Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz appeared for the first time with Kamala Harris at a Philadelphia rally on Tuesday and he sure made his mark.
Walz had a lot to say about Trump at the event as he reiterated that the controversial presidential candidate would take America backward.
The Minnesota governor spoke in front of thousands of supporters just hours after he was announced as Ms Harris’s pick for the role.
He also taunted the Republican supporters, calling them ‘weird as hell.’ The Republican party quickly fired back at his comments, calling him a liberal extremist.
At the rally in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, Harris, currently the US vice president, said she and Mr. Walz were the “underdogs”, but they had the momentum.
She also heaped loads of praise on her running mate, calling him a patriot and a fighter for the middle class.
Speaking for the first time at a huge democratic rally, Mr Walz narrated his small-town roots in Nebraska and his career as a national guardsman and teacher, before attempting to draw a contrast with Trump.
“He doesn’t know the first thing about service – because he’s too busy serving himself,” said the former army sergeant and football coach.
He got some of the loudest cheers of the night when he took aim at the former president’s criminal record. He came prepared, but how much preparation can do significant damage?
“These guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell,” Mr Walz said of their Republican challengers.
The two candidates mostly pitched themselves as defenders of individual freedoms, including on abortion rights and safety from gun violence.
Ms Harris and Mr Walz would also speak at the Democratic National Convention, which runs from 19 to 22 August in Chicago.
Walz, who is the current two-term governor of Minnesota, has overseen one of the most productive legislative periods in state history. His agenda guaranteed abortion rights, put out gun control measures, and implemented paid family leave.
