No, Tim Walz did not write a piece in The Guardian on 'naked dancing'

What is the claim?

An edited screenshot of a Guardian opinion piece is circulating on social media to claim that the article was written by U.S. Democratic vice-presidential nominee Governor Tim Walz.

The piece, dated August 26, 2024, is headlined "Male bonding doesn’t have to be about bravado and bros. Dancing on stage naked taught me a better way," and features an image of Walz.

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

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

However, the screenshot has been edited. While The Guardian did publish the article it was written by Swedish author Gunnar Ardelius, not Walz.

What is the truth?

Using a keyword search, we found an opinion piece with the same headline and subheading published by The Guardian on August 26, 2024. The article features a headshot of Ardelius, Secretary General of the Swedish Museums Association who has written multiple pieces for The Guardian.

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

The photo and the name of the author have been edited to make it seem like Walz authored the piece in the screenshot viral on social media. To date, Walz has not written for The Guardian.

Walz has been the subject of misinformation since his nomination as Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Logically Facts has previously debunked misinformation related to Walz.

The verdict

The photo being shared on social media has been edited. The opinion piece seen in the photo was written by Swedish author Gunnar Ardelius. It has nothing to do with Tim Walz.