Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepted his party’s nomination for vice president on Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In his powerful speech, Walz expressed his gratitude to the packed arena for their support and energy in the midst of a unique and transformative election.
“We are all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason: We love this country,” Walz declared as thousands of delegates waved vertical placards reading “Coach Walz” in red, white, and blue.
The governor shared his humble beginnings in Nebraska and his experience teaching and coaching football in Minnesota. He thanked the crowd for bringing joy to the fight for a better America. He also highlighted the progressive achievements of his state, such as banning books in schools and addressing hunger.
In a subtle jab at his Republican counterpart, JD Vance, Walz proudly stated that none of his 24 high school students went to Yale. This remark was met with cheers and applause from the audience.
During his speech, Walz also shared the personal struggle he and his wife faced when trying to conceive their daughter, Hope. As he spoke, she made a heart with her hands and held it over her chest. Walz’s son, Gus, was visibly moved by his father’s words and proudly shouted, “That’s my dad!”
As a former coach, Walz admitted that he hasn’t given many speeches like this, but he has given plenty of pep talks. His words were met with enthusiasm and support from the crowd, who are hoping to build on the momentum brought by Vice President Kamala Harris since she joined the presidential ticket last month.
Walz’s background and charm have endeared him to supporters, and he has helped to balance Harris’ coastal upbringing as a representative of Midwestern states, whose voters are crucial in this fall’s election. However, he has also faced scrutiny, including questions about embellishing his background. His wife clarified this week that she did not undergo in vitro fertilization, as Walz has previously claimed, but used other fertility treatments. Republicans have also criticized Walz for a comment he made in 2018 about carrying weapons in war, despite not having deployed to a war zone during his 24 years in the National Guard.
Benjamin C. Ingman, one of Walz’s former high school students, introduced him as “Coach Walz” to the audience. Many of Walz’s former players, dressed in their red and white jerseys, joined him on stage to help introduce him.
Following Walz’s speech, former President Bill Clinton took the stage to denounce Donald Trump as selfish and praise Kamala Harris for her focus on the needs of Americans. Clinton, a veteran of the party’s political convention, was meant to add weight to the third night of the DNC, which was headlined by Walz’s introduction to a national audience.
“We have a pretty clear choice, it seems to me. Kamala Harris, for the people. And the other guy, who has proved, even more than the first go-around, that he’s about me, myself, and I,” Clinton stated.
At 78 years old, the same age as Trump, Clinton’s delivery was sometimes halting, and his movements were slower. However, he fired up the crowd with his trademark off-the-cuff remarks. He also made a few memorable, homespun pronouncements, including asking, “What does her opponent do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself. So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I’s.”
Oprah Winfrey, who hosted her signature TV talk show from Chicago for many years, also took the stage to support the Democratic party. She scoffed at Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s previous derogatory comments about “childless cat ladies” and emphasized the importance of defending women’s rights. Winfrey also took a swipe at Trump, stating that Americans are “beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery.”
The theme of the night was “a fight for our freedoms,” with speakers focusing on abortion access and other rights that Democrats want to prioritize in their campaign against Trump. Speaker after speaker argued that their party wants to defend freedoms, while Republicans want to take them away.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis used a prop that has become a convention staple, an oversized book representing the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a set of goals to shrink government and push it to the right if Trump wins. Polis even
