Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has officially accepted the Democratic party nomination for vice president. He drew on his small-town Nebraska upbringing, touched on his family’s struggle with infertility, gave crowds a pep talk and vowed to “turn the page on Donald Trump” – all without using a teleprompter.
Watch Walz’s full speech below:
That concludes our live coverage of day three of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. I’m Nick Ralston, joined by Farrah Tomazin and Eliza Sum.
A quick recap of today’s highlights:
Our coverage will return tomorrow for the fourth and final day of the DNC. The vice president will deliver her presidential nomination acceptance speech early Friday afternoon (AEST) and close out the convention.
Have a good afternoon, and see you then.
The Democratic National Convention will kick off its fourth and final night in Chicago on Thursday (Friday AEST).
After a week of Democrats’ most prominent figures rallying the party faithful, Vice President Kamala Harris will accept her party’s nomination during a speech in which she is widely expected to offer her vision and policy agenda to the American people.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention will conclude on Friday afternoon AEST.Credit: Bloomberg
The theme of the final night is “For our future”, according to convention organisers.
Pop star Pink is due to headline the final night of the convention, while prominent civil rights leader the Reverend Al Sharpton has also announced he will speak.
AP
The Harris campaign had another dig at the Republicans while releasing viewership figures for the first two days of the Democratic National Convention.
The Democrats say the opening night of the convention, which included President Joe Biden’s valedictory speech and a surprise appearance by Kamala Harris, reached more than 57 million people.
Kamala Harris and Joe Biden with their families on stage at the end of day one of the DNC.Credit: Bloomberg
The second night garnered an audience well exceeding 81 million people, who tuned in to an energetic roll call of the delegations, followed by rousing speeches by Barack and Michelle Obama.
Television viewership yesterday averaged 20.6 million viewers across 12 networks, which the Democrats say is well above the second night of the 2024 Republican National Convention, which averaged 14.8 million viewers on its second night last month.
“And now for two nights in a row, the DNC has beaten the RNC’s ratings on TV,” a press release boasted.
In accepting the Democratic nomination for vice president, Walz plays up his football coaching background.
He describes the 900-page conservative presidential transition blueprint known as Project 2025 as a playbook for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
“They spent a lot of time pretending they know nothing about this, but look, I coach high school football long enough to know – and trust me on this – when somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re going to use it,” he says.
While acknowledging he hasn’t given many big speeches, Walz says he has given plenty of pep talks and launches into one on stage.
The floor goes wild for Tim Walz as he accepts his vice presidential nomination.Credit: AP
“It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal. We’ve got the ball, the right team, Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris is experienced, and Kamala Harris is ready. Our job ... for everyone watching is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling, one inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time.
“Look, we got 76 days. That’s nothing. There’ll be time to sleep when you’re dead, we’re gonna leave it on the field.”
Walz also talks about his family’s fertility struggle, paying tribute to his wife, Gwen, and their children, Hope and Gus, saying he is running because he wants to make life better for “the people that you love”.
Gwen Walz cheering during the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday (US time).Credit: AP
He briefly touches on gun control, saying he knows guns, and is a veteran and a hunter. “I was a better shot than most Republicans in Congress – and I got the trophies to prove it.”
He adds: “I’m also a dad. I believe in the Second Amendment, but I also believe our first responsibility is to keep our kids safe.”
As Walz wraps his speech to wild applause, his walk-off song Rockin’ in the Free World plays.
The classic rock fan selected the song, according to a campaign aide, and rocker Neil Young signed off on its use.
Young famously sued Trump for using the song at his campaign rallies without permission.
After John Legend’s Prince tribute, Tim Walz comes on to the sounds of another Midwesterner – this time, it’s John Mellencamp’s Small Town.
Walz, who is a big fan of music and a collector of vinyl, previously posted videos of himself and his daughter listening to Mellencamp and Bob Seger.
He’s introduced by his wife, Gwen Walz, and members of the high school side he coached to a state championship.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz speaking to delegates.Credit: AP
Walz starts his address by touching on his upbringing in a town of 400, where he says he learned that you have to take care of each other.
“That family down the road, they may not think like you do ... they may not love like you do, but they’re your neighbours, and you look out for them, and they look out for you,” he says.
He touches on his time in the National Guard, then speaks about how he fell in love with teaching and coaching that successful football side.
“It was those players and my students who inspired me to run for Congress,” he says.
“They saw in me what I had hoped to instil, a commitment to the common good, an understanding that we’re all in this together, and the belief that a single person can make a real difference for their neighbours.
“So there I was, a 40-something high school teacher here with little kids, zero political experience and no money running in a deep red district. But you know what? Never underestimate a public school teacher.”
We are only moments away from Tim Walz – although like the previous two days, we are running late.
John Legend has just performed Let’s Go Crazy as a tribute to the late Prince, who like Walz, was a son of Minnesota, with the United Centre covered in purple light.
Legend was joined by Prince’s longtime collaborator, Sheila E, who started at her signature standing percussion set before they both grabbed a mic and rocked with a band at the centre of the stage, tearing through the purple tune for an audience of blue delegates.
He told The Associated Press before the convention: “I’m trying to do what I can to help protect our democracy and have someone with a really positive vision for the future elected. And I think Kamala is the right person.”
He added: “I’m so excited that she’s infused so much energy into the campaign and that young people and so many people that I think felt concerned that they had to pick between two choices they weren’t excited about.”
Sheila E and John Legend performing a tribute to Prince.Credit: AP
Earlier, Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined the chorus of Democrats taking a swipe at Trump (“Donald Trump rants about law and order as if he wasn’t a convicted criminal running against a prosecutor, as if we were going to forget the crime was higher on his watch”) and his running mate J.D. Vance.
“J.D Vance is one of those guys who thinks if you don’t live the life that he has in mind for you, then you don’t count,” Buttigieg said.
“Someone who said that if you don’t have kids, you have ‘no physical commitment to the future of this country’.”
“You know, senator, when I deployed to Afghanistan, I didn’t have kids. Then many of the men and women who went outside the wire with me didn’t have kids either, but let me tell you, our commitment to the future of this country was pretty damn physical.”
with AP
Earlier, poet Amanda Gorman went on stage to recite her original work, The Sacred Scene, penned for the occasion.
“A people that cannot stand together cannot stand at all,” she declared from the Democratic convention stage.
Poet Amanda Gorman, who shot to fame when she spoke at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.Credit: Bloomberg
“While we all love freedom, it is love that frees us all,” Gorman’s poem said.
“Empathy emancipates, making us greater than hate or vanity, that is the American promise powerful and pure.”
The 26-year-old earned rare national fame for a modern poet when she read her poem, The Hill We Climb, at the inauguration of President Joe Biden 3½ years ago.
AP
Winfrey says Americans will soon be teaching their daughters and sons about how a child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, “two idealistic, energetic immigrants” grew up to become the 47th president of the United States. And this is “the best of America”, she adds.
“Let me tell you this, this election isn’t about us and them. It’s about you and me, and what we want our futures to look like,” Winfrey says.
She also takes a swipe at comments made by Donald Trump in his pitch to Christian voters, where he implored them to vote for him in 2024 and said they wouldn’t need to vote again.
“You’re looking at a registered independent who’s proud to vote again and again and again, because I’m an American, and that’s what Americans do. Voting is the best of America.”
She urges voters to choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual, and told the room: “We won’t go back.”
“We’re not going back. So let us choose truth, let us choose honour and let us choose joy, because that’s the best of America,” she says.
“But more than anything else, let us choose freedom. Why? Because that’s the best of America. We’re all Americans, and together, let’s all choose Kamala Harris.”
Watch Winfrey’s full speech below:
It’s supposed to be Tim Walz’s night but he might just be overshadowed a tad by the arrival of Oprah Winfrey, who broadcast her talk show from Chicago for 25 years.
The iconic entertainer isn’t on the official list of speakers for the night, and her appearance is meant to be a surprise – but she was spotted in the basement of the United Centre ahead of her speech.
“After watching the Obamas last night, that was some epic fire, wasn’t it? Some epic fire – we’re now so fired up, we can’t wait to leave here and do something,” she says.
“And what we’re going to do is elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States.”
Iconic entertainer Oprah Winfrey making a surprise appearance at the convention.Credit: Bloomberg
Winfrey says she’s honoured to talk to the day three theme, as it’s what matters “most to me, to you and all of us Americans: freedom”.
“There are people who want you to see our country as a nation of us against them; people who want to scare you, who want to rule you; people who have you believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe, that there’s a right way to worship and a wrong way to love people – who seek first to divide, and then to conquer,” she says.
“But here’s the thing, when we stand together, it is impossible to conquer us.”
Winfrey supported President Joe Biden and Harris in 2020, and her endorsement of Barack Obama in 2008 was a headline moment in the campaign. In 2016, she also endorsed Hillary Clinton but stayed clear of the election trail.