A photo circulating on social media featuring people in “Nebraska Walz’s for Trump” T-shirts has sparked family tensions for Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz. One of his sisters, Sandy Dietrich, says she doesn’t recognize the individuals in the image, but it turns out they are distant cousins.
The viral photo shows eight smiling individuals in pro-Trump shirts standing beneath a “Trump 2024 — Take America Back” sign. Former President Donald Trump himself reposted the image on his Truth Social platform, saying, “It is a Great Honor to have your Endorsement. I look forward to meeting you soon!”
Initially posted on X by Charles Herbster, a former gubernatorial candidate in Nebraska who was endorsed by Trump in 2022, the photo quickly gained attention. Herbster’s spokesperson, Rod Edwards, confirmed the individuals are distant relatives of Tim Walz. “The family in the picture are the descendants of Francis Walz, who was brother to Tim Walz’s grandfather,” Edwards explained. “They’re all Walzes and spouses.”
The Nebraska Walz family confirmed their connection to Tim Walz in a written statement 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,” they 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.”
Tim Walz’s sister, Sandy Dietrich, from Alliance, Nebraska, suspected the people in the photo were from that side of the family but clarified, “We weren’t close with them. We didn’t know them.” Dietrich lost her and Tim’s father, James Walz, to lung cancer in 1984, when Tim was a teenager. She declined to comment on their cousins’ political views and expressed support for her brother, saying, “I know who I’m voting for. That’s all I can control.”
The family divisions don’t stop there. Tim Walz’s older brother, Jeff Walz of Freeport, Florida, has publicly expressed opposition to his sibling’s political views. In a Facebook comment reported by the New York Post, Jeff wrote, “The stories I could tell. Not the type of character you want making decisions about your future,” adding that he was “100% opposed to all his ideology.”
Jeff Walz clarified in a NewsNation interview that he has no intention of influencing the political debate and doesn’t want to involve himself in any campaign. He also revealed that he and Tim have not spoken since the 2016 funeral of their younger brother, Craig Walz, except for a brief phone call last month through their mother. Jeff added that his “stories” were simply childhood memories, like how Tim would get carsick during family trips.
As the 2024 election heats up, these family dynamics highlight the personal and political complexities surrounding Tim Walz’s candidacy, with members of his own family split over their allegiances.