Tim Walz’s family in Nebraska posed for a photo of them wearing “Nebraska Walz’s for Trump” shirts.
Since the beginning of time, every politician has relied on their family for support, counsel, and projecting an image of kinsmanship. While a family member public breaks with their candidate relative occasionally, it’s almost unheard of for an entire side of the family to renounce their own blood — but that’s just what is happening now to Tim Walz.
The Minnesota governor and Democratic nominee for vice president was formally rejected by the Nebraska branch of his family, eight of whom posted a group photo wearing matching “Walz’s for Trump” shirts. The brazen photo spread virally across the internet Wednesday morning as major conservative figures picked up on news of their abandoning their relative. Charles Herbster, an in-state cattle farmer, was among the first to share the candid image, tagging the accounts for Donald Trump, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), and adding the hashtag #SaveAmerica.
Walz, who joined the Democratic ticket last month, has been somewhat of a sore thumb for Vice President Kamala Harris as a steady drip of bad news about his leadership and past has continued to trickle out. The two sat for a joint interview last week where they batted back attacks on the governor’s spotty military service, a controversy fueled on Monday by Megyn Kelly; former Minnesota National Guardsmen who served alongside Walz accused him of “stolen valor” and being a “military impersonator.”
Making matters worse, Jeff Walz, the governor’s brother, posted on Facebook recently that he will not be voting for his relative in November. “The stories I could tell,” he wrote in a chilling post captured by the Daily Mail, adding Walz is “not the type of character” voters want in the White House. Challenged by followers to “speak up … at this pivotal moment in history,” the Florida resident explained how difficult it has been to contemplate going public about his private concerns about his brother’s leadership qualities. “I’ve thought long and hard about doing something like that! I’m torn between that and just keeping my family out of it,” Jeff said. “The stories I could tell. Not the type of character you want making decisions about your future.”
Trump reacted to the photo on Truth Social.