Harris and VP pick Walz hold first campaign rally as Democratic ticket

Vice President Kamala Harris introduced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to America on Tuesday — and then he returned the compliment.

The new Democratic vice presidential nominee praised Harris as a prosecutor, a senator and a vice president who had dedicated her life to service — while arguing that Donald Trump served only himself. 

The symbolism is strong. A plainspoken, White, Midwestern dad — who was an Army National Guard sergeant major, a football coach and a high school teacher — is vouching to his own community for the values and patriotism of a running mate who is being demeaned by Republicans as a racial chameleon and as out of the American cultural and political mainstream.

Ironically, given the events of the last two weeks, Walz is serving a similar role that then-VP nominee Joe Biden played for future President Barack Obama in 2008.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz drew a sharp contrast with former President Donald Trump, offering new and crowd-pleasing lines of attack against his opponent framed around personal freedoms, including reproductive rights.

“Some of us are old enough to remember when it was Republicans who were talking about freedom. It turns out now, what they meant was the government should be free to invade your doctor’s office. In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and their personal choices that they make, even if we wouldn’t make the same choice for ourselves. There’s a golden rule: mind your own damn business,” he said to cheers.

Walz spoke personally about his own family’s journey with fertility treatments, including IVF, to welcome daughter, Hope. 

“When the vice president and I talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make your own health care decisions,” he said.

He took specific aim at Trump, who, he said, “would damn sure take us backward.”

“Don’t believe him when he plays dumb: He knows exactly what Project 2025 will do to restrict my freedom,” he said, referring to the Trump-aligned playbook the former president has disavowed.

And Trump, Walz said, “doesn’t know the first thing about service – he doesn’t have time for it because he’s too busy serving himself,” later adding that he “sews chaos and division.”

Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov.Tim Walz to be her running mate.

CNN Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten looks at the data to understand if Walz will help her this November.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appears with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, August 6.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz slammed former President Donald Trump’s record on Covid-19, economy and crime in his speech at Tuesday’s rally in Philadelphia, insisting that Republican nominee doesn’t “doesn’t know the first thing about service” because he’s serving himself.

Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, reacts during a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, August 6.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz walked a Philadelphia crowd through his biography, introducing himself Tuesday as the Democratic pick for vice president.

In his first remarks as part of the Democratic ticket, Walz told the audience about his time as a teacher and a coach and his experience as a veteran.

“I was born in West Point, Nebraska. I lived Butte, a small town of 400 where community was a way of life. Growing up, I spent the summers working on the family farm,” Walz said.

He used his biography to try to draw contrasts between the Democratic ticket and former President Donald Trump.

Walz said he joined the Army National Guard when he was 17 years old.

“The National Guard gave me purpose; it gave me the strength of a shared commitment to something greater than ourselves,” adding that the “GI bill gave me a shot at a college education.”

Walz said after graduating, he taught high school social studies and coached football for nearly 20 years, before running for Congress in 2006.

“It was my students. They encouraged me to run for office. They saw in me what I was hoping to instill in them — a commitment of common good. A belief that one person can make a difference,” Walz said.

Vice President Kamala Harris compared Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s background with that of GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance in remarks at her campaign’s Philadelphia rally Tuesday.

“I’m telling you, Tim Walz will be ready on Day 1,” Harris said.

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris reacts during a campaign rally with her newly chosen vice presidential running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, August 6.

Kamala Harris’ stump speech began to sketch out the policy appeal she will make to voters in November.

And there are no big surprises. It’s standard Democratic orthodoxy.

She praised her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for being an early defender of LGBT rights. She’s pledged that she and her new running mate will save the Affordable Care Act. And the vice president promised they’d also pass a bill restoring nationwide abortion rights.

A Harris administration would protect and expand voting rights, she said. Mentioning that Walz is a hunter and a gun owner, the Democratic nominee called for “reasonable gun safety laws.”

On the economy, perhaps the stickiest issue she will face, Harris promised to fight for the middle class and to bring down prices. That part of her speech – and her capacity to demonstrate empathy for the struggles that many Americans are still facing despite the strong post-Covid economy – is going to need fleshing out if she is going to effectively counter Trump’s populist economic appeal in the Midwest.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on stage during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, August 6.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz thanked Vice President Kamala Harris for “the trust you put in me” as well as for “bringing back the joy.”

He went on to commend Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

“He can bring the fire,” Walz said of Shapiro. “This is a visionary leader.”

Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly announced running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have now raised more than $20 million since the announcement that Walz was joining the ticket Tuesday morning, according to the campaign.

Additionally, Harris’ campaign began selling a camouflage baseball hat on its website – a nod to Walz, who regularly dons a camouflage cap, joining the ticket today.

The hat bears the words “Harris Walz” written in the campaign’s newly-minted font in bright orange over a camouflage print. The Harris campaign is charging $40 for the hat. The website’s description suggests high demand for the hat.

“You asked, we answered. The most iconic political hat in America,” the description reads. 

More context: Walz, an avid hunter, often wears a camouflage hat at campaign events and during his personal life. In a video posted by the Harris campaign on Tuesday, Walz was wearing a camouflage hat when he received the call from Harris asking him to join the ticket. 

This post has been updated with additional information on the Harris-Walz campaign.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the official Democratic nominee for president, emphasized unity and celebrated the diversity of the country during remarks in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

She talked about her background growing up in California, contrasting that with the upbringing of her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was raised in Nebraska.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential candidate, speaks in Philadelphia on Tuesday, August 6.

Vice President Kamala Harris argued that Americans are witnessing a “full-on attack against hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights” during remarks in Philadelphia Tuesday, pointing to her promises to enshrine reproductive rights if she is elected.

Harris was appearing for the first time with her new vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Harris touted Walz’s record on abortion during his time as governor, saying this campaign is a “fight for freedom.” She slammed Trump and said it is because of the former president’s actions that states have abortion bans.

Walz has been an advocate for abortion access, in January 2023 signing into law the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act, which established the right for people in the state to obtain an abortion after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade the previous year.

In April 2023, he signed a law protecting people who travel to Minnesota for abortions, and clinicians providing abortion care, from criminal penalties from other states.

Harris promised to sign a bill to “restore reproductive freedom,” vowing to sign it into law.

US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, August 6.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are officially the Democratic nominees for president and vice president, the party announced Tuesday.

The Democratic National Committee announced Monday that Harris won the presidential nomination. She is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket. Harris won 99% of the vote, according to the DNC.

Under party rules, Harris could name her running mate without a separate vote.

This post has been updated with additional details on the party’s announcement.

Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz looks on.

Vice President Kamala Harris outlined why she picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

She continued, saying that she “found such a leader,” referencing Walz, who was standing behind her.

Harris went on to speak about Walz’s life, saying that he is “more than a governor.”

She pointed toward his experience coaching high school football, saying that it will influence his ability to serve the country as vice president.

“He saw the potential in kids who sometimes didn’t even see it in themselves,” she said, adding that Walz led his team from a winless record to the school’s first state championship.

Harris said Walz was “the kind of teacher and mentor that every child in America dreams of having,” saying that he inspired people to “dream big” and that he made “people feel like they belong.”

“That’s the kind of vice president he will be,” Harris said.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, August 6.

Kamala Harris, the official Democratic nominee for president, said that her campaign is not just about beating former President Donald Trump in November, but it’s also about the future.

“I know Donald Trump’s type,” Harris said, to huge cheers and chants from the crowd.

She added she is fighting for affordable housing, health care and child care.

“We fight for a future where we bring down prices that are still too high and lower the cost of living for American families so that they have the chance not just to get by but to get ahead,” he said.

Her newly named vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, stood behind her and clapped. It is the first time Harris and Walz have appeared together.

She said she set out to “find a partner who can help build this brighter future” and turned to introduce Walz to the audience, arguing that he is that partner her campaign has been seeking.

Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appear on stage together during a campaign event on Tuesday, August 6, in Philadelphia.

Vice President Kamala Harris told a raucous crowd in Philadelphia on Tuesday that Democrats, while energized, have work to do to win in November.

Harris went on to describe her presidential campaign as “not just a fight against Donald Trump,” but “a fight for the future.”

Vice President Kamala Harris said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was one of the finalists to be her running mate, will help Democrats win the key state in November.

Harris called Shapiro a “dear, dear friend and an extraordinary leader.” Shapiro took the stage just before Harris and her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The vice president said with Shapiro’s help, “we will win Pennsylvania” — a key state in the path to the presidency.

These are some of the excerpts from Vice President Kamala Harris’ expected speech during her first rally with her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.  

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive at their campaign rally on Tuesday, August 6, in Philadelphia.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are holding their first joint appearance at a rally in Philadelphia — kicking off their sprint across the electoral map.

The candidates came out together on the stage to a roaring applause from the crowd.

A former educator, Walz is currently in his second term as Minnesota governor and chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He is expected to lean on his biography to introduce himself to voters, many for the first time, according to excerpts of his remarks.

He previously served 12 years in Congress, representing a conservative-leaning rural district that, both before and after his tenure, has been mostly dominated by Republicans.

Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro speaks

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a finalist on Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate short list, voiced support Tuesday to an enthusiastic crowd for Harris and her newly announced vice presidential pick, Tim Walz.

“I’m going to be working my tail off to make sure we make Kamala Harris and Tim Walz the next leaders of the United States of America,” Shapiro said in Philadelphia, where the candidates were holding their first joint rally.

He also praised Walz, calling him “a great man” and an “outstanding governor,” and urged the crowd to give the Minnesota governor “a whole lot of love.”

“I’ll tell you what else — Tim Walz is a dear friend, and I want you to know Lori and I feel blessed to have Tim and Gwen in our lives,” Shapiro said. “They are outstanding public servants, and I can’t wait for you, Philly, the rest of this commonwealth and our entire country to get the chance to know the Walzes.”

Watch here:

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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro arrives at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, August 6.

Had things turned out differently Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro would be taking his first steps on a national political stage.

Instead, he’s the warm-up act.

The rising Democratic star was beaten to Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential nomination by Tim Walz — but judging by the testimony of many people in the crowd here and the rapturous welcome he got when walking out to speak — Pennsylvanians are glad he’s staying home. 

Shapiro is demonstrating the rapid-fire rhetoric that means he’s going to be seen as a future presidential prospect for Democrats whatever happens in November. 

And as he turned his attention to Trump’s running mate JD Vance, Harris supporters, chanted, “He’s a weirdo! He’s a weirdo!”

Vice President Kamala Harris’ newly chosen running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, practiced using a teleprompter ahead of taking the stage in Philadelphia for the first joint Harris-Walz rally, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

As CNN has reported, Walz raised the issue during his interview with Harris’ vetting team in recent days. He doesn’t use a teleprompter, the governor told the team, and doesn’t even have one — so if he were to become Harris’ pick, he would need to learn.

The crowd is on its feet and coursing with enthusiasm inside the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, where Vice President Kamala Harris is minutes away from making the debut appearance with her running mate.

But first, the audience is hearing from the Democrat she didn’t pick — Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

Thunderous applause from the hometown crowd erupted as Shapiro took the stage, walking past blue signs declaring: “Harris/Walz.”

“I love you Philly,” Shapiro said. “And you know what else I love? I love being your governor.”

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, have raised more than $10 million since the Minnesota governor was announced as Harris’ VP pick Tuesday morning, according to the campaign.

Harris campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt touted it as “one of the campaign’s best fundraising days this cycle.”

The campaign also said it expects Tuesday’s joint rally in Philadelphia to be the largest event to date for the Democratic presidential nominee. Harris and Walz are expected to be introduced at 5:30 p.m. ET, and the duo will hold their “first virtual grassroots fundraiser” following the rally.

When Vice President Kamala Harris called Gov. Tim Walz this morning to inform him that he was her selection for her pick for vice president, he initially didn’t answer. 

That’s because the phone blocked the caller ID from her government-issued phone, which is standard, a person familiar with the call tells CNN. 

Harris had to phone Walz a second time – when he answered to accept the call and the offer. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz laughs as during a visit to the Cummins Power Generation Facility in Fridley, Minnesota, on Monday, April 3, 2023.

When then-Rep. Tim Walz became the ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Rep. Ann Kuster, a Democrat from New Hampshire, remembers he gave her a gift.

Instead of the kind of ceremonial present many members had become accustomed to from their ranking member or chairman — fancy pens, maybe a little clock or collectible — Walz offered something that Kuster said she now sees as the perfect distillation of the practical politician he embodies: a sturdy wool blanket made in his home state of Minnesota. 

“He gave us each this very, very heavy blanket made from his district,” Kuster said. 

The blanket ended up serving a critical role in Kuster’s recovery after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot just a few years later. Its weight, she said, made it the only thing she could get sleep under while she was recovering from the trauma of that day. 

“Just salt of the earth,” Kuster said of Walz and the gift he gave. 

In Congress, members remember a colleague who hailed from a tough district but was still willing to take some difficult votes, such as advancing the Affordable Care Act, a decision that led to the defeat of many other Democrats from swing districts. 

“He had to be relatable to people in his district, but there were core Democratic values that were expressed in acts of courage,” Takano said of the ACA vote. 

Walz served on both the Agriculture and Veterans’ Affairs committees with Kuster, who remembers him as someone who could easily defuse tense situations with humor.

Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, who has known Walz for two decades, told CNN that “Tim is a no-nonsense guy. He takes his work super seriously but he doesn’t take himself too seriously, so he is great to work with.”

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz, wife of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, spoke on the phone Tuesday.

“Holy smokes!” Walz exclaims after Emhoff introduces himself.

Watch video of the moment below:

First Lady Jill Biden attends the Women's Sports & Health Innovation Event at Le Meurice on July 27, in Paris, France.

First lady Jill Biden offered her “congratulations” to Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, after Vice President Kamala Harris choose him as her running mate, elevating the former teacher, congressman and Army National Guard veteran to join the Democratic ticket. 

“National Guard family. Public School Educators. Governor and First Lady of MN. Our next VP and Second Lady - Congratulations Tim and Gwen 💕,” the first lady wrote on social media.

Jill Biden herself served as second lady when the president was then-Vice President Joe Biden. The first lady has made some public appearances, including at the Paris Olympics, but has largely stayed out of the spotlight since President Biden bowed out of the 2024 race.

The mayor of Philadelphia Cherelle Parker speaks during a rally for US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, August 6.

A big, loud crowd is getting warmed up for Vice President Kamala Harris’ first joint appearance with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the Liacouras Center, the home of Temple basketball in Philadelphia.

Harris supporters are wearing flashing blue, red and white bracelets and almost all seats in a venue that seats 10,000 for college games are filled and there’s a healthy gathering on the floor. Large banners hanging from the ceiling feature the new campaign logo – which has “Harris” written in white block capitals above “Walz” in a slightly smaller font against a blue background.

Home state Sen. John Fetterman just took the stage.

“I work with JD Vance and I am to confirm that he is a seriously weird dude,” Fetterman said of the GOP vice presidential nominee, borrowing the adjective that Walz coined for the Republican ticket that helped rocket the Minnesota governor to prominence and to the vice presidential nomination.

Former President Donald Trump, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris

The latest CNN Poll of Polls average of national polling shows a close general election race with no clear leader between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Trump holds 49% support in the average of five recent polls testing the matchup, while Harris holds 48%.

The Poll of Polls includes an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll released Tuesday that also finds no clear leader in a matchup between the candidates, with Harris taking 51% and Trump taking 48% among registered voters nationally.

The NPR/PBS/Marist poll finds that Americans trust Harris over Trump to handle the issue of abortion (56% say Harris would do a better job, while 41% say Trump would) and the preservation of democracy (53% say Harris, 46% Trump). Americans prefer Trump on immigration (52% say he would better handle the issue, compared with 46% for Harris), with a closer split on who would better handle the economy (51% say Trump, 48% Harris).

Gov. Tim Walz will lean on his personal biography and will try to draw contrasts between the Democratic ticket and former President Donald Trump in his first stump speech as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

Walz will detail his rural upbringing in Nebraska, his Minnesota values, and his experience as a teacher, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks, introducing himself to voters – many of whom are learning about him for the first time.

Walz will add, “Minnesota’s strength comes from our values — our commitment to working together, to seeing past our differences, to lending a helping hand.

“These same values I learned on the family farm and tried to instill in my students, I took to Congress and the state capital, and now, Vice President Harris and I are running to take them to the White House,” he is expected to say.

Walz will also serve as a hype man for the vice president, saying he “couldn’t be prouder to be on this ticket” and help make Harris president. Harris, he will say, has “fought on the side of the American people,” pointing to her career as a prosecutor while also saying that she “brings joy to everything she does.”

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during Day 2 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16.

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said Tuesday that Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate was “a massive gift to Republicans.”

“The reality is his progressive policies are going to cause Democrats to lose a lot of centrist voters,” Ramaswamy said in an interview with CNN’s Brianna Keilar.

The biotech entrepreneur, who ended his bid for the GOP presidential nomination after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses, argued that “Donald Trump is actually the moderate when it comes to policy on this race.”

Ramaswamy, a surrogate for the Trump campaign, later added: “This provides an opening that resets the race after, admittedly, a rough couple of weeks for Republicans.”

Former President Donald Trump responded directly to Vice President Kamala Harris’ new running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, calling the pair “the most Radical Left duo in American history.”

Republicans have spent the day working to define Walz as a progressive liberal, pointing to his record as governor. 

“This is the most Radical Left duo in American history, “ Trump wrote on TruthSocial. “There has never been anything like it, and there never will be again.”

Earlier Tuesday, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said Harris’ decision to pick Walz “highlights how radical Kamala Harris is.”

Former President Barack Obama speaks during the Sandy Hook Promise Benefit in New York City, on December 6, 2022.

Former President Barack Obama served as “a sounding board” for Vice President Kamala Harris as she made her decision to select Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, a senior aide told CNN.

Obama, whose relationship with Harris goes back nearly two decades, has communicated with her frequently since her whirlwind presidential campaign began two weeks ago. While Obama did not tip his hand on the scale, an aide said, he listened as she and her vetting team made arguments about her path toward winning the White House.

In a statement Tuesday, Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama praised the selection of Walz and drew an implicit contrast with the Republican ticket.

They added: “By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner — and made it clear exactly what she stands for.”

Vice President Kamala Harris posted a video on social media of the moment where she called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to ask him to be her running mate.

Harris told the governor that she has enjoyed their work together so far and has the “utmost respect” for him and his dedication to the country.

“We’re going to do this, we’re going to win and we’re going to unify our country and remind everyone that we are fighting for the future for everyone,” Harris said.

“Let’s win this thing,” Walz later added.

Tim Walz poses for a photo in 1981 during basic training for the Army National Guard.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate Tuesday, retired from the Army National Guard as a master sergeant after 24 years in uniform, according to the Minnesota National Guard. Master sergeant is one of the more senior ranks for enlisted soldiers.

Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard, told CNN on Tuesday that while Walz “obtained the rank of command sergeant major and served in that role,” he officially retired as a master sergeant in 2005. That’s one rank below command sergeant major because “he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.” 

Walz is identified on his official biography page as “Command Sergeant Major Walz.” 

In the Army, the command sergeant major is the senior enlisted leader in a battalion or higher unit echelons, enforcing training, performance and appearance standards. It’s not uncommon for an enlisted leader at that rank to be “conditionally promoted,” meaning they are promoted under the assumption they will complete the required professional military education to officially obtain that rank. If that professional military education is not completed, the service member reverts to their previously held rank — in Walz’s case, reverting to master sergeant after not completing the additional coursework at the Army Sergeants Major Academy. 

It’s unclear why Walz did not complete the coursework. CNN has reached out to Walz’s office. 

During his time with the Minnesota National Guard, Walz served in the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery, working as a cannon crew member and field artillery senior sergeant, according to Augé.

Walz was deployed to Vicenza, Italy, in 2003 as part of a security mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to Augé.

“The battalion supported security missions at various locations in Europe and Turkey. Governor Walz was stationed at Vicenza, Italy, during his deployment. He returned to Minnesota in April, 2004,” Augé said.

This post has been updated with information about Walz’s deployment.

A protester reacts standing in front of a burning building set on fire during a demonstration in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 29, 2020.

Early GOP attacks on Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz have criticized his handling of civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, claimed Tuesday that the Minnesota governor “allowed rioters to burn down Minneapolis in the summer of 2020.” And Trump has previously claimed that he took action to deploy the Minnesota National Guard over the objections of the state’s Democratic leaders. 

CNN’s Daniel Dale fact-checked that assertion in July 2020, writing:

A CNN interactive from that summer provides a closer look at the timeline of events in the city: Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, and protests began the next day as demonstrators clashed with police. Some of those turned violent, with riots in Minneapolis leaving businesses destroyed. There was looting, violence and arson, along with peaceful protest, in Minneapolis on May 27. On May 28, Walz signed an executive order activating part of the Minnesota National Guard. Also that day, protesters lit the outside of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct on fire.  

Walz, who served 24 years in the Army National Guard, activated the entire Minnesota National Guard on May 30.

“He activated the Minnesota National Guard at the request of the Mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, before he talked to the White House,” Walz’s press secretary, Teddy Tschann, said in a statement to CNN at the time. As CNN’s fact check notes, Tschann said there were no buildings set on fire on the night of May 30, unlike the previous three nights.

The Harris-Walz campaign released a video Tuesday highlighting newly announced vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s biography. The video, which runs just under 90 seconds, is narrated by the Minnesota governor, who talks about his service in the Army National Guard and time as an educator. 

“I coached football and taught social studies for 20 years. And I tried to teach my students what small-town Nebraska taught me: respect, compromise and service to country,” Walz adds.  

It’s something the campaign has leaned into heavily — earlier Tuesday, it posted a video on TikTok drawing a contrast with Walz’s GOP counterpart, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and playing up the governor’s rural roots.

The TikTok post features video of Walz in office, with farm animals, on a football field, and in a helicopter, underscoring how the campaign plans to utilize his biography.

Former President Bill Clinton speaks during an interview at the 27th annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles on May 8.

Former President Bill Clinton calls Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz a “terrific choice” and said that he will “be a great vice president” in a statement issued Tuesday. 

Harris chose Walz to be her running mate and the duo will appear together in their first joint rally in Philadelphia later today before visiting other battleground states this week.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries conducts his weekly news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on July 25.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Tuesday after Vice President Kamala Harris chose him as her running mate. 

As friends and allies of Vice President Kamala Harris privately discussed her running mate finalists, one of the qualities of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mentioned most often: His background as a geography teacher and football coach. 

Specifically, multiple conversations have compared Walz to Eric Taylor, the fictional West Texas football coach from the popular television series “Friday Night Lights.” Coach Taylor, played by actor Kyle Chandler, is portrayed as a wholesome family man in middle America who married his high school sweetheart and serves as a role model for the young men he coaches. Some of the motivational messages Taylor delivers to his team have become pop culture lore. 

Rohini Kosoglu, a longtime policy adviser to Harris, tweeted one of them: “Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can’t Lose.”  

David Plouffe, senior adviser to the Harris-Walz campaign, said on CNN that both Harris and Walz are “optimists” who plan to infuse the party’s messaging and policies with positivity. Walz, he said, could help build on President Joe Biden’s support among older voters, and those in suburban, exurban and rural areas. 

With the election home stretch overlapping with football season, allies expect those teacher-coach attributes to be on full display, particularly across the South. 

“Who doesn’t want someone radiating positivity from the sidelines?” one quipped in a text message.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff attends the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 18.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will headline a fundraiser for the Harris campaign in Paris on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter said. 

Emhoff will visit Paris from Wednesday until next Monday as he’s set to lead the presidential delegation to the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

While in Paris, he will also meet with government officials and senior leaders at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He will also speak at a roundtable to discuss efforts to promote education about the Holocaust and to combat antisemitism, as well as speak at an annual event commemorating the victims of the 1982 attack at a Jewish restaurant in Rue des Rosiers, which killed six people and injured 22 others. 

First Lady Jill Biden was initially scheduled to headline a Paris fundraiser for President Joe Biden’s campaign when she traveled to France’s opening ceremony of the Olympics, but that plan was scrapped after her husband bowed out of the 2024 race.

Emhoff has spent much of the past two weeks raising money for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and is set to join her in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, today as she kicks off a battleground state tour with her new running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hadn’t been in the top tier of potential running mates for Kamala Harris until the past few weeks. But his selection to join the vice president on the Democratic ticket underscores both the power of social media and of being relatively affable and nondivisive.

The fact that Harris selected a candidate who does well online shouldn’t be surprising — this is the campaign that has embraced “coconut tree” and “brat.”

But is the Walz pick indicative of a campaign that is too online?

That’s a fair question given that Harris skipped over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in favor of Walz. Shapiro, who was long seen as a front-runner for the vice presidential pick, divided a lot of the online left over his perceived views on the Israelis and Palestinians.

Notably, Walz shares many of those same views but received far less backlash than Shapiro, who is Jewish.

One of the first rules when it comes to a vice presidential pick is to “Do no harm.” Harris likely did no harm with this pick. The big question now is whether she left points on the board by choosing Walz over Shapiro.

Minnesota is likely not going to be competitive this fall. No Republican nominee for president has carried the state since 1972, and polling in the North Star State since Harris entered the race has shown that the streak is likely to continue.

Pennsylvania, on the other hand, is almost certainly a must-win state for Harris. In fact, it is probably the most important swing state this cycle, and the polling there has been very tight.

Shapiro holds a 61% favorable rating in Pennsylvania and outperformed Biden’s 2020 baseline by 14 points in 2022.

What we can say, though, is that Walz is not likely to help Harris with many swing voters. He did less than a point better than Biden in Minnesota when he won reelection in 2022. In fact, Shapiro seems to have done better with White voters without a college degree in Pennsylvania than Walz did with the same demographic in his state two years ago.

Read more about whether Harris left points on the board by choosing Walz.

Minnesota, which has been led by Gov. Tim Walz since 2019, has had a healthy labor market since it recovered from a Covid-19 pandemic-induced shock in early 2020.

The state’s unemployment rate was 2.9% in June, which tied for 11th lowest with four other states, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It has been at 3% or less since November 2021.

That’s lower than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.1% in June and has mainly hovered in the mid- to high-3% range since early 2022.

Likewise, a larger share of Minnesotans are in the labor force, compared to their peers nationwide. The state’s participation rate, which counts both those working and looking for jobs, was 67.8% in June, the fifth highest in the US. The national rate was 62.6%. 

Under Walz, the state has also enjoyed a healthy budget surplus, which has allowed the governor to enact many of his progressive policy proposals. The 2024-25 biennium budget is projected to end with a surplus of $3.7 billion, according to the Minnesota Management and Budget agency’s latest projection in February. That’s an increase of $1.3 billion from the agency’s projection from November.

Tax revenue, especially from corporations, was also higher than previously projected, according to the agency. However, Minnesota is still expected to spend more than it collects in revenue in the current budget term and the next one.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance speaks with reporters at a news conference on August 6, in Philadelphia.

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance on Tuesday reacted publicly for the first time to Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, arguing the decision “highlights how radical Kamala Harris is.” 

Speaking to reporters aboard his plane in Philadelphia, Vance argued Harris “listened to the Hamas wing of her own party in selecting a nominee.” The Trump campaign has tried to argue that by not selecting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Harris caved to more progressive members of the Democratic Party who ardently oppose Israel’s handling of its war in Gaza. Shapiro is Jewish and has been critical of some demonstrators who have protested Israel’s war against Hamas. 

Vance said he left Walz a voicemail this morning after learning he was Harris’ pick.  

“I didn’t get him, but I just said, ‘Look, congratulations, look forward to a robust conversation, and enjoy the ride.’ And maybe he’ll call me back, maybe he won’t,” Vance said. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz listens as Maryland speaks to reporters after meeting with President Joe Biden, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at the White House in Washington.

Republicans moved quickly Tuesday to try to define Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, whom Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen as her running mate.

The former president’s campaign, which has spent the last several days compiling opposition research on Walz, plans to attack him as someone who is more liberal than both Harris and President Biden, with a key focus on his record as governor for the last four years, senior Trump campaign advisers and people close to the former president told CNN.

Trump’s advisers said that while they will pull on details from his 12 years in Congress, their goal is to paint Walz — a former teacher and Army National Guard veteran — as someone who has been in lockstep with progressives over the last four years and a key champion of the Biden administration’s policies.

Key focal points in their expected attacks include…

Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 23.

Progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar congratulated Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on his selection as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, promoted Walz’s policies in a post on X, saying: “Our North Star state Governor has signed universal school meals, paid family and sick leave, marijuana legalization, and protections for reproductive rights into law.”

“Bringing Minnesota nice to the ticket,” she added.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance speaks with reporters at a news conference on August 6, in Philadelphia.

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance told CNN’s Kristen Holmes on Tuesday that he wants to debate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz but only after Walz officially becomes the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Vance added, “Would it shock me if the Democrats pulled another switcheroo, no it wouldn’t. So look, we’re going to wait until they actually nominate Kamala Harris and Tim Walz before we do any debates. And then of course we want to have a robust debate.” 

Harris announced Walz as her running mate Tuesday morning.

Rep. Dean Phillips speaks at South Carolina's "First in the Nation" dinner in Columbia, South Carolina, on January 27.

Rep. Dean Phillips argued that Democrats “have to start refocusing on the bread basket of America” to win the 2024 election — and Gov. Tim Walz is the person to carry the message.

The Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota, who previously ran for president in the primaries against President Joe Biden, said this includes winning over key areas, such as the Great Plains and the Midwest.

Vice President Kamala Harris chose Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday.

Phillips said he is excited about Walz, calling him a “decent, outstanding guy.” As governor, Walz’s policies were “downright normal,” Phillips said, referencing attacks from Republicans that Walz’s record as the leader of the state has been very progressive.

“Of course he’ll be positioned as an uber progressive, but the fact is, if you look at his record in Congress, if you look at his common-sense approach to things, I think people are going to be awfully, awfully pleased at his decency and competency,” Phillips said.

Pennsylvania looms large in the 2024 election, despite Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to pass over Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate.

Harris will unveil her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, at a rally in Philadelphia later today, which is the top media market for presidential ad spending so far in 2024. And Pennsylvania has seen more ad spending than any other battleground state, more than twice as much as the next closest, Michigan.

According to AdImpact data, presidential campaigns and allied outside groups from both parties have combined to spend about $51.7 million on advertising in the Philadelphia market since the start of the year through today, more than any other media market. This includes advertising that was aired in support of President Biden before he withdrew from the race.

Here, Democrats have outspent Republicans by about $29.6 million to $22 million. The second closest media market behind Philadelphia is Atlanta, which has seen about $35.6 million total in presidential ad spending so far. Two other Pennsylvania media markets — Pittsburgh and Harrisburg — are among the top 10.

And Pennsylvania leads all battleground states in ad spending by a wide margin. From the start of the year through today, campaigns and outside groups from both parties have combined to spend nearly $124 million advertising in the commonwealth.

Democrats have outspent Republicans by about $66 million to $57.8 million statewide so far. And Pennsylvania is far ahead of the battleground state that has seen the second most ad spending, Michigan, at about $58.8 million all spending combined.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at a rally on June 22, in New York City.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed enthusiasm around Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, calling it “an excellent decision.”

“Vice President Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Walz as her running mate. Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people. They won’t back down under tight odds, either - from healthcare to school lunch,” the congresswoman wrote on X.

Under his tenure as governor, Walz signed into law a bill providing free school breakfast and lunch, a policy that Walz has made a cornerstone in his appeal to make Minnesota “the best state for kids to grow up,” as Walz said in a release upon the bill signing.

Ocasio-Cortez also joked in another X post that Democrats are in “disconcerting levels of array” in response to the fact that both she and Sen. Joe Manchin are on the same page on Walz.

Ocasio-Cortez was a key member of President Biden’s 2020 Democratic coalition, which was seeking to unite the progressive and moderate factions of the party. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 26.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Vice President Kamala Harris’ bringing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on to the Democratic ticket exacerbates partisan tensions in his first reaction to the news on social media. 

In a social media post, Kennedy pointed to Walz’s attacks on Donald Trump as an example of sowing division, while pitching himself as a unifier. 

“America’s political divide sharpens with the pick of Tim Walz for Dem VP. He called Trump supporters “fascist” and “weird,” and they in turn are calling him worse than that. The need for an independent President who stands outside the divide and can unify the country is more compelling than ever,” he wrote on X. 

Walz has previously referred to Trump as “fascist” and “weird,” but has explicitly said he does not see Republican voters in those terms.

President Joe Biden speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 1.

President Joe Biden has praised Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris for picking Tim Walz as her running mate, saying their ticket will be a “powerful voice for working people.”

“They will be the strongest defenders of our personal freedoms and our democracy. And they will ensure that America continues to lead the world and play its role as the indispensable nation,” Biden wrote.

“It’s time for all Democrats—and indeed all Americans—committed to freedom, democracy, and American leadership in the world to rally behind the Harris-Walz ticket. Every generation of Americans faces a moment where they are asked to defend American democracy. That moment is now,” Biden wrote in a social media post.

The president added that he has known Walz for nearly two decades as he listed out the toplines of his journey into public politics.

And after Biden lauded Harris’ decision to pick Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, he also posted a fundraising appeal for the new Democratic ticket on social media.

“Chip in now to help get @KamalaHarris and @Tim_Walz to the White House,” Biden wrote with a campaign donation link.

House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

House GOP Chair Elise Stefanik slammed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as a “failed Member of Congress and a failed Governor,” as top congressional Republicans label him as a “radical.”

Republicans focused their attacks on progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders’ support for Walz and the governor’s handling of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

GOP Senator Lindsey Graham also noted the governor’s handling of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, saying, “Not only did Governor Tim Walz sign legislation giving free college and free health care to illegal immigrants, but he sat on the sidelines and watched Minneapolis burn for four days straight. Weird and dumb.”

Republican Senator Joni Ernst called Walz “Bernie Sanders’ choice for VP,” and said the Democratic ticket is “the most radical ticket in American history.”

For his part, Sanders did announce his support for Walz as Harris’ running mate this morning, tweeting, “@Tim_Walz is a great asset to @KamalaHarris’ winning campaign & administration. He is a former public school teacher, football coach, and strong union supporter. As governor, he delivered for working families in MN. As VP, he will deliver for the working families of the US.”

President Joe Biden speaks at an event commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act on July 29, at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.

President Joe Biden spoke by phone Tuesday morning with Kamala Harris ahead of her official announcement that she’d selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. He then spoke with Walz to congratulate him on being selected, according to Emilie Simons, a White House spokesperson. 

Biden is in a unique position: he has served as both president and vice president, which would inform his insights and advice to both Harris and Walz.

When Biden was asked last week whether he had consulted with Harris about the choice, he said yes.

But asked what qualities she should look for in a selection, he demurred: “I’ll let her work that out.”

Gov. Tim Walz remains under his gubernatorial protection via Minnesota state police as he makes his way to Philadelphia for a joint rally with Vice President Kamala Harris.

When he touches down in Philadelphia hours from now, US Secret Service officially takes over his security, a source familiar with the process tells CNN. Walz will be taken through a full onboarding process, as is custom for all new Secret Service protectees. 

Walz will have a full Secret Service detail when he departs the rally this evening, the source said. His wife, Gwen Walz, will also now receive Secret Service protection.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder attends the official White House portrait unveiling ceremony for former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama in the East Room of the White House on September 7, 2022.

As a member of Congress, Tim Walz was one of just 17 Democratic lawmakers who voted to hold then-Obama Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt over refusing to comply with a subpoena over the body’s investigation into the Fast and Furious scandal.

“To do its job, Congress must have access to all the information it needs to make independent, sound judgments on behalf of the American people,” Walz said in a statement at the time, according to the Star Tribune. 

Walz’ vote may not have come as a surprise given the political landscape of his district— he successfully flipped his seat from Republicans when he was elected to Congress in 2006. When he left Congress to assume the governorship, the seat flipped back.

Holder, for his part, led the vetting process that Walz eventually emerged from as the party’s vice presidential nominee. 

A reminder on the fast and furious scandal: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – in cooperation with legal gun dealers – traced weapons of low-level buyers, who they believed were acquiring them illegally for Mexican drug cartels.

Nearly 2,000 firearms from the program went missing, some turning up at killing scenes in Mexico – and at the site of a December 2010 gun battle in Arizona that left US Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry dead.

Sen. Joe Manchin speaks to reporters outside the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill on June 3, in Washington, DC.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a critical swing vote in the closely divided Senate, praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, as the “real deal,” and someone who can “bring balance to the Democratic Party.”

The Trump campaign has released its first reaction video to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ decision to pick Tim Walz as her running mate.

The video, which is being billed as the first “reaction ad” from the campaign, will be part of an upcoming ad buy.

A Trump campaign source did not provide details on where or when it would air. It has already been pushed by the campaign and Republicans on social media.

“Tim Walz will be a rubber stamp for Kamala’s dangerously liberal agenda,” a narrator says.

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance arrives and walks off his plane at the Philadelphia International Airport, on August 6.

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance will speak at midday in Philadelphia during a campaign stop in the city.

Donald Trump’s running mate will deliver remarks just hours after Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz as her running mate, and hours before Harris and Walz will hold their first in-person rally in the city.

On Wednesday, both Vance and the Harris campaign will hold events in the Detroit area and Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

 CNN’s Arit John contributed reporting in this post.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly announced running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will address campaign and 2024 Democratic National Convention staff during an all-hands meeting Tuesday that is expected to be held at 6:15 p.m. ET, a source familiar tells CNN.

The duo will hold their first joint appearance at a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday night that will kick off their sprint across the electoral map.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is en route to an airport in Minnesota and will then head to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he is set to campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris this evening, a source familiar with the matter says.

Then-Rep. Tim Walz speaks alongside Rep. Louise Slaughter during a news conference in 2012.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick, has a long and storied political history, going from a centrist member of Congress to a progressive governor with a Democratic trifecta in his state.

Over more than a decade in Congress, he assembled a fairly centrist voting record. As a first-time campaigner, he opposed a ban on same-sex marriage and supported abortion rights.

Once in Congress, he balanced that out with comparatively more conservative positions on gun rights, which resulted in scoring a National Rifle Association endorsement. Walz has since fallen out of favor with the gun lobby over his support for gun safety actions as governor.

During his first term as governor, Walz had to grapple with divided government and slim majorities in the state Legislature.

But in 2022, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (as the state’s Democratic Party is known) won control of both the state House and Senate, giving Walz’s party a slim “trifecta” of government control.

That allowed Walz to sign into law a raft of expansive social welfare programs such as free lunch for public school students, expansive access to Medicaid, increased protections that allow workers to unionize and expanded medical and family paid family leave.

Minnesota Democrats were also able to codify abortion rights into law, increase transgender rights protections, pass a marijuana legalization bill and install new gun safety laws. Progressives hailed the work as an example of all that Democrats could achieve.

Walz is also a former teacher and Army National Guard veteran.

As the Harris campaign seeks to introduce voters to Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, there’s one notable biographical item that is sure to be key in the coming 90-plus days: Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, went through the in-vitro fertilization process to welcome their daughter, Hope.

The Biden-turned-Harris campaign has made the fight for reproductive rights a centerpiece of its messaging, with Harris personally leading that charge in contrast with Republicans.

Earlier this year, Alabama’s Supreme Court said that frozen embryos are children and those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death – a decision that reproductive rights advocates warned could have a chilling effect on infertility treatments. While the state’s legislature took action aimed at protecting IVF in the wake of the ruling, Democrats have argued that this is only one example of how access to reproductive health care is under threat across the nation. 

Frmer President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama heralded Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of Gov. Tim Walz as a running mate, highlighting his “values and integrity.”

They continued, “Governor Walz doesn’t just have the experience to be vice president, he has the values and the integrity to make us proud.”

CNN had reported that President Barack Obama was among the people Harris consulted with as she made her choice. 

“Tim’s signature is his ability to talk like a human being and treat everyone with decency and respect,” the Obamas said.

Kamala Harris’ campaign laid out an early vision for the Democratic ticket in the official news release unveiling Tim Walz as her vice presidential pick as the campaign enters a new stage.

The campaign touted both Harris’ and Walz’s record on several policy issues including women’s reproductive rights and the economy — and vowed that the pair will continue to draw a stark contrast between former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance.

Harris and Walz “will to crisscross the country to outline the choice between two very different visions for the future: Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, who are running to move the country forward, not backward — or Donald Trump and JD Vance, who are running to enact their extreme and dangerous Project 2025 agenda that will roll back Americans’ rights and freedoms, hurt the middle class, and threaten our democracy.” 

Harris and Walz will make their first joint campaign appearance at a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, later today. This event marks the first day of a five-day barnstorm to introduce the Harris-Walz ticket to voters in key battleground states.

Gov. Tim Walz meets with union organizers in Minneapolis in 2022.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential pick Tim Walz is known for bonding with rural voters who other Democrats can’t reach.

That’s one big reason why the Minnesota governor, who is largely unknown to most Americans, now finds himself on a major party ticket in the most intense sprint to an election in modern history following President Joe Biden’s late decision to abandon his reelection bid.

The selection of Walz reveals the geographic and demographic key to the 2024 election. If Harris is to win, her path will most likely run through Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, which Donald Trump captured in 2016 only to lose them to Biden in 2020. Presently, they are threatening to tilt back to the Republicans again this year.

History suggests that vice presidential nominees rarely deliver a state to their ticket-mates as voters tend to focus on potential presidents. But Walz, a friendly and jocular leader whose urbanity doesn’t conceal an acidic partisan tongue, provides a political complement to Harris.

The vice president will hope to perform strongly among minority voters in cities like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Milwaukee and to run up Democratic numbers among suburban and women voters alienated by Trump. Walz may be able to help most by reaching out to rural Americans wavering over a vote for the ex-president but who are not yet convinced by the new Democratic nominee or may find her too liberal.

Keep reading about how Walz’s pick could shape up.

Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, capping the Midwestern Democrat’s short but swift ascent from a relative unknown to a leading driver of the Democratic attacks on Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda. 

Before Walz was elected governor in 2018, he served 12 years in Congress, representing a conservative-leaning rural district that, both before and after his tenure, has been mostly dominated by Republicans. Walz, 60, is also a former high school teacher and football coach who served in the Army National Guard. 

Harris and Walz will appear together in Philadelphia later on Tuesday for the new Democratic ticket’s first joint rally.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sits at the State Capitol in St. Paul in April 2023.

A baby Tim Walz is held by his father, James. The future Minnesota governor was born on April 6, 1964, in West Point, Nebraska.

Walz, right, and Gary Bloomberg stand at an artillery training facility at Camp Guernsey in Wyoming in 1992.

Walz, a candidate for governor, hugs his children, Hope and Gus, following a campaign rally in Rochester, Minnesota, in 2018. Walz would go on to win that election to succeed outgoing Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton.

Walz reads a book to children in January 2019 at People Helping People, a shelter in Minneapolis for families experiencing homelessness amid extreme cold weather conditions.

Walz hands out pumpkin bars to a gun safety advocate before the first day of the legislative session in St. Paul in January 2023.

Walz poses with people in St. Paul at a canvassing event for the Democratic presidential ticket in July 2024. Walz had been an outspoken defender of Biden. But when the president dropped out, Walz endorsed Kamala Harris the next day and has since emerged as a reliable, energetic and cutting advocate for the Democratic nominee.

See more of Gov. Walz’s life in pictures

“White Dudes for Harris” said its X account was labeled as spam just a week after it had been locked and then reinstated on the Elon Musk-owned platform.

Musk has publicly endorsed Harris’ opponent, Donald Trump. A leader of the political organizing group for Kamala Harris claims there is a double standard on Musk’s platform, despite the billionaire’s long-standing claim to be a “free-speech absolutist.”

Some context: X first locked the “White Dudes for Harris” account during a massive fundraiser with 190,000 participants and more than $4 million raised on July 29, according to a post by the organizers. It was subsequently reinstated the following day.

“White Dudes for Harris” is one of several coalition groups that have popped up in support of Kamala Harris. The campaign said groups like Black Women for Harris, Latinas for Harris and White Dudes for Harris raised more than $20 million.

CNN has reached out to X for comment, but the company rarely responds to press inquiries.

The Harris campaign has made its first TikTok since Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, welcoming him to the race. 

The 21-second post features Walz drawing a contrast with his GOP counterpart, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and playing up his rural roots. 

It features video of Walz in office, with farm animals, on a football field, and in a helicopter, underscoring how the campaign plans to utilize his personal biography.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the newly-selected running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris, said in a post on X Tuesday that it is “the honor of a lifetime to join @kamalaharris in this campaign.”

Sen. Mark Kelly speaks at a press conference outside the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix in 2022.

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a contender in Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pool, expressed his support of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Giffords is Kelly’s wife and once served as a House member in Arizona.

Gov. Tim Walz speaks to reporters in July.

For more than 40 years, Democrats have nominated presidential and vice presidential nominees who attended law school.

That ended Tuesday when Vice President Kamala Harris selected Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

He is the first Democrat on a presidential ticket since 1980 to have not attended law school. He has a masters in educational leadership.

Former President Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat on the ticket to have not attended law school. Former Vice President Al Gore left Vanderbilt Law School early to pursue a political career, so he never became a lawyer.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz confirmed their new status as running mates on social media.

His bio on X now says, “Running to win this thing with @KamalaHarris.”

On Instagram, Harris shared a message describing her decision to select Walz as her running mate.

“I am proud to announce that I’ve asked @walzforgovernor to be my running mate,” she wrote. “One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It’s personal.”

New merchandise launched by the Harris-Walz campaign marks a dramatic break in the style of the Biden-turned-Harris campaign. 

Biden campaign signage was in the sans-serif typeface “Decimal” and serifed “Mercury Text,” both designed by Hoefler&Co in consultation with Biden campaign senior creative adviser Robyn Kanner. 

When the Biden signage rolled into Harris branding 16 days ago, there was a notable continuity in style in the updated signage. 

The new typeface and color scheme unveiled Tuesday represents a notable change as Vice President Kamala Harris moves forward with her new running mate, and harkens back to her 2020 “KAMALA HARRIS FOR THE PEOPLE” sans-serif logo.

Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, writing on social media that she’s “thrilled” to see him join the ticket.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testifies before a committee in Washington, DC, in April.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was a contender to be Kamala Harris’ running mate, praised the vice president’s choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday.

Buttigieg also served in the military and has spent time campaigning for Harris in the Midwest, including in Michigan where he now resides with his family.

He is in Maine on Tuesday, promoting the Biden-Harris infrastructure agenda.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a press conference in Milwaukee on July 17.

Most Americans are unfamiliar with Tim Walz, an NPR/PBS/Marist poll released Tuesday finds.

A 71% majority of US adults have never heard of Walz or are unsure how to rate him – making him even less of a known quantity than fellow running mate finalists Mark Kelly or Josh Shapiro. The poll, conducted August 1-4, finds that 17% of US adults view Walz favorably, with 12% viewing him unfavorably.

The NPR/PBS/Marist poll gives Walz a 31% favorability rating among Democrats, with just 7% in the party rating him unfavorably.

Republican VP pick JD Vance, meanwhile, has seen his ratings fall underwater, with 34% viewing him favorably and 43% unfavorably. In July, the public was closely split — 28% viewed him favorably and 31% unfavorably.

A spokesperson for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro confirms to CNN that Shapiro will still attend Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Philadelphia tonight.

He was one of the finalists to be Harris’ running mate.

Shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the Harris campaign updated its website to reflect the newly formed ticket.

Several Harris-Walz merch items were also posted for sale including mugs, t-shirts, stickers and yard signs. 

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 24.

The Trump campaign has spent the last several days compiling opposition research on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in addition to other leading contenders to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, and plans to attack Walz as someone who is more liberal than both Harris and President Joe Biden — with a key focus on his record as governor for the last four years, senior Trump campaign advisers and people close to former President Donald Trump tell CNN.

Trump’s advisers said that while they will pull on details ranging from both his years in Congress as well as governor, their goal is to paint him as someone who has been in lockstep with progressives over the last four years and a key champion of the Biden administration’s policies.

Key focal points in their expected attacks include arguing Walz has taken an extremely liberal stance on the border, painting him as anti-gun and anti-cop, tying him to Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, linking him to the Biden administration’s economic policies, and questioning his record on foreign policy.

The campaign also plans to lean heavily into Harris’ decision against selecting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her vice presidential pick – even as Trump’s advisers and many people close to the former president privately acknowledge they were more concerned about Shapiro being on the ticket given the importance of winning Pennsylvania, the sources said.

Trump’s team plans to argue that Harris listened to far-left voices who were concerned about how Shapiro would handle the war between Israel and Hamas.

In a text message to supporters, Vice President Kamala Harris said she was “pleased to share” that she had selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to join the Democratic campaign as her running mate.

Harris also used the message to ask supporters to support the campaign.

“Now, would you pitch in $20 to welcome Tim to our ticket? We are relying on your immediate support to defeat Donald Trump and JD Vance,” she said.

“It means the world to me, to Tim, and to our families to have you in our corner,” the Democratic presidential candidate added.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during the Democratic National Committee winter meeting in Philadelphia in 2023.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a finalist to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, hailed her ultimate decision to tap Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday.

“Lori and I consider Tim and Gwen to be good friends of ours and we are excited for them and for the country to get to know the great people we know them to be,” Shapiro said in a statement on X.

Read his full statement below:

Vice President Kamala Harris told Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz that they are the underdogs in the 2024 presidential race – but that they are confident that together they have a winning message on reducing costs for the middle class and protecting freedom.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz leaned heavily on his experience and personal biography and their chemistry, a source close to the process said.

And she found his biography compelling: a background as a high school teacher and football coach, his service in the Army National Guard, and his roots in rural America, viewing his story as one that will appeal to voters in crucial midwestern battleground states. 

As Harris deliberated, one of her most crucial decision factors was her strong personal rapport with Walz, believing he will be a trustworthy partner in campaigning, and possibly, in governing.

Rep. Annie Kuster speaks in the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, DC, in 2023.

On Capitol Hill, there is widespread excitement for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’ selection as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate.

In conversations with several aides across the ideological spectrum, Walz is seen as a champion of progressive policies who delivers and packages his message in a way where he still appeals to many voters in the middle of the country.

When asked about Walz, Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois, a progressive member, sent a GIF of a dancing penguin, a sign she said he was happy with the news.

When he was in Congress, Walz represented Minnesota’s first congressional district. He consistently won races in a tough district even in 2016 when Donald Trump won the district by 15 points.

His old district is now represented by Republican Rep. Brad Finstad.

Walz spent a lot of time in Congress focused on mental healthcare access for veterans and served as the top Democrat on the Veteran’s Affairs committee in the 115th Congress. At the time he was elected to Congress, he was the highest-ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve.

Activists and organizers in the key battleground state of Georgia are applauding Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Luis Zaldivar organizes immigrant communities in the Peach State and says Walz is a unifying choice. 

Georgia-based activist Hillary Holley, the Executive Director of the national organization Care in Action, describes Walz as a “care champion” with legislative victories to back it up.

Vice President Kamala Harris has now personally informed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz she has selected him as her running mate, a source familiar with the matter said.

Harris informed Walz via a video call.

They are expected to appear together in their first joint rally later today in Philadelphia.

As Vice President Kamala Harris entered the final stretch of deliberating over her vice presidential running pick, the Harris campaign was armed with research, vetting materials and polling on the finalists – data that would all help to inform the vice president’s political decision of a lifetime. 

None of the three finalists – Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly – were shown in the polling data as moving the Harris-Trump national match up beyond the margins, two sources familiar said. The same was the case in a range of the most critical battleground states. 

Both Shapiro and Kelly were shown to improve the Democratic ticket’s chances against Donald Trump in Pennsylvania and Arizona, respectively, but those improvements were only on the margins, the source added.

As word spread that Vice President Kamala Harris had chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Walz’s neighbors in St. Paul have gathered outside his home to witness a piece of political history in their own backyard. 

Dog walker, joggers and nearby residents were heard sharing in their excitement over the news and praising Harris’ choice. 

A few cars driving by the house have honked their horns in celebration. 

Sue Ver Steeg, a Minneapolis resident who came to the governor’s house, told CNN she’s excited and relieved about the pick. 

Nick Arnosti is a St. Paul resident who found about the news when he rode his bike by Walz’s house on his way to work and saw the crowd gathered. He said he’s excited about the ticket and feels lucky to be able to witness the moment. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. You know, I wasn’t necessarily expecting it,” he said. “It’s a pretty cool experience.” 

Donald Trump’s campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a statement Tuesday, calling him a “West Coast wannabe” who has spent “his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State.”

“While Walz pretends to support Americans in the Heartland, when the cameras are off, he believes that rural America is ‘mostly cows and rocks’. From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars, and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide. If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare,” she added.

The Trump campaign on Tuesday sent its first fundraising blast attacking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shortly after CNN and other outlets began reporting that Vice President Kamala Harris had selected him as her running mate. 

The text included a link to the Trump campaign’s fundraising page, which claimed Walz “would be the worst VP in history” and labeled him as being more “dangerously liberal” than Harris.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz displays a bill he signed into law in St. Paul, Minnesota, in February 2023. The bill required Minnesota utilities to get 100% of their electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ VP pick Tim Walz oversaw cutting-edge clean energy policy as governor of Minnesota.

As part of a Democratic trifecta in the state house, senate and governor’s office, Walz signed a law last year that aims to make 100% of Minnesota’s electricity clean by 2040. The law narrowly passed the Minnesota state senate and was signed by Walz in February 2023.

The law compels utilities that provide electricity in Minnesota to switch from polluting sources of electricity like coal and natural gas to clean sources, including wind, solar, battery storage, hydropower and clean hydrogen.

Under the law, utilities need to switch to generating 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 and get 80% of the way there by 2030. Minnesota’s largest utilities have voiced support for having to move quickly to zero-carbon energy but have also acknowledged the switch will be challenging.

And earlier this summer, Walz signed a separate bill to speed up energy permitting projects in Minnesota and get more clean energy onto the grid. Passing a similar bill at the federal level has been elusive in Congress.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks in Superior, Wisconsin, in January.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz emerged from the most accelerated vice presidential search in modern history as Vice President Kamala Harris’ preferred governing partner, with Harris impressed “by his authenticity,” a person close to the process told CNN. 

While the two did not enjoy much of a previous relationship, aides said Harris grew increasingly enthused by how Walz genuinely carried himself and found a warm chemistry with him during a final meeting Sunday at her residence at the Naval Observatory. 

In a remarkable two-week period, Walz ascended from a third-tier candidate to a final contender in the view of Harris and her vetting team. He was propelled by support from across the Democratic Party, progressive and moderate groups, in a sophisticated whirlwind campaign.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ “chemistry” with her newly-selected running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was “really important and it really clicked for both of them,” a source close to Walz told CNN.

Vice President Kamala Harris will be making calls to the final vice presidential contenders this morning after selecting Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, people familiar with the matter said.

She’ll inform those who she didn’t pick to be her running mate and thank them for participating in the process, the person said.

Over the weekend, Harris met with Walz, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Mark Kelly for interviews.

The meeting with Walz had “great chemistry,” the person said, and the two got along well. 

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro arrives at a conference in Washington, DC, to deliver remarks in April.

Many of former President Donald Trump’s allies had feared that Vice President Kamala Harris would ultimately choose popular Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate, potentially giving her an advantage in the critical battleground state.

While Trump has repeatedly said that vice presidential candidates don’t matter, he and his running mate, JD Vance, had zeroed in on Shapiro in their recent attacks, an indication of the threat that Shapiro could pose to the campaign.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a press conference in St Paul, Minnesota, in 2020.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has been selected as Kamala Harris’ running mate, according to multiple sources.

Walz spent more than two decades in the Army National Guard, which included a deployment overseas after the 9/11 attacks, working as an educator and coach, before shockingly defeating a six-term Republican incumbent congressman in 2006, a wave year for Democrats.

Walz remained when the tide rolled out, reelected to the typically red district repeatedly until he left to run for his current job in 2018. (The seat quickly returned to GOP control after his departure.)

Walz’s six years in charge of Minnesota have seen a remarkable series of political and social upheaval. First came the Covid-19 pandemic and then, in its midst, the murder of George Floyd by a White police officer, which set off global anti-racist demonstrations. Walz navigated it all – alongside more usual complaints over wasteful spending – well enough that, by the beginning of 2023, he was leading a Democratic trifecta in the state government.

In the time leading up to his selection as Harris’ running mate, Walz had first been an outspoken defender of Joe Biden following his disastrous debate performance as calls for the president to end his reelection bid escalated. When Biden did drop out, Walz endorsed Harris the next day and has since emerged as a reliable, energetic and cutting advocate for the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Picking Walz underscores the Harris campaign’s focus on a path to victory that puts a premium on the “blue wall” states of the Midwest. Minnesota is slightly outside that sphere, but Walz, once a high school football coach, has evolved during his time in office into something of a progressive populist folk hero – the exact kind of pugilistic voice that Democrats taking on Trump are keen to highlight.

He has over the past week delivered a handful of memorable haymakers against Republicans, though his most notable contribution has been a determination to label the GOP, especially its presidential ticket of Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance. Walz has referred to the duo as “weird dudes,” before lighting into their political agenda.

Read more about Walz’s career and pick as Harris’ VP.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate illustrates the power of social media. Walz had not been in the top tier of basically anyone’s list until the past few weeks. 

He became an online sensation thanks to his “happy go lucky” Midwestern manner and his recent attacks on Republicans as “weird,” which seem to have stuck. 

It’s not clear, however, that Walz will be of any help to Harris in the key battleground states. Recent polling suggests that Minnesota is not expected to be all that competitive. 

Additionally, Walz has not shown much of an ability to win over swing voters when running statewide. While other potential Harris running mates (Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro) greatly outperformed Biden’s 2020 baseline in their most recent elections, Walz did less than a point better than Biden when he won a second term in 2022.

Still, Walz is unlikely to hurt the ticket. He did better than most Minnesota Democrats two years ago, which is very different from Ohio Sen. JD Vance – Donald Trump’s running mate. Vance was the worst-performing statewide Republican winner in the 2022 midterm elections.

Gwen Walz, left, stands next to her husband Tim Walz and their children Gus and Hope, during an election night party in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2018.

Before he got his start in politics, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, reportedly chosen on Tuesday to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, was a longtime educator – just like his wife.

Gwen Walz has taught in public, alternative and migrant schools, as well as prisons. She also served as an administrator and coordinator at Mankato Area Public Schools, a school district in the congressional district her husband represented from 2007 to 2019.

Her first public event as Minnesota first lady was a rally in support of voting rights restoration for felons. She has also toured state prisons and helped recruit an assistant commissioner working to install a new college curriculum behind prison walls, among other things, according to a report from Minnesota Public Radio.

Read more about her here.

Former President Donald Trump’s team has begun attacking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz moments after CNN reported that Vice President Kamala Harris had chosen Walz as her running mate.

Campaign sources told CNN that they believe Walz’s selection will help with their argument that Harris is a radical liberal. Walz had emerged as a liberal favorite in the mix.

“Don’t ever shy away from our progressive values. One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness,” Walz said recently during remarks to the White Dudes for Harris Zoom fundraiser.

On social media, the campaign and super PAC, MAGA Inc, immediately started pushing some of the research it had been gathering on Walz while it prepared for Harris’ ultimate decision, calling him an “incompetent liberal.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who CNN has reported is Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate pick, was a “staff favorite,” one source at Harris’ Wilmington, Delaware campaign headquarters said. 

Staffers have been excitedly standing by for the vice presidential announcement, sources say, including the small circle of staffers preparing for the Walz rollout.

There was little sleep last night, the staffer said, as the team awaited the news – capping a whirlwind 16-day period since President Joe Biden’s team became Harris’ campaign. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrives to speak at a press conference in Bloomington, Minnesota, on August 1.

As Vice President Kamala Harris decided to pick Tim Walz as her running mate, according to sources, CNN’s John King explains why the Minnesota governor may have emerged as the right choice for the Democratic ticket.

The reason for the pick includes factors such as “comfort level” and that Harris believes Walz would be a “good governing partner,” King said.

As her Republican rival Donald Trump labels her as “dangerously liberal,” Walz will be able to defend that, King said.

“We’re in such uncharted territory with a campaign this late, with Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick having a more of a rocky rollout. And so if you’ve watched, Gov. Walz has impressed everybody,” King said.

As the vice presidential candidate, Walz can go to a smaller market TV while Harris focuses on national picture, King explained.

As she was going through the vetting process, Vice President Kamala Harris was impressed, in part, by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s “happy go lucky” warrior and joyful presence.

Vice President Kamala Harris grew increasingly comfortable with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in the final days of the selection process, people familiar with the search said, elevating the plainspoken former congressman, teacher and commander in the Army National Guard to join the Democratic ticket and help lead the party’s fight to defeat Donald Trump.

Harris will make her call with Walz, which will be turned into an official announcement to be sent to supporters today. 

A small team from the Harris campaign was standing by near the Minnesota governor’s mansion to greet him and fly with him to Philadelphia, where he is set to appear tonight with Harris at their first joint rally of the campaign.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a Biden-Harris campaign and DNC press conference on July 17 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Vice President Kamala Harris has made a decision for her running mate, with four people close to the process saying Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota is her choice. 

A former educator, Walz is currently in his second term as Minnesota governor and chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He previously served 12 years in Congress, representing a conservative-leaning rural district that, both before and after his tenure, has been mostly dominated by Republicans. 

He has over the past week delivered a handful of memorable haymakers against Republicans, though his most notable contribution has been a determination to label the GOP, especially its presidential ticket of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance. Walz has referred to the duo as “weird dudes,” before lighting into their political agenda.  

The phrase has stuck, becoming a central meme in the new, post-Biden version of the campaign, a development that is delighting Democrats and apparently frustrating many on the right.   

During recent remarks at a “White Dudes for Harris” fundraiser, Walz made a rough-and-ready case for the vice president before would-be small-dollar donors. 

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is closely monitoring Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate decision, two sources close to Trump told CNN.

While advisers maintain that they don’t believe the pick will be that impactful in the race long term, they have been collecting opposition research on the top contenders, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

Some Trump allies have expressed concern about Shapiro’s potential to deliver Pennsylvania to Democrats in November, however, a Trump adviser brushed off that notion, saying that Shapiro had yet to be fully vetted on a national stage. 

As Trump has tried out new attack lines on Harris, including questioning her ethnicity, the campaign intends to continue to paint her as a radical Democrat, linking her to President Joe Biden’s policies, particularly on crime, immigration, and inflation.

The Secret Service is standing by to quickly launch protection for Vice President Kamala Harris’ expected running mate on Tuesday. 

The Democratic nominee for vice president is expected to receive a full Secret Service protective detail, USSS spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told CNN. 

Secret Service is staffed with special agents and resources at field offices near where each final contender lives, Guglielmi said, and the permanent CNOS team “will be activated once the person is announced.”

The new protectee is receiving Secret Service protection at a moment of heightened scrutiny for the agency just weeks after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump – and days after the agency’s director Kimberly Cheatle resigned in the fallout. 

Vice President Kamala Harris attends an event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 22.

As she has been weighing one of the most consequential decisions of her political career, Vice President Kamala Harris has been relying on a tight circle of aides and confidantes for advice and perspective, people familiar with the deliberations said.

She has faced an onslaught of views, both in public and private, amid the interviews she conducted at the Naval Observatory over the weekend.

But amid the storm, she has sought to limit the circle of actual decision-making to her closest advisers.

Others who have offered their advice over the course of the process include former attorney general Eric Holder, who captained the vetting process through his law firm.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who leaves for Paris this week to attend the Olympics closing ceremony, has also acted as a central sounding board. 

Former President Barack Obama has consulted with Harris at points since she emerged as the Democratic standard-bearer, though he has not advocated for a particular name as a running mate, a person familiar with the matter said.

When President Joe Biden was asked last week whether he had consulted with Harris about the choice, he said yes.

But asked what qualities she should look for in a selection, he demurred: “I’ll let her work that out,” he said.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip with her soon-to-be-announced running mate to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday has been postponed due to Tropical Storm Debby, a campaign official said. 

This marks the second Harris trip impacted by the tropical storm this week. The vice president is also postponing a Friday stop in Savannah, Georgia. 

Campaign officials have yet to detail when the events will be rescheduled.

The stunning transformation of the 2024 presidential race will reach new heights Tuesday when Vice President Kamala Harris unveils her running mate after a sequence of events that left Republican nominee Donald Trump flailing.

Harris is due to join her vice presidential pick at a rally in Philadelphia that will kick off a joint sprint across an electoral map expanded by President Joe Biden’s shelving of his own reelection bid just over two weeks ago.

In the final hours of her search after a compressed vetting period, Harris narrowed in on two candidates — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, 51, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, 60, sources told CNN, although Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly remained in the running as of Monday afternoon. Shapiro is a rising Democratic star whose popularity in the commonwealth could be an asset to Harris in perhaps the most vital swing state. Walz is an experienced progressive leader whose profile could help shore up the midwestern blue wall states, including Wisconsin and Michigan, that may represent Harris’ best route to the Oval Office.

The theatrics will offer the vice president a fresh chance to supercharge her candidacy’s momentum, which has energized a party that had looked headed for defeat in November and tightened the contest into a 50-50 struggle in a polarized country. Her relative youth, at 59, has inverted the generational contrast with Trump, 78, now that the issue of Biden’s age and acuity in a potential second term is moot.

While the naming of the Democratic vice presidential pick is the focus of the campaign, new developments Monday — outside a race that has been on a momentous trajectory since Trump escaped an assassination attempt and Biden pulled out — hinted at potential new twists to come before November.

Harris’ final deliberations took place against a backdrop of fast-developing domestic and global events that reflected the complex political environment she must navigate if the novelty of her sudden elevation wears off.

Read Collinson’s full analysis on Harris as she is set to announce her VP pick.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrives to speak at a press conference in Bloomington, Minnesota, on August 1.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has no public events on his schedule today, according to a copy of his schedule obtained from CNN affiliate WCCO.

Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro are the two candidates left in Vice President Kamala Harris’ search for her running mate, according to previous reporting.

Harris is expected to announce her decision today and will later hold a rally with her new running mate in Philadelphia.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to attend a fundraiser in California on Sunday, a source familiar with the event said.

The event is expected to take place in the San Francisco area, the source said, and will come on the heels of a battleground state swing with her new running mate this week.

Harris will be in San Francisco following a campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday.

Vice President Kamala Harris went to bed last night not yet having made a decision on her vice presidential running mate, and chose to sleep on the most consequential decision of her political career for one more night, a source familiar tells CNN. 

That means that the vice president will only be informing her chosen running mate – as well as the advisers around her – sometime this morning of her choice. 

Still, preparations for that eventual announcement — including prep work for this evening’s Philadelphia rally where Harris and her running mate will appear together for the first time – have had to go on even as the campaign has been in waiting mode. 

To that end, the campaign has multiple versions of signs printed featuring Harris’ name alongside the names of several of the finalists, the source said.

Casa Grande, Arizona —It is 101 degrees, the desert sun in full force. Yet Pablo Correa and Jacob Dials are smiling as they go door to door, foot soldiers in a progressive army that suddenly has a bouncy spring in its step.

Correa said canvassers who were loyal to President Joe Biden are now excited by Vice President Kamala Harris, seeing her as a candidate with more vigor, more diversity and, critically, more support.

However, not all voters feel that Harris represents any real change on the issues plaguing many Democrats.

Read more here about things are shaping up in Arizona.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly are reportedly among the top contenders to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

She’s expected to make her decision ahead of a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Here are key things to know about each of the possible candidates:

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris speak to the press in Philadelphia on July 13.

Josh Shapiro: Shapiro, who was previously the state’s attorney general, was elected in a landslide victory in 2022, defeating a 2020 election-denying far-right state senator to become the third Jewish governor elected in the crucial swing state. During a stop in Philadelphia last month, Harris called Shapiro a “great partner to the president and me.” The assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, placed the governor in the spotlight. His response to the death of Corey Comperatore, the Trump supporter who was killed while shielding his wife and daughter, has especially been lauded.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks to the press outside the White House on July 3.

Tim Walz: Walz spent more than two decades in the Army National Guard, which included a deployment overseas after the 9/11 attacks, working as an educator and coach, before shockingly defeating a six-term Republican incumbent congressman in 2006, a wave year for Democrats. Walz remained when the tide rolled out, reelected to the typically red district repeatedly until he left to run for his current job in 2018. (The seat quickly returned to GOP control after his departure.) Walz’s six years in charge of Minnesota have seen a remarkable series of political and social upheaval. First came the Covid-19 pandemic and then, in its midst, the murder of George Floyd by a White police officer, which set off global anti-racist demonstrations. Walz navigated it all – alongside more usual complaints over wasteful spending – well enough that, by the beginning of 2023, he was leading a Democratic trifecta in the state government.

Sen. Mark Kelly looks at reporters during a press conference on Capitol Hill in April.

Mark Kelly: Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly represents a state that Biden won by only 10,457 votes in 2020 and has national name recognition both as a former astronaut and the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords. He has been a reliable supporter of Democratic Party priorities while in office but has occasionally bucked his party, such as in 2023, when he flatly called the influx of undocumented migrants across the US southern border a “crisis.” If Kelly was elected to higher office, his seat would remain in Democratic hands as Gov. Katie Hobbs would be able to appoint his successor.

Sen. JD Vance speaks at a campaign rally in Reno, Nevada, on July 30.

Kamala Harris and her running mate will have company on the campaign trail this week as they tour key battleground states: Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance.

The Ohio senator mate is bracketing the launch of the Democratic ticket with a series of events in the same cities and states as his opponents. 

Vance will make a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon, hours before Harris and her running mate hold their first in-person rally in the city that evening. On Wednesday, both Vance and the Harris campaign will hold events in the Detroit area and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. And on Thursday, Vance will appear in North Carolina, making stops in Raleigh – where the Democratic ticket is also campaigning – as well as in Oakboro, located east of Charlotte.

Vance’s tour comes as he seeks to reintroduce himself to the American public after his initial rollout as Donald Trump’s running mate was bogged down by his past comments disparaging women and elected officials who don’t have children. It also offers him a chance to divert attention away from Harris, who is embarking on a new phase of her two-week-old campaign and seeking to maintain momentum. 

The campaign stops headlined by Vance, however, won’t include Trump or match the scale of the events held by Harris and her running mate. The vice president’s campaign said this week her battleground tour would include a mix of intimate gatherings at family-owned restaurants and union halls, but also large rallies in arenas and college campuses.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally in Atlanta on July 30.

Vice President Kamala Harris has won the Democratic presidential nomination, the party announced Monday, making her the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket.

The announcement came after the period for delegates to cast their digital ballots closed at 6 p.m. ET. 

Harris won 99% of the vote, according to the Democratic National Committee.

It’s been clear since shortly after President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris that the vice president would be the only serious candidate for the nomination. She was the only candidate who had gathered enough delegate signatures to appear on the ballot, and the party had already declared on Friday that she had won enough votes to secure the nomination. 

Next, the results will be certified by the secretary of the convention, and Harris will officially accept the nomination. 

Harris can also now choose her running mate without the need for a separate vote. She is expected to reveal her choice today ahead of a planned campaign rally in Philadelphia.