Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has, on many occasions, shared the story of a moment that took place back in 2004 that has allegedly inspired his political career. And let me tell you, it’s super corny. Supposedly, during Walz’s time as a high school teacher, described as being “folksy,” he, along with two students, went to a campaign rally for President George W. Bush for educational purposes. Walz says all three of them were denied entry to the event by staffers who noticed that one of the students allegedly had a John Kerry sticker on his wallet. The exchange that ensued was dubbed a “KGB-style interrogation” by the current running mate for Kamala Harris.
But, as The Washington Examiner has noted, there are a lot of things about this account that simply don’t add up. In fact, the report says there are several significant inaccuracies contained in the political origin story that need to be explained. Especially since Walz is also facing allegations of stolen valor concerning his military service from fellow combat veterans.
For one, Walz was admitted into the Bush rally, according to a source familiar, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the August 2004 event. The two teenagers Walz arrived with, Matt Klaber and Nick Burkhart, were not his students, the Washington Examiner confirmed. Moreover, the teenagers were barred from the event after a confrontation that made local news earlier in the week — leading to them initially being denied tickets.
And while Walz framed the squabble as the “moment that I decided to run for office” since he had “never been overly involved in political campaigns,” evidence suggests that Walz was already politically active by that point: He participated days earlier in an anti-Bush protest before the 2004 Bush rally in Mankota, Minnesota, on Aug. 4, an image confirms. This report is based on public records, including Walz’s prior comments, documents obtained by the Washington Examiner, archived local news reports, and information provided by two sources with direct knowledge of the 2004 Bush event.
“He was looking for an origin story,” Chris Faulkner, a former Bush campaign staffer in Minnesota in 2004 who worked the August rally, said in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “And he made one up.”
Unsurprisingly, Walz has said time and again that both Burkhart and Klaber were his own students, but alas, this is not factually accurate. In fact, it’s what we normal people call a “lie,” a purposeful attempt at deception in order to get something someone wants.
“I wished to hear directly from the President and my students, regardless of political party, deserved to witness the historical moment of a sitting president coming to our city,” Walz posted on social media in 2020. Walz went on to say in an interview with a Minnesota news outlet in 2022 where he allegedly told the Bush event’s staff he was “their teacher,” making a reference to Burkhart and Klaber, upon the three of them being questioned to get into the rally.
Burkhart didn’t even go to the school where Walz taught. He was a registered student of Mankato East High School, according to records obtained by the Washington Examiner. He did, however, serve as a volunteer for Walz’s successful campaign for office in 2006.
Klaber, the other teenager, was not a student at Mankato West Senior High School, where Walz taught, at the time of the 2004 event. He never even took a class with Walz while attending the school, according to a source familiar A then-active Democratic activist, Klaber was part of the Gustavus College Democrats and would later volunteer for Walz’s congressional campaign in 2006, according to college meeting minutes reviewed by the Washington Examiner. Walz has also said the Bush event staff’s discovery of the Kerry sticker prompted the moment of hostility. Important context is missing from his retelling of the events of that day.
What Walz conveniently leaves out is the fact that Klaber and Burkhart had a public confrontation with Bush’s campaign just a few days before the rally. The two boys were heard issuing several “unfavorable comments” concerning former President Bush as they waited in line denied tickets. After that story was published by local news outlets, which happened due to Klaber phoning up the press, the Bush campaign then reached out and offered them tickets to the event. Klaber’s parents were acquainted with Walz and asked him if he would go with the two teenagers to the event, fearful they could potentially run into problems.
And they did.
The Bush staffers told them that members of the Secret Service details charged with security for the president deemed Klaber and Burkhart as a threat. Walz was ticked off about this. Back in 2006, during his recounting of the event, the Minnesota governor said, “As a soldier, I told them I had a right to see my commander in chief.”
The Bush campaign staffers interrogated Walz and wanted to know if he supported Bush, according to Walz. But while the students were barred from the event, Walz was not, and walked right inside, one source said. The sequence of events, as Walz tells it, inspired Walz to become politically involved. Days before the rally, Walz was already engaged in political protest.
A photo taken by then-Minnesota GOP aide Michael Brodkorb shows Walz clutching a sign before the rally that read, “Enduring Freedom Veterans for Kerry.”
What makes that action so egregious is that Enduring Freedom is a reference to military members who served in Afghanistan. Walz never did. He spent time in Norway and Italy in support of NATO forces. During the 24 years he spent in the Army National Guard, he never saw combat.
“It’s clear he was politically involved before that moment,” Faulkner said to the Washington Examiner. “He was protesting in front of the ticket distribution center. It’s all bulls***.”
“In the fallout of the 2004 rally and Kerry’s loss, Klaber and Burkhart helped Walz sail to victory and earn a seat in Congress, according to a 2006 blog post,” the report concluded.
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