Tim Walz, in DNC speech, draws on past as coach, urging Americans to "leave it all on the field" before election
Washington — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz officially accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president Wednesday, casting the final weeks before Election Day as the closing minutes of a football game that will require the difficult work of "blocking and tackling" to defeat former President Donald Trump.
Walz closed out the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with a speech that drew on his time as a teacher and football coach in Minnesota.
"We got 76 days. That's nothing. There'll be time to sleep when we're dead," he told the crowd of Democratic delegates, elected officials and supporters. "We're gonna leave it all on the field. That's how we'll keep moving forward. That's how we'll turn the page on Donald Trump."
Walz's speech served as a platform for him to introduce himself to the broader public. He charted his rise from the small town of Butte, Nebraska, to joining the Army National Guard, becoming a teacher and then representing Minnesota's First Congressional District.
Elected governor in 2018, Walz touted his achievements as Minnesota's chief executive, including passing paid family and medical leave, cutting prescription drug costs and protecting abortion access.
"In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make," he said. "And even if we wouldn't make those same choices for ourselves, we've got a golden rule: mind your own damn business."
Walz was nominated as the Democratic vice presidential candidate by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Ben Ingman, a former student who lived next door to the governor and his wife, Gwen. Walz coached him for seventh-grade basketball and track, and Ingam was soon joined on the convention stage by former football players from Mankato West High School, where Walz taught and coached.
During his speech, Walz accused Trump and vice presidential nominee JD Vance of pushing an agenda that would make Americans' lives more difficult. While Trump has distanced himself from the policy proposals described in Project 2025, a presidential transition initiative overseen by the Heritage Foundation, Walz likened the guide to a playbook that will be put to use if Trump is elected to a second term.
"It's an agenda nobody asked for. It's an agenda that serves nobody except the richest people and the most extreme amongst us. And it's an agenda that does nothing for our neighbors in need," he said. "Is it weird? Absolutely. But it's also wrong. And it's dangerous."
Walz denounced Trump's understanding of leadership, and said good leaders "don't spend all day insulting people and blaming people."
"Leaders do the work," he said. "I don't know about you all, but I'm ready to turn the page on these guys. So go ahead, say it with me: 'We're not going back!'"
He then laid out his and Harris' agenda if they are elected president and vice president, which includes tax cuts for middle-class families, lower prescription drug costs and affordable housing.
"No matter who you are, Kamala Harris is gonna stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead," he said. "Because that's what we want for ourselves and it's what we want for our neighbors."
Harris announced Walz as her running mate earlier this month after a truncated search that included several Democrats from battleground states, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Roy Cooper of North Carolina.
A popular two-term governor, Walz was selected in part because of his executive experience and policy achievements on key issues, including gun safety, abortion and paid leave. He served in the National Guard and coached football, and is a hunter and gun owner.
Walz sought to contrast his beliefs on gun ownership with those of Republicans, who have pushed back against efforts to enact new firearms restrictions in the wake of mass shootings.
"I believe in the Second Amendment. But I also believe our first responsibility is to keep our kids safe. That's what this is all about," he said. "The responsibility we have to our kids, to each other, and to the future that we're building together, in which everyone is free to build the kind of life they want."
Walz could also help bolster support for Harris in the "blue wall" states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The states have historically backed Democratic candidates, but went for Trump in 2016 and then Mr. Biden in 2020. Winning the trio of battleground states will be crucial for Harris and Walz as they look to deny Trump a second term in November.
While Democrats have responded with enthusiasm to Walz's selection, he has come under scrutiny for his military record. The Minnesota governor served honorably in the Nebraska and Minnesota Army National Guards for 24 years, but questions have been raised by conservatives about the last days of his service, namely his rank and if he retired to avoid a deployment to Iraq in 2005.
Walz achieved the rank of command sergeant major but was reduced in rank to master sergeant after his retirement because he hadn't finished coursework for the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, according to a CBS News review of Walz's record and statements from the Minnesota Army National Guard.
Records also show Walz retired before his battalion mobilized and deployed to Iraq. He deployed in 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, before returning to Minnesota in 2004. The Minnesota Army National Guard said the governor retired in 2005.
Republicans, including Vance, have also accused Walz of lying about having children through in vitro fertilization, a fertility treatment that gained considerable attention after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law.
Walz has said he and his wife underwent fertility treatments for seven years before Gwen Walz became pregnant with their daughter, Hope, and he spoke about their experience in his first appearance on the campaign trail as Harris' running mate. The Harris campaign also said in a statement that the Walzes had their daughter "through reproductive health care like IVF."
But the couple is now facing criticism after Gwen Walz revealed this week she underwent intrauterine insemination, or IUI, a process different from IVF.
Walz spoke at the convention of his family's experience with infertility and decision to turn to fertility treatments, saying it underscores the role freedom plays in the upcoming election.
"When we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love. Freedom to make your own health care decisions. And, yeah, your kids' freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall," he said.