{"id":2334346,"date":"2024-08-30T14:07:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T18:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walzs-political-origin-story-does-not-add-up-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-30T14:11:23","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T18:11:23","slug":"tim-walzs-political-origin-story-does-not-add-up-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walzs-political-origin-story-does-not-add-up-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim Walz\u2019s political origin story does not add up &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftim-walzs-political-origin-story-does-not-add-up-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2334346&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article examines the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-bidens-political-origin-story-is-almost-certainly-bogus-and-he-just-swore-to-it-under-oath\/\" title=\"Joe Biden&#039;s political background is highly questionable, yet he recently testified to its authenticity under oath\">political origin story<\/a> \u200bof Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for\u2062 vice president in 2024 and Governor of Minnesota. Walz recounts a pivotal moment \u200cin 2004\u200d when he,\u2062 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-teacher-arrested-for-allegedly-spraying-disinfectant-at-students-who-didnt-wear-masks-properly-faces-felony-child-abuse-charges\/\" title=\"Florida teacher arrested for allegedly spraying disinfectant at students who didn&#039;t wear masks properly, faces felony child abuse charges\">high school teacher<\/a>, attended a George\u200c W. Bush campaign rally\u2063 with \u200btwo students. \u200bHe claims they were denied \u2062entry due\u2064 to a \u2062John Kerry sticker, which he describes as a\u2063 significant event that\u200d inspired him to pursue public \u200doffice. However, the narrative is\u2064 challenged by evidence suggesting inaccuracies. \u200cContrary to Walz&#8217;s\u200c account, he was \u2064admitted to the rally, and the two\u2064 teens\u2064 were not his \u200bstudents. Furthermore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/warnock-voter-registration-group-under-investigation-for-election-law-violations\/\" title=\"Warnock Voter-Registration Group Under Investigation for Election Law Violations\">local news reports<\/a> \u2063indicate that the teens were \u200dinitially barred due to \u200ca prior confrontation with\u200d the Bush campaign. The article suggests Walz was already politically active \u2062before\u200d the rally, as \u200bhe participated in an anti-Bush protest days\u200b earlier. Critics \u200cargue that he crafted a personal myth for his\u2062 political benefit. The investigation highlights discrepancies in Walz&#8217;s stories, calling into question the authenticity of his &#8220;origin story.&#8221;  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Tim Walz&rsquo;s political origin story does not add up<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1741142\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Tim Walz\">Tim Walz<\/a> (D-MN) has long described the moment in 2004 that inspired him to run for public office. In Walz&rsquo;s telling, the &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2024\/08\/22\/coach-tim-walz-spins-a-folksy-intro-speech-as-running-mate-at-dnc-democratic-convention\/74734603007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>folksy<\/a>&rdquo; high school teacher and two of his students attended a campaign rally for President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/george-w-bush\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>George W. Bush<\/a> as an educational experience. However, Walz says, all three of them were denied entry upon event staffers noticing a John Kerry sticker on one of the students&rsquo; wallets &mdash; an exchange that the <em>Atlantic<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20240729162947\/https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/2006\/01\/company-left\/304529\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>dubbed<\/a> a &ldquo;KGB-style interrogation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>There&rsquo;s just one problem: This <a href=\"https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/students\/article\/Tim-Walz\/643467\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>version<\/a> of the political origin story for the Democratic vice presidential nominee, who is already facing &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3121622\/political-perspectives-stacking-evidence-of-stolen-valor-for-tim-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>stolen valor<\/a>&rdquo; accusations over claims about his military service from combat veterans, contains significant inaccuracies.<\/p>\n<p>For one, Walz was admitted into the Bush rally, according to a source familiar, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the August 2004 event. The two teenagers Walz arrived with, Matt Klaber and Nick Burkhart, were not his students, the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> confirmed. <\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the teenagers were barred from the event after a confrontation that made local news earlier in the week &mdash; leading to them initially being denied tickets. <\/p>\n<p>And while Walz <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Tim_Walz\/status\/1295422957687382017\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>framed<\/a> the squabble as the &ldquo;moment that I decided to run for office&rdquo; since he had &ldquo;never been overly involved in political campaigns,&rdquo; evidence suggests that Walz was already politically active by that point: He participated days earlier in an anti-Bush protest before the 2004 Bush rally in Mankota, Minnesota, on Aug. 4, an <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/mbrodkorb\/status\/1295434186984218624\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>image<\/a> confirms.<\/p>\n<p>This report is based on public records, including Walz&rsquo;s prior comments, documents obtained by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, archived local news reports, and information provided by two sources with direct knowledge of the 2004 Bush event. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He was looking for an origin story,&rdquo; Chris Faulkner, a former Bush campaign staffer in Minnesota in 2004 who worked the August rally, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;And he made one up.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Walz, the governor of Minnesota and 2024 running mate of Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Kamala Harris\">Kamala Harris<\/a>, has said Burkhart and Klaber were his own students. This is untrue.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I wished to hear directly from the President and my students, regardless of political party, deserved to witness the historical moment of a sitting president coming to our city,&rdquo; Walz <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tim_walz\/status\/1295422955028086795\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>posted<\/a> on social media in 2020. Walz <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/story\/2022\/10\/27\/minn-gov-hopefuls-jensen-walz-take-smalltown-roots-into-bigtime-showdown\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> in an interview with a Minnesota news outlet in 2022 that he told the Bush event&rsquo;s staff he was &ldquo;their teacher,&rdquo; referring to Burkhart and Klaber, upon the trio being questioned to get into the rally. <\/p>\n<p>Burkhart did not attend Walz&rsquo;s school. He went to Mankato East High School, according to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.statespeech.com\/archive\/speech\/2005Results\/2005SpeechProgram.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>records<\/a> obtained by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. He would later volunteer for Walz&rsquo;s successful campaign in 2006. <\/p>\n<p>Klaber, the other teenager, was not a student at Mankato West Senior High School, where Walz taught, at the time of the 2004 event. He never even took a class with Walz while attending the school, according to a source familiar. <\/p>\n<p>A then-active Democratic activist, Klaber was part of the Gustavus College Democrats and would later volunteer for Walz&rsquo;s congressional campaign in 2006, according to college meeting <a href=\"https:\/\/orgs.gustavus.edu\/dems\/minutes\/fall04.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>minutes<\/a> reviewed by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Walz has also said the Bush event staff&rsquo;s discovery of the Kerry sticker prompted the moment of hostility. Important context is missing from his retelling of the events of that day. <\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s because Klaber and Burkhart had a public confrontation with the Bush campaign days before the 2004 rally. The teenagers were heard making &ldquo;unfavorable comments&rdquo; about Bush as they waited in line and were initially denied tickets, according to an <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20060323145813\/https:\/\/www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com\/archives\/2267.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>archived<\/a> news report.<\/p>\n<p>After the story was reported by local news, because Klaber called the press, the Bush campaign contacted the teenagers and offered them tickets. In the lead-up to the 2004 election, there was heightened protest activity as police <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/id\/wbna6348890\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>made<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/id\/wbna13989163\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>arrests<\/a> at campaign events. Klaber&rsquo;s parents knew Walz and asked him to chaperone the teenagers to the event, expecting they may run into a problem.<\/p>\n<p>They did: That day, as the trio waited in line, Bush campaign staffers told them that the Secret Service deemed Klaber and Burkhart a threat. Walz, in his <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20240729162947\/https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/2006\/01\/company-left\/304529\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>retelling<\/a> of the matter in 2006, said he was indignant. &ldquo;As a soldier, I told them I had a right to see my commander in chief,&rdquo; Walz said at a 2006 campaign event in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen Walz, watch during the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/Erin Hooley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Bush campaign staffers interrogated Walz and wanted to know if he supported Bush, <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20240729162947\/https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/2006\/01\/company-left\/304529\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>according<\/a> to Walz. But while the students were barred from the event, Walz was not, and walked right inside, one source said.<\/p>\n<p>The sequence of events, as Walz tells it, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Tim_Walz\/status\/1295422957687382017\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>inspired<\/a> Walz to become politically involved. Days before the rally, Walz was already engaged in political protest.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/mbrodkorb\/status\/1295434186984218624\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>photo<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/mbrodkorb\/status\/1295434186984218624\"> <\/a>taken by then-Minnesota GOP aide Michael Brodkorb shows Walz clutching a sign before the rally that read, &ldquo;Enduring Freedom Veterans for Kerry.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>The Enduring Freedom title is known to refer to people who served in Afghanistan &mdash; something Walz never did. Walz spent time in Italy and Norway supporting NATO forces. The 24-year Army National Guard veteran did not see combat.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s clear he was politically involved before that moment,&rdquo; Faulkner told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;He was protesting in front of the ticket distribution center. It&rsquo;s all bulls***.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In the fallout of the 2004 rally and Kerry&rsquo;s loss, Klaber and Burkhart helped Walz sail to victory and earn a seat in Congress, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluestemprairie.com\/a_bluestem_prairie\/2006\/11\/in_the_mankato_.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>according to<\/a> a 2006 blog post.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>But as Walz ascended to the governor&rsquo;s mansion in Minnesota and, now, to the vice presidential nominee slot, his factually inaccurate telling of the Bush story has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2024\/08\/06\/tim-walz-55-things-harris-vp-00172790\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>continued<\/a> to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/tylerroush\/2024\/08\/21\/tim-walz-coached-high-school-to-state-championship-what-to-know-as-coach-walz-takes-dnc-stage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/mankato-residents-react-walz-pick-030413035.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>media<\/a> outlets. Aside from Walz&rsquo;s characterization of his military service, the Democrat has faced scrutiny on the 2024 campaign trail over other claims about his background, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3129406\/tim-walz-misrepresented-experience-ivf-not-hard-see-why\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>including<\/a> his wife&rsquo;s fertility treatments and his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3114957\/tim-walz-repeatedly-hosted-muslim-cleric-oct-7-pro-hitler-website-link\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>relationship with a Muslim cleric<\/a> who promoted antisemitic content on social media.<\/p>\n<p>The Harris-Walz campaign did not return a request for comment. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1741142\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1741142\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tim Walz&#8217;s account of his political beginnings is inconsistent. The Minnesota governor (D-MN) has often recounted a 2004 incident that motivated him to enter politics. According to Walz, he, along with two students, attended a George W. Bush campaign rally for educational purposes but were denied entry when event staff noticed a John Kerry sticker on one student&#8217;s wallet\u2014an encounter the Atlantic described as akin to a &#8220;KGB-style interrogation.&#8221; However, this narrative contains notable inaccuracies. A source familiar with the event claims that Walz was actually allowed into the rally and that the two teenagers accompanying him, Matt Klaber and Nick Burkhart, were not his students as he has stated.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Klaber and Burkhart had previously clashed with the Bush campaign days before the rally and were initially denied tickets due to their negative comments about Bush while waiting in line. After local media reported on this confrontation\u2014prompted by Klaber contacting them\u2014the Bush campaign later offered them tickets. On the day of the rally, despite being told by staff that they posed a threat according to Secret Service assessments, Walz was permitted entry while they were not.<\/p>\n<p>Walz has claimed that this experience spurred his decision to pursue public office since he had never been politically active before; however evidence indicates otherwise\u2014he participated in an anti-Bush protest just days prior. Additionally, photos show him holding signs supporting Kerry at that time.<\/p>\n<p>As Walz continues his political career as Kamala Harris&#8217;s running mate for vice president in 2024, discrepancies in his retelling of events have persisted despite scrutiny over various aspects of his background\u2014including claims regarding military service and personal matters involving family health treatments\u2014and have been reported by multiple media outlets without correction from his campaign team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":381,"featured_media":2334347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Tim-Walz-2004-Bush-rally.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[37326,39763,36113,32076],"class_list":["post-2334346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-minnesota-politics","tag-political-origin-story","tag-tim-walz","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Tim-Walz-2004-Bush-rally.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2334346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/381"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2334346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2334346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2334347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2334346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2334346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2334346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}