Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota has found himself at the center of a burgeoning scandal, as new reports have cast doubt on a story he has often used to define his political journey. The Democrat vice presidential nominee, already embroiled in controversy over accusations of embellishing his military record, is now facing backlash over the veracity of a key narrative he has shared about his entry into politics.
According to Governor Walz (D-MN), his decision to enter the political arena was sparked by an incident at a 2004 President George W. Bush rally. Walz, then a high school teacher, claimed he and two students were denied entry to the event after staff noticed a John Kerry campaign sticker in one of the students’ wallets. This denial, Walz has often said, was a pivotal moment that highlighted the deep political divisions he wished to bridge.
However, a Washington Examiner investigation revealed inconsistencies in Walz’s account that undermine his credibility. Contrary to his public statements, sources close to the event assert that Walz was, in fact, admitted to the rally. Furthermore, the two individuals accompanying him were not his students but the children of fellow teachers. These reports were confirmed by the Washington Examiner, which also noted discrepancies in Walz’s narrative.
The original story, which Walz recounted in various speeches and on social media, portrayed him as a bystander in a scenario that underscored partisan exclusion. “The last sitting President to visit my hometown of Mankato, Minnesota was George W. Bush in 2004. As a high school teacher and football coach, I brought two fellow teachers’ children to the speech as an educational experience. We were denied entry because the students had previously volunteered for the Democratic party,” Walz tweeted in August 2020.
because the students had previously volunteered for the democratic party. Having just returned from military duty in Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom I wished to hear directly from the President…
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 17, 2020
In his narrative, Walz emphasized his military service and his role as an educator, suggesting that his group’s exclusion from the rally was a result of partisan bias, an experience that galvanized his political ambitions. “It was at this moment that I decided to run for office,” he explained in a follow-up tweet.
It was at this moment that I decided to run for office. While I had a passion for politics, I had never been overly involved in political campaigns, and many people thought that a high school teacher and football coach didn’t stand a chance.
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 17, 2020
Ahead of President Trump’s visit today to my hometown, I think about the next generation of leaders who are stepping up to meet this moment. Don’t wait for your moment, take it. You may just be governor someday.
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 17, 2020
However, the account has been contradicted by those familiar with the event. Chris Faulkner, who served on the Bush campaign team in Minnesota in 2004 and was present at the August rally, told the Washington Examiner, “He was looking for an origin story. And he made one up.”
Walz claimed that Nick Burkhart and Matt Klaber were his former students. However, this claim does not hold up. Records obtained by the Washington Examiner show that Burkhart attended Mankato East High School, not the school where Walz taught. He later volunteered on Walz’s successful 2006 campaign. As for Klaber, he did not enroll at Mankato West Senior High School, where Walz was a teacher, during the 2004 event. According to a source, Klaber never took a class with Walz while he was a student there.
“It’s clear he was politically involved before that moment. He was protesting in front of the ticket distribution center. It’s all bulls***,” Faulkner said.
The scandal arrives at a particularly vulnerable time for Walz, who is already under fire from veterans’ groups accusing him of “stolen valor.” Groups allege that Walz has exaggerated his military record, specifically his duties and experiences during his deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
