The political realm has been abuzz ever since Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Minnesota governor and former congressman Tim Walz would be her running mate in the upcoming election. Last night, the Harris-Walz ticket was formally introduced to the country at Temple University in Philadelphia.
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Here are five things we learned from Walz’s speech at the campaign rally and why he and Harris make the perfect team.
Walz, who codified abortion rights and other reproductive health care measures into Minnesota statutes last year, insisted last night that he will continue his crusade for women’s rights. “Some of us are old enough to remember when it was Republicans who were talking about freedom. It turns out now what they meant was that the government should be free to invade your doctor’s office,” Walz said.
“In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and their personal choices that they make. Even if we wouldn’t make the same choice for ourselves, there’s a golden rule, ‘Mind your own damn business.’”
Walz had no problem taking a petty dig at Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance. After an X user made up the rumor that Vance’s 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” contained a passage about the politician having sexual relations with a couch, the false claim took off like wildfire. “Like all regular people I grew up with in the heartland, JD studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires and then wrote a best-seller trashing that community,” Walz stated.
He also said that he couldn’t wait to debate Vance “if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up.”
Trump’s presidential tenure was a disastrous one to say the least, with hundreds of thousands of Americans dying from Coronavirus on his watch. In Philly, Walz acknowledged that Trump “froze in the face of COVID.” Walz also made it clear that he will hold the former president accountable for his past actions, stating: “Make no mistake, violent crime was up under Donald Trump. And that’s not even counting the crimes he committed.”
Harris, who has battled a low approval rating since she began her tenure as Vice President, has dealt with both racist and sexist attacks. In a panic, the right has labeled her a DEI hire in an attempt to discredit her professional achievements. However, Walz is in Harris’ corner and will defend her honor. “She took on predators and fraudsters, took down transnational gangs, stood up against powerful corporate interests, she never hesitated to reach across the aisle if it meant improving people’s lives. And – she brings joy to everything she does,” Walz said to the crowd.
Before his political tenure, Walz worked as a high school social studies teacher and football coach. He also served in the Army National Guard. During his speech, he highlighted how his modest beginnings will help him connect to Americans. “I was born in West Point, Nebraska and lived in Butte, a small town of 400 where community was a way of life. Growing up, I spent the summers working on the family farm,” he said. “My mom and dad taught us to show generosity toward your neighbors and to work for the common good.”
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