Meet Tim Walz’s children Hope and Gus, who inspire his politics: Kamala Harris’ running mate went viral for calling Donald Trump ‘weird’, but what has he said about his kids?
![The Walzes may become America’s “second family” if Tim Walz becomes the US vice-president. Photo: @mngovernor/Instagram](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/768x768/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/23/0eb97d29-a893-43da-80b4-977127724d52_85b60f52.jpg?itok=mHBKKKUl&v=1724389178)
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has taken shots at Trump and Republican VP nominee J.D. Vance, calling them ‘weird guys’; his son Gus burst into tears during Tim’s VP acceptance speech at the DNC
- He and his wife Gwen Walz have been open about undergoing fertility treatments – Tim called the Alabama Supreme Court’s IVF ruling ‘personal’ – and how Gus’ learning disorder is a ‘secret power’
![Tim Walz was a high school teacher and served in the National Guard for 24 years. Photo: @mngovernor/Instagram Tim Walz was a high school teacher and served in the National Guard for 24 years. Photo: @mngovernor/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/23/12d191ae-4130-410d-9150-626f82dcbbcd_2ca45db1.jpg)
As Walz gears up for the fiercest political battle of his career, all eyes are on his family, who could soon become America’s new second family. During his time in office, the father of two has been open about his relationship with his children, Hope and Gus.
Here’s what you need to know about the kids who have influenced their father’s political career.
Tim Walz’s kids were born and raised in Mankato, Minnesota
![Tim and Gwen Walz raised their kids in the small town of Mankato, Minnesota. Photo: @mngovernor/Instagram Tim and Gwen Walz raised their kids in the small town of Mankato, Minnesota. Photo: @mngovernor/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/23/acfb256d-39ff-44b5-8c32-a22493c9a7a7_7390c88c.jpg)
After getting married in 1994, Tim and his wife Gwen moved to Mankato, Minnesota where they worked as teachers at Mankato West High School. They eventually chose to raise their children in the town. Known as the soybean crushing capital of the world, per the town’s website, Mankato has a quaint feel with plenty of coffee shops and parks.
Why Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen Walz, turned to fertility treatments
![Tim Walz welcomed his first child after seven years of marriage to his wife, Gwen. Photo: @mngovernor/Instagram Tim Walz welcomed his first child after seven years of marriage to his wife, Gwen. Photo: @mngovernor/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/23/83ecab19-3d2e-4937-bfd9-662943ded5d5_c7a1440f.jpg)
Tim has been open about the battle he and his wife faced in conceiving children. He told The Minnesota Star Tribune that Gwen had fertility treatments for seven years while trying to get pregnant. In 2001, their daughter Hope was born, with her name a reference to their ongoing battle to conceive. Then, in 2006, they welcomed their son Gus.
“I remember praying every night for a call for good news. The pit in my stomach when the phone rang, and the agony when we heard that the treatments hadn’t worked,” the politician said, per Today.