Did Tim Walz Break the Law in His Own State? His Interaction with Son Sparks Controversy: Here's the Truth

When criticizing the left, truth is essential.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have given conservatives plenty of material for critique. However, the right must remain diligent in ensuring that any criticism is based on facts, or we risk lowering ourselves to the same standards we criticize in others.

A recent incident involving Walz and his son, Gus Walz, is a perfect example of why this matters. On Wednesday, political commentator Libs of TikTok posted a video of Walz assisting his son as he cast his first vote, just ten days after his 18th birthday, as reported by KMSP-TV in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Some conservatives quickly attacked Walz, questioning whether his assistance violated Minnesota’s election laws. Libs of TikTok highlighted a portion of Minnesota state law that restricts certain individuals, including “a candidate for election,” from assisting a voter. At first glance, this would suggest that Walz, as a candidate, broke the law by helping his son.

However, this interpretation was incorrect.

A community note on the post clarified that this specific restriction had been removed in June 2023. Minnesota’s Omnibus Bill HF 1830 amended the law, striking the “candidate for election” clause from the list of individuals prohibited from providing voter assistance. The change was made because the previous law violated the Federal Voting Rights Act and the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, as ruled by Ramsey County District Judge Thomas Gilligan. An ACLU release from April 2020 provided further explanation.

Therefore, Walz did not violate any law by helping his son vote.

While conservatives can’t criticize Walz on legal grounds in this instance, there are still valid points of critique, such as his false claims about his military rank at retirement and his misleading statements regarding the use of IVF to have a family.

The takeaway is clear: if conservatives want to maintain their credibility and differentiate themselves from the left, they must always prioritize truth, even when it’s inconvenient. Criticizing Walz for breaking an election law might have been an easy victory, but it would have been a dishonest one. Facts, not falsehoods, should always guide our arguments.