Aug. 6, 2024: Harris Announces Walz as Her Running Mate

Harris for President
August 6, 2024

Vice President Harris Announces Tim Walz As Her Running Mate

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election. Together, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will fight for a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom, and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by, but to get ahead.

Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have spent their careers fighting for working families across the country. As a prosecutor, attorney general, senator, and vice president, Vice President Harris has taken on the big banks, led the fight for reproductive freedom, and stood with our allies against Putin’s aggression. Governor Walz is a champion for working families, a retired Army National Guardsman, a former high school teacher and football coach, Member of Congress, and two term governor where he cut taxes for working families, lowered the cost of insulin, and protected women’s right to choose.

Vice President Harris wrote: “I am proud to announce that I’ve asked Governor Tim Walz to be my running mate. One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It's personal. As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his own. We are going to build a great partnership. We start out as underdogs but I believe together, we can win this election.”

Later today, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will make their first joint campaign appearance at a rally with thousands of supporters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This event is the first of a five-day barnstorm to introduce the Harris-Walz ticket to voters in key battleground states.

From now until Election Day, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will continue to crisscross the country to outline the choice between two very different visions for the future: Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, who are running to move the country forward, not backward — or Donald Trump and JD Vance, who are running to enact their extreme and dangerous Project 2025 agenda that will roll back Americans’ rights and freedoms, hurt the middle class, and threaten our democracy.

Governor Tim Walz
Governor Walz is a champion for America’s working families. He enlisted in the Army National Guard, rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. After attending college thanks to the GI Bill, Tim Walz served his community as a high school teacher and football coach - taking his team to the state championship for the first time in the school’s history. He became a member of Congress in a Republican district by representing the needs of farmers and rural America. Governor Walz has done more to help middle class families get ahead than any other statewide leader in recent memory. That experience makes him the ideal running mate for Kamala Harris, who has taken on the big banks, led the fight for reproductive freedom, and stood with our allies against Putin’s aggression during her time as a prosecutor, Attorney General, Senator, and Vice President.

As governor, Walz lowered the cost of insulin to $35 per month for many Minnesotans. He eliminated junk fees. And, he signed paid leave into law so that parents can take care of sick family without losing their job. Governor Walz stood up for fundamental freedoms and made Minnesota the first state to pass a law codifying abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. He funded Minnesota police departments, putting more cops on the street and investing in body cameras, and established universal background checks for gun purchases. And, he worked across the aisle to pass a bipartisan infrastructure package.

A lifelong Midwesterner, Governor Walz grew up working on his family farm. He enlisted in the Army National Guard when he turned 17, following in his father’s - a veteran’s - footsteps. During his 24 years of National Guard service, he specialized in heavy artillery and retired as the highest-ranking enlisted National Guard soldier in southern Minnesota.

Governor Walz is a gun owner, avid pheasant hunter, and supporter of the Second Amendment - and he, like millions of gun owners, believes that Congress must do more to tackle gun violence in our communities. As governor, he established universal background checks for gun purchases.

For six terms, Governor Walz represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District - a conservative-leaning district where he was only the second Democrat elected since 1890. The son of an Army veteran and a retired Army National Guard member himself, Walz was the ranking member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, where he passed legislation to help stem veterans’ suicides.

Governor Walz met his wife Gwen teaching high school in Nebraska before moving to Gwen’s home state of Minnesota. A former union member, Tim taught high school for two decades.

Governor Walz and Mrs. Walz have two children, Hope and Gus. Governor Walz and Mrs. Walz struggled with years of fertility challenges and had their daughter, Hope, through reproductive health care like IVF - further cementing his commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to this care.

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AFL-CIO
August 6, 2024

AFL-CIO Strongly Supports Tim Walz for Vice President

Today, following Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the AFL-CIO announced our enthusiastic support for the Harris–Walz ticket.

“By selecting Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris chose a principled fighter and labor champion  who will stand up for working people and strengthen this historic ticket,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “We know that Gov. Walz will be a strong partner in the Harris White House, fighting every day to improve the lives of workers in communities across America. Gov. Walz isn’t only an ally to the labor movement, but also our union brother with a deep commitment to a pro-worker agenda.

“The labor movement stands united behind the Harris–Walz ticket, and we are ready to help lead the effort to defeat Donald Trump, JD Vance, and their anti-worker Project 2025 agenda in November.”

Background:

Gov. Tim Walz is a former public school teacher and union member who has proven that a pro-worker agenda is a winning agenda, especially in competitive states. He has delivered on a comprehensive, pro-union legislative package and created the gold standard for state governments aiming to do right by workers.

We know Walz will deliver for working people across the country as vice president, just as he has throughout his career. Gov. Walz has enacted some of the most pro-worker packages of legislation of any state in the country, including laws to:

  • Guarantee paid family and medical leave and mandate paid sick days.
  • Prohibit noncompete clauses.
  • Bar employers from holding anti-union captive audience meetings.
  • Strengthen protections for meatpacking workers and Amazon warehouse employees.
  • Strengthen the collective bargaining power of teachers’ unions, including allowing bargaining over educator-to-student classroom ratios.
  • Create a statewide council to improve conditions for nursing home workers. (The Guardian, 6/7/23 and Minnesota Reformer, 5/17/23)
Gov. Walz also has:

  • Reached a historic deal with Uber and Lyft that amounts to a 20% increase in driver pay and provides statewide wage and worker standards, even in the face of threats from Uber and Lyft to end service in Minnesota.
  • Invested $2.6 billion in much-needed infrastructure projects that create good, family-supporting jobs that pay prevailing wages.
  • Issued Executive Order 23-07, which established the Governor’s Committee on the Compensation, Wellbeing, and Fair Treatment of Transportation Network Company Drivers.
Contact: Steve Smith



Progressive Policy Institute
August 6, 2024

PPI Statement on Selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee

WASHINGTON — Today, Will Marshall, President of the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), issued the following statement in response to Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate:

“Vice President Kamala Harris has made her first major decision since becoming the Democrats’ presumptive nominee – and it’s a good one. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is something you won’t find anywhere on the Republican ticket: A seasoned veteran of public service who knows how to bring Americans together and get things done.

"Gov. Walz brings the pragmatic perspective of Middle America to the Democratic ticket. He was a high school teacher and coach, a U.S. military veteran, and a former Member of Congress representing rural Minnesota. Now he’s a very popular Midwest governor in his second term, with a solid record of governing success under his belt.

"Throughout his career, Gov. Walz has shown a knack for winning the trust and votes of rural and working class voters. He flipped a swing district to win his House seat. In Congress, he stood out as a consistent public champion of the economic aspirations and moral outlook of ordinary working Americans.

"Nearly 15 years ago, as a junior member of Congress, he called for comprehensive deficit reduction, emphasizing the need to get our fiscal house in order — a vision that, if heeded, would have positioned us better today.

"Gov. Walz is a builder. As governor, he’s launched major infrastructure projects and called for permitting reform to ensure Minnesotans get access to better roads, schools and clean energy soon rather than the distant future.

"Harris’s choice of Gov. Walz to be her running mate contrasts favorably with Donald Trump’s selection of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance. The callow Vance is an insult artist who adds little but a second troll to Trump’s ticket.

"Gov. Walz is a proven and radically pragmatic leader whose record shows he knows how to make American democracy work."

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Find an expert at PPI and follow us on Twitter.

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Media Contact: Ian O'Keefe
Jewish Democratic Council of America
August 6, 2024

Jewish Dems Applaud Gov. Tim Walz's Selection as Vice Presidential Nominee

“Vice President Harris and Governor Walz align with the vast majority of Jewish voters on every key issue, and we’re confident that overwhelming support from Jewish American voters will make the difference in ensuring their victory in November.”
– JDCA CEO Halie Soifer

WASHINGTON – Following Vice President Harris’s decision to name Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, Hon. Ron Klein, Board Chair of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), Beth Kieffer Leonard, JDCA Board member based in Minnesota, and Halie Soifer, CEO of JDCA and a former advisor to then-Senator Harris, released the following statement:

JDCA Chair Ron Klein said:
“Vice President Harris has made an exceptional choice by selecting Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. We deeply admire Gov. Walz’s impassioned defense of our values, including reproductive rights and defending our democracy, especially as they both are under attack by MAGA Republicans led by Donald Trump. Having been elected at the same time and served in Congress with Tim Walz, I can attest to the fact that Tim. Walz has taken on Republican extremists before and won, and we’re confident that he and Vice President Harris will do so again this November with the strong support of Jewish American voters.”

JDCA Board Member and Minnesotan Beth Kieffer Leonard said:
“As a Minnesotan, I can attest to the fact that Governor Tim Walz has always stood with the Jewish community. Walz has built strong ties and partnerships with Jewish Americans, and he has fought for our shared values, first as a member of Congress and now as governor. We are confident he will continue to do so as vice president, and are proud of his strong record supporting Israel and combating antisemitism. Governor Walz has stood with the Jewish community on every key issue and supported Israel at every point while in public office.”

JDCA CEO Halie Soifer said:
“As governor, Walz has been a champion for our Jewish values; under his leadership, Minnesotans benefited from historic legislation that protected abortion rights, expanded gun violence prevention, restored voting rights, combated climate change, and protected American workers. He has stood with Israel, including since the horrific Hamas attack of  October 7, and has been an outspoken advocate in the fight against antisemitism.

“Over the next 89 days, the Harris-Walz ticket will make the case to the American people about their record of results and vision for the future. For Jewish Americans, the choice in this election could not be more clear. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz align with the vast majority of Jewish voters on every key issue, and we’re confident that overwhelming support from Jewish American voters will make the difference in ensuring their victory in November.”



Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc.
August 6, 2024

Statement on Kamala's Selection of Radical Leftist Tim Walz

"It’s no surprise that San Francisco Liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running-mate – Walz has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State. While Walz pretends to support Americans in the Heartland, when the cameras are off, he believes that rural America is ‘mostly cows and rocks’. From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars, and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide. If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare."
 
— Karoline Leavitt, Trump Campaign Press Secretary

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Kamala Harris and Tim Walz: Weak, Failed, Dangerously Liberal

Today, the Trump Campaign released a new video slamming the dangerously liberal ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Harris and Walz are a team of radicals dedicated to the very policies that gave us historic inflation, a border invasion, and brought us to the brink of World War III. By choosing Walz, Harris has doubled-down on her radical vision to skyrocket prices, open the southern border to criminal aliens and drug cartels, and release murderers and rapists into our communities.
 
“By picking Tim Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris not only bent the knee to the radical left, she doubled down on her dangerously liberal, weak, and failed agenda. Walz would be a rubberstamp for Kamala to wage war on American energy, continue aiding and abetting an invasion on our border, and embolden our adversaries as the world is brought to the brink of World War III. Americans will reject the Harris-Walz ticket and choose to make American Great Again by electing President Trump!" – Brian Hughes, Trump Campaign Senior Advisor
Republican National Committee
August 6, 2024

RNC STATEMENT ON DANGEROUSLY LIBERAL HARRIS-WALZ TICKET

“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are two open borders, weak on crime, defund the police liberals who make up the most radical, far-left ticket in the history of our country. Walz supports illegal immigration, has called cops racist, put violent criminals back on the street, and in 2020, let rioters burn the Twin Cities while Kamala stepped in to fundraise for their bail. Despite her staff’s attempts to walk back her dangerously liberal record, Kamala has proven that she will always put criminals, illegal immigrants, and the radical fringe of her party above American families. Now more than ever, we need to elect President Donald J. Trump to put America First.”

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Republican National Committee
August 6, 2024

Tim Walz Is Radical And Extreme

Meet The Most Radical, Far-Left Vice-Presidential Nominee In U.S. History

WALZ IS A FAR-LEFT RADICAL WALZ IS SOFT ON CRIME WALZ LOVES CHINA WALZ'S ETHICAL ISSUES, CORRUPTION, AND SCANDALS
  • Walz covered up Biden s health, saying that it was "ageism" for Americans to be concerned about Biden's fitness for office and that he would "take Joe Biden at 100 over any of these guys at whatever age they're at because he s delivering."  
  • In 1995, Walz was arrested for going 96 mph in a 55 mph zone.
    • A state troopers report found "a strong odor of alcoholic beverage was detected emitting from Mr. Walz breath and person" and that he failed both a field sobriety test and a preliminary breath test.
    • While Walz was initially charged with driving under the influence and speeding, the charges were reduced to one count of reckless driving under a plea deal.
  • Walz has claimed in campaign materials that he is a former "Command Sergeant Major" in the Army National Guard despite not completing the requirements to hold the rank into retirement.
    • Walz did retire as a Command Sergeant Major, but his rank was later officially reduced to Master Sergeant due to his failure to complete the ranks requirements.
    • While the Minnesota National Guard says Walz is not incorrect for saying he served as Command Sergeant Major, former Minnesota National Guard members hold the opinion that "Yes, he served at that rank, but was never qualified at that rank, and will receive retirement benefits at one rank below. You be the judge."
    • Walz has been criticized by three former National Guard members for quitting his position in 2005 after the unit was notified on their deployment to Iraq.
    • Walz claimed that his enlistment was up since he signed up for four years, but according to official documents, Walz actually re-enlisted for six years with a 2007 end-date.
    • In 2020, Walz disparaged the National Guard as not being massively trained troops but rather "19-year-olds who are cooks."  
  • Walz has continued to maintain a close relationship with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, despite Ellison's previous allegations of abusing a girlfriend, his support for Louis Farrakhan, and his  comparison of the Bush administration to Hitler's Germany.
MAGA Inc.
Aug. 6, 2024

Tim Walz is an incompetent liberal

Governor Tim Walz and Kamala Harris will get along just great. They’re both far-left radicals that don’t know how to govern.


  • Tim Walz allowed one of the largest fraud schemes to happen under his watch. The Feeding Our Future case found that dozens in Minnesota stole $250 million in federal funds meant to help out hungry children. A June report from Minnesota's legislative auditor found that Walz's administration "failed miserably in its duty to properly oversee millions of federal dollars it administered to nonprofits to feed children." The report said that Walz's incompetence "created opportunities for fraud."
Axios reported: “The report highlighted several ways in which the Walz administration failed to rein in the fraud, undercutting the governor's longstanding claims that his agency staff deserve credit, not criticism, for their efforts to catch and stop it.”
 
  • Walz has creepy far-left views. Walz signed legislation to ensure minors from not only his state, but across the country can get sex-change operations in Minnesota. Walz also signed a bill to require schools to stock period products in boys bathrooms .
 
  • Tim Walz did nothing while Minneapolis burned. He sat back while the rioters that Kamala would bail out burned down a city. Even the liberal mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, criticized Tim Walz’s response to the riots.

  • Tim Walz will work with Border Czar Kamala Harris to give your taxpayer dollars to the rest of the world. Under Tim Walz, Minnesota gives free college tuition to illegal immigrants.
Trump fundraising email
morning of August 6, 2024

Republican Jewish Coalition
August 6, 2024
Contact: Sam Markstein

Kamala Harris’s VP Selection Is Another Failed Leftist   

Washington, DC (August 6, 2024) – The Republican Jewish Coalition released the following statement in response to VP Kamala Harris’s selection of MN Governor Tim Walz as the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate. RJC CEO Matt Brooks said:

Today, California radical Kamala Harris selected far left liberal Tim Walz as her running mate. This is the same guy who famously said, “One person's socialism is another person's neighborliness.” Seriously?

This isn’t the Democratic Party of your parents or grandparents. Let’s be clear: if elected, the Harris-Walz ticket would be, by far, the most left-wing President and Vice President in US history.

Of particular concern for the American Jewish community is Governor Walz’s embrace of the most vicious anti-Israel and antisemitic Member of Congress, Ilhan Omar. Walz has endorsed and supported this notorious Squad member for years, championing her as a “progressive leader” in Congress. This is the same disgraceful Ilhan Omar who has trafficked antisemitic conspiracy theories, falsely accused Israel of genocide and apartheid, and voted against funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system that is currently protecting countless innocent civilians in Israel from terrorist rockets.

Governor Walz’s failed record in Minnesota also includes:

  • Going completely AWOL in the summer of 2020 when he let rioters burn sections of Minneapolis to the ground.
  • Signing a bill to reduce prison sentences for violent criminals.
  • Gaslighting parents and business owners during draconian COVID lockdowns, saying that it, “Wasn’t that bad.”
  • Covering up Joe Biden’s obvious mental decline, saying it was "ageism" for Americans to be concerned about Biden's health and stamina.
  • Signing a bill to give illegal immigrants free tuition, drivers licenses, and health benefits; and saying he should invest in a "ladder factory" to help illegal immigrants climb the border wall.
And that’s just what he did while serving as Governor of Minnesota - imagine the far Left nightmare that he and Kamala Harris would unleash on America if the Democrats win in November.

Our country is at an inflection point, and we need strong conservative leadership now more than ever. Clearly Kamala Harris’s priorities are not our priorities, and the American people will reject her and Tim Walz’s extremism in this election.

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The RJC is the national grassroots organization of Jewish Republicans and represents tens of thousands of Jewish Republicans across this country.

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August 6, 2024
Contact: Sam Markstein

Kamala Harris’s VP Selection Highlights Major Fissures in the Democratic Party          

Washington, DC (August 6, 2024) – The Republican Jewish Coalition released the following statement in response to VP Kamala Harris’s rejection of PA Governor Josh Shapiro as the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate. RJC CEO Matt Brooks said:

The chaos swirling around Kamala Harris’s selection of her running mate has laid bare the serious fissures in the Democratic Party.

The loud and ascendent voices on the hard Left of today’s Democratic Party should terrify every Jewish American.

For weeks, various Democrats have attempted to derail PA Governor Josh Shapiro’s nomination to the national ticket - some going so far as to invoke vile antisemitic tropes. They succeeded: Josh Shapiro was too Jewish and too pro-Israel for today’s Democratic Party.

By selecting MN Governor Tim Walz instead, Kamala Harris has confirmed what many of us already knew: the Democratic Party is being held hostage by the progressive, anti-Israel Left. What a shanda.
 
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The RJC is the national grassroots organization of Jewish Republicans and represents tens of thousands of Jewish Republicans across this country.
First Joint Appearance...
The White House
 

Remarks by Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz at a Campaign Event

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 August 6, 2024

[WHITE HOUSE TRANSCRIPT release Aug. 7  |  C-SPAN video]
 
5:58 P.M. EDT
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We’re doing this!  (Applause.)  Oh!  (Applause.)  We’re doing this.  (Applause.)  We’re doing this.  (Applause.)
 
     Good evening, Philadelphia!  (Applause.)  Good evening.  (Applause.)  Good evening, good evening.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  Good evening, everyone.  Good evening.  Good evening.
 
     Oh, it is good to be back in Pennsylvania.  (Applause.)
 
     So, let me say, on behalf of myself and the first second gentleman of the United States, my husband, Doug Emhoff -- (applause) -- thank you for the warm welcome.  (Applause.)
 
     And let me just say, it’s good to be here with all of the friends, all of the leaders who are here.  I want to thank former Governor Ed Rendell -- (applause); Senator Bob Casey, who we will reelect this November -- (applause); Senator John Fetterman -- (applause); Mayor Cherelle Parker -- (applause); and Chairman Jaime Harrison.  (Applause.)
 
     And it is so good to be here with your incredible governor, Josh Shapiro.  (Applause.)  And I will say Josh is a dear, dear friend and an extraordinary leader.  He and I have been spending a lot of time together over the years.  And I told Josh, “Look, I am so, so invested in our friendship, in doing this together.”  Because together, with Josh Shapiro, we will win Pennsylvania.  (Applause.)  We will win Pennsylvania.
 
     And I thank you, Josh.  I thank you.  (Applause.)
 
     So -- so, Philadelphia, I launched my campaign for the president of the United States a mere two weeks ago.  (Applause.)  And it's -- it's been a bit of a whirlwind.  (Laughter.)
 
     And just last night, the delegates to the Democratic National Convention finished voting, and so -- (applause) -- I stand -- I stand before you today to proudly announce I am now officially the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.  (Applause.)
 
     And so, now we got some work to do.  We need to move to the general election and win that.  (Applause.)
 
     And to all the friends, listen, we also need to level set.  We are the underdogs in this race, but we have the momentum, and I know exactly what we are up against.   (Applause.)
 
     Now, many of you know, before I was elected vice president or elected a United States senator, I was an elected attorney general and, before that, elected district attorney.  (Applause.)  And before that, I was a courtroom prosecutor.  (Applause.)
 
     So, in those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds -- (applause): predators who abused women --
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  -- fraudsters who scammed consumers --
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  -- cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, hear me when I say -- (applause) -- I know Donald Trump's type.  (Applause.)
 
     AUDIENCE:  Lock him up!  Lock him up!  Lock him up!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So -- but let --
 
     AUDIENCE:  Lock him up!  Lock him up!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let me -- let me just say.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Lock him up!  Lock him up!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let me say.  Hold on.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Lock him up!  Lock him up!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hold on, hold on.
 
     This campaign, our campaign is not just a fight against Donald Trump.  (Applause.)  Our campaign, this campaign is a fight for the future.  (Applause.)  It’s a fight for the future.
 
     And, Pennsylvania, we fight for a future with affordable housing, affordable health care, affordable childcare, paid leave.  (Applause.)  We fight for a future where we build a broad-based economy where every American has the opportunity to own a home, to start a business, and to build wealth.  (Applause.)
 
     We fight for a future where we bring down prices that are still too high and lower the cost of living for American families -- (applause) -- so that they have the chance not just to get by but to get ahead.  (Applause.)
 
     We fight for a future where we defend our most fundamental freedoms: the freedom to vote -- (applause); the freedom to be safe from gun violence -- (applause); the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride -- (applause); and the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body not having her government tell her what to do.  (Applause.)
 
     So --
 
     AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I love you too.
 
     So, here's the thing.  Here's the thing.  Since the day that I announced my candidacy, I set out to find a partner who can help build this brighter future -- (applause) -- a leader who will help unite our nation and move us forward; a fighter for the middle class; a patriot who believes, as I do, in the extraordinary promise of America -- (applause) -- a promise -- a promise of freedom, opportunity, and justice not just for some but for all.  (Applause.)
 
     So, Pennsylvania, I'm here today because I found such a leader: Governor Tim Walz of the great state of Minnesota.  (Applause.)
 
     So, to those who know him best -- to those who know him best, Tim is -- is more than a governor.  To his wife, Gwen, he is a husband.  To his kids, Hope and Gus, he is a dad.  To his fellow veterans, he is Sergeant Major Walz.  (Applause.)  To the people -- to the people of Southern Minnesota, for 12 years, he was Congressman.  (Applause.)  To his former high school students, he was Mr. Walz.  (Applause.)  And to his former high school football players, he was Coach -- (applause) -- Coach -- Coach.
 
     And in 91 days -- (applause) -- the nation will know Coach Walz by another name: vice president of the United States.  (Applause.)
 
     AUDIENCE:  Tim!  Tim!  Tim!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, America, for some folks, they're just getting to know Coach Walz's story.  And I'll tell you, he is the proud product of a middle-class family in rural Nebraska.  (Applause.)  He is a veteran who served our nation in uniform for more than two decades -- (applause) -- as a member of the Army National Guard, and he went to college on the G.I. Bill.  (Applause.)
 
     He is someone who, long before he entered politics, worked as a teacher.  (Applause.)  When Coach Walz and his wife, Gwen, moved from his native Nebraska to Minnesota nearly 30 years ago, they both took jobs at the local high school.  (Applause.)  Coach Walz taught social studies; Gwen taught English.  (Applause.)
 
     After school, Tim was the linebackers coach for the football team -- (applause) -- where I've heard the stories about he had a knack for using the game of football to teach life lessons.  He saw the potential in kids who sometimes didn't even see it in themselves.  (Applause.)
 
     Under those Friday night lights, Coach Walz motivated his players to believe they could achieve anything.  And, together, they defied the odds -- hear this out -- going from a winless record to the school's first-ever state championship.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)  Coach.  Coach.  A- --
 
     AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)  (Laughter.)
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I'll say and I'll add, Tim wasn't only a role model on the football field.  Around that same time, Coach Walz was approached by a student in his social studies class.  The young man was one of the first openly gay students at the school and was hoping to start a gay-straight alliance.  At a time -- (applause) -- at a time when acceptance was difficult to find for LGBTQ students, Tim knew the signal that it would send to have a football coach get involved.  (Applause.)  Right?
 
     So, he signed up to be the group's faculty advisor.  (Applause.)  And as students have said, he made the school a safe place for everybody.  (Applause.)  In the high school yearbook, the students voted Coach Walz the, quote, “most inspiring faculty member.”  (Applause.)
 
     And as I think everyone here can see, Tim Walz was the kind of teacher and mentor that every child in America dreams of having -- (applause) -- and that every kid deserves; the kind of coach, because he's the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big.  And that's the kind of vice president he will be.  (Applause.)  And that's the kind of vice president America deserves.  (Applause.)
 
     So, it was Coach Walz’s students who actually helped him decide to run for office, and he served 12 years in Congress, representing a purple district, as he reached across the aisle to get things done.
 
     He was the highest-ranking -- (applause) -- he was the highest-ranking enlisted man to ever serve in the United States Congress -- (applause) -- and the top Democrat on the Veterans Committee.  (Applause.)  And he was known as one of Capitol Hill's best marksmen -- (laughter) -- winning a bipartisan sharpshooting contest year after year.  (Applause.)
 
     In Washington, Tim worked to raise the minimum wage -- (applause); to protect the freedom of workers to join a union -- (applause); and he cast one of the critical votes to pass the Affordable Care Act -- (applause) -- which, of course, gave health insurance to tens of millions of Americans.
 
     And I'm going to tell you, when we win, Tim and I will continue to make the Affordable Care Act even stronger.  (Applause.)
 
     AUDIENCE:  When we win!  When we win!  When we win!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We will win.  That’s right.
 
     Now let's talk about what we're dealing with on the other side.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, on that last topic, if Donald Trump gets the chance, he will end the Affordable Care Act --
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  -- and take us back to a time when insurance companies had the power to deny people with preexisting conditions.  You remember what that was like?   Children with asthma, breast cancer survivors, grandparents with diabetes.
 
     Well, Governor Walz and I will not let that happen -- (applause) -- because we believe health care should be a right and not just a privilege for those who can afford it.  (Applause.)
 
     As governor, Tim has continued to fight for working families.  He secured paid leave for workers in Minnesota.  (Applause.)  And he refused -- he refused, as governor, to allow any student in their public schools to go hungry -- (applause) -- so he made school breakfast and lunch free for every child.  (Applause.)
 
     And Tim Walz and I, we agree about many things, including when our middle class is strong, America is strong.  (Applause.)  And strengthening the middle class will be my defining goal as I am president of the United States.  (Applause.)
 
     So, Pennsylvania, ours is a fight for the future of the middle class and it is a fight for freedom.  (Applause.)  In this moment, we are witnessing a full-on attack against hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights.  (Applause.)
 
     Take reproductive freedom.  Now think about this: Donald Trump said he wants to punish women.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And as a result of his actions, today in America one out of three women live in a state with a Trump abortion ban -- one out of three.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Some of these bans go back to the 1800s, even before women had a right to vote.  Think about that.
 
     Well, Tim and I have a message for Trump and others who want to turn back the clock on our fundamental freedoms: We're not going back.  (Applause.)
 
     AUDIENCE:  We're not going back!  We're not going back!  We're not going back!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We’re not going back.  We’re not going back.
 
     AUDIENCE:  We're not going back!  We're not going back!  We're not going back!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And so, let me say about Tim Walz, he has shown up to stand against these attacks long before he stood on the stage with me.  After Roe was overturned, he was the first governor in the country to sign a new law that enshrined reproductive freedom as a fundamental right.  (Applause.)
 
     And with Tim Walz by my side, when I am president of the United States and we win majorities in the United States Congress, we will pass a bill to restore reproductive freedom, and I will proudly sign it into law.  (Applause.)
 
     Tim Walz has also defended the sacred freedom to vote.  As governor -- (applause) -- as governor, he signed the most significant expansion of voting rights in Minnesota in over 50 years.  (Applause.)  And with Governor Walz’s help, when I am president, we are going to finally pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.  (Applause.)  We're going to get it done.
 
     So, Tim is a hunter and a gun owner who believes, as the majority of gun owners do, that we need reasonable gun safety laws in America.  (Applause.)  So, as governor, he expanded background checks and increased penalties for illegal firearm sales.  (Applause.)
 
     And together, when we win in November, we are finally going to pass universal background checks -- (applause) -- red flag laws, and an assault weapons ban.  (Applause.)
 
     Through his work, Tim, he -- you know, the way I think about it, he really does shine a light on a brighter future that we can build together.  In his state, he has been a model chief executive.  And with his experience, I'm telling you, Tim Walz will be ready on day one.  (Applause.)
 
     In fact -- in fact, when you compare his resume -- (laughter) -- shall we? -- to Trump's running mate, well -- well -- well, some might say it's like -- it's like a matchup between the varsity team and the JV squad.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)
 
     So, Pennsylvania, ultimately, in this election, we each face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in?  A country -- a country of freedom -- (applause) -- compassion, and rule of law or a country of chaos, fear, and hate?
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And here's the beauty of our democracy: We each have the power to answer that question.  We each have the power to answer that question.  (Applause.)  The power is with the people.  (Applause.)
 
     We love our country, and I believe it is the highest form of patriotism to fight for the ideals of our country.  (Applause.)  That -- that is how we preserve the promise of America.
 
     And after all, you know, the promise of America is what makes it possible for two middle-class kids -- one a daughter of Oakland, California -- (applause) -- who was raised by a working mother; the other a son of the Nebraska plains who grew up working on a farm -- (applause) -- it's the promise of America, because only in America -- only in America is it possible for them together to make it all the way to the White House.  (Applause.)
 
     Only in America.  Only in America.  Only in America.
 
     AUDIENCE:  U.S.A.!  U.S.A.!  U.S.A.!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s right.
 
     AUDIENCE:  U.S.A.!  U.S.A.!  U.S.A.!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s right.  That’s right.
 
     And so, Coach Walz and I may hail from different corners of our great country, but our values are the same.  And we both believe in lifting people up, not knocking them down.  (Applause.)
 
     He and I, we both know the vast majority of people in our country have so much more in common than what separates them.  (Applause.)  When we look at folks, we see, in our fellow Americans, neighbors, not enemies -- (applause) -- not enemies.
 
     And so, my promise to you is this.  Our campaign will reach out to everyone, from red states to blue states -- (applause) -- from the heartland to the coasts; in rural, urban, suburban, and Tribal communities.  (Applause.)  We are running a campaign on behalf of all Americans.  (Applause.)  And when elected, we will govern on behalf of all Americans.  (Applause.)
 
     And so, with Tim Walz by my side and with all of you at our side -- (applause) -- let us fight for the promise of our future.  (Applause.)
 
     And with that, I ask: Pennsylvania, are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.)
 
     Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)
 
     Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)
 
     Do we believe in the promise of America?  (Applause.)
 
     And are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.)
 
     And when we fight --
 
     AUDIENCE:  We win!
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  -- we win.  (Applause.)
 
     And now welcome the next vice president of the United States, Tim Walz.  (Applause.)
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  Wow.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Wow.
 
     Thank you, Philadelphia.  (Applause.)
 
     Thank you, Madam Vice President, for the trust you put in me but, maybe more so, thank you for bringing back the joy.  (Applause.)  I'm thrilled to be on this journey with you and Doug -- this incredible journey.
 
     And, Pennsylvania, I know you know this, but, my God, what a treasure you have in Josh Shapiro.  (Applause.)  Holy hell, can this guy bring the fire.  He can bring the fire.  This is a visionary leader.  Also, I have to tell you, everybody in America knows, when you need a bridge fixed, call that guy.  (Applause.)
 
     And I think sometimes we forget and you see people a little one-dimensional, but seeing a guy who cares so deeply about his family, a man with compassion, vision -- and I'll have to tell you this; I know this from experience -- there is no one you would rather go to a Springsteen concert in Jersey with than him -- (laughter) -- than that guy.  (Applause.)
 
     AUDIENCE:  Bruce!
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  Bruce!
 
     And I can't wait for all of you and America to get to know my incredible wife, Gwen, a 29-year public school educator --(applause) -- don't ever underestimate teachers -- (applause) -- and our two beautiful kids, Hope and Gus.
 
     I couldn't be prouder to be on this ticket and to help Vice President Harris become what we all know is very, very good for us to think about: next president of the United States of America.  (Applause.)
 
     From her first day as a prosecutor, as a district attorney, attorney general of the great state of California -- (applause) -- a United States senator, and vice president of the United States -- (applause) -- Vice President Harris has fought on the side of the American people.  (Applause.)
 
     She took on the predators, she took on the fraudsters, she took down the transnational gangs, she stood up against powerful corporate interests, and she never hesitated to reach across the aisle if it meant improving people's lives.  (Applause.)  And I want all of you to hold this and don't ever underestimate the power of this: She does it all with a sense of joy.  (Applause.)
 
     I know a little something about that commitment to people.  I was born in West Point, Nebraska.  I 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.  My mom and dad taught us: Show generosity towards your neighbors and work for a common good.  (Applause.)
 
     My dad served in the Army during the Korean War, and with his encouragement, at 17, I joined the Army National Guard.  (Applause.)  For 24 years, I proudly wore the uniform of this nation.  (Applause.)  The National Guard gave me purpose, it gave me the strength of a shared commitment to something greater than ourselves, and just as it did for my dad and millions of others, the G.I. Bill gave me a shot at a college education.  (Applause.)
 
     My dad was a teacher; my brothers and sisters and I followed in their footsteps.  (Applause.)  Three out of four of us married teachers -- (applause) -- what we do.  For nearly 20 years, I had the privilege of teaching high school social studies and coaching football -- (applause) -- including winning that state championship.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  Don't ever close the yearbook.  Don’t ever.
 
     But it was my students -- they encouraged me to run for office.  They saw in me what I was hoping to instill in them: a commitment of common good, a belief that one person can make a difference.  So, in 2006 -- (applause) -- in 2006, I took a leap, and I ran for Congress.  (Applause.)  And because high school teachers are super optimistic, I was running in a district that had one Democrat since 1892.  (Laughter.)
 
     Well, my neighbors graced me with an opportunity to represent them in the United States House of Representatives.  (Applause.)  I'm proud of the work we did there together.  I worked across the aisle on veterans issues, on agriculture, and on ways to grow rural economies.  I learned the art of compromise without compromising my values.  (Applause.)
 
     And now as governor the great state of Minnesota, I bring those experiences to bear in tackling the challenges that are facing our great state.  Minnesota’s strengths comes from our values, our commitment to working together, to seeing past our differences, to always being willing to lend a helping hand.  Those are the same values I learned on the family farm and tried to instill in my students.  I took it to Congress and to the state capitol, and now Vice President Harris and I are running to take those very values to the White House.  (Applause.)
 
     Now, Donald Trump sees the world a little differently than us.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  First of all, he doesn't know the first thing about service.  (Applause.)  He doesn't have time for it because he's too busy serving himself.  (Applause.)  Again and again and again, Trump weakens our economy to strengthen his own hand.  (Applause.)  He mocks our laws, he sows chaos and division, and that's to say nothing of his record as president.  (Applause.)
 
     He froze in the face of the COVID crisis, he drove our economy into the ground, and make no mistake, violent crime was up under Donald Trump.  (Applause.)  That's not even counting the crimes he committed.  (Applause.)
 
     You know --
 
     AUDIENCE:  Lock him up!  Lock him up!  Lock him up!
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  -- some of us --
 
     AUDIENCE:  Lock him up!  Lock him up!  Lock him up!
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  -- some of us are --
 
     AUDIENCE:  Lock him up!  Lock him up!  Lock him up!
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  Some of us -- some of us in here are old enough to remember.  I see you down there.  (Laughter.)  I see those old white guys.  (Laughter.)  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 the government should be free to invade your doctor's office.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  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.  (Applause.)
 
     These guys are after my heart, chanting “Mind your own damn business.”  That feels good, so thank you.
 
     Look, that includes IVF, and this gets personal for me and my family.  (Applause.)  When my wife and I decided to have children, we spent years going through infertility treatments, and I remember praying every night for a call for good news, the pit in my stomach when the phone rang, and the agony when we heard that the treatments hadn't worked.  So, it wasn't by chance that when we welcomed our daughter into the world, we named her Hope.  (Applause.)
 
     When the vice president and I talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make your own health care decisions -- (applause) -- and for our children to be free to go to school without worrying they’ll be shot dead in their classrooms.  (Applause.)
 
     By the way, as you heard, I was one of the best shots in Congress.  But in Minnesota, we believe in the Second Amendment, but we also believe in commonsense gun violence laws.  (Applause.)
 
     Vice President Harris’s idea of freedom is a ticket for education to be that ticket to the middle class, not crippling debt -- (applause); air that's clean, water that's pure, communities that are safe -- (applause); a place where we settle our political differences not through violence but with our votes.  (Applause.)  And that's what this election is about: What direction will this country go in?
 
     AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Freedom!  (Applause.)
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  We’re not going back.  Well, Donald Trump would damn sure take us backwards, let's be clear about that.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  And don't believe him when he plays dumb.  He knows exactly what Project 2025 will do to restrict our freedoms -- (applause) -- to rig the economy to help the super-rich.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  If Trump gets a chance to return, he's going to pick up exactly where he left off four years ago --
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  -- only this time it will be much, much worse: raising costs on middle-class family.  He will repea- -- repeal the Affordable Care Act, no doubt about it.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  He'll gut Social Security and Medicare.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  And when somebody tells who they are, they -- believe them.  He said he would ban abortion across this country, and he'll do it whether or not Congress is there or not.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  Donald Trump is not fighting for you or your family.
 
     AUDIENCE MEMBER:  You are!
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  He never s- -- he never sat at that kitchen table, like the one I grew up at, wondering how we were going to pay the bills.  He sat at his country club up in Mar-a-Lago, wondering how he can cut taxes for his rich friends.  (Applause.)
 
     And I got to tell you, his running mate shares his dangerous and backward agenda for this country.  (Applause.)   J.D. Vance literally -- literally wrote the foreword for the architect of the Project 2025 agenda.
 
     AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  Like all regular people I grew up with in the heartland, J.D. studied at Yale -- (laughter) -- had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community.  Come on.  That's not what Middle America is.
 
     And I got to tell you, I can't wait to debate the guy.  (Applause.)  That is if -- if he's willing to get off the couch and show up, so -- (laughter).  You see what I did there?
 
     Look -- (laughs) -- I got to tell you -- pointing out just an observation of mine that I -- that I made.  I just have to say it.  You know it, you feel it: These guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell.  That's what you see.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  That's what you see.
 
     So, you know what's out there, so say it with me: We aren't going back.
 
     AUDIENCE:  We aren’t going back!
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  We aren’t going back.
 
     AUDIENCE:  We're not going back!  We're not going back!  We're not going back!
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  We are not going back.
 
     AUDIENCE:  We're not going back!  We're not going back!  We're not going back!
 
     GOVERNOR WALZ:  So, we got 91 days.  My God, that's easy.  (Laughter.)  We'll sleep when we're dead.  (Applause.)
 
     Over those next 91 days and every day in the White House, I’ll have Vice President Harris's back -- every single day.  (Applause.)  And we'll have yours.  (Applause.)
 
     You know how this works.  We can't do it alone.  We need you, each and every one of you.  (Applause.)  Go over to KamalaHarris.com, get on board, because we need you.
 
     Freedom to make our own choices -- this leader -- this compassionate, careful, joyous leader -- believes in each and every one of you.  (Applause.)
 
     My God, you came here tonight to sit at the very top because you love this country and you're not going back.  (Applause.)
 
     She believes in the opportunity for every single person to join the middle class.  She believes in the promise of America.
 
     We just got to fight.  We just got to fight, because as soon-to-be-President Harris says, when we fight --
 
     AUDIENCE:  We win!

     GOVERNOR WALZ:  -- we win.  (Applause.)
 
     Thank you, Philadelphia.  Thank you, Vice President.  God bless America.  (Applause.)
 
                             END               6:49 P.M. EDT
 
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