A video shared on Threads claims 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz purportedly ordered police to enforce COVID-19 curfews by shooting Minnesota residents with paintball guns in 2020.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. The original video, shared on X, indicates police enforced a curfew following the death of George Floyd in May 2020.
Fact Check:
Walz reportedly dismissed allegations of fraud in Minnesota, according to CNN, which cited state audits. Among the audits is one that found bonus checks intended for frontline workers went to “undeserving recipients” during the COVID-19 pandemic, the outlet reported.
The Threads video claims Walz purportedly ordered police to enforce COVID-19 curfews by shooting Minnesota residents with paintball guns in 2020. The video shows a news report announcing a curfew for the “Twin Cities.” In the video, police can be seen entering a residential street and instructing people to get inside their homes.
“Ahhh, I miss days of Covid lockdowns when governors like Tim Walz became mini dictators and told their gestapo to walk city streets and fire paint balls at citizens sitting on their front porches… Memories… Never. Again,” the video’s caption reads.
The claim is false. The original video, shared on X, formerly Twitter, indicates both local police and the National Guard performed a sweep of a residential street in Minnesota following Floyd’s death in May 2020.
“Share widely: National guard and MPD sweeping our residential street. Shooting paint canisters at us on our own front porch. Yelling “light em up” #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #JusticeForGeorge #BlackLivesMatter,” the video’s caption reads.
Although the video appears to have been deleted from X, an archived version is still available. (RELATED: Was Walz In Hong Kong During The 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre?)
Likewise, an August 2024 article from Patch indicates Minnesota Police were enforcing a curfew designed to quell riots following Floyd’s death. According to the same article, Walz signed an executive order to implement a “temporary nighttime curfew.” [The executive order, 20-65, available via the Minnesota Legislature’s website states the curfew was activated following Floyd’s death, not as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A previous executive order (20-64) signed by Walz activated the National Guard.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On September 30, Verify This debunked the claim. Furthermore, Walz does not appear to have recently commented on the claim.
Check Your Fact has contacted Walz’s office for comment.