"I would say that Tim Walz has been ready from day one. Shall we compare him to Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance? Some might say it's a match between the main team and the junior candidate team."
On the 6th (local time), U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris made her first joint campaign appearance with Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota (60), who was selected as her running mate. Visiting the battleground state of Pennsylvania, Vice President Harris called Governor Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, a 'ready vice president' and pledged victory in the presidential election.
Confidently compares to Republican Vance as a "match between the main team and the candidate pool"
On the day of her first campaign since being officially nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Harris said, "I stand before you proudly to officially announce that I am the Democratic presidential candidate," adding, "Now there is work to be done. We must run and win the election." She defined the upcoming November presidential election as "not just a fight against former President Donald Trump, but a fight for the future."
Having confirmed her running mate that morning, Vice President Harris introduced Governor Walz, saying, "From the day I announced my candidacy, I have been looking for a partner who can build a brighter future, a leader who can unite and move our country forward, a fighter for the middle class, and a patriot who believes in America's incredible promise like I do," and added, "I have found that leader."
Vice President Harris highlighted Governor Walz's background as a soldier, teacher, congressman, governor, and football coach, emphasizing, "In 91 days, he will be known by another title: Vice President of the United States." She introduced Walz as a high school football coach who brought out the potential in kids who didn’t realize their own potential and led a team with no winning record to a state championship. Furthermore, she said, "(Walz is) the kind of teacher and mentor every child dreams of," and expressed expectations that "he was a teacher who gave everyone a sense of belonging and inspired dreams, and he will be that kind of vice president."
Vice President Harris also declared, "Tim (Governor Walz) and I have a message for those who want to take back our fundamental freedoms from Trump and his supporters," saying, "We will not go back." Supporters at the rally responded by shouting, "We will not go back." Harris devoted a significant portion of her 30-minute speech to introducing her running mate, highlighting Walz’s past efforts to protect abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, and defend democracy. She also warned that hard-won freedoms like abortion rights are being threatened by former President Trump’s side.
She showed confidence compared to J.D. Vance, former President Trump's running mate and the Republican vice-presidential candidate. Considering Walz’s high school football coaching background, Harris likened their competition to "a match between the main team and the junior candidate team." She also targeted former President Trump and Senator Vance, saying, "We will unite the majority of the people and not divide them, and we will treat Americans as neighbors, not enemies," adding, "We will govern for all Americans."
'First Campaign' Walz Attacks Trump and Vance: "Really Creepy and Weird"
Following Vice President Harris, Governor Walz took the podium for his first speech as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate. Though he was considered to have relatively low public recognition, he first introduced himself by saying he was born in West Point, Nebraska, a small town with a population of 400, and that he worked on his family farm every summer. He also shared that he enlisted in the military at age 17 at his father’s urging, who had served in the Korean War, and served for 24 years. After graduating from college, he taught social studies at a high school and coached football for about 20 years before running for Congress in 2006. Walz said his students encouraged him to run for office, emphasizing, "They saw in me what I wanted to instill in them: a commitment to the common good and the belief that one person can make a difference." After serving six terms as a U.S. Representative from Minnesota, he was elected governor in 2018 and won re-election in 2022.
Governor Walz also launched attacks on former President Trump. He criticized the Trump administration’s record on COVID-19, the economy, and crime, saying, "They spread chaos and division," "They froze in the face of the COVID crisis," "They dragged our economy down," and "Violent crime increased under the Trump administration. And that doesn’t even include the crimes he committed." He warned that if former President Trump wins the November election, the situation will worsen compared to four years ago, claiming, "Middle-class prices will rise, health insurance will become useless, and abortion will be banned nationwide." He added, "Don’t believe it when Trump acts dumb. I know exactly how 'Project 2025' (presumed to be a Republican policy agenda) will restrict my freedoms."
Regarding his rival, Senator Vance, Walz expressed caution, saying, "He shares Trump’s dangerous agenda." Summarizing Vance’s life as a self-made businessman and politician from the Rust Belt, Walz said, "He studied at Yale, received help from Silicon Valley billionaires, and wrote a bestseller criticizing that community (Hillbilly Elegy)," and criticized, "The American Midwest is not like that." He also said, "What I want to say is, I really look forward to debating him?if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up," mocking him.
Earlier, Walz had attracted attention by calling former President Trump and Senator Vance "weird," and he repeated this remark on this day. He said, "(You all) know and feel it too," adding, "These people are creepy and really weird." He concluded his speech by saying, "For the next 91 days and every day I spend at the White House, I will support Vice President Harris."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
