A video shared on Instagram claims 2024 vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said he will make New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Speaker of the House if his running mate Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election.
Verdict: False
The original video indicates Walz and Ocasio-Cortez discussed her role on the House of Representatives’ bipartisan artificial intelligence task force and how he’d “put a gavel in her hand” for the committee if Harris is elected.
Fact Check:
Walz rallied voters Monday in Michigan alongside his running mate Harris, according to local news outlet ClickOnDetroit. A quarter of the state’s “active registered voters” have already cast their ballots ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election, the outlet reported.
The Instagram video, which has received over 1,000 likes as of writing, claims Walz said he will make Ocasio-Cortez Speaker of the House if Harris wins the election.
“We’re gonna win this election. We’re going to make you put a gavel in your hand in the House,” Walz says while appearing alongside Ocasio-Cortez at a recent event in the video.
“Tim Walz Suggests he Will Make AOC Speaker of the House if Kamala Wins,” the video’s caption reads.
The claim is false. In the original video, which shows Walz and Ocasio-Cortez playing Madden on Twitch as part of a 2024 campaign event, Walz mentions Ocasio-Cortez’s role on the House of Representatives’ bipartisan artificial intelligence task force.
At the video’s 36:06-minute mark, Ocasio-Cortez says she is glad to be serving on the task force before the conversation moves to the 2024 presidential election.
“We’re in the middle of a pretty busy nine days here,” Walz says. “As you know, we’re going to win this election. We’re going to make you, put a gavel in your hand in the House, maybe for that committee, so we can get something done,” he continues, referencing the bipartisan artificial intelligence task force. (RELATED: Did Tim Walz Say That Russian Scientists Created Hurricane Milton?)
Likewise, Ocasio-Cortez responded to the claim via her verified X account after Fox News shared a post suggesting Walz said he’d make her Speaker of the House following a Harris victory.
“He said we’d get gavels. There are over 100 gavels in the House,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “I am currently the Ranking Member of Energy & Mineral Resources. If Dems win the majority & I stay on the subcommittee, we’d all get gavels. Didn’t think we’d have to take Fox News to Civics 101, but here we are,” she added.
He said we’d get gavels. There are over 100 gavels in the House.
I am currently the Ranking Member of Energy & Mineral Resources. If Dems win the majority & I stay on the subcommittee, we’d all get gavels.
Didn’t think we’d have to take Fox News to Civics 101, but here we are. https://t.co/W2N0D5qYAj
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 28, 2024
In addition, Walz does not appear to have publicly commented on the claim. Check Your Fact also found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Oct. 29, PolitiFact debunked the claim, citing both the original video and Ocasio-Cortez’s statement on X.
Check Your Fact has contacted Walz’s office for comment.