Jeff Walz, the older brother of Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, recently expressed strong disapproval of his brother's political ideology and suitability for high office. In a series of Facebook comments, Jeff Walz, a 67-year-old resident of Freeport, Florida, declared his opposition to Tim Walz, the current governor of Minnesota, who is running alongside Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Jeff Walz voiced his concerns in a Facebook post on Friday evening, stating that he is "100% opposed to all [Tim’s] ideology." He expressed doubts about his brother’s ability to make decisions for the country’s future, labeling him as “not the type of character you want making decisions about your future.”
Jeff Walz's disapproval extends to the point where he is contemplating a public endorsement of former President Donald Trump’s White House run. When a Facebook user suggested that Jeff should join Trump on stage to endorse him, Jeff responded, “I’ve thought long and hard about doing something like that! I’m torn between that and just keeping my family out of it.” This comment received 449 likes, indicating support from his social media audience.
Jeff Walz and Tim Walz have not spoken in eight years, according to Jeff. The strained relationship between the brothers was further highlighted when Jeff revealed that his family was not informed about Tim Walz's selection as Harris' running mate. “My family wasn’t given any notice that he was selected,” Jeff wrote in a Facebook comment, underscoring the growing rift between the siblings.
The public first became aware of Jeff Walz’s opinions after conservative activist Laura Loomer unearthed a Facebook post he made on March 30, 2023—the day Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury over hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. In the post, Jeff Walz lamented the state of the nation, writing, “We’ve just become a third world banana republic,” a sentiment that has garnered 518 likes.
The political views of Jeff Walz and his brother seem to be very different from one another. According to documents kept by the Federal Election Commission, Jeff gave $20 to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Notably, Jeff's records from the House of Representatives show that he never endorsed Tim Walz.
Jeff Walz has been reluctant to interact with the media, even though his opinions are gaining more and more traction. When contacted by The Post, he simply stated, “I am not doing interviews.”
Not much information regarding Jeff Walz's personal life has been released. Along with his spouse Laurie, he lives in the Florida Panhandle. He enjoys outdoor pursuits like sailfishing in Costa Rica, as seen by his social media posts. His family vacations, which include a trip to Disney World, are also shown on his Facebook profile.
From 2001 to 2010, Jeff and Laurie Walz owned So Fine Music, a musical instrument and equipment shop in Inverness, Florida. Laurie is still in contact with a number of the Walz family's relatives on Facebook, including Tim Walz, their sister Sandy Dietrich, and the late brother Craig Walz's widow.
The youngest of the siblings, Craig Walz, passed away tragically in 2016 when a tree in Minnesota collapsed on him during a storm. The three Walz siblings—Jeff, Tim, and Sandy—are all Chadron State College grads, and the family is originally from Nebraska.
The Walz brothers have obviously run afoul of the law, even if it's still unclear exactly what precipitated the schism between Jeff and Tim. Tim Walz was arrested for driving under the influence in 1995 after exceeding the speed limit by more than forty miles per hour. In 2001, Jeff Walz entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of retail theft and was subsequently sentenced to six months of probation.
Tim Walz, a progressive politician who has gained recognition for his actions, came under fire from his brother for how he handled the George Floyd riots and his stringent coronavirus lockdown protocols in Minnesota. Jeff Walz appears to disagree with Tim Walz's position on equity, which he has supported while governor.
The political rift between the Walz brothers is a reflection of larger conflicts between political ideas that have damaged ties inside American families. The public disapproval of his brother by Jeff Walz is evocative of other well-known family conflicts, such those between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his family, Kamala Harris and her father, and even former President Trump and his niece Mary Trump.