Why is Kamala Harris’ running mate being called ‘Tampon Tim’?

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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate has been given an interesting nickname by critics who oppose his policies. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has been dubbed “Tampon Tim,” which was trending on social media and has appeared in American (and Canadian) headlines.

On Tuesday, Walz was officially chosen as Harris’ running mate ahead of the presidential election in November.

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“It is the honor of a lifetime to join (Kamala Harris) in this campaign,” he wrote in a post on X. “I’m all in.”

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Where does “Tampon Tim” stem from?

The nickname “Tampon Tim” stems from a bill signed by Walz last year that gives public school students access to menstrual products, like tampons and pads, for free in Minnesota.

“The products must be available to all menstruating students in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 to 12 according to a plan developed by the school district,” says the bill.

It went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

As of July 2024, there were 28 states and Washington D.C. that passed legislation to help students have free access to period products while in school, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies.

How did the nickname “Tampon Tim” gain traction?

The nickname started trending on X after Walz was chosen as Harris’ running mate on Tuesday, CBS News reported.

Trump’s campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt criticized Walz when speaking to Fox News the same day.

“As a woman there is no greater threat to a woman’s health than leaders who support gender transition surgeries for young minors, who support putting tampons in men’s bathrooms in public schools,” she said.

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“Those are radical policies that Tim Walz supports. He actually signed a bill to do that.”

A meme of Walz’s face photoshopped onto a box of tampons has been circulated online by critics of the governor.

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“Tampon Tim put tampons in boys’ bathrooms wants men to play in women’s sports, and supports gender transitions for minors,” Leavitt said in a statement to CBS News.

The law itself does not mention gender, but rather dictates that the products should be available in bathrooms used by menstruating students.

Former President Donald Trump shared his opinion about Walz at a news conference on Wednesday.

“He has positions that it’s not even possible to believe they exist. He’s going for things that nobody’s even heard of. Heavy into the transgender world, heavy into lots of different worlds,” Trump said.

Who else has reacted?

Minnesota State Representative Sandra Feist showed her support for Walz in a post on X, saying she was grateful to have partnered with him on the legislation.

“This law exemplifies what we can accomplish when we listen to students to address their needs,” she wrote.

Former presidential candidate Hilary Clinton also showed her support.

“How nice of the Trump camp to help publicize Gov. Tim Walz’s compassionate and common-sense policy of providing free menstrual products to students in Minnesota public schools! Let’s do this everywhere,” Clinton said on X.

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One person on social media said the nickname should be a badge of honour.

“As a girl dad, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped feminine hygiene products off at school they were needed unexpectedly and not provided,” the person wrote on X.

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Another person on X sarcastically called Walz a “monster” for offering free tampons and pads at schools, jokingly saying: “How dare we make sure our kids are taken care of!”

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