Tim Walz Accused of Fabricating Origin Story in Latest Scandal
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democrat Party’s nominee for vice president, has long touted an impressive political career that has brought him to the brink of a presidential ticket. However, recent revelations suggest that his journey to the top may be built on a foundation of falsehoods.
Governor Walz, a former high school teacher and military veteran, has often recounted the story of what inspired him to enter politics. According to his version, the turning point came when he took two students to a campaign rally for then-President George W. Bush. Walz claimed that when event staff noticed a John Kerry sticker on one of the students’ backpacks, they were denied entry. This experience, he said, was the moment he decided to run for office.
However, a recent report from The Washington Examiner casts doubt on the accuracy of Walz’s story. According to a source familiar with the events, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Walz was actually admitted into the rally, and the two teenagers he accompanied—Matt Klaber and Nick Burkhart—were not his students.
The report reveals that Klaber and Burkhart were initially denied access to the rally not because of the Kerry sticker, but due to their involvement in a prior altercation that had made local news. Moreover, despite Walz’s claim that this incident spurred his interest in politics, evidence suggests otherwise. Photos obtained by The Examiner show that Walz had already been politically active, participating in an anti-Bush rally just days before the event in question.
Chris Faulkner, a former Bush campaign staffer who was in Minnesota in 2004, commented on the situation, saying, “He was looking for an origin story, and he made one up.”
In 2020, Walz took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share his account of the 2004 rally. He described the two teenagers as his students and detailed how the incident motivated him to pursue a career in politics. However, the facts suggest a different story.
According to The Examiner, the students were involved in an altercation with Bush campaign staff days before the event. Following the confrontation, one of the students, a known Democrat activist, contacted local media to report the incident. The students were later offered tickets to another rally, and Walz was asked by one of their mothers to chaperone them. When they arrived, however, the Secret Service deemed the teenagers a threat and denied them entry. Walz, on the other hand, was allowed in and attended the event.
In a 2006 campaign event, Walz recalled the incident, saying, “As a soldier, I told them I had a right to see my commander in chief.” However, photos from the anti-Bush protest preceding the rally show Walz holding a sign that read “Enduring Freedom Veterans for Kerry.” The sign referenced Operation Enduring Freedom, a military operation in Afghanistan—a conflict in which Walz did not serve.
This controversy is the latest in a series of challenges for Walz, who has also faced accusations of embellishing his military record. As the scandal unfolds, it raises serious questions about the credibility of a politician who has risen to such heights in American politics. Will these revelations impact his bid for the vice presidency? Only time will tell.