Video depicting U.S. Democrat VP candidate Tim Walz dancing is altered

Context

A video circulating on social media allegedly depicted Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee and running mate of Kamala Harris, dancing in a hat and with dollars tucked into his belt. The video has spread widely on TikTok (archive here) and X, formerly Twitter (archived here). 

Notably, even the author of one post that amassed over 211,000 views at the time of writing expressed doubt about its authenticity.

The poster was unsure whether the video was genuine or altered. (Source: X screenshot)

Our investigation shows that the video was altered, and the dancer is not Tim Walz.

Closer look

If we pay attention to the face and hat, we notice unnatural distortions in the lines and flickering edges of the hat's brim. This suggests that the video may have undergone digital manipulation.

A reverse image search traced the video back to a flea market in Alamo, Texas, a popular spot where shoppers gather to dance on weekends. This gives us another clue.

The original video shows that the dancer is another man, not Tim Walz. (Source: YouTube/El Rueda, screenshot)

The person in the video is Alejandro Casas, also known as El Divo 956, who frequently shares dance videos on his Facebook account. Some of his performances are published on TikTok under the #eldivo956 hashtag.

An El Mañana newspaper article about dances in a flea market in Alamo, Texas, depicting Alejandro Casas, known as El Divo 956. (Source: El Mañana, screenshot)

While active on social media, Tim Walz has never published such a video.

The verdict

The man dancing with dollar bills in the viral video is not Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' running mate, but a dancer enjoying himself at a flea market in Texas. The video was digitally manipulated, with the original face replaced.

As a result, we have labeled this claim as fake.