More family members of vice presidential candidate Tim Walz show support for Donald Trump

A new photo of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s family shows several members supporting his rival, former President Donald Trump.

A leaked photo has been widely circulating on social media, showing eight relatives of Walz, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate, wearing T-shirts reading “Walz for Trump” in front of a flag reading “Trump 2024 – Take America Back.”

The image, initially shared by a family friend, was later posted by Charles W. Herbster, a former Nebraska gubernatorial candidate and Trump ally.

Herbster’s caption, “Tim Walz’s family in Nebraska wants you to know something,” further amplified the image’s impact in Trump-supporting circles. The former president later shared it on his Truth Social profile.

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When asked about the authenticity of the picture, a representative from Herbster said: Newsweek that the people depicted in the photo are related to Walz through his grandfather’s brother and that the photo was shared by a family friend. The family gave Herbster permission to post the photo online.

Newsweek reached out to Trump and Harris’ campaign teams via email on Wednesday, requesting comment.

This isn’t the first time Walz’s family has made headlines for their political differences. Jeff Walz, Tim Walz’s older brother, has made a series of public comments that have further highlighted the rift between the two. Jeff, who lives in Florida, posted on Facebook that he “100% disagrees” with his brother’s political views.

“This is not the kind of character you want making decisions about your future,” Jeff Walz wrote about his brother.

The Facebook posts, which originally date from March 2023, have mobilized Trump’s supporters, who view the comments as ammunition against the Democratic vice presidential candidate.

Jeff Walz later clarified that while he did not agree with his brother’s policies at all, it was not his intention to influence voters.

“I just wanted to make sure my friends knew that I don’t share the same views,” Jeff Walz said in an interview with NewsNation.

Jeff also expressed frustration that the family was not informed of his brother’s nomination for vice president until it became public, while acknowledging that they had not spoken in years.

Despite calls from some Trump supporters that he should publicly support the former president, Jeff Walz has so far refrained from making a formal statement of support.

Many users have drawn parallels to other cases in which family members have opposed politicians, such as Mary Trump’s fierce criticism of her estranged uncle Donald Trump.

In 2020, Mary Trump published Too much and never enoughan exposé about the former president and his family. In it, she says he is “completely unfit to lead this country and it is dangerous to allow him to do so.”

Update 9/4/24 2:30 PM ET: This story has been updated with new information.