Tim Walz emphasized his rural background and criticized Donald Trump for pulling the United States “backwards” during his first appearance as Kamala Harris’s running mate at a high-energy Democratic Party rally in Philadelphia.
During the rally on Tuesday night, Walz, the newly announced vice-presidential nominee, described the Republican rivals in the upcoming election as “weird as hell.”
Speaking before a crowd of thousands shortly after the announcement of his candidacy, the Minnesota governor presented himself as a candidate who aims to recapture rural and working-class voters in critical Midwestern states that have shifted towards Trump.
As the Trump campaign swiftly labeled him a “dangerously liberal extremist,” Walz shared his small-town roots and experiences as a national guardsman and educator, drawing a stark contrast with Trump.
“He doesn’t know the first thing about service—because he’s too busy serving himself,” Walz asserted, receiving enthusiastic cheers, especially when he addressed Trump’s criminal record, leading to chants of “lock him up” from the audience.
Walz also resonated with supporters by referencing a viral comment regarding their Republican challengers, stating, “These guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell.” He expressed his eagerness to debate Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance, urging him to “get off the couch and show up.”
The duo, presenting themselves as champions of individual freedoms, particularly focused on abortion rights and gun violence prevention. Walz, known for his approachable style, garnered applause when he confronted Republicans about abortion access, saying, “Mind your own damn business!” while addressing a crowd of over 10,000 at Temple University.
Walz and Harris are set to embark on a five-day tour of crucial battleground states and will speak at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
As Minnesota’s two-term governor, Walz has overseen a period of significant legislative productivity, advocating for a progressive agenda that guarantees abortion rights and enacts gun control measures and paid family leave.
Despite facing criticism from Republicans for his management during the pandemic and his delayed response to civil unrest following George Floyd’s murder, Walz remains a formidable candidate.
In Philadelphia, Vance remarked on Harris’s selection of Walz, claiming that it demonstrates her allegiance to the more radical factions of the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign criticized Walz as “a dangerously liberal extremist.”
President Biden, who recently suspended his own campaign to endorse Harris, commented that the new Democratic ticket will be “the strongest defenders of our personal freedoms and our democracy.”
Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania Governor and another former finalist for Harris’s running mate, also attended the rally amidst significant scrutiny over his leadership decisions regarding Israel and the Gaza protests.
Before becoming governor, Walz served a twelve-year tenure in Congress, winning a seat in a Republican-leaning district, marking a significant Democratic victory in the area for three decades.
A Nebraska native and the son of an educator and a homemaker, Walz’s upbringing included farming and hunting, and he dedicated 24 years to the Army National Guard after enlisting at 17. He has teaching experience both domestically and internationally, including a year in China, where he developed conversational Mandarin skills. He later moved to Minnesota where he worked as a social studies teacher and football coach.
