FACT CHECK: Was Tim Walz Playing Video Games With His Controller Turned Off?

Verdict: False

The controller was, in fact, turned on.

Fact Check:

As the 2024 election enters the final week, the candidates are making the media rounds and getting themselves in front of the voters as much as they can. This year, both tickets are doing more media hits that are considered non-traditional, eschewing polished news shows in favor of podcasts and other, less formal talk shows.

Governor of Minnesota and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz joined Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on a Twitch stream on October 27th, and they played video games for about a half hour. Together, they played Madden 25 and Crazy Taxi in an attempt to persuade younger voters to vote for the Harris/Walz ticket.

A picture being shared on X claims that Walz’ controller was actually disconnected, implying that his appearance was a stunt and he wasn’t actually playing. This is false, however, as the controller was turned on.

While the exact console Walz was using is unknown, it is safe to assume it was one of the newer Xbox Series S or X consoles because of the games they were playing. When Xbox controllers are powered on, the “X” button in the center of the control lights up, as you can see in the photo below. Walz’ controller was seen to be illuminated while zooming in on the photo.

MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 24: A man uses a Xbox gamepad
during Milan Games Week 2023 at Rho Fieramilano on November 24, 2023 in Milan, Italy. Milan Games Week is the most important video games festival in Italy, featuring the latest news of gaming industry, the most exciting esports tournaments and amazing digital entertainment moments. (Photo by Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)

The original post with the false claim was hit with a Community Note, giving users proper context.