The Tim Walz worried meme takes a screenshot of the VP candidate’s face from the debate and uses it to express people’s worst fears. The Minnesota governor and current running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election struggled as he verbally sparred with the Republican VP pick JD Vance, and his expression sometimes showed the stress.
This resulted in a post-debate meme, spurred on by right-wing social media accounts that widely mocked Walz for his performance but was adopted by many regardless of affiliation for its relatability during these trying times.
What is the worried Tim Walz meme?
The new debate meme shows Walz from the stomach up in his suit and tie against the blue CBS News backdrop in the middle of speaking. Frozen as a screenshot, the governor’s expression appears to be one of serious concern, with wide eyes and a furrowed brow that conveys a look of terror rather than urgency.
Before the debate took place in early October, analysts expected that Walz might have a hard time against his Yale-educated rival. Walz has a reputation for being a relatable, midwestern dad type who might not have the polish of an Ivy League education but comes off as normal and endearing in everyday conversations.
The formal debate setting was a challenge for the Minnesota governor, who didn’t have time to learn how to keep his face perfectly confident the entire time. The fact that he was a bit out of his depth combined with the look in the screenshot creates a perfect meme for expressing how you felt during a middle school book report on something you hadn’t actually read.
Meme origins and spread
The debate between Walz and Vance occurred on October 1, 2024. This was the first and only debate between the 2024 vice presidential candidates and was hosted by CBS with moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.
Early in the debate, Walz made the face shown in the meme. Twitter user @NathanLeamerDC grabbed the screenshot and posted it without comment. This appears to be the earliest tweet featuring the Tim Walz worried face, though the post didn’t get a huge amount of traffic.
Minutes later, user @bendellwerry reposted the image with a funny caption:
“This next question is for you Governor Walz, could you please show us your browser history?”
The meme took off from there, spreading across Twitter and to Reddit and Threads.
Meme variations
Although it appears to be the most popular, this screenshot of Walz is not the only one being used for the same meme. Others have included a shot with narrower eyes and a wider mouth on the governor, or one in which his head is turned slightly to the side with his eyes even wider than the original.
A similar image has also been going around with Walz looking a bit more normal and containing the caption “Tim Walz: Well that’s a damning non-answer!” Twitter turned this into its own Tim Walz debate meme targeting people who tend to be evasive to direct questions.
Tim Walz worried meme examples
Related memes:
- All the best memes from the Walz-Vance debate
- Just 30 really good Tim Walz memes
- ‘Balz to the Walz’: It’s Tim Walz meme time
- Tim Walz and a horse is the far-right answer to JD Vance and a couch
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