FACT CHECK: Was Tim Walz Criticizing the Biden-Harris Administration in a Viral Video Clip?
A video circulating on social media appears to show Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz criticizing the current Biden-Harris administration.
Verdict: Misleading
The video clip has been taken out of context and edited. In the original, unedited version, Walz was referring to the policies of former President Donald Trump, not the Biden-Harris administration.
Fact Check:
U.S. Intelligence officials suspect Russian actors were responsible for the spreading of a false rumor online alleging Walz abused a former student years prior, according to The Washington Post. The information comes as the presidential race is in a dead heat during the final weeks of the campaign period, the outlet reported.
Social media posts have been circulating an 8-second clip in which Walz states, “Look, you all know it. We can’t have four more years of this. We won’t have four more years of it.” The post claims that Walz is referring to the current administration. One caption reads, “Does he realize his running mate is currently in office and has been for the last 3.5 years?”
However, a review of the full, unedited video reveals that Walz was speaking about Trump’s presidency. In the longer version of the footage, Walz criticizes the economic policies of the Trump administration, specifically mentioning Trump’s tax cuts for corporations and the offshoring of American jobs. The specific remark from the viral clip occurs after Walz lists these criticisms, making it clear that his comments were directed at Trump, not Biden.
The original footage can be viewed on C-SPAN, timestamped between 25:31 and 25:39 during a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on October 14. (RELATED: Facebook Video Does Not Show Harris-Walz Campaign Ad Aimed At Men)
In the longer segment, Walz says, “Trump promised he would stop offshoring. His tax bill created incentives for companies to do this. He cut taxes for billionaires and corporations during his presidency, and 200,000 American jobs went overseas. So their revisionist history is a bunch of crap. It did not happen. They undermined us.” The viral snippet that followed has been edited to remove this context.
The claim was first reported on by Reuters.