Jimmy Kimmel welcomed “America’s sweetheart” Tim Walz to Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, with the VP candidate kicking off his interview by calling for the Israel-Hamas war to come to an end.
“It’s a little heavy today,” Walz confirmed, acknowledging the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel last October. “1200 folks dead, 46 Americans. The vice president and I talk about making sure that it never happens again, that Israel’s secure, and the hostages are brought home and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza ends. These are things that we all talk about. And bring that to an end.”
He added that he had the opportunity to visit the Nova Exhibit in Los Angeles, a remembrance of those killed in the attacks, earlier in the day. While there, the VP hopeful spoke with one of the former hostages, Noa, and was struck that the victims were kids “just like my kids.
“The vice president is committed to Israel security, but committed to bringing peace throughout the world,” Walz said. “Noa said, ‘We just want to dance again. That’s what we want to do.’ And I think that’s the sentiment.”
Elsewhere during the interview, Walz recounted Kamala Harris selecting him as her running mate, telling Kimmel that he “never planned my life to be here, but I think my life prepared me well.”
“I’m very proud of what we’ve done in Minnesota,” he said. “I ran and won a congressional seat in a very red district for 12 years, and then [I became] governor of Minnesota. I think people watched, and we were doing things — I know the Republicans say, ‘They’re super radical!’ Yeah, we feed our kids breakfast and lunch at school. It’s a radical idea.”
He added of his respect for Harris, “We get along really well. She’s amazing. She makes me laugh. And I think it’s a good thing, by the way, I think a president should know how to laugh, not at someone, but laugh with things.”
Walz also spoke about his time as a teacher, which taught him about American democracy. “Social studies teachers talk to you about this idea — that we could have different ideas, but we have unity, love the democracy, have an election, and then shake hands and admit the person who won, won,” he affirmed.
Kimmel asked Walz about his habit of calling Republicans “weird,” which has become a key part of the Harris-Walz campaign. After a montage of Donald Trump refuting the idea, Walz replied, “If you have to tell people numerous times you’re not weird, you might be weird.”
