Inside Tim Walz's Complicated Relationship With His Trump-Supporter Brother Jeff

Differing political views have a way of driving wedges between family members, and being a high profile political figure certainly doesn't make you immune. Since Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would be her running mate in the 2024 presidential race in early August, it has become clear that the vice presidential hopeful is a family man. Yet, despite being close to his wife and two children, Tim reportedly has a strained relationship with his older brother, Jeff Walz. The brothers have differing political views, and Jeff has spoken out against Tim's prominent place on the Democratic presidential ticket. 

The moment Harris chose 60-year-old Tim as her VP pick, it was clear that the governor would be a key player in the fight against a second Donald Trump presidency. Unfortunately for Tim, his 67-year-old Jeff is a Trump supporter. The Florida resident is a registered Republican, who even donated $20 to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. It's clear that the two Walz brothers don't currently have a great brotherly relationship, since they reportedly haven't spoken to each other in nearly a decade. As of this writing, it's unknown exactly when or why their falling out began. Seeing that Tim has been involved in politics as a Democrat since he volunteered for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, the brothers' passionate opposing views are evidently playing a major role. In fact, Tim's recent rise as a vice presidential hopeful has seemingly made things worse.

As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Jeff Walz is making it clear that he doesn't plan on casting a vote for his brother come November. According to The New York Post, Jeff took to Facebook on August 30 to speak openly about his take on Tim Walz running for Vice President. "The stories I could tell," Jeff wrote of his younger brother, calling him, "Not the type of character you want making decisions about your future." Jeff declared, "I'm 100% opposed to all his ideology."

Some Facebook users clearly considered Jeff's input important, with one writing, "Help MAGA. Get on stage with President Trump and endorse him." In response, Jeff wrote, "I've thought long and hard about doing something like that! I'm torn between that and just keeping my family out of it." He also told the New York Post that he would not be participating in any interviews. It's clear that Jeff has a desire to speak out against his brother's political aspirations, but strives to maintain his anonymity.

Donald Trump and his campaign often seem to attempt to paint the second-time presidential candidate as a family man: a title that clearly comes naturally to Tim. Consequently, it wouldn't be surprising if the Trump campaign pursues Jeff in an attempt to make the Walz family rift more apparent to voters.

While Tim Walz may have a complicated relationship with his older brother, he has already shown the world the closeness he shares with his wife, Gwen Walz, and his two children, 23-year-old Hope Walz and 17-year old Gus Walz. While Jeff Walz was surely more interested in watching the Republican National Convention than the Democratic National Convention, it was the latter that featured his own niece and nephew. Hope, Gus, and their mom, Gwen joined Tim on the DNC stage after Gus, who has a nonverbal learning disorder, went viral for his sweet reaction to his dad's DNC speech. "Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world. And I love you," Tim told his wife and children in his speech, per Today.

Tim's wife and children are clearly an important part of his race for the role of vice president. Yet, according to The New York Post, Jeff announced on Facebook that Tim didn't tell him that he would be running, at all, writing, "My family wasn't given any notice that he was selected."

The Walz brothers grew up in Nebraska with their brother and sister. Their sister, 63-year-old Sandy Dietrich, still lives there. Their other brother, Craig Walz, died as a result of a tragic accident in 2016 at the age of 44. Based on Jeff's timeline, it seems that he and Tim haven't been on speaking terms since around the time they lost their brother.