Their last names are pronounced a little similarly which might beg the question, are Mike Waltz and Tim Walz related?
Both men are politicians but that is where the similarities end.
Waltz is a Republican who previously represented Florida’s 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He served in Congress from 2019-2025 when he was tapped by Donald Trump to serve as national security advisor (NSA).
Waltz is currently navigating a major national security scandal he caused after mistakenly adding Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to an unsecured Signal chat group where participants, which include Vice President JD Vance, discussed planned strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. So far, Waltz has resisted calls to resign and Trump is standing by him.
Walz, meanwhile, is a Democrat who also served in the House but from 2017 to 2019. He was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and won re-election in 2022.Â
In 2024, Walz was chosen as Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ running mate in the presidential election. They lost to the Trump/JD Vance Republican ticket.
Are Mike Waltz and Tim Walz related?
No, Mike Waltz and Tim Walz are not related. But, even seasoned news professionals get them confused.
During the presidential campaign last year, MSNBC did a segment on potential running mates for Harris with a photo of Waltz, mistakenly identified as “Gov. Tim Walz.”
