Governor Tim Walz did not write an article about “naked dancing” in the Guardian

What is the claim?

An edited screenshot of a Guardian op-ed is circulating on social media, claiming the article was written by Democratic vice presidential candidate Governor Tim Walz.

The article, dated August 26, 2024, is headlined “Male friendship doesn’t always have to be about boasting and being buddies. Dancing naked on stage taught me otherwise” and shows a picture of Walz.

Social media users shared the posts to criticize and mock Walz. Archives of these posts can be viewed here. and here.

Posts sharing a fake screenshot of an opinion article allegedly written by Tim Walz. (Source: X, Facebook)

However, the screenshot was edited. Although The Guardian published the article, it was written by Swedish author Gunnar Ardelius and not Walz.

What is the truth?

Using a keyword search, we found an opinion article with the same headline and subheading published in the Guardian on August 26, 2024. The article shows a portrait photo of Ardelius, Secretary General of the Swedish Museums Association, who has written several articles for The Guardian.

The real article on the Guardian website. (Source: The Guardian)

The photo and author’s name have been edited to make it look like Walz wrote the article that went viral on social media. Walz has not previously written for The Guardian.

Since his nomination as Kamala Harris’s vice presidential running mate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Walz has been the subject of misinformation. Logically Facts has previously debunked misinformation about Walz.

The verdict

The photo shared on social media has been edited. The commentary shown in the photo was written by Swedish author Gunnar Ardelius. He has nothing to do with Tim Walz.