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Republicans want voters to believe Walz lied about his dog. GOP’s false claims could do real damage | The Mighty 790 KFGO

Republicans want voters to believe Walz lied about his dog. GOP’s false claims could do real damage | The Mighty 790 KFGO

1 minute, 15 seconds Read

Republicans want voters to believe Walz lied about his dog. GOP’s false claims could do real damage | The Mighty 790 KFGO

UNDATED (AP) – Republicans this week turned Tim Walz’s trip to a dog park nearly three years ago into an attack on the Democratic vice presidential nominee, creating a false narrative online to portray Walz as a liar.

The intended message was that Walz had somehow lied about the identity of his dog Scout by claiming two different dogs as his beloved pet in two separate X-posts. Social media users shared screenshots of the posts as supposed proof that the Minnesota governor was engaging in a pattern of deception, garnering thousands of likes, shares and reactions across all platforms.

In one post from June 2022, Walz is seen hugging a black dog. The caption reads, “Sending a special birthday greeting to our favorite pup Scout.” The other post from October 2022 shows Walz next to a brown and white dog with the caption, “I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a beautiful fall day than at the dog park. I know Scout enjoyed it.”

In response, Walz supporters shared posts on social media showing that Walz was simply playing with another person’s dog while mentioning Scout in the caption.

Emily Vraga, a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies political disinformation, said of the recent attacks on Walz: “This becomes a piece of the puzzle they are trying to put together.”

She added that “the sheer volume” of false claims could create the impression that there was some truth in them, even if voters did not believe every one of them.

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