MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A sister of Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has expressed surprise upon seeing a photo of people wearing “Nebraska Walz’s for Trump” T-shirts circulating on social media. As it turns out, the individuals are actually distant cousins.
The image features eight cheerful people dressed in navy blue pro-Trump shirts, gathered in front of a “Trump 2024 — Take America Back” sign. This photo was later shared by former President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account, where he remarked, “It is a Great Honor to have your Endorsement. I look forward to meeting you soon!”
The photo was initially shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Charles Herbster, a former Nebraska gubernatorial candidate who had Trump’s backing during the 2022 election. Herbster’s spokesperson, Rod Edwards, revealed that the individuals in the photo are relatives of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is currently running alongside Kamala Harris.
“The family in the picture are the descendants of Francis Walz, who was the brother of Tim Walz’s grandfather,” Edwards explained. “They are all Walzes, along with their spouses.”
The descendants of Francis Walz confirmed their family connection to Tim Walz in a message to The Associated Press.
“Shortly after our family gathered following Governor Tim Walz’s nomination as the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, we decided to make T-shirts to support President Trump and J.D. Vance and took a group photo. We shared the picture with friends, and when we were asked if it could be posted online, we agreed,” they stated.
“This photo is genuine, the shirts are authentic, and we are indeed the Nebraska Walz family related to Gov. Tim Walz—our grandfathers were brothers. The message on our shirts is clear: ‘Nebraska Walzs for Trump.’”
Walz’s sister, Sandy Dietrich, from Alliance, Nebraska, speculated that the individuals might belong to that branch of the family. She and Walz’s father, James Walz, passed away from lung cancer in 1984 when Tim was just a teenager. James Walz had served as the school superintendent in Valentine, Nebraska.
“We weren’t close, and we didn’t know them well,” she remarked.
Dietrich chose not to comment on her distant relatives’ support for her brother’s opponent, identifying herself and her family as “Democrats for Tim.”
“I know who I’m voting for, and that’s all I can control,” she added.
However, Tim Walz’s other surviving sibling has openly opposed his candidacy.
Recently, the New York Post reported on social media comments made by Jeff Walz, the Governor’s older brother from Freeport, Florida. He stated about Tim, “The stories I could tell. Not the type of character you want making decisions about your future.” The 67-year-old has also proclaimed himself “100% opposed to all his ideology” and contemplated endorsing Trump.
In comments shared Wednesday by NewsNation, Jeff expressed his annoyance at learning on the radio about Tim’s nomination as Harris’s running mate but clarified he doesn’t wish to interfere in political debates or be involved in any campaign.
Jeff Walz told NewsNation that communication between him and Tim has been minimal since the 2016 funeral of their younger brother, Craig. They’ve only exchanged a brief call through their mother last month. He revealed that the “stories” he referenced in his earlier comments were primarily childhood anecdotes.
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“As a child, nobody wanted to sit with him because he often got car sick and would throw up on us. There’s really nothing more to it. People are reading into things that aren’t there. There are more stories like that, but I think that sums it up.”
Jeff also mentioned to NewsNation that he will refrain from making any further statements on the matter. He did not respond to the Associated Press’ inquiries on Wednesday.
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Associated Press writers Randy Herschaft and Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.
