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By Jesus Mesa
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Former President Donald Trump went viral on social media after referring to Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as the "future vice president" at a rally in Tucson, Arizona, on Thursday.
"I was very happy because I got the endorsement of the vice president's family, and I got the endorsement of the vice president's brother," Trump said, in an apparent reference to Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate. The gaffe sparked confusion and a flurry of responses online.
"We have the endorsement of the brother of the future vice president," Trump added, doubling down on his mix-up. "He better not win. If he ever won, this country would be in bad shape."
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Trump has been making unfounded claims that Walz's brother, Jeff, a Republican, has endorsed him. Jeff Walz, however, has only criticized his brother's political stances without offering Trump his full support.
The posts, reportedly from March 2023, quickly gained traction among Trump supporters, who viewed them as a potential tool to undermine the Democratic vice presidential nominee. As the posts went viral, Jeff Walz clarified that while he disagreed with his brother's policies, he had no intention of swaying voters.
"I was just trying to make sure my friends knew I didn't share the same views," he told NewsNation.
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A group of Walz's distant cousins has also publicly endorsed Trump, earning praise from the former president. A photo of eight of Walz's relatives, who are related to the governor through his grandfather's brother, Francis, circulating online showed the group posing in front of a Trump 2024 flag and wearing T-shirts declaring their support for the former president.
Democrats Seize on Trump's Gaffe
Following the rally, many on social media seized on the moment as another example of what they called Trump's declining mental sharpness.
"Epic Freudian slip from Donald Trump," one social media user wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "He knows Tim Walz is going to be the next Vice President of the United States."
Harris' supporters called the 78-year-old's gaffe "a stunningly senile moment," suggesting that Trump's slip of the tongue was a sign that he was unfit for office.
"In a stunningly senile moment, Donald Trump forgets that Tim Walz is running for Vice President and mistakenly believes he is the current Vice President. It's clear Donald Trump is too old to run for President," a Harris supporters' group posted on X, fueling the ongoing debate about age in the political arena.
"Glad to see he knows what the future brings! Kamala for the win!" said another X user.
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