Minnesota Governor Tim Walz rose to fame through frequent interviews with mainstream media, but since being named Kamala Harris' running mate, the “down-to-earth” “Midwestern dad” has disappeared from television.

According to an analysis by NewsBusters' Curtis Hack obtained by The Daily Caller, Walz made a total of 10 appearances on MSNBC, PBS, CNN and Fox News between July 22 and Aug. 6 — roughly two weeks before he was added to the running. Since Harris selected Walz as her running mate on Aug. 6, the governor has not appeared on any of the networks he watched during the vetting process, according to Hack's analysis.

“It's not surprising that Tim Walz, after covering liberal cable networks during the vetting process to demonstrate his loyalty to Kamala Harris, entered the witness protection program that the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign first launched,” Haq told the Caller.

“Between July 23 and August 6, he appeared at least seven times on CNN and MSNBC, as well as on taxpayer-funded PBS. In the mornings and evenings, Walz made him available to Harris and her team at all times of the day. Importantly, no one saw him after July 30, as vetting intensified and Harris gave her final interviews,” he continued.

The shift marks a stark departure from the media offensive that preceded Waltz's nomination, which made him a liberal star and set him apart from other candidates in the vice presidential race.

Waltz has only appeared on television once since being nominated as Harris' running mate: a joint interview with the vice president on CNN. During the first month of the presidential campaign, Harris was heavily criticized for not having many unscripted scenes. This pressure forced Harris to promise to set up an interview by the end of August, but instead of a one-on-one interview, she took Waltz with her.

Neither Harris nor Walz have held a press conference since the start of their campaigns, only answering a few questions from reporters in groups while traveling. (Related story: “Can I ask you a question sometime?”: Walz ignores shouted question about price cuts during campaign stop)

While Harris and Waltz have made one media appearance together, Senator J.D. Vance has given 94 interviews, press conferences and meetings with the media since Trump selected him as his running mate on July 15. AxiosAccording to the outlet, Vance appeared on all five major Sunday shows in August.

“Tim Walz is in hiding, just like Kamala Harris, because Harris is a San Francisco liberal who is desperately trying to pretend she's not, and no one believes Walz remembers all the fictitious records his campaign staff created for them both. They are both far-left wingers whose policies will only put the American economy in a deeper and more rapid downward spiral. The last thing they want is to answer questions about anything,” Tim Murtaugh, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told the Caller.

“Waltz has told so many lies that they have no idea what part of his exaggerated life story he'll share next — that he served in Afghanistan while quarterbacking the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl,” he added.

Before Governor Walz was banned from appearing on mainstream media, he had been making headlines for his anti-Republican comments. In a July 23 interview on MSNBC, Governor Waltz called Vance, Trump, and other Republicans “wacky,” a comment that caused some embarrassment for Governor Vance as he began his campaign. (Related: CNN data expert says 'bizarre line of attack' on JD Vance is 'definitely' hurting his favorability)

“Waltz was sitting with incredibly friendly liberal journalists who had no problem pushing his case, including his false insults of former President Trump, Senator Vance and the Republican candidate as 'weird.' The moniker stuck in the minds of liberal journalists like two fatefully separated lovers who take one look at each other and can't think of anything else. Why? He was saying exactly how they feel about conservatives,” Hauck told the Caller.

Let me tell you, these people are weird. pic.twitter.com/fvNRNf7T7T

— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) July 24, 2024

Scott Jennings, A longtime Republican consultant in Kentucky and veteran of numerous campaigns told Caller that the Harris campaign likely viewed Walz as a risk to the campaign and chose to sideline him as a result. (Related: 'We'll work harder': Republicans see JD Vance as valuable asset as race enters final stages)

“They clearly deemed him a big risk, and his limited engagement in the CNN interview was outrageously bad,” Jennings told the Caller.

Since Harris selected Walz as her running mate, the Minnesota governor has been found to have told several lies, including about his military record. (Related: Tim Waltz claims he started his family thanks to IVF, but his wife underwent other fertility treatments)

The Harris campaign unwittingly began unraveling Gov. Walz's military history after uncovering a video in 2018 in which the governor promoted gun control and said that “the weapons of war that I carried in my war” should only be used in combat. Social media users were quick to point out that, despite Gov. Walz's statements, he has never seen war.

Veterans who served in Waltz's unit previously Accused During the 2018 presidential election, Vance criticized Walz for saying he would retire from the National Guard and run for Congress after his Iraq deployment was revealed. Vance blasted Walz on the campaign trail, questioning why Americans should trust a man who lied about his military record. (Related story: Trump insiders say attack on Waltz's lies about service is just beginning)

Veterans who knew Waltz criticize him The Megyn Kelly Show“He is not brave; he is a coward, that's why we call him that.” pic.twitter.com/efGKk1fHjm

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 2, 2024

The Minnesota governor is also the subject of a congressional investigation into his ties to the Chinese government, with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer writing FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding all documents relating to any Chinese entities the governor may have had contact with during his dozens of visits to China.

Lies aside, Jennings told the Caller that another reason he sidelined Walz was because he feared he would be pressed on a policy platform that Harris had yet to define. More than a month into the campaign, Harris has only just released her economic platform and has yet to post a platform on her website. In contrast, the Trump campaign has the Republican National Committee's platform. As its own.

Looking back at his debates in past elections, Waltz is pretty competent. My guess is that the Harris campaign is holding him back, too. If he goes out and does more interviews than her, it will make her look bad. https://t.co/7gYhAaOWp9

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) September 5, 2024

“In his defense, she has no idea what her position is, so how can she expect him to know anything?” Jennings said.