On Nov. 13, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (left) spoke at the First Baptist Church in Austin, Texas as a part of the Texas Tribune Festival (Photo Credit: Regal Media Group/Todd A. Smith).
Much has changed in America over the last 10 years when President Donald Trump descended that golden escalator to announce his bid for the White House.
Before that day, politicians often disagreed on the best possible course to move America forward.
However, they often disagreed with dignity, not division.
Those days seem over, or at least placed on hold for the next few years as President Trump continues to revel in controversy during his second term in the Oval Office.
However, the 2025 Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Texas last week, harkened back to the good ole days when politicians of the same party often disagreed, and the other side of the political aisle was not seen as the enemy of the people by the most powerful man on the planet.
RegalMag.com had boots on the ground in Austin, Texas for the Texas Tribune Festival, which featured Q&As with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 running mate, and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who defied GOP pressure to serve on the Jan. 6 committee, which investigated Trump’s role in a violent riot that attempted to steal the 2020 election from former President Joe Biden.
Kinzinger, who now resides in The Woodlands, Texas, was a favorite among many Democrats who attended his Q&A, with one lifelong Democratic asking the former congressman if he would ever consider running for President of the United States because the liberal voter would strongly consider voting for the conservative politician.
On Nov. 14, Kinzinger told the audience at Austin’s First Baptist Church that he would not run for the House of Representatives again because he says that politicians often lose their purpose after 12 years.
However, the veteran has not ruled out running for political office again.
He said he would run for Texas governor.
But he does not think “The Lone Star” state would be too receptive to a newcomer, who does not come from many past generations of proud Texans.
Nevertheless, Kinzinger said it would be fun to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for his seat in the United States Senate.
But Kinzinger told the crowd at First Baptist Church in Austin, Texas that it would be difficult for him to compete for a high-profile office because it is difficult for a third-party candidate to get on the ballots.
Because of his role on the Jan. 6 committee, Kinzinger has gained popularity amongst many Democrats and Independents.
But Kinzinger upset many Republican politicians and MAGA supporters when he did not support Trump’s attempted coup in 2020 and 2021.
Additionally, he faced even more criticism from the GOP when he, and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) served as the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 committee.
In 2021, many Republican politicians called the Jan. 6 committee a partisan witchhunt.
But many of those same Republican critics would not participate in the committee hearings to make it a more bipartisan affair.
However, recently more Republicans are beginning to speak out against Trump.
Furthermore, many MAGA voters have also voiced displeasure with Trump’s delay in releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, increased pricing on groceries and his financial assistance to other countries, despite running for president on an “America First” agenda.
Although many political pundits and liberal voters have praised Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) for her pivot away from Trump’s more controversial positions, Kinzinger said that Rep. Greene’s about-face is a con.
Kinzinger said that he does not respect any current national Republican politician.
On Nov.21, Greene said that she would resign from the House of Representatives in January 2026.
In response to Greene’s pending resignation, Trump responded by saying it was “great news for the country,” after previously calling her a “traitor.”
Nevertheless, many people believe America would be better off if former Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz were in the Oval Office, not Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, and many in the capacity crowd at First Baptist Church in Austin, Texas agreed with that sentiment.
Although many criticized Walz’ performance at the 2024 vice presidential debate, his relatability is what has really endeared him to many supporters.
On Nov. 13 at the Texas Tribune Festival, Walz talked about growing up in Nebraska and losing a parent at an early age.
His small-town high school only had 24 students in Walz’s graduating class.
He joked that 12 of his classmates were cousins.
His father was a teacher, and later a school superintendent.
Walz’s mother stayed at home to care for their children.
He joined the National Guard on the day he turned 17-years-old.
Walz’s father died of lung cancer when the future governor was only 19-years-old.
Unfortunately, his father was a lifelong chain-smoker.
Being the sole breadwinner, the death of the Walz patriarch put some financial stress on the family.
But the hardship of losing his father, who also served in the National Guard, shaped him into the leader that he eventually became.
The leader that he became, and the impact he had on the lives of young people, became evident as many of his former high school football players surprised him by showing up to support as he gave a major speech after being announced as Harris’ running mate, a whirlwind of events after former President Biden decided not to run, passing off the baton to his second-in-command.
And although the Harris-Walz ticket came up short, many voters are expressing buyer’s remorse and are already seeking change.
Could Kinzinger or Walz be a part of the change in 2026 or 2028?
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