CHICAGO, Aug 22 (Reuters) – Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz led fellow Democrats in a political pep rally on Wednesday night, vowing that he and presidential running mate Kamala Harris would triumph over Republican Donald Trump in November’s U.S. election.
The Minnesota governor, who was little known in America 15 days ago, acknowledged he had never given such a big speech but said that as a former high school football coach, “I have given a lot of pep talks.”
The crowd responded with chants of “Coach, Coach, Coach!”
Walz brought his plain-speaking style and small-town values to the national stage, joined by a litany of political luminaries and star entertainers on the third night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Walz, 60, accepted his party’s nomination for the No. 2 job.
He said America should be a place where children don’t go hungry, healthcare and housing are human rights, “and the government stays the hell out of your bedroom,” referring to Republican assaults on abortion rights and same-sex marriage.
He spoke of preserving the freedoms that Democrats say are under attack from Trump, 78, who is making his third major-party run for the White House. Walz said a second Trump White House would serve nobody except the wealthy and most extreme.
In the audience beside his mother and sister, Walz’s son Gus, 17, leapt to his feet during his father’s remarks, pointing at the stage while appearing to shout, “That’s my Dad,” and shedding tears.
Harris, 59, will address the gathering on its final night on Thursday.
