In a surprising series of Facebook posts, Jeff Walz, the older brother of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, shared his opposition to his brother’s political stance and support for former President Donald Trump.
CNN reported that his posts, which were first made public on March 30, 2023, quickly caught attention, sparking discussion about the divide within the Walz family.
Jeff Walz’s comments highlight a deep political divide between him and his brother, Tim Walz, who has been the Democratic Governor of Minnesota since 2019.
The posts not only clarified Jeff’s disagreement with his brother’s political ideologies but also hinted at personal tensions between the two.
On September 1, 2023, Jeff Walz revisited the issue during an interview with NewsNation, admitting that Facebook "wasn’t the right platform" to share his opinions.
He explained that his posts were meant to clarify his views to friends and acquaintances, some of whom had assumed he shared similar political beliefs with his brother.
Jeff Walz told NewsNation, "I didn’t intend to ‘influence the general public’ with social media posts," stressing that his intentions were personal rather than political.
In his March 2023 Facebook post, Jeff Walz commented after former President Donald Trump was indicted, expressing frustration with the political climate.
“We’ve just become a third world banana republic,” he wrote, reflecting his alignment with Trump’s views. Jeff also stated that he was “100% opposed” to his brother’s political positions, making clear the depth of their political differences.
Jeff’s political leanings became more apparent when he revealed his support for Trump, mentioning that he had previously donated $20 to Trump’s 2016 campaign. He also reacted positively to the reelection of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022, posting on Facebook that he was “sure glad to live in Florida today.”
Despite the public nature of his posts, Jeff Walz admitted he struggled with the idea of making his disagreements with his brother a public issue.
In the September interview, he confessed he had considered endorsing Donald Trump but decided against it, torn between sharing his political views and protecting his family’s privacy. “I’ve thought hard about doing something like that!" he said, before acknowledging his reluctance to campaign publicly due to personal concerns.
Jeff Walz also revealed that he and his brother have not spoken in eight years, suggesting that the political differences between them are accompanied by personal estrangement. He described the distance between them as unfortunate, adding that he still hopes for civility, despite their disagreements.
The Walz family’s situation is reminiscent of other political families who have dealt with public disagreements.
Jeff Walz’s opposition to his brother mirrors the well-documented tensions between former President Donald Trump and his sister, as well as the disagreements between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his relatives.
However, unlike other political figures who actively campaigned against their family members, Jeff Walz has made it clear that he does not plan to campaign either for or against his brother in the upcoming election. He clarified during the NewsNation interview that he has no intention of being politically active in November’s election.
In a more personal reflection, Jeff Walz shared a story from his childhood, emphasizing that their estrangement is not based on deep-rooted animosity.
He recalled family trips where his younger brother Tim, prone to car sickness, would often get sick during car rides. "The thing was, nobody wanted to sit with him," Jeff said, downplaying any hidden issues beyond their political differences.
While Jeff Walz may stand by his political views, he expressed regret over how he chose to share them, particularly on social media. “I used Facebook, which wasn’t the right platform to do that for,” he admitted, acknowledging that the attention his posts garnered was not what he had anticipated.
Governor Tim Walz, who has largely avoided engaging with his brother’s statements, has not commented publicly on Jeff’s posts. The Walz campaign has also remained silent on the matter, offering no remarks about Jeff’s opposition or his potential involvement in Trump’s political circles.
The lack of response from Governor Walz and his team indicates that they may prefer to keep family matters separate from politics, avoiding further attention to the disagreement between the two brothers.
