When Minnesota Governor Tim Walz became Kamala Harris’s Vice Presidential nominee in the back half of 2024, the campaign’s supporters quickly fell in love with his family.
Walz’s wife, Gwen, became a prominent, empowered maternal figure and teacher to the greater public. Meanwhile, their son Gus’s proud cries of “that’s my dad!” at the Democratic National Convention won hearts; and their daughter, Hope, brought a joyful, relatable presence to the campaign trail.
Following the election in November, Hope found a welcoming audience on TikTok, where she posted pragmatic pep talks and cozy video diaries, sharing behind-the-scenes family anecdotes, “what’s in my Baggu?” insights, and even introducing her boyfriend to the world.
The 24-year-old joined her dad for the duration of the whirlwind campaign but has returned home to Bozeman, Montana, where she works at a homeless shelter and as a ski instructor.
Although the future is uncertain for TikTok, she plans to continue posting content on social media, helping an online community come together in, well, hope, for the big changes ahead.
Hope sat down with Good Good Good to share how she’ll be spending Inauguration Day, ways people can get involved in the causes they care about, and what book she and her dad plan to read next in their father-daughter book club.
Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
A Q&A with Hope Walz
Kamrin Baker, Good Good Good: Tell me how you’re managing this moment in time.
Hope Walz: I mean… obviously it’s been a weird time because there’s this TikTok ban that people are starting to freak out about and then there’s also the upcoming inauguration and the new administration. It honestly kind of feels apocalyptic on at least my side of the internet.
But, I’m really just in the mode of controlling what I can control. I can’t stop the TikTok ban. I can’t stop the inauguration from happening. That stuff is going to happen. So I just have to control what I can control.
I’m just kind of leaning into what I can do, like the work that I have at the shelter. I got booked to ski instruct on Inauguration Day. Thank God I’m working, and I don’t have to see that.
I won’t say it’s business as usual, but I’m just kind of trying to push forward in that way because there is nothing that we can do about it other than lean into our people.
[Editor’s note: I asked Hope more details about her Inauguration Day plans later in this interview.]
KB: Where are you finding hope and joy as we move closer to this next stage?
HW: I mean, I won’t kid about it. It’s obviously terrifying and it’s very easy to just get paralyzed with that fear. And I don’t think anybody knows what the world’s going to look like come Monday [Inauguration Day], and that’s a very scary thing.
But I am kind of leaning into this idea, you know, I won’t say we’ve been here before, but we have seen a Trump presidency before. We’ve seen apps get banned before. And people always find a way to keep pushing through. I think you do that by working in your communities.
So I’m finding a lot of hope in my co-workers and just my community at large. I’m finding so much joy in skiing, and that’s a very privileged thing to be able to do, but finding the joy of being able to go on a walk and knowing you have a body that allows you to do that, and just those little things that will keep us moving forward.
KB: Tell me a little bit more about the work that you do. I know you work in a warming center, right? And I hear you’re contemplating going to grad school? Tell me about that and what drew you to this work.
HW: Yes, I am. So, my degree was in criminology, which is really like a sociology degree with a focus. I always knew that I wanted to be people-focused. I started out studying political science and I was like “this is way too much theory.” Like, this stuff happens, but what really affects things are people, and behaviors, and how people react to each other. So that’s kind of why I went that route.
Then when I graduated, I decided I wasn’t quite ready to get a nine-to-five, sit-down job or go to grad school yet, but I still wanted to do something in that direction. One of my friends worked at the center and I was like, “I’ll apply.”
So now, I do the overnights at the shelter, and I do a lot of direct services. They say in the field of social services, “it’s a lot of just referring people to other people,” so I get to be like, “You should come in tomorrow at 10:00 and speak to these people and they’ll be able to help you with this,” or “You can go here and they can get you a voucher for this.”
It’s just a lot of human connection. You see people at their most vulnerable and get to be that solid, stable person.
I do think I’m going to either apply to start [grad school] this coming fall, or a year from now — I guess, to get my masters of social work. I don’t know if I necessarily want to go into the field long term, but I think I want to do policy or some sort of political consulting, anything in that realm.
Again, when I was in poly-sci, I was like “this is not real,” so I want to come from having a degree and having experience on the ground, knowing what people actually go through and what actually helps.
So, I think I’ll do that. It may change. We’ll see.
KB: What’s your advice for people who want to get involved with helping their most vulnerable community members but maybe don’t have that education or don’t have that professional training?
HW: It all starts, I think, with your comfortability level. So, I made a video and I said “go volunteer at your high school ticketing counter at a sports game.” Like, that stuff matters, too. And if you are feeling uncomfortable or quite ready to walk into a shelter or a warming center, start by bringing food to the food bank. Those little things really do add up.
I put out a call to action on a wish list for the shelter and it sold out in three days. And to me, that just showed that people are looking for ways to help; they just need direction.
I urge people to Google-search nonprofits in your area. Organizations — a lot of times on their website — they have volunteer opportunities and at the place I’m at, we have a wonderful group of volunteers. A lot of people are there very consistently.
I will say people come in the first time and they’re like, “I’m a little nervous right now. I don’t know what to expect.” That’s a completely normal thing. But they leave and they’re like, “That was amazing. I’ll be back tomorrow.” If you come in with an open mind, it’s amazing, and it’s so fun, so just dive in with an open mind.
KB: Moving on to the inauguration. You mentioned that you work that day, but walk me through your day, start to finish. How are you getting through it? What are you doing? Maybe you can provide a blueprint for the rest of us.
HW: I think I’m not going to look at social media. I think there’s going to be a lot of news coming out because [Trump] has a billion executive orders coming out. And truthfully, I’m not going to pay attention to it because I know that I will see what I need to see.
We need to know what’s going on, but I think it’s going to be very scary for a lot of people because it’s just going to come fast and be objectively hurtful for a lot of people.
So on the actual day, I’m not going to go on social media. That’s just for my own mental health. And then the day after, I will get back on and kind of regroup and see where I can go.
And for me personally, I think it’ll be a little hard to watch because I could have seen myself there, as well.
But, like I said, I’m working, and I get to ski instruct, so I’m doing something that I love to do.
And then I’m going to make sure to do some extra self-care. I’m not cooking that day. I’m getting something fun for dinner. I’m doing an extra thing like a face mask or something and then just kind of preparing for what’s to come. I think the first day will honestly be the scariest just because there is going to be so much.
KB: Something that I think a lot of people resonate with about you and your family is that you guys are kind of just…normal. You just represent a happy, normal family, which feels very rare in politics. How did you maintain that sense of normalcy when you were on the campaign trail last year?
HW: I think it started out with just being grounded just in general. My dad has now been in elected office since 2006. We hadn’t experienced anything to the level in which we did [in 2024], but we did have experience in that. And my parents worked really hard to keep my brother and I’s childhood the way it would have been if he hadn’t been in office. I grew up in the same house and I went to public school and that whole thing. And that I think really just set the groundwork.
Yes, my dad does this. He’s a public official, but I’m normal and I’m like everyone else.
I think when we did get kind of thrust in this, we knew that in order to get through it, and in order to be the people we needed to be for the country, we had to keep our humanity.
I remember, the first week when we were on that joint rally tour with the Vice President, we were sitting in a hotel in Phoenix and there were big windows looking out into the city and the mountains, and I just started laughing.
My dad’s like, “What are you laughing about?” and I’m like, “Can you believe you’re running for Vice President? What do you mean you’re running? And we’re sitting here right now?”
And there’d be moments throughout the campaign that we just start laughing, like “This is the craziest thing we’ve ever experienced.”
I think being able to recognize the just absurdity of what was going on around us allowed us to really kind of stay grounded. I was pretty much full-time traveling with him, and it was just such a fun thing to do together — and to meet all of these amazing people and see the entire country. I’d never been to most of these places before, and I like to say I saw the best of America.
Being able to do that with my dad was just a very humbling experience, and I think we definitely recognized the significance of what we were doing. I think we were portrayed as the way we actually are because we’re authentic in that way. And it was just cool to see people connect to that.
KB: It’s obviously not the same thing as this moment in time, but I imagine your experience going into the campaign was probably similar to this time for many Americans. Like, you’re filled with this uncertainty, maybe a little bit of anxiety, just all this overwhelm. For people who feel like they’re about to embark on a time of uncertainty or abnormality, what is your advice for staying afloat and staying true to your values?
HW: During the vetting process or “Veepstakes,” as they like to call it, I was spiraling. I was in the process of moving to a new spot. I got strep throat. There was a point where I was just doom-scrolling for a week straight. I found myself leaning on my friends a lot to just watch a dumb movie or a reality TV show, or talk about things outside of what was happening in my life.
I found leaning on my community was super important.
And then, stepping into that uncertainty, the day before my dad was picked, my parents called me and they’re like, “You should maybe come home. This is actually a possibility.”
So I booked a last-minute flight, and I was feeling super anxious. But when I got home, things were very normal. My mom had some dresses on the bed that I would potentially wear, and they were all ugly and horrible, but we figured it out.
I was just like, “Okay, this is where I’m at right now. Whatever is going on outside of this right now, it matters, but I just have to kind of focus and be in the moment.”
There’s a saying — I don’t know who said it — it’s “be where your feet are.” So there might be all of this doomsday stuff around you, but where your feet are, if you’re doing the good work, you’re leaning on your friends, your family, your community, that’s where you are. That’s where you have to be.
It doesn’t help to just take in all of this really scary stuff. When, hopefully not, but when it inevitably gets bad, then I think it’s just recognizing that we can organize and we can get through it together.
I talk about community a lot. It’s kind of beating an old drum here. But really, if you have your community around you, I really do think we’re going to be okay.
KB: I really feel that too. I’ve seen a lot of people share about how your dad was a representation of a stand-in dad that they wish they had, or a dad that they had before they lost him to some harmful beliefs. It’s so special you continue to share glimpses into your life and your family, but what would you say to those people who feel like they lost the hope that he represents?
HW: I am very strategically putting that [content] out there because I know that there was a sense of community around him in that way. That feeling was a super powerful thing for our entire family and it really put in perspective just how lucky that I am.
So, I have been putting stuff out there, sharing him, because I know it does make a difference for people seeing that. It makes them feel safe and that is super important, and hopefully I can keep doing that on whatever app we’re all on.
I really think when we saw this displayed on a national level in a way that we probably haven’t before, it gave a lot of people hope. But there are Tims all over the place.
It might not be your dad, but they are there. And it might not even be a father figure. It might be a friend, or anyone else. There are people like my dad everywhere, and I think that’s why he resonated.
KB: I love how graciously you share him, too. I want to give you space here to be yourself and be an individual and be your own person, but it also seems like you just genuinely have such a deep love and appreciation for your family, and it doesn’t seem to offend you that this is a central conversation.
HW: No, not at all. On one of my videos, there were a fair amount of comments when I said something like, “when we got into this,” referring to my family stepping into this experience. And people commented and said they really liked how I framed that, and that it’s a very Midwestern thing.
I think I’m so confident in who I am as an individual because when my family did get into this, even in 2006, when my dad first ran, it was a family thing. It’s always been all of us, and that’s just how we do things.
It’s never just him. If it wasn’t for my mom, he wouldn’t be where he is. And if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be where she is. It’s a thing we all do together.
KB: That’s so special. OK, let’s end on some fun lightning round questions. Who was your favorite person you met on the campaign trail?
HW: Maggie Rogers.
KB: What’s your favorite Kamala-inspired TikTok sound?
HW: I mean, anything with the coconuts. That was the beginning of a super fun and hopeful time. I look back on those fondly.
KB: Three things that give you hope.
HW: Okay, let’s see.
Women.
The sun. I’m so grateful to live in a place that is sunny a lot.
Good journalism. There’s not enough of that.
KB: What’s your go-to Midwestern-ism?
HW: I get a lot of comments on the way I pronounce “bag.” But the “yeah, no, yeah,” I say that a lot.
KB: What’s your go-to nonprofit you support?
HW: I work for one, so I’m going to say HRDC here in Bozeman.
But there’s also another one I’ll plug here in Bozeman; Big Sky Youth Empowerment. We take kids who may not have the opportunity to go outside and do outdoor activities, we ski with them at Big Sky, or take them climbing and hiking. I used to mentor for them, so that’s a good one.
And also the Human Rights Campaign.
KB: What’s your skiing hot take?
HW: If you make fun of other skiers, you’re not a real skier. If you’re on skis, you’re a skier.
KB: Favorite vegan or vegetarian dish?
HW: I love a good falafel wrap with pickled onions and hummus.
KB: What’s the best thing you do for your mental health right now?
HW: I have really gotten into skin care, to my bank account’s detriment.
KB: What’s something you’re looking forward to in 2025?
HW: I’m hopefully going to Nepal! My dad and I were supposed to go but then the trip got cancelled because we had to run.
But I also think just seeing communities come together. I think we’re seeing that with the LA wildfires, and that was pretty amazing. It sucks that it’s out of survival and necessity, but I do think that’s going to be a really cool thing we see more of.
KB: Wait, can I just say I love you being like “yeah, something came up so we couldn’t go on our trip anymore.”
HW: Something came up!
KB: Lastly, what is the next book on your book club list with your dad?
HW: Oh gosh. I really kind of want to get him to read “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas. I just started it, but I don’t know if that would go well.
KB: Oh my gosh. Can you imagine everyone joining in with him and reading it at the same time?
HW: I know. That would be hilarious. We’ll see. He does take my book recommendations sometimes, so we’ll see.
Header image courtesy of Governor Tim Walz/Design by Good Good Good
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