When Democrats tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election, the decision baffled both conservatives and liberals. From a purely political perspective, the choice didn’t make much sense.
But one group was reportedly very pleased: China.
To say Walz is “soft on China” may understate the matter. Before entering politics, he taught English in China and later organized annual trips to the country. Walz himself has openly bragged about traveling there dozens of times. A former National Guard soldier who served with him in the 1990s even accused Walz of providing the Chinese with a classified manual for a nuclear-capable weapon—an allegation that, if true, would represent a serious national security breach.
Reminder: as a I reported two weeks ago, Tim Walz has been accused by a National Guard soldier of passing a classified manual for a nuclear-capable howitzer to the Chinese. This is credible testimony that deserves further investigation.
Why is nobody asking him about this? https://t.co/bGPzVtF1bt pic.twitter.com/8S3FDt6lwu
— RAW EGG NATIONALIST (@Babygravy9) October 8, 2024
Recently released documents show that concerns about Walz’s ties to China weren’t limited to his political opponents. According to emails obtained from August 2024—sent the very day Walz was announced as Harris’ running mate—officials within President Joe Biden’s own Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI were alarmed by his selection.
“China is happy,” one DHS official bluntly wrote in an email thread.
Another DHS official added:
“Walz’s got the VP. You all have no idea how this feeds into what PRC [People’s Republic of China] has been doing here with him and local gov. It’s seriously a line of the intel. Target someone who is perceived they can get to DC.”
A separate official replied that raw intelligence supported this theory.
Despite these concerns, no public statement was made by the White House. This silence raises questions about whether the agencies—still operating under President Biden—chose not to publicly raise alarms about a potential security risk tied to Harris’ running mate.
From a political standpoint, the Walz pick was puzzling. From an intelligence standpoint, it was been alarming.
And that’s the lingering question: If even Biden’s own DHS and FBI believed Beijing would view Walz as an asset, what would it have meant for China to have someone they trusted a heartbeat away from the presidency? Someone with access to top level intelligence? Someone who could help shape pro-China policy? That’s not just a bad political choice—that’s a national security nightmare waiting to happen.