Presidential hopeful and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann appeared to commit a large blunder Monday when, after she announced her presidential campaign in Waterloo, Iowa, she promised to “mimic the spirit of Waterloo’s own John Wayne.”
However, according to The Washington Times, Bachmann misspoke because Waterloo’s John Wayne was not the beloved movie star, but rather John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer.
“Well what I want them to know is just like, John Wayne was from Waterloo, Iowa. That’s the kind of spirit that I have, too,” Bachmann said in an interview with FoxNews after her announcement.
According to the Washington Times, John Wayne, the movie legend, is from Winterset, Iowa, which is a nearly three-hour drive away from Waterloo.
Gacy lived in Waterloo for a short time and was first convicted there for attempted assault, for which he served 18 months in prison. He later moved back to Illinois, where his killing spree started, and lasted about six years. In 1980 he was convicted on 33 counts of murder and was executed in 1994.
However, later, Bachmann’s campaign sent a notice saying, “John Wayne is from Iowa, his parents lived in Waterloo.”
Wayne’s parents did briefly live in Waterloo, the Times reported, and according to “Duke: The Life and Image of John Wayne,” it’s where they met. But soon after their marriage they moved to Winterset, where Wayne was born.
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