PHILADELPHIA — A crowd of thousands went wild for Vice President Kamala Harris’ new running mate, previously little-known Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who pumped up the crowd at Temple University’s arena to near-deafening decibels of excitement Tuesday.
“He drove the economy into the ground, and make no mistake, violent crime was down Donald Trump — and that’s not even counting the crimes he committed,” Walz said, as the crowd erupted into screaming, cheering and stomping for several seconds.
That was remarkable considering it was the first time many here had heard directly from the governor — who was elected in part because he’s a versatile, plain-spoken “white dude” from the Midwest.
But Walz, 60, made it clear right away that Democrats shouldn’t expect his tone on the campaign trail to be Midwestern-friendly, and that Harris likely chose him also because he’s good at bullying Trump.
“Don’t believe him when he plays dumb. He knows exactly what Project 2025 would be,” Walz said, referring to the authoritarian plan for a second Trump term led by Trump allies at the conservative Heritage Foundation. Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025 and has called out some GOP members for a deeply unpopular national abortion ban. But Walz said Trump can’t be trusted.
“Even if you don’t make the same choice yourself, there is a golden rule – take care of your own affairs!” he said again to thunderous applause.
Walz is known for the “weird” digs that Democrats have begun using against Republicans. On Tuesday, he suggested again that Republicans are the party of limitless weirdos, referring to JD Vance and the couch, a nod to the false story about Vance describing in his memoirs having sex with a couch that took his life. from your own internet.
Walz nodded sarcastically at the fact that he and Vance are both from the Midwest. Walz is from Minnesota and was born in Nebraska. Vance famously grew up in Ohio and wrote about it in his best-selling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” which gave him credibility as someone who understood the motivations of poor white Americans who voted for Trump in 2016.
“Like all the regular people I grew up with at heart, JD went to Yale, got his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, and then wrote a bestseller that destroyed this community,” he said. “Well, Central America is not. And let me tell you, I can’t wait to talk about the guy. That is, if he’s ready to get off the couch.” Walz seemed amused by his own joke, while Harris grimaced and tried to stifle a laugh in the background.
During a statement from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, reportedly Harris’ No. 2 running mate, the crowd erupted into chants of, “He’s weird!” Almost 20 seconds from Vance.
“If I hear you correctly — and I think I do — you’re yelling, ‘He’s weird.’ If you’re singing ‘He’s weird,’ you’ve heard of my good friend and our next vice president, Tim Walz, who summed up JD Vance best in his own distinct, Midwestern way — he’s weird!” said Shapiro, who reportedly only found out this morning that he didn’t get the job.
Following the news about Walz, Trump’s campaign released a memo titled “Tim Walz is an Incompetent Liberal,” claiming that Walz and Harris are both “far-left radicals who can’t govern.”
…In his own simple, Midwestern way, JD Vance summed it up best – he’s weird!Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on Harris running back Tim Walz
For the first time in a long time, the Democrats, newly energized by Harris at the top of the ticket and joined by a jovial silver-haired Walz, were having fun and focusing less on doom and gloom — though they did it effectively. are campaigning under the weight of a swing position they really can’t afford to lose. Biden carried Pennsylvania by less than 81,000 votes in 2020.
Recent polls confirm that sentiment is grounded in reality: The FiveThirtyEight polling average has Harris leading Trump in the national average — better than Biden did in late June, before the poor debate that forced him to abandon his re-election bid.
The crowd sang and danced throughout the event, pumped up by the DJ, who steadily played Megan Thee Stallion, along with Ludacris’ “Move B***h” (beep version) and DMX’s “Party Up (Up). Here).”
“You can feel the energy in this room. It’s tangible; it’s palpable,” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said before the marching band sent the room over the moon.
Young voters at the demonstrations enjoyed the blast. A young-looking man with a sign reading “Kamala is the future” and a drawing of two coconuts shared his joy with the crowd by repeatedly blowing his whistle. A few said they would not have been as excited had they voted for Biden.
“I wouldn’t have, but I’m glad he was able to resign, realize where he was and make sure he listens to his counselors,” said Archana Chungapally, 27, who is searching. vote for Harris because they share the same cultural identity.
“People our age are shockingly interested in politics right now,” said Bailey Pincus, a 21-year-old Temple student. “I think everyone is excited to have a woman.”
Harris preceded Walz on stage, introducing him as a veteran, social studies teacher, congressman and two-term governor known for progressive reforms such as signing legislation protecting reproductive health care, trans health care and gun safety — despite being a gun owner and hunter.
“He truly shines a light on the brighter future we can build together. In his position, he has been a model manager, and with his experience, Tim Walz is ready on day one,” Harris said.
Walz portrayed Harris as a former prosecutor and California attorney general. That part of his biography didn’t sit well with the Democratic Party when he ran for president in 2020. Now, Democrats tend to label Harris as “courtroom tough,” which is how Shapiro, the former state AG, described him and how Walz also described him.
“He took on predators, he took on crooks, he took down international gangs, he stood up to powerful corporate interests, and he never hesitated to reach across the aisle to make people’s lives better,” said Walz. all with a sense of joy.”
Walz also called on Democrats to resolve their political differences not with “violence but with votes,” but acknowledged the short run to the polls, which Harris and Walz have taken over in swing states in the coming days. “We sleep when we’re dead,” Walz said.
