On Monday, social media erupted over two photos shared by Vice President candidate Tim Walz, which supposedly featured his dog. Both images, posted sometime in 2022, showed different dogs, though both captions mentioned Walz’s black lab, Scout.
In the first photo, Walz is seen with Scout, captioned, ‘Sending a special birthday shoutout to our favourite pup, Scout.’ The second photo, taken a few months later, shows Walz with a different dog, with the caption, ‘Couldn’t think of a better way to spend a beautiful fall day than at the dog park. I know Scout enjoyed it.’
Conservatives quickly claimed that Walz was faking the dog’s identity, trying to pass off the two dogs as the same. These claims were debunked after a Minnesota GOP strategist shared the two photos side-by-side. It was later clarified that the second photo showed a different dog at the park, while Scout was off-screen.
MAGAs are so dumb…the dog on the right is just a random dog at the dog park that Scout was playing with….you morons could’ve done “your own research” and went to Tim Walz’s Instagram and found the video in 10 seconds https://t.co/1hBlI6MhA9 pic.twitter.com/2t3T7lH144
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) August 26, 2024
Minnesota GOP strategist Dustin Grage initiated the controversy, writing, ‘Yes, this is Tim Walz tweeting about his dog Scout. Only problem is that these are two completely different dogs.’ A community note was soon added to Grage’s tweet, explaining that the photo was from a dog park where Walz was with Scout and other dogs.
Commenters pointed out that Walz was merely stating that Scout enjoyed the park, even though Scout wasn’t in the second photo. One person shared the original video of Walz at the dog park, showing Scout playing with another dog.
Critics quickly called out Grage for not verifying his claims. Some questioned the Republicans’ critical thinking skills, noting that Walz has several social media posts and press photos with Scout. One observer wrote, ‘The dog in the tweet on the right is just a random dog they met at the dog park; he’s not identifying the dog as Scout in the tweet on the right.’
Others criticised Grage’s logic, pointing out that Walz was simply taking a photo with another dog at a dog park. Comments ridiculed the conspiracy theory, highlighting the effectiveness of the community note feature in debunking the misinformation.
Scout has been with the Walz family since 2019, along with wife Gwen and their two children. Recently, Walz’s son Gus made headlines for his emotional reaction during his father’s speech at the DNC, proudly pointing out his dad on the convention stage.
What Other Media Are Saying
- huffpost.com provides an overview of the GOP strategist’s attempt to discredit Tim Walz by wrongly claiming that two different dogs are Tim’s Labrador mix, Scout. This effort backfired, with many finding the allegations absurd and mocking the GOP’s scrutiny of trivial details.(read more)
- Yahoo News reports on GOP strategist Dustin Grage’s attempt to discredit Tim Walz by sharing contrasting dog photos, which were easily debunked, leading to widespread mockery and criticism of Grage’s analytical abilities.(read more)
- Vogue celebrates Scout, Tim Walz’s rescue dog, as the cover model for their first electronic Dogue issue, highlighting his adoption story and the governor’s family’s bond with him.(read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What caused the controversy over Tim Walz’s dog photos?
The controversy arose from two photos of Walz with different dogs, both captioned mentioning his dog, Scout.
Why did people think Tim Walz was faking his dog’s identity?
Conservatives claimed Walz was passing off two different dogs as Scout, his black lab.
How was the controversy debunked?
A community note clarified that the second photo was taken at a dog park with Scout off-screen.
What did the community note specify about the second photo?
The note specified Walz was at the dog park with Scout and many other dogs.
How did people react to the controversy being debunked?
Many criticized the GOP strategist for not verifying claims and praised the community note feature for debunking misinformation.