Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, finds his past under scrutiny due to a long-ago love affair.
In the late 1980s, Tim Walz engaged in a tumultuous relationship with Jenna Wang, a Chinese official's daughter, while teaching in China, the New York Post reported.
While working as an English instructor in Foshan, Guangdong Province, Walz met Jenna Wang, who taught at a local middle school. Their relationship blossomed through shared social activities and intimate moments but eventually spiraled into a distressing breakup. Wang, now 59, recently revealed the emotional toll the relationship took on her, including serious contemplations of suicide following their separation.
Wang described their relationship as intense, leading her to believe marriage was their destiny. Unfortunately, the relationship left her feeling betrayed and misused. According to Wang, "I was deeply insulted, hurt and I had to leave that place because many people knew that we had a relationship.”
The end of the affair was especially damaging for Wang, who alleges that Walz's intentions were misleading, contributing to her profound emotional distress. She claimed Walz exchanged letters with her post-breakup and requested her photo for a U.S. visa application, raising further questions about his sincerity and intentions at the time.
This relationship, and its aftermath, occurred before major life events for Walz, including his marriage to Gwen Whipple and his return to the U.S. The couple married on a significant date, making their anniversary coincidental with the fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Walz has since faced accusations from Wang about his misrepresentation of certain aspects of his life, including his position on major historical events like Tiananmen Square.
Jenna Wang opens up about her assumptions and the disillusionment that followed:
While it is true, that you had not promised marriage before you had arrived back in China, marriage was what I had assumed. Too, marriage was what you had led me to believe—as well as led others to believe, including that female colleague of yours with whom we had tea.
Walz, having a background in education and military service, met Wang while working through the nonprofit WorldTeach. Their relationship encompassed typical couple activities like tea sharing, karaoke, and exchanging gifts, such as gold jewelry and blue jeans.
Post-affair, Wang's perception of Walz shifted significantly. In reflection, she views him unfavorably, characterizing him as the sort of man a mother might warn her daughter about.
Reflecting on her youth and vulnerability at the time, she expressed, “Knowing now that he wasn’t going to marry me made me feel cheap and common as if I was being treated like a prostitute.”
She warns against his suitability for office, stressing that key moments define character: “This is a very crucial moment in history and a man like this does not appear to have the character and integrity to do one of the most important jobs in the world.”
In conclusion, this long-concealed story sheds light on Tim Walz's earlier life, raising concerns about character and accountability in high-stakes political roles. The story emphasizes the narrative of a young woman caught in aspirations and disappointments, intertwining personal and historical timelines, and challenging the perceptions of Walz's integrity.
