Current:Home > StocksThat photo of people wearing ‘Nebraska Walz’s for Trump’ shirts? They’re distant cousins -WealthSphere Pro
That photo of people wearing ‘Nebraska Walz’s for Trump’ shirts? They’re distant cousins
View
Date:2025-04-16 07:10:24
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A sister of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz says she doesn’t recognize the people wearing “Nebraska Walz’s for Trump” T-shirts in a photo that is making the rounds on social media. It turns out they are distant cousins.
The photo shows eight smiling people wearing navy pro-Trump shirts, underneath a “Trump 2024 — Take America Back” sign. The photo was eventually reposted by former President Donald Trump, who wrote on his Truth Social platform: “It is a Great Honor to have your Endorsement. I look forward to meeting you soon!”
The photo was first posted on X by Charles Herbster, a former candidate for governor in Nebraska who had Trump’s endorsement in the 2022 campaign. Herbster’s spokesperson, Rod Edwards, said the people in the photo are cousins to the Minnesota governor, who is now Kamala Harris’ running mate.
“The family in the picture are the descendants of Francis Walz, who was brother to Tim Walz’s grandfather,” Edwards said. “They’re all Walzes and spouses.”
The descendants of Francis Walz confirmed their relationship to Tim Walz in a text message to The Associated Press.
“Shortly after Governor Tim Walz was named the Democrat Party Vice Presidential nominee, our family had a get-together. We had t-shirts made to show support for President Trump and J.D. Vance and took a group picture. That photo was shared with friends, and when we were asked for permission to post the picture, we agreed,” the written statement said.
“The picture is real. The shirts are real. We are the Nebraska Walz family and we are related to Gov. Tim Walz, our grandfathers were brothers. The message on the shirts speaks for itself, “Nebraska Walzs for Trump.”
Walz’s sister, Sandy Dietrich, of Alliance, Nebraska, said she suspected it might be people from that branch of the family. Dietrich and Walz’s father, James Walz, died of lung cancer in 1984 when the future congressman and Minnesota governor was just a teenager. His father had been the school superintendent in Valentine, Nebraska.
“We weren’t close with them. We didn’t know them,” she said.
Dietrich declined to comment on their distant cousins’ opposition to her brother and referred to herself and her family as “Democrats for Tim.”
“I know who I’m voting for. That’s all I can control,” she said.
But Tim Walz’s other surviving sibling is not behind his candidacy.
In recent days, the New York Post has reported on Facebook comments from the governor’s older brother, Jeff Walz of Freeport, Florida, in which he said of his younger sibling: “The stories I could tell. Not the type of character you want making decisions about your future.” The 67-year-old also wrote that he was “100% opposed to all his ideology” and had thought about endorsing Trump, the Post reported.
In comments published Wednesday by NewsNation, Jeff Walz said that he was still irked he learned on the radio that his brother would be Harris’ running mate, but that he didn’t intend to influence the political debate and doesn’t want to be involved with anybody’s campaign.
Jeff Walz told NewsNation that he and the 60-year-old governor have not spoken since the funeral of their younger brother, Craig Walz, in 2016, aside from a brief phone call last month through their mother. He told NewsNation that what he was referring to in his post by “stories” were from their childhood.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Today’s news: Follow live updates from the campaign trail from the AP.
- Ground Game: Sign up for AP’s weekly politics newsletter to get it in your inbox every Monday.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
“Nobody wanted to sit with him, because he had car sickness and would always throw up on us, that sort of thing,” Jeff Walz said. “There’s really nothing else hidden behind there. People are assuming something else. There’s other stories like that, but I think that probably gives you the gist of it.”
He also told NewsNation that he would make no further statements on the subject. He did not immediately return messages left Wednesday by the AP.
___
Associated Press writers Randy Herschaft and Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Bomb threats prompt evacuations of government buildings in several states, but no explosives found
- Indian Navy deploys ship and patrol aircraft following bid to hijack a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier
- Russia hammers Ukraine's 2 largest cities with hypersonic missiles
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- A top Hamas official, Saleh al-Arouri, is killed in Beirut blast
- Benny Safdie confirms Safdie brothers split, calls change with brother Josh 'natural progression'
- Don Read, who led Montana to first national college football title, dies at 90
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Kentucky governor backs longer list of conditions eligible for treatment under medical marijuana law
Ranking
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Uganda gay activist blames knife attack on a worsening climate of intolerance
- Live updates | 6 killed overnight in an apparent Israeli airstrike on a home in southern Gaza
- Students march in Prague to honor the victims of the worst mass killing in Czech history
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Italian Premier Meloni says curbing migrant arrivals from Africa is about investment, not charity
- Ahead of James Patterson's new book release, the author spills on his writing essentials
- Kia EV9, Toyota Prius and Ford Super Duty pickup win 2024 North American SUV, car and truck awards
Recommendation
Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
U.S. Mint issues commemorative coins celebrating Harriet Tubman. Here's what they look like.
Tesla recalls over 1.6 million imported vehicles for problems with automatic steering, door latches
Vatican says no heresy in allowing blessings for same-sex couples after pushback by some bishops
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
Houthis launch sea drone to attack ships hours after US, allies issue ‘final warning’
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's Date Night Is Nothing But Net
Shaquille O'Neal will become first Orlando Magic player to have his jersey retired