nothing-beto-orourke-tears-into-gov-abbott-moments-after-derailing-his-press-conference\/\" title=\"\u2018He Did Nothing\u2019: Beto O\u2019Rourke Tears Into Gov. Abbott Moments After Derailing His Press Conference\">worst mass shootings<\/a> in our country&rsquo;s history, the governor was moved to take a hard look at the facts and decided to support common sense gun reform that would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-potential-motive-for-virgina-beach-shooting-released\/\" title=\"Report: Potential motive for Virgina Beach shooting released\">prevent future tragedies<\/a>. That level of introspection is something to be commended, not critiqued,&rdquo; the Harris-Walz campaign said in a statement. <\/p>\n<p>Since Vice President Kamala Harris tapped Walz as her running mate, the Harris campaign has sought to capitalize on Walz&rsquo;s image as a hunter. Her campaign described him as an &ldquo;avid pheasant hunter&rdquo; and has sold camo-themed merchandise. <\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1727401\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1727401\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**How Tim Walz Transitioned from NRA Supporter to Receiving &#8216;Straight F&#8217;s&#8217;**<\/p>\n<p>Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) has built his political persona around being a lifelong hunter, gun owner, and veteran, even earning a rare endorsement from the National Rifle Association (NRA) in the past. However, his views on gun control have evolved significantly during his time in office. Currently, he states that he receives failing grades from the NRA and aligns more closely with mainstream Democratic Party positions on gun issues. Just before being selected as Kamala Harris\u2019s running mate, Walz highlighted his \u201cstraight Fs\u201d from the NRA in a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressing that he sleeps \u201cjust fine\u201d without their endorsement.<\/p>\n<p>In a January post on X, Walz reiterated his identity as a gun owner and veteran while emphasizing that basic gun safety measures do not threaten Second Amendment rights but are essential for protecting children. He acknowledged having once held an A rating from the NRA but now embraces receiving straight F&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, Walz was proud of his association with the NRA; in 2010, while representing Minnesota\u2019s predominantly rural First Congressional District, he ran an advertisement showcasing his support for hunting and the organization. In this ad, he spoke about how hunting instilled values of responsibility and respect\u2014lessons he hoped to pass down to his children\u2014and expressed pride in standing with the NRA to safeguard sportsmen&#8217;s rights.<\/p>\n<p>Walz\u2019s voting record also reflected strong support for gun rights during his time in Congress; he often voted centrist on various issues and diverged from party lines regarding firearms legislation. For instance, he supported transferring decisions about veterans deemed &#8220;mentally incompetent&#8221; owning guns to courts instead of federal authorities and co-sponsored legislation aimed at expanding access to hunting.<\/p>\n<p>His shift towards advocating for stricter gun control began after the tragic mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert in 2017 that resulted in 60 deaths. Following this event, Walz committed to returning all funds received from pro-gun organizations\u2014totaling nearly $25 thousand during his congressional tenure\u2014from both the NRA and other groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>While campaigning for governor of Minnesota in 2018 amid pressure from fellow Democrats to renounce any ties with the NRA due to past contributions received therefrom\u2014he donated those funds to charity\u2014Walz stated: \u201cI won\u2019t be taking any contributions from them moving forward.\u201d John Feinblatt of Everytown for Gun Safety remarked that it was unsurprising Walz distanced himself as &#8220;the NRA turned more extreme,&#8221; praising him for prioritizing public safety over lobbyist interests.<\/p>\n<p>After supporting an assault weapons ban following another mass shooting incident at Parkland High School in 2018\u2014and penning an op-ed advocating such measures\u2014Walz has continued promoting common-sense reforms aimed at preventing future tragedies based on feedback gathered across Minnesota communities.<\/p>\n<p>Since being chosen by Vice President Harris as her running mate, her campaign has sought leverage off Walz\u2019s image as an avid hunter by marketing camo-themed merchandise alongside descriptions highlighting this aspect of him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2322805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Feat.TimWalz.081424.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[16596,11497,5894,36113],"class_list":["post-2322804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-gun-control","tag-nra","tag-politics","tag-tim-walz"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Feat.TimWalz.081424.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2322804"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322804\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2322805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2322804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2322804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2322804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}