Minnesota Governor Tim Walz officially accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for vice president on Tuesday at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Walz visibly had to hold back tears as he entered the stage amidst the applause of the Democratic delegates, but thanked Vice President Harris right at the beginning of his acceptance speech.
“We are all here for a beautiful, simple reason. We love America,” Walz said.
Walz’s time as a public school teacher was a common thread in his speech, linking his work in public education to his successes as governor.
“Other schools have banned books from their schools, in Minnesota we have banned hunger in our schools,” Walz said.
The governor addressed the issue of reproductive rights and told the story of how his daughter Hope was conceived through fertility treatments.
Walz, who had already taken a “strange” line of attack against the Republicans before his nomination as Kamala Harris’s vice presidential candidate, now also lashed out at vice presidential candidate JD Vance, saying that none of the kids from Walz’s small high school graduating class in Butte, Nebraska, got into Yale.
Walz linked Donald Trump to Project 2025, a theme of the convention. “I’ve been a high school football coach long enough to know – and believe me – that if someone takes the time to create a playbook, they’re going to use it,” Walz said.
“Never underestimate a public school teacher,” he added.
Watch Tim Walz’s full acceptance speech at the 2024 DNC
Live updates from the Democratic National Convention: Who is speaking tonight? Tim Walz and Bill Clinton take the stage
When and where will the DNC take place
The Democratic National Convention will take place from August 19 to 22 in Chicago, Illinois.
The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC.
Chicago has hosted the Democratic National Convention eleven times, most recently in 1996, when President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term at the United Center.
How to watch and stream the DNC 2024
USA TODAY will provide live stream coverage of the DNC every night Monday through Thursday on YouTube.
The convention will be broadcast live on the organization’s website from the United Center in Chicago on Monday from 6:15 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time (5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time) and on the other days from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time).
What are the themes for each night of the DNC?
The DNC announced the evening’s themes for the convention. The title of the convention is “For the People, For Our Future.”
Here are the topics for each evening:
- Monday: “For the people”
- Tuesday: “A bold vision for America’s future”
- Wednesday: “A fight for our freedoms”
- Thursday: “For our future”
