Harris’s running mate - [Announcer] Kamala Harris named Minnesota governor Tim
Walz as her running mate. Walz is a former school teacher and seasoned Washington lawmaker who has been credited with
a new political insult against Republicans. - Yes, they're weird. They prove that every
day, it's an observation. - Walz is viewed as more
of a moderate figure, but someone who has picked up a number of progressive
causes as governor. He's not somebody who has an
extensive fundraising base or is someone who's very
well known among the public. - [Announcer] Walz's
ascension comes as Harris has consolidated support among Democrats after President Biden exited the race. Here's a look at what Walz
brings as running mate in an election showdown with
Donald Trump and JD Vance. Who is Tim Walz? - Tim Walz is a proven
winner among rural voters, and he's been very
successful in Minnesota, which is a state that Republicans are trying to put onto
the battleground map. - Thank you, Minnesota.
(crowd cheering) - Walz really gives
this every-man persona. He's somebody who is very
comfortable with farmers. He's also someone who can appeal to voters in the suburbs and the cities. - Hey, Minnesota, Governor Walz here at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. - [Announcer] The 60-year-old governor didn't begin his career in politics. - He's someone who worked
as a school teacher for more than two decades. He also spent time in the military, so he really brings to the
table a background of someone who had an entirely different life before he entered politics. - [Announcer] Walz was first
elected to Congress in 2006, managing to unseat a six-term Republican in one of the state's more
conservative districts. - He was supportive of a number of issues related to agriculture. He also served as a leader
on veterans affairs issues, given his extensive background
in the Army Reserves. Walz was once given an A rating from the National Rifle Association. After the Parkland shooting in 2018, he quickly pivoted to
support background checks, and the NRA disavowed
many of his proposals. - [Announcer] After 12 years in Congress, Walz ran for Minnesota governor in 2018 as someone who could
compromise with Republicans. He won by more than 11 percentage points. - Hello, One Minnesota.
(crowd cheers) - [Announcer] Walz was reelected in 2022, and a year later oversaw
a Democratic-controlled state legislature with
a progressive agenda. - He helped get through
a program to provide universal school meals for children. He was supportive of
codifying abortion rights. He was supportive of the legalization of recreational marijuana. He was viewed as somebody
who was very progressive on climate change, the environment, and also in promoting
infrastructure spending. (pensive music)
- Walz was criticized for his handling of the civic unrest following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in
Minneapolis in 2020. - I'm authorizing and
talking to General Jensen to fully mobilize the
Minnesota National Guard, an action that has never been
taken in the 164-year history of the Minnesota National Guard. - [Announcer] Walz
deployed the National Guard three days after Floyd's murder. - [Crowd] George Floyd!
(indistinct) George Floyd! - [Announcer] In July, the governor signed a police reform bill banning
the use of choke holds in most cases, and requiring
other officers to intervene when another is using excessive force. - In the aftermath of
George Floyd's murder, he faced some criticism that
he did not act quickly enough to quell some of the violence that we saw on the streets of the city. There was criticism that
he didn't quickly bring in the National Guard to restore order. (fireworks bursting) What does he bring to the ticket? - [Announcer] In recent weeks, Walz has repeatedly used
one word to describe Trump and his running mate, JD Vance. - Yeah, they're weird, and
I am not changing that. I see Donald Trump talking about the wonderful Hannibal Lecter, or whatever weird thing he's on tonight. That is weird behavior. - [Announcer] And it
seems to have caught on. - By the way, don't you
find some of their stuff to just be plain weird?
(crowd cheers) - In the lead up to his selection
as Harris's running mate, he really showed a pension
for being the attack dog. Namely, his appearances on
some of the Sunday shows, some of the cable TV hits that he did attacking JD Vance. - People like JD Vance know nothing about small-town America. - [Announcer] Although no
Republican presidential candidate has won over Minnesota
voters since Richard Nixon, the Trump campaign wants to compete there. - Minnesota is a state that
Democrats really can't lose. Trump got very close in 2016 and has since then always tried
to put the state into play. He and Vance have made
appearances recently in the state, and they view it as a place
where they could perhaps cut into the Democratic battleground map. (pensive music)
- The Harris-Walz ticket What’s next? and its platform will take
center stage in Chicago during the week of August 19th, when the Democratic National Convention convenes to cement their nominations - Walz helps neutralize
JD Vance's appeal to rural voters, especially
those voters in the Midwest, some of the states that will
help determine the election. We expect Walz to give an address at the Democratic National Convention. That'll really be his first opportunity to give the American people
a window into his life, his career, his background, and that will be an
important showcase for him before Democrats.
(pensive music) - With that, we thank you. (indistinct)