Tim Walz is on a course for confrontation immediately.
Tim Walz has only been in the running as a potential US Vice President for a few hours, but he's already delivering his first campaign speech. In Philadelphia, he launches his first attacks against Trump and J.D. Vance - and they're quite pointed.
In his first speech as the "running mate" of Democratic US Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Tim Walz launched a verbal attack on the Republican side. Among those in his crosshairs was Donald Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, whom he skewered with sarcastic remarks: "Like all normal people I grew up with in the heartland, J.D. went to Yale, had his career funded by billionaires, and then wrote a bestseller trashing the people of his home," Walz said.
Walz also went below the belt with another comment about his competitor: "I can't wait to debate this guy - if he can get off the couch." The zinger refers to a raunchy story about Vance that's been circulating online for over a week. The Republican is said to have written pages in his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" about penetrating a piece of furniture. While that's not true, the internet is full of jokes about it.
Just hours before the start of their joint campaign, Harris announced her decision to choose Walz as her running mate, after much speculation. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the duo made their first joint campaign appearance, greeted by thunderous applause.
An Antidote to Trump
Walz also took aim at Republican Presidential candidate Trump, accusing him of "chaos and division." "Donald Trump isn't fighting for you or your family," Walz said. "He's never sat at a kitchen table like the one I grew up at, wondering how to pay the bills. He's been in his country club at Mar-a-Lago, figuring out how to cut taxes for his rich friends."
Walz presented himself and Harris as the political antidote to that. "She believes in the chance for everyone to rise into the middle class. She believes in the promise of America. We just have to fight," Walz said. He thanked Harris for her trust and, looking around the room, "maybe even more for bringing back the joy."
The 60-year-old has been Governor of Minnesota since 2019 and previously served as a Representative in the House for many years. Before politics, he was a social studies teacher. In his speech, Walz highlighted his upbringing in rural Nebraska and his time in the National Guard, along with his teaching career.
In his speech, Tim Walz explicitly positioned himself and Democrat Kamala Harris as an antidote to Donald Trump's chaotic and divisive leadership, claiming, "Donald Trump isn't fighting for you or your family." Additionally, Walz highlighted the contrast between Trump's affluent lifestyle and his own humble beginnings, stating, "He's never sat at a kitchen table like the one I grew up at, wondering how to pay the bills."
