VP Hopeful Tim Walz Goes After 'Weird' Trump In DNC Speech, Says He And Kamala Harris Have 'Something Better To Offer The American People'
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made his formal introduction to the American electorate Wednesday as he officially accepted the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States.
In a 15-minute speech delivered on Night 3 of the Democratic National Convention, Walz laid out his vision for the country in front of a packed house at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., and took a few shots at the Republican ticket.
"Now, I grew up in Butte, Neb., a town of 400 people. I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale," he said, taking a thinly veiled jab at fellow VP hopeful, JD Vance. "But I'll tell you what: growing up in a small town like that, you'll learn how to take care of each other. That family down the road, they may not think like you do, they may not pray like you do, they may not love like you do, but they're your neighbors, and you look out for them, and they look out for you. Everybody belongs, and everybody has a responsibility to contribute."
Walz then spoke to his record as governor of Minnesota: "While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours. We also protected reproductive freedom, because in Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make — and even if we wouldn't make those same choices for ourselves, we've got a golden rule: mind your own damn business," he proclaimed. "And that includes IVF and fertility treatments."
What followed was a personal story about the fertility journey that he embarked upon with his wife Gwen. "If you've never experienced the hell that is infertility, I guarantee you, you know somebody who has," he said. "And I can remember praying each night for a phone call — the pit in your stomach when the phone had rang — and the absolute agony when we heard the treatments hadn't worked. It took Gwen and I years, but we had access to fertility treatments, and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope.
"I'm letting you in on how we started a family because this is a big part of what this election is about: freedom," Walz declared. "When Republicans use the word freedom, they mean that the government should be free to invade your doctor's office, corporations free to pollute your air and water, and banks free to take advantage of customers. But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love... Freedom to make your own healthcare decisions... and yeah, your kids' freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall."
Before he continued, Walz noted that he is not only a veteran, but a hunter who supposedly has "a better shot than most Republicans in Congress — and I got the trophies to prove it. But I'm also a dad," he said. "I believe in the Second Amendment, but I also believe our first responsibility is to keep our kids safe. That's what this is all about — the responsibility we have to our kids, to each other, and to the future that we're building together, in which everyone is free to build the kind of life they want. But not everyone has that same sense of responsibility. Some folks just don't understand what it takes to be a good neighbor. Take Donald Trump and JD Vance. Their Project 2025 will make things much, much harder for people who are just trying to live their lives," and "they spent a lot of time pretending they know nothing about this. Look, I coached high school football long enough to know, and trust me on this: When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they're going to use it.
"Here's the thing: It's an agenda nobody asked for," Walz argued of Project 2025. "It's an agenda that serves nobody except the richest and the most extreme amongst us. And it's an agenda that does nothing for our neighbors in need. Is it weird? Absolutely, but it's also wrong and it's dangerous."
Walz then declared that the Harris/Walz ticket has "something better to offer the American people," and encouraged folks to "clip and save" this part of his speech to send to their undecided relatives.
"If you're a middle class family, or a family trying to get into the middle class, Kamala Harris is going to cut your taxes," he said. "If you're getting squeezed by prescription drug prices, Kamala Harris is going to take on big pharma. If you're hoping to buy a home, Kamala Harris is going to help make it more affordable. And no matter who you are, Kamala Harris is going to stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead — because that's what we want for ourselves, and it's what we want for our neighbors."
Finally, the former football coach looked out at the audience, and out to those watching at home, and addressed them as his team: "It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal, but we're on offense and we've got the ball, we're driving down the field — and boy, do we have the right team. Kamala Harris is tough, Kamala Harris is experienced, and Kamala Harris is ready. Our job, for everyone watching, is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling — one inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time.
"Look, we got 76 days. That's nothing. There will be time to sleep when you're dead," he said. "We're going to leave it on the field. That's how we'll keep moving forward. That's how we'll turn the page on Donald Trump. That's how we'll build a country where workers come first, health care and housing are human rights, and the government stays the hell out of your bedroom. That's how we make America a place where no child is left hungry, where no community is left behind, where nobody gets told they don't belong. That's how we're going to fight — and as the next President of the United States always says, 'When we fight, we win.'"
Walz is set to debate Republican VP hopeful JD Vance at least once this fall. Both men previously agreed to a Tuesday, Oct. 1 invitation from CBS News. Trump and Harris, meanwhile, will face off in their first debate on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 9/8c.
The DNC, meanwhile, will wrap up Thursday with a performance by Pink and a closing address by Harris.
Watch Walz's speech above, then hit the comments with your reactions. Was it a touchdown or a fumble?