Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is facing public scrutiny after his older brother, Jeff Walz, posted critical comments about the Democratic vice presidential nominee on social media. Jeff Walz has confirmed to the media that he does not share his brother’s left-wing views and wishes to maintain a low profile during the election cycle.
In an interview with News Nation this week, Jeff Walz explained his decision to speak out on social media. “I was getting a lot of feedback from my friends, old acquaintances, thinking that I was feeling the same way that my brother did on the issues, and I was trying to clarify that just to friends,” Jeff Walz stated. “I used Facebook, which wasn’t the right platform to do that. But I will say, I don’t agree with his policies.”
Over the Labor Day weekend, reports circulated that Jeff Walz was not a fan of the Democratic Minnesota governor’s policies. He took to his Facebook account to express his views to friends and family. As the media picked up on his posts, particularly the New York Post, which published an exclusive story titled: “Tim Walz’s older brother is ‘100% opposed to all his ideology,’ believes VP hopeful is not ‘type of character’ who should make decisions about US’ future.”
As Jeff Walz’s comments gained traction on social media, a Facebook user urged him to “[h]ave a talk with your brother,” referring to the governor, who is currently in the running to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. In response, Jeff Walz posted, “I’m 100% opposed to all his ideology.”
He further added in another post, “My family wasn’t given any notice that he was selected and denied security the days after,” and responded to a Trump supporter who suggested he endorse President Trump, saying, “I’ve thought hard about doing something like that! I’m torn between that and just keeping my family out of it.”
Addressing the backlash from his posts, Jeff Walz told News Nation that his intent was not to influence voters but to clarify his stance to those close to him. “It wasn’t my intent, it wasn’t our intent as a family, to put something out there to influence the general public,” Jeff Walz said on Tuesday.
He further clarified that the “stories” he could tell about his brother were not politically charged but rather family anecdotes, such as Tim Walz getting carsick during family trips. “Nobody wanted to sit with him, because he had car sickness and would always throw up on us, that sort of thing,” Jeff Walz explained.
The estranged brothers last saw each other at their younger brother Craig Walz’s funeral in 2016. Jeff Walz mentioned that his wife still texts Tim Walz on his birthday, and they shared a brief phone call earlier this year when the governor called their mother.
Reflecting on his brother’s political rise, Jeff Walz expressed disappointment in how the family was informed about his selection as Kamala Harris’ running mate. “The only thing I took exception to, and I will stand behind this 100%, was that we felt bad that we found out about his being picked as the vice presidential candidate from radio,” Jeff Walz said. “And we felt like we probably should have been given a heads-up and some type of security, at least for a short time, because I guess that is a big thing.”
Gov. Tim Walz entered politics during the 2006 election cycle, winning a seat to represent Minnesota in the U.S. House. He served until 2019, when he was elected as governor of Minnesota. His political career has recently faced criticism over his handling of the Minnesota riots in 2020, his stance on the Second Amendment, and allegations of misrepresenting his military service.
Jeff Walz has since vowed to stay out of the spotlight and refrain from campaigning either for or against his brother during the election cycle. “There is going to be no further statements to anybody, and we’re not campaigning or anything for him or against him or anything like that,” he said.
Jeff Walz now resides on the East Coast after growing up in rural Nebraska, while Gov. Tim Walz continues his political career in Minnesota.