Washington:
A barrage of attacks on Tim Walz fueled by misinformation over his support for LGBTQ communities has failed to dent the US vice presidential candidate's surging poll ratings, suggesting that voters are wearying of some "culture war" issues in a tight White House race.
The push, which includes false assertions that Walz signed a law protecting paedophiles, has been amplified by Donald Trump and top Republicans as political campaigning kicks into high gear ahead of the November 5 election.
Walz -- the popular two-term governor of Minnesota -- has also faced a torrent of misinformation about his legislative record on transgender rights and gender-affirming care.
Trump recently heaped scorn on Walz, saying he was "heavy into the transgender world."
Trump's supporters have mocked him as "Tampon Tim," falsely asserting that he forced schools to make tampons and pads available in boys' toilets after he signed a law that requires schools to make the products available for free for menstruating students.
But -- unlike an issue such as abortion, which has driven voters to polls at local, state and national levels since the Supreme Court overturned the right to the procedure in 2022 -- the attacks appear to have failed to move the needle on Walz.
"People are getting 'issue fatigue' with regards to the culture wars," Todd Belt, director of the political management program at George Washington University, told AFP.
"As the election gets closer, people want to hear out...
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