Tim Walz accepted the vice presidential nomination at the Democratic convention on Wednesday night, declaring it was time to move on from Donald Trump.
“I’m ready to turn the page on these guys,” Walz said. “We’re not going back.”
The Minnesota governor was introduced by a former student at Mankato West High School, who was joined on stage by members of the football team.
In his speech, Walz sketched his biography, including his time as high school teacher and coach. He cited his two children, Hope and Gus, who were born with the help of fertility treatments and were watching from the audience.
And he leaned heavily on sports metaphors, as when he warned about the Project 2025 agenda.
“I coached high school football long enough to know — and trust me on this,” Walz said. “When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re going to use it.”
In closing, he urged Democrats to campaign for him and Kamala Harris as though they’re the underdogs.
“We’re down a field goal, but we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball,” Walz said.
In honor of Minnesota, John Legend performed the Prince song “Let’s Go Crazy” in a duet with Sheila E. The pop star lived and recorded music in the state that Walz governs, and is a favorite of the new Democratic vice presidential nominee.
Oprah Winfrey also made a surprise appearance, touching on the history of school desegregation, and urging voters to choose “common sense over nonsense.”
“Values and character matter most of all in leadership and in life,” she said. “Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024.”
Earlier in the night, former President Bill Clinton called Harris a “breath of fresh air” compared to Trump.
“He mostly talks about himself,” he said. “So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies. Count the ‘I’s.”
Clinton loaded up the folksy charm with lines like “She’ll break my record as the president who spends the most time at McDonalds.”
In closing, Clinton choked up at the prospect of Harris’ historic election and his own advancing years. He told the crowd that he hasn’t missed a DNC since his first one in 1976 – which he quickly corrected to 1972. “I have no idea how many more I’ll be able to come to,” Clinton said, his hoarse voice cracking.
Mindy Kaling served as the evening’s celebrity host, joking about having “outed” Harris as Indian by filming an Instagram cooking video in 2019.
“I truly believe that as a woman of color, and as a single mother of three, it is incredibly that i be appointed ambassador to Italy,” Kaling said. “That’s how this works right?”
She also gave a shout-out to fellow Massachusetts native Ben Affleck, a day after Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce, saying “Hang in there.” Kaling also introduced former Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the “mother of dragons,” saying she was “brat before brat was brat.”
Kenan Thompson, of “SNL,” also did a comedy bit about Project 2025, highlighting conservative plans to close the Department of Education and outlaw abortion, and likening it to the terms of service of a new Donald Trump administration.
“You can stop it from ever happening by electing Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States,” Thompson said.
Stevie Wonder took the stage as well, performing “Higher Ground.”
“We must keep on keepin’ on until we truly are a united people of these United States,” he said.
The convention also showed a video of the Jan. 6 attack, which closed by noting that Trump is facing conspiracy and obstruction charges: “If re-elected, he will never be held accountable.”
Some of the delegates chanted “Lock him up.”
“He betrayed us,” said Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, a retired Capitol police officer. “On Jan. 6, I nearly died protecting our Capitol. And I would do it again to protect our democracy.”
The convention also heard a heart-tugging plea from Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is being held hostage in Gaza. The delegates chanted “Bring them home.”
Cynthia Littleton contributed to this story.
