At the Democratic National Convention in August, a heartwarming tribute unfolded as sixteen former members of Mankato West High School’s football team honored Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Vice President Kamala Harris lauded him as their “coach,” while Senator Amy Klobuchar took it a step further, proclaiming that he transformed a team with a record of 0-27 into state champions, as reported by the Daily Mail [1].
Such rhetoric [2] certainly paints a heroic picture of Walz’s influence. However, a closer look reveals that the true architect of the team’s success was none other than head coach Rick Sutton.
Walz, who juggled the dual roles of social studies teacher [3] and assistant coach, played a supporting role focused primarily on defensive strategies.
Sutton, while gracious about Walz receiving accolades, asserted the reality: “Tim was really great at selling his point of view and then accepting a different direction. But at some point, somebody has to make that decision, and that’s going to be the head coach.”
Such a statement raises eyebrows about the authenticity of Walz’s narrative, especially given the broader context of exaggerations that have emerged since Harris selected him as her running mate.
This penchant for embellishment extends to Walz’s military service. Although he served a commendable 24 years in the National Guard, his claims about combat experience are misleading.
He stated in a 2018 video, “We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at.”
Here’s Walz committing ACTUAL stolen valor and saying he went to war. Would be a shame if it went viral 💅 pic.twitter.com/wFN72y6Nas [5]
— 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 ~🎙️🇺🇸 (@RogueLou18) August 7, 2024 [6]
This suggests he saw combat, which is simply not true. His deployment to Italy was far from a front-line experience.
When confronted about this during an interview, Walz’s response was less than convincing, claiming, “My wife, the English teacher, told me my grammar is not always correct.”
This evasion hints at a troubling pattern. Furthermore, Walz faced criticism for retiring from the National Guard just before his unit’s deployment to Iraq in 2005, opting instead to pursue a congressional career.
Aaaw, so angry 😂 #TamponTim [7]: "As soon as the shots were fired in Iraq, he turned and ran the other way and hung his hat up and quit."
Did You Know: #TimWalz [8] is credibly accused by fellow soldiers of being a "Stolen Valor" Socialist?
BETA #Commie [9] 🤡pic.twitter.com/bus3e7QFgb [10]— Victoria 🍊 💃 (@VickanFW) September 29, 2024 [11]
Compounding the issue, Walz has also faced scrutiny over his past DUI incident. Although he admitted to drinking when pulled over for speeding, his team later denied any wrongdoing, claiming the charges were unfounded. As it turns out, Walz was indeed taken to the police station in the back of a squad car, contradicting his team’s narrative.
Moreover, Walz’s economic record has come under fire. His claims of leading Minnesota back to economic prosperity after the pandemic are exaggerated. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth in the state has lagged behind national averages since he took office.
In 2006, while launching his congressional campaign, the Nebraska-born politician asserted that he had received the title of “Outstanding Young Nebraskan” from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce for his contributions to education, the military, and small businesses.
However, this claim was inaccurate. The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce promptly responded with a scathing letter, clarifying that they had never awarded him such an honor and pointedly noted that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce had endorsed his Republican rival.
Following this backlash, his campaign adjusted its narrative, stating that the recognition actually came from the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce and revised his website to reflect this correction.
Finally, Walz’s portrayal of his family’s struggles with fertility raised eyebrows as well. While he used IVF [12] as a political talking point, his family did not rely on it [13]; instead, they underwent intrauterine insemination (IUI), a less controversial method.
Today it came out that Tim Walz had lied about having a family via IVF. Who lies about something like that? https://t.co/gKwUwgxHCD [14]
— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 20, 2024 [15]
With Walz now gearing up for a vice presidential debate [16] against J.D. Vance, questions linger about his credibility. As the campaign unfolds, Americans deserve leaders who speak truthfully—not just those who craft a compelling narrative.