• Former students marched onto the stage to introduce Walz.
• Democratic vice presidential candidate expresses love for his country.
• Walz devotes much of his speech to defending Harris.
  

Tim Walz expressed his love for his country as he introduced himself to millions of Americans on Wednesday during the star-studded third night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and accepted the nomination as Kamala Harris’s vice presidential running mate for the White House.

“It is my greatest honor to accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States. We are all here tonight for one simple reason. We love this country,” Walz said at the Democratic Party convention in Chicago.

In his fast-paced 15-minute speech, Walz told the story of his middle-class childhood in a small Nebraska town, where he worked on the family farm, and described his experiences teaching students that inspired him to go into politics.

“They saw in me what I wanted to convey to them: a commitment to the common good, an understanding that we are all in this together and a belief that one person can make a real difference for those around him,” he said as the crowd chanted “Coach Walz!”

The 60-year-old governor of Minnesota came down hard on Republican candidate Donald Trump, accusing him of “spending all day insulting people and blaming others.”

But Walz devoted much of his speech at the United Center in Chicago to defending Harris.

“From her time as a prosecutor, district attorney, attorney general, United States senator and later as our vice president, she has fought on the side of the American people,” he said.

“She took on the robbers and the con artists. She took down the transnational gangs… She never hesitated to vote for the other side of the party when it came to making your life better, and she always did it with energy, passion and joy.”

The relatively unknown state-level official brings an air of the average Midwesterner to Harris’ growing campaign against Trump, which was the focus of his speech.

The former National Guard soldier was introduced by Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz and received loud applause as he took the stage to deliver the most significant speech of his political career ahead of Harris’ big night on Thursday.

In a moment that brought the audience to their feet, former students marched on stage to introduce Walz, a football coach in his time as a teacher, followed by a musical interlude by Grammy-winning musician John Legend.

Walz’s main task was to prepare for Harris’ speech and the climax of a convention that, despite predictions of disunity or even chaos, turned tumultuous following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw his re-election bid on July 21.

“No matter who you are, Kamala Harris will stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life you want to live, because that’s what we want for ourselves and that’s what we want for our neighbors,” he said.

He has made a name for himself as a skilled communicator and is considered one of the sharpest attackers against Trump and his running mate JD Vance, whom he described as “strange.”

The chemistry between Harris, 59, and Walz and the loud energy that comes from their rallies is fueling Democrats’ hopes that they can defeat Trump, 78, in November.

Polls show the outcome of the election as still close, but Harris is slightly ahead – a remarkable development given that just a month ago Trump seemed to be increasingly intervening in the race.

At the congress site, delegates praised Walz’s keynote speech.

“I thought his speech was perfect,” said 60-year-old New York delegate Edwina Martin AFP.

“I’ve heard him say many of the same things at rallies, but tonight it was incredibly powerful, meaningful and inspiring to hear it in this setting.”

Before Walz lit up the arena, the crowd heard a speech from former President Bill Clinton.

“In 2024, we face a clear choice: ‘We the people’ versus ‘Me, myself and me,'” Clinton said.