A sister of Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, expressed her surprise at seeing a group of individuals wearing “Nebraska Walz’s for Trump” T-shirts in a viral photo. It turns out these individuals are distant cousins of Walz.
The image features eight people in navy pro-Trump shirts posing under a sign that reads “Trump 2024 — Take America Back.” Former President Donald Trump even shared the photo on his Truth Social account, expressing his appreciation for their endorsement.
Originally posted on X by Charles Herbster, a former gubernatorial candidate in Nebraska endorsed by Trump in 2022, the photo was confirmed by his spokesperson, Rod Edwards, to show relatives of the Minnesota governor who is now running with Kamala Harris.
According to Edwards, the group consists of descendants of Francis Walz, Tim Walz’s grandfather’s brother. The relatives confirmed their connection to Walz in a statement, explaining that they had gathered to support both Trump and another candidate, J.D. Vance, and made T-shirts for the occasion. They emphasized their familial ties to Tim Walz, stating that their grandfathers were brothers.
Sandy Dietrich, Tim Walz’s sister from Alliance, Nebraska, speculated that the individuals in the photo were indeed from that branch of the family. She noted that she and her family do not have a close relationship with them and identified herself and her family as “Democrats for Tim,” expressing her voting intentions.
In contrast, Tim Walz’s older brother, Jeff Walz, has publicly voiced his opposition to his younger brother’s candidacy. The New York Post revealed Facebook comments from Jeff, where he criticized Tim’s character and indicated he was opposed to his political views, even contemplating endorsing Trump.
Speaking to NewsNation, Jeff Walz revealed that he was frustrated to learn about his brother’s nomination through the radio and remarked that they have not had a conversation since their brother Craig’s funeral in 2016, aside from a brief call last month. He described childhood memories that illustrated their rocky relationship but insisted he would not elaborate further on the matter.