He’s apparently never read from a teleprompter. Some Republicans bristled at his characterization of them as “weird.” And his Midwestern dad persona is trending.
So, how is the selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Vice President Kamala Harris‘ newly announced running mate playing on social media?
The memes are plentiful.
Trump: “Tim Walz will unleash hell on Earth!"
Tim Walz: pic.twitter.com/qWitRDKKmx
— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) August 6, 2024
Walz spoke for the first time as Harris’ running mate Tuesday in front of a crowd in North Philadelphia. Harris announced on social media just before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday that she had asked Walz to join her on the Democratic ticket.
He was chosen over a short list of Democratic candidates that included Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
What a reception. And no one I’d rather campaign alongside than you, @KamalaHarris. pic.twitter.com/R7Sctio3jN
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 6, 2024
Similar to Kamala Harris’ tie to the “brat summer” trend inspired by British pop star Charli XCX’s album “Brat,” social media users on X have been quick to tweet their reactions to Harris’ pick.
I am overjoyed. I have been a longtime supporter of Tim Walz ever since I learned about him like last week
— Vinny Thomas (@vinn_ayy) August 6, 2024
Yes, it’s true Tim Walz was arrested for DUI 30 years ago.
Here’s the part I love. He took complete responsibility and didn’t just stop there. He stopped drinking and became sober.
What a great example of responsibility and leadership.
MAGA, you won’t win on that attack.
— Travis Akers (@travisakers) August 6, 2024
random little fun fact: kamala harris and tim walz are both 60 this year, which means it's their chinese zodiac year and they're both dragons. we got a double dragon ticket here, v lucky ????????
— Tracy Chou ???? (@triketora) August 6, 2024
Walz and his wife of 30 years, educator Gwen Walz, are parents to 23-year-old Hope and 17-year-old Gus, Vogue reported.
When he and his wife decided to have kids, they spent years going through fertility treatment, Walz said on X.
When my wife and I decided to have children, we spent years going through fertility treatments.
I remember praying each night for a call with good news, or the agony when we heard the treatments hadn't worked.
When we welcomed our daughter into the world, we named her Hope. pic.twitter.com/3qyFeVTC8F
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 6, 2024
“I remember praying each night for a call with good news, or the agony when we heard the treatments hadn’t worked,” he said in the post. “When we welcomed our daughter into the world, we named her Hope.”
Other users discussed Walz’ views on election hot topics, such as reproductive rights.
Tim Walz is a:
- Veteran
- Former teacher
- State championship winning football coach
- Faculty advisor of the first gay-straight alliance at his school
- Gun owner
- Highest-ranking retired enlisted soldier ever to serve in CongressNot to mention has more charisma in his… https://t.co/6esaHLgd9G
— B.W. Carlin (@BaileyCarlin) August 6, 2024
Tim Walz absolutely WENT THERE on reproductive rights:
"MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS." ???? pic.twitter.com/3HzC5hddOo
— Josh Sorbe ????????️ (@joshsorbe) August 6, 2024
My favorite Tim Walz fact is that he named a highway after Prince and signed the bill in purple ink. pic.twitter.com/c2VH0BSmBi
— Travis Akers (@travisakers) August 6, 2024
Since the announcement, social media has been flooded with images of Walz emitting what Vogue is calling “Midwestern-dad vibes,” as he was born in West Point, Neb., and has been living in Minnesota since 1996.
I’ve seen the popular image of Tim Walz being hugged by the kids when signing the bill for free breakfast and lunch at schools, but this is my first time seeing the video and it’s very sweet.pic.twitter.com/PXEToDoG8v
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) August 6, 2024
Say hello to Honey! The newest member of the Walz family.
She’s a rescue-pet and already has a few favorite spots: under the tree and right on top of whatever I'm trying to read. pic.twitter.com/UgJmfmOo98
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) December 21, 2023
My daughter, Hope, tricked me into doing the most extreme ride at the Minnesota State Fair. pic.twitter.com/YeMEocwJRv
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) September 4, 2023
I love Tim Walz. Truly. pic.twitter.com/li8WbalU9W
— Eliza Orlins (@elizaorlins) August 6, 2024
WWL anchor Devin Bartolotta’s tweet went viral when she shared how Walz and his congressional staffers pulled her vehicle out of a ditch when she was a 22-year-old reporter in Minnesota.
With Gov. Tim Walz’s name in the news, I’ve been thinking about the time he and his congressional staffers pulled my car out of a ditch when I was a 22yo reporter in Minnesota. It is one of the most embarrassing days of my career.
Let me tell you a story I will never forget. ????
— Devin Bartolotta (@devinbartolotta) July 30, 2024
Walz was the pioneer of calling Republicans and former President Donald Trump “weird,” which has risen in popularity on social media, the Washington Post reported.
10 days ago Tim Walz was more or less just some guy but then he called republicans weird on TV and all of us were like “put this queen in the Oval Office” and it… worked.
— abby govindan (@abbygov) August 6, 2024
If Tim Walz steps up and says “Trump’s got a weird case, why is he around?” the election is in the bag.
— Josh Gondelman (@joshgondelman) August 6, 2024
“He’s just a strange, weird dude,” Walz said of Trump.
“These guys are just weird,” he has said of some Republicans: “We’re not afraid of weird people. We’re a little bit creeped out, but we’re not afraid.”
Some Republican social media users and Trump supporters have started calling Walz “Tampon Tim,” which is a nod to Walz making menstrual products free and easily accessible in school bathrooms.
A law was passed in Minnesota last year requiring menstural products to be available in bathrooms of all schools for grades 4 through 12 — as a way to accommodate transgender students, the New York Times reported.
Republican lawmakers tried to amend that bill so that it would apply only to “female restrooms,” but it didn’t work, the NYT said. Some Republicans went on to vote for the final version of the bill, according to the Times.
The bill had been in the works for several years, CBS News reported, and through it, schools receive funding from the state that amounts to about $2 per pupil.
The fact that Republicans think that calling Tim Walz "Tampon Tim" because he made sure that there was free and easy access to period products in schools is a burn is.....
GREAT. Keep it coming, guys. Do free lunches next! Then make fun of him for expanding paid maternity leave!— I cry a lot but I am so productive (@kristy_joy) August 6, 2024
Republicans: How do we win back women?
Dan Bongino: I know! We’ll label the Dem VP pick Tampon Tim like using tampons or supplying them is a slur.
Republicans: Brilliant!! pic.twitter.com/5OKYWbXHTP
— Emily A. The Spirit of Jezebel (@emzorbit) August 6, 2024
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, said the law was “a threat to women’s health” in a Fox News interview on Tuesday, according to the Times.
“As a woman, I think there is no greater threat to our health than leaders who support gender-transition surgeries for young minors, who support putting tampons in men’s bathrooms in public schools,” Leavitt said, the Times reported. “Those are radical policies that Tim Walz supports. He actually signed a bill to do that.”
Period poverty is a real thing - students miss school because of lack of access to menstrual products. As a former teacher, Walz understands how his impacts educational outcomes, just like he knows how hunger impacts learning. This makes me an even bigger fan of Tampon Tim.
— Bee Nguyen ???? (@BeeForGeorgia) August 6, 2024
So, calling Walz "Tampon Tim" because he made sure Minnesota high schools had free tampons available is just making me love him more, sorry.
— Meghan Leigh Paulk (@PaulkWrites) August 6, 2024
Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.
