Tim Walz's full speech to the DNC – NBC Connecticut

Editor's note: The following text of the speech is as prepared. His actual delivery may have differed.

Thank you, Vice President Kamala Harris, for your trust in me and for inviting me to be part of
this incredible campaign. Thank you to President Joe Biden for four years of strong, historic
leadership. And it is the honor of my life to accept your nomination for Vice President of the United
States.

We are all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason – we love this country! So thank you all
here in Chicago and tonight at home – for your passion, for your determination, for the joy
that you bring to this fight.

I grew up in the small town of Butte, Nebraska, with a population of 400. In my high school class there were 24 children
and none of them went to Yale. When you grow up in a small town like this, you learn to take care of everyone.
others. The family down the street – they may not think like you, they may not pray like you, they
They may not love like you, but they are your neighbors. And you take care of them as they take care of
You.

Everyone belongs and everyone has the responsibility to make their contribution. For me it was the service in the
Army National Guard. I joined two days after my 17th birthday and proudly wore the
uniform for 24 years. My father, a veteran of the Korean War, died a few years later of lung cancer and
left behind a mountain of medical debt. Thank God for Social Security survivor benefits. And thank
God for the GI Bill that enabled my father and me to go to college – just as it did for millions of
American.

Eventually I fell in love with teaching, just like the rest of my family. Three of the four of us even
married teachers. I taught social studies and coached football at Mankato West High
School. Go Scarlets! We played a 4-4 defense, played every single down and even
won a state championship. People, never close the yearbook.

It was my students who inspired me to run for Congress. They saw in me what I hoped
them – a commitment to the common good. An understanding that we are all in the same boat. And a
the true belief that one person can make a real difference to their neighbors.

So there I was, a high school teacher in my forties with small children, zero political experience, no
money and is running in a deep red district. But you know what? Never underestimate a public school
Teacher.

I spent 12 years representing my neighbors in Congress and learned a lot. I learned how to work
across the aisle on issues such as growing rural economies and caring for our veterans. And I have learned
how I can compromise without compromising my values.

Then I came home to serve as governor, and we immediately went to work to make a difference in our
lives of our neighbors. We have cut taxes for middle-class families. We have passed paid family and medical leave. We
We have invested in crime reduction and affordable housing. We have reduced the cost of prescription drugs and helped
People are escaping the medical debt that nearly ruined my family. And we have made sure that every child
in our state received breakfast and lunch at school. While other states banned books from their schools,
We have eliminated hunger from our schools.

We have also protected reproductive freedom because in Minnesota we respect our neighbors and
personal decisions they make. And even if we did not make the same decisions for ourselves, we have
a golden rule: mind your own business.

This includes IVF and fertility treatments. This is a personal matter for Gwen and me. Let me just say
that – even if you have never experienced the hell of infertility, I guarantee you know someone who has. I
I remember praying every night for a call with good news and the sinking feeling in my stomach when the phone
Ring and the agony of hearing that the treatments hadn't worked. It took Gwen and me years.
But we had access to fertility treatments and when our daughter was finally born, we named her
Hope. Hope, Gus, Gwen – you are my whole world. I love you all so much.

I'll tell you how we started our family because that's a big part of what makes this election.
about – freedom. When Republicans use this word, they mean that the government should be free,
enter your doctor's office. Businesses can pollute the air and water. Banks can
benefit of the customers. But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean your freedom,
Make a better life for yourself and the people you love. The freedom to design your own healthcare
Decisions. And yes, the freedom of your children to go to school without having to worry about being
halls.

Look, I know guns. I'm a veteran. I'm a hunter. I was a better shot than most Republicans in Congress.
and I have the trophies to prove it. But I am also a father. I believe in the Second Amendment. But I
believe that our first responsibility is to protect our children. That's what this is about.
Responsibility towards our children, towards each other and towards the future that we are building together – a future in
in which everyone has the freedom to live their life the way they want.

But not everyone feels the same sense of responsibility. Some people just don’t understand what it
means being a good neighbor. Take Donald Trump and JD Vance – their Project 2025 will change things
much, much harder for people who are just trying to live their lives. They have spent a lot of time
pretend they don't know anything about it. But look, I've coached high school football long enough, I promise
Tell me this: If someone takes the time to create a script, they intend to use it.

We know what they're going to do when they get back into the White House. They're going to drive up costs for the middle class.
families. They will repeal the Affordable Care Act. They will gut Social Security and Medicare. They will ban
Abortion across America, with or without Congress.

It is an agenda that no one has asked for. It is an agenda that serves no one except the richest people and the
most extreme voices in our country. An agenda that does nothing for our neighbors in need. Is it
weird? Absolutely. But it is also wrong. And it is dangerous. It is not just me saying that. It is Trump's own people. They have been with him for four years. And they are warning us that the next four years
much, much worse.

When I was teaching, we always elected a student representative. And you know what?
Teenagers could teach Donald Trump a lesson about what it means to be a leader. Leaders don't do that.
spend all day insulting and blaming people. The leaders do the work. I don't know about you,
but I'm ready to break up with these guys. Say it with me: “We're not going back.”

We have something better to offer the American people. That starts with our candidate, Kamala Harris.
From her first day as a prosecutor, as a district attorney, as an attorney general, as a U.S. Senator and
then, as our Vice President, she fought on the side of the American people. She stood up against predators
and fraudsters. It has brought down transnational gangs. It has stood up to powerful corporate interests.
She never hesitated to help across the aisle when it came to making lives better. And she always did
with energy, passion and joy.

Folks, we have the chance to make Kamala Harris the next President of the United States. But I think we
owes it to the American people to tell them exactly what she would do as President before we ask her for
Votes. So here's the part you cut out, save, and send to the undecided relative.

If you are a middle class family or a family trying to move into the middle class, Kamala Harris
Lower your taxes. If you are feeling pressured by the price of your prescription drugs, Kamala Harris is
will take on Big Pharma. If you are hoping to buy a home, Kamala Harris will help it more
affordable. And no matter who you are, Kamala Harris will stand up and fight for your freedom,
Live the life you want to live. Because that is what we want for ourselves. And that is what we want for
our neighbors.

You know, I haven't given many big speeches like this in my life. But I have given a lot of motivational speeches.
So let me close with this, team. It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal. But we're on offense.
We're storming down the field. And boy, do we have the right team to win this. Kamala Harris is tough.
She has experience. And she is ready. Our job is to get in the trenches and block and tackle.
One inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 bill
Donate at once. We only have 76 days left. That's nothing. We will sleep when we are dead. And
we will give everything on the field.

This is how we will move forward. This is how we will leave Donald Trump behind us.
We will build a country where workers come first, healthcare and housing are human rights, and
Government stay the hell out of our bedrooms. This is how we make America a place where no child
is left hungry. Where no community is left behind. Where no one is told they don't belong.

This is how we will fight. And as the next President of the United States says: “When we fight,
win!” When we fight, we win! When we fight, we win! Thank you and God bless America!