Tim Walz on whether he could be trusted to tell the truth: 'I think I can'

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Tim Walz: 'I will own up to being a knucklehead at times'

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was confronted on lying about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square protests by CBS' Bill Whitaker on "60 Minutes" Monday.

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was asked about whether he "can be trusted to tell the truth" during Monday's special election edition of "60 Minutes."

CBS News' Bill Whitaker told viewers that Walz "has been criticized for embellishing or telling outright falsehoods about his military record and about his travels to Asia in the 1980s."

During his sit-down with the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Whitaker highlighted Walz's comments during last week's vice presidential debate when he referred to himself as a "knucklehead" after admitting he was not in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre. 

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz referred to himself as a "knucklehead" when confronted about his false claim about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre at the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate. (Getty Images)

"Is that kind of misrepresentation, isn't that more than just being a knucklehead?" Whitaker asked. 

"I think folks know who I am and I think they know the difference between someone expressing emotion, telling a story, getting a date wrong … than a pathological liar like Donald Trump," Walz told the journalist. 

"But I think it comes down to the question of whether – whether you can be trusted to tell the truth," Whitaker followed. 

"Yeah, well, I can. I think I can," Walz responded. 

"I will own up to being a knucklehead at times, but the folks closest to me know that I keep my word," Walz added.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was pressed about whether he could be trusted to "tell the truth" during an interview on "60 Minutes." (Screenshot/CBS News)

Walz has faced intense media scrutiny in recent weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris tapped him to be her running mate, particularly about various falsehoods he has peddled over the years.

During his appearance on "Fox News Sunday," Walz shrugged off the criticism. 

"I've got to be honest with you, Shannon. I don’t think people care whether I used IUI or IVF when we talk about this, what they understand is that Donald Trump would resist those things," Walz told host Shannon Bream. 

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"Look, I speak passionately. I had an entire career, decades before I was in public office. They know and I'm very proud of my 24 years in service and my record," Walz continued. "I will own up when I misspeak. I will own up when I make a mistake."

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Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.