On Tuesday, PBS released their latest Frontline documentary entitled The VP Choice: Vance vs. Walz. As part of the show, PBS decided to highlight how both men came to enter politics, but for Walz, that included repeating his factually-challenged origin story.

Narrator Will Lyman claimed, “The pivotal moment came in the summer of 2004. He was a member of the National Guard and there was a raging debate going on over the war in Iraq.”

As Lyman narrated, PBS showed a photo of Walz holding up a sign that read “Enduring Freedom Veterans for Kerry.”

PBS didn’t dwell on the photo, but it is important for two reasons. First, Walz did not serve in Afghanistan and PBS not only never called him out on that, they also did not call him out over any of his other military-related controversies. Second, the photo shows Walz was already politically active, which would undercut what was to come next.

Walz’s former advisor, Terry Morrow, claimed, “In 2004, President Bush came to speak in Mankato in a quarry. And there were two students who wanted to go hear the president speak.”

Lyman added, “The students, also Kerry supporters, had publicly clashed with Bush campaign representatives over getting tickets, Walz agreed to be their chaperone.”

Walz has falsely stated in the past that the students were his. One of them, Matt Klaber, was in college. Nevertheless, the New York Times’s Ernesto Londono claimed, “Apparently one of the students had a campaign sticker for the Democratic rival, Senator Kerry, on his wallet, and one of the security officials at the rally saw that and sort of identified this group as a threat, and then a confrontation ensued, and Tim Walz describes having become really upset that he and his students couldn't come in.”

The Bush people knew Walz from the protest and now he was trying to access a private event since the aforementioned photo was taken by a former Minnesota GOP staffer. Additionally, the two teenagers also had a run with Bush staffers earlier in the week and were deemed a threat by the Secret Service. As they tell it, Walz put on a performance because, as staffer Chris Faulkner told the Washington Examiner, “He was looking for an origin story and he made one up.” 

In archival news footage, one of the students declared, “Both of us were, and as Mr. Walz was, we were simply going to see the sitting president of the United States.”

The local news anchor added, “They were referring to their teacher, Tim Walz. Klaber says that Walz was nearly arrested, but he was allowed to watch the speech in the company of the Secret Service.

Morrow then added, “That concerned Tim, as he later told me. He says, ‘You know, I, I've gotta get involved. I've got, I feel I have to do more. I can't just let this go.’ That we're becoming divisive in a way ‘That is not the America we know or believe in. And I think that I've gotta step up.’”

Walz tries to base his appeal around being down-to-earth and being someone who does not have what might be considered a stereotypically liberal personal life, but when you strip away all the cooking recipes and DIY car repair videos, you’re left with a guy who repeatedly makes stuff up about his past for political gain. PBS should call him out on that, not help him.

Here is a transcript for the October 8 show:

PBS Frontline: The VP Choice: Vance vs. Walz

10/8/2024

10:11 PM ET

WILL LYMAN: The pivotal moment came in the summer of 2004. He was a member of the National Guard and there was a raging debate going on over the war in Iraq.

NICK FRENTZ: My memory of it is, he felt President Bush and the Republican Party was on the wrong track. And, of course, he's a National Guardsman at the time, knows very well what's at stake-- lives, treasure, all of that.

LYMAN: Walz believed the war was going on too long and exacting too high a toll.

RYAN WINKLER: I think that was felt personally by somebody like Tim Walz, because he had been in the Guard. It was affecting people in Mankato. It wasn't something on the news overseas. It was something at home that people were experiencing, too.

LYMAN: Walz became a vocal supporter of Democratic Senator John Kerry.

MAN: For the good of Minnesota, America, and the world, do you want George Bush to be our next president for the next four years?

TERRY MORROW: In 2004, President Bush came to speak in Mankato in a quarry. And there were two students who wanted to go hear the president speak.

LYMAN: The students, also Kerry supporters, had publicly clashed with Bush campaign representatives over getting tickets, Walz agreed to be their chaperone.

GEORGE W. BUSH: Thanks for coming.

BRIAN BAKST: And he really wanted to show them that you listen to the, to the president at the time, even if you don't agree with him.

BUSH: First, I want to thank all the veterans who are here. I appreciate the example you've set for our troops today.

ERNESTO LONDONO: Apparently one of the students had a campaign sticker for the Democratic rival, Senator Kerry, on his wallet, and one of the security officials at the rally saw that and sort of identified this group as a threat, and then a confrontation ensued, and Tim Walz describes having become really upset that he and his students couldn't come in.

LYMAN: The controversy made the local news.

MAN 2: Both of us were, and as Mr. Walz was, we were simply going to see the sitting president of the United States.

LOCAL NEWS REPORTER: They were referring to their teacher, Tim Walz. Klaber says that Walz was nearly arrested, but he was allowed to watch the speech in the company of the Secret Service.

MORROW: That concerned Tim, as he later told me. He says, "You know, I, I've gotta get involved. "I've got, I feel I have to do more. "I can't just let this go.” That we're becoming divisive in a way "That is not the America we know or believe in. And I think that I've gotta step up."