At the Democratic Convention in Chicago it was the night of Tim Walzgovernor of Minnesota who appeared on stage accepting the Kamala Harris’s running mate nomination in the race for the White House. “It is the honor of my life to accept the nomination for vice president of the United States,” Walz said, thanking Harris for choosing him.
Speakers included other familiar faces from the Democratic Party, including former President Bill Clinton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The convention focused on the theme of “fighting for our freedoms,” with speakers highlighting the January 6 attack on the Capitol and reproductive rights.
A former high school football coach, Walz used a variety of sports analogies to highlight his background, talking about his work as a teacher in Minnesota and as a congressman and governor. He also spoke about his wife’s fertility issues as his family watched emotionally in the convention arena. “Mind your own business,” Walz told his opponents from the stage as he spoke about reproductive rights, before outlining a Harris presidency, including cutting taxes for the middle class and creating more affordable housing.
“You may not know this, but I haven’t given a lot of speeches as big as this one,” Walz explained to close out the third night of the convention, but, he added, “I’ve given a lot of pep talks.”
“We have the right team, Kamala Harris is tough, Kamala Harris is experienced and Kamala Harris is ready. Our job is to get in the trenches and block and counter. One inch at a time, one meter at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time” because “when we fight, we win,” he concluded.
Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, the Stars: Key Moments
Bill Clinton vouched for Harris, walking convention attendees through her resume and experience as vice president. She also launched targeted attacks on Trump, saying that November’s pick is clear: “He’s mostly talking about himself. So next time you listen to him, don’t count the lies, count the ‘I’s.” Like many speakers this week, Clinton thanked President Joe Biden for his service to the country.
No stranger to politics, Oprah Winfrey began her speech by framing the November election as a fight for freedom. She quoted the late Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, to emphasize that “freedom is not free.” Winfrey, who said she is an independent, urged voters to “choose common sense over nonsense” and to vote based on values and character. She said “decency and respect” will be on the ballot in November. Winfrey also spoke about Harris’ background and applauded her immigrant parents.
There were plenty of big-name Democrats on stage, with Jeffries outlining the robust agenda Harris and Democrats could build together if the party retains the White House and retakes the House. The House minority leader compared Trump to “an old boyfriend.” Pelosi said Harris was “ready to take us to new heights” and spoke of working with Walz in Congress. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was on the shortlist to be Harris’s running mate, said Democrats were “the party of true freedom.”
Aquilino Gonell, a retired U.S. Capitol police officer, later explained that he was beaten during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Congress and said Trump “betrayed us.” Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson, who served as chairman of the House Select Committee that investigated the attack, blamed Trump for leading the mob in Washington. Geoff Duncan, a former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia when Trump sought to overturn the state’s election results, called the Republican Party a “cult” under the former president.
Stars also took the stage, from John Legend to Stevie Wonder to Maren Morris. “Saturday Night Live” star Kenan Thompson did a segment mocking the right’s plan for a “new America,” Project 2025, while Mindy Kaling was one of the hosts. Amanda Gorman, the nation’s first female poet laureate to attend Biden’s swearing-in, submitted a new poem.
#Elections #Walz #Accepts #Harris #Vice #Nomination