Fact Check: Did Kamala Harris and Tim Walz pose with a communist sign?

WASHINGTON, DC: A viral image circulating on social media claims to show Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz posing in front of a sign that reads "Revolutionary Communists of America" adorned with a hammer and sickle symbol.

The image, first shared in an August 12 Facebook post, has sparked significant controversy and fueled ongoing narratives that link prominent Democratic figures to communism, as reported by USA Today.

Viral image showing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz with communist sign is false

The post, captioned in Spanish, reads, "Look at this and then don’t say you did not know. There we see Kamala and Tim with a very big sign, Revolutionary Communists of America."

The same image quickly spread to other platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), further amplifying the claim. However, a closer examination reveals that the image is doctored.

The original photograph, taken during an August 9 campaign stop in Phoenix, Arizona, shows Harris and Walz standing in front of a sign that says "Kamala and the Coach," not "Revolutionary Communists of America."

The origin of this manipulated image appears to be rooted in efforts to discredit Harris and Walz by associating them with far-left ideologies.

Since Harris selected Walz as her running mate, both have been frequent targets of such attacks, often being labeled as "radical liberals" by their political opponents.

Former president Donald Trump has been particularly vocal in this regard, labeling the Harris-Walz ticket as "the most radical left duo" in history and even going so far as to call them "communist."

However, there is no factual basis for these claims. The background in the viral image has been altered to include the inflammatory communist sign, but genuine photos and videos from the event show a very different scene.

The sign in the original image reads "Kamala and the Coach," referencing Walz's history as a high school football coach at Mankato West High School, where he led the team to its first-ever state championship.

Viral image joins growing list of false claims linking Democrats to extremist ideologies

No credible news sources or reports suggest that Kamala Harris or Tim Walz have posed in front of any sign promoting communism.

In fact, this image joins a growing list of false claims aimed at linking Democratic politicians to extremist ideologies, a tactic that has become increasingly common in the political landscape.

This instance is not isolated. Media outlets and fact-checkers have frequently debunked similar claims, such as the false assertion that Fox Business aired a graphic about Walz’s "communist agenda" or that the Communist Party USA had endorsed President Joe Biden.

These fabrications are designed to create a false association between Democrats and communism, a tactic that has been employed for decades to smear political opponents.

Linking Democratic politicians to communism is a tactic that has been employed repeatedly, particularly by Trump.

Trump has used such rhetoric to rally his base, framing his political battles as a stand against what he describes as a creeping communist threat within the United States.

In a 2023 rally, Trump made direct comparisons between his legal challenges and the struggles faced by people under socialist and authoritarian regimes in Latin America, according to New York Magazine.

Speaking to a crowd that included many Cuban Americans, Trump likened his indictment and legal troubles to the persecution experienced during Fidel Castro's communist regime in Cuba.

"If the communists get away with this [Trump’s indictment], it won’t stop with me. They won’t hesitate to ramp up their persecution of Christians, pro-life activists, parents attending school board meetings, and even future Republican candidates … We must end it permanently and we must end it immediately," Trump declared in a speech at his Bedminster golf club.