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Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz landed in Los Angeles County on Sunday evening after a day of California campaign and fund-raising stops in San Diego and the Santa Barbara area.
Walz landed in Long Beach after his flight was diverted from LAX because of unexpected weather issues.
Walz’s itinerary for Monday in L.A. had not been announced as of Sunday. He is scheduled to from the area Monday evening, according to a campaign statement. The Associated Press, however, reported that Walz will appear on Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC show on Monday. The show generally tapes in the early evening for its late-night airing.
Kamala Harris’ running mate swooped through San Diego on Sunday afternoon to speak at a campaign reception on behalf of the Harris Victory Fund. Next, Walz was scheduled to appear at a campaign event in Montecito, then head to the L.A. area for the evening.
Walz started his busy Sunday with an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.” He used his debut campaign appearance on a Sunday news show to try to fend off criticism of his stand on abortion rights and “own up” to past misstatements.
The interview reflected a broader media blitz by Harris and her running mate as the Democrats seek to garner public attention in the final 30 days of the campaign against Republicans Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Trump headed to Wisconsin on Sunday, a day after he tried to kickstart some of the momentum he had before President Biden dropped out by returning to the place where he survived an assassination attempt in July.
Harris, meanwhile, taped an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” that was scheduled to air Monday night. She is booked Tuesday on Howard Stern’s satellite radio show, ABC’s “The View” and “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert on CBS. Her interview on the podcast “Call Her Daddy” was released late Sunday.
Walz’s Fox appearance also touched on the turmoil in the Middle East, with anchor Shannon Bream pressing the Minnesota governor on whether Israel has a right to preemptively attack Iran’s nuclear and oil facilities in response to Tehran’s firing of missiles against Israel. It was a question that Walz did not fully answer during his debate this past week with Vance, an Ohio senator.
Walz said Sunday that “specific operations will be dealt with at the time.” He said Israel has a right to defend itself and that Harris worked with Israel this past week to repel the Iranian attack. President Joe Biden said last week he would not support an Israeli strike on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear program.
Walz defended a law that he signed as governor to ensure abortion protections, saying it “puts this puts the decision with the woman and her health care providers.” He questioned the statement by Trump that he would not sign a national abortion ban into law.
On the economy, Walz said Harris’ proposals would make life more affordable for the middle class by helping with the construction of 3 million new homes and expanding tax credits for parents. He said tariffs floated by Trump could increase costs by an estimated $4,000 a year on a typical family.
Walz also faced questions in the interview about misstatements pertaining to his military service, drunken driving arrest, infertility treatment for his family and claims to have been in Hong Kong before the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in China.
“I will own up when I misspeak,” Walz said.
He said he believes voters are more concerned by the fact that Vance could not acknowledge during their debate that Trump lost the 2020 election to Biden and that there could restrictions on the infertility treatment of intrauterine insemination that his wife, Gwen, received.
“I think they’re probably far more concerned with that than my wife and I used IUI to have our child and that Donald Trump would restrict that,” Walz said. “So I think folks know who I am.”
Bream noted that Trump has come out in support of fertility treatments, even as he has said that abortion questions should be decided by states.
In the afternoon, Walz arrived at San Diego International Airport, along with his daughter, Hope, and headed to a Harris Victory Fund event in La Jolla, hosted by Irwin Jacobs.
Walz spoke to a large, crowded room at the host’s residence emptying onto a balcony and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, which was barely visible through the marine layer.
“It may feel sometimes to Californians like we view you as a bank, but that’s not how we view you,” the governor said to laughs from his audience. He said he appreciated the contributions they’ve given.
“And let’s just be clear,” he added, “California’s next contribution is Madame President.”
After the event, Walz headed back to the airport and on to the Santa Barbara area. In Montecito, Walz made brief remarks at a private home that included the Jan. 6 uprising, his history as a public school teacher and the importance of voting.
Union-Tribune Staff Writer Alex Riggins, Los Angeles Daily News Staff Writer Linh Tat, Santa Barbara Independent Staff Writer Margaux Lovely, the Associated Press and the New York Times contributed to this report
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