'Never underestimate a teacher': Tim Walz rallies Democratic convention
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Transcript
00:00Day three of the Democratic National Convention wrapped up in Chicago with Tim Walz taking to the stage.
00:06Kamala Harris's vice presidential nominee using his address to introduce himself to the American public.
00:12The governor of Minnesota previously served in the National Guard before becoming a schoolteacher, and
00:18before he formally accepted the nomination, he reflected on what inspired him to run for office.
00:24For me, it was serving in the Army National Guard.
00:29I joined up
00:31two days after my 17th birthday, and I proudly wore our nation's uniform for 24 years.
00:38But it was those players and my students who inspired me to run for Congress.
00:43They saw in me what I had hoped to instill in them, a commitment to the common good,
00:51an understanding that we're all in this together.
00:54For more on Tim Walz's speech last night, here's Fraser Jackson reporting from Chicago.
01:03Yeah, it's a wrap on day three here at the DNC.
01:06And if I step out of frame, you can see the last few diehards who are still here. The rest of the arena
01:11clearing out, but just at the very bottom of your screen there,
01:15I'll tilt it down slightly so you can get a better, slightly better view.
01:18Just right there in the center of your screen now is the
01:22Minnesota delegates who still have not left the arena, despite Tim Walz leaving the stage
01:28around the best part of over 30 minutes ago.
01:31They are still still not leaving and still not going anywhere.
01:34And they are still chanting Minnesota, Minnesota and
01:38holding up Tim Walz's head.
01:40It must be said, a big cardboard cutout, which has been
01:44the running theme of this kind of convention.
01:47So it's been an interesting day culminating in the speech with Tim Walz,
01:53who started by talking about Kamala Harris, thanking her for choosing him as VP
02:01and also thanking Joe Biden for his service as well.
02:03He then reintroduced himself to the nation on what is arguably
02:07the largest stage that he's had so far.
02:09He told his story about humble beginnings in Nebraska,
02:13going through to 24 years of service in the Army National Guard
02:17before becoming a teacher.
02:19And he said of that time when he was a teacher, never underestimate
02:23a public school teacher that got a massive round of applause here in the auditorium.
02:28He then spoke briefly about his time in Congress
02:31and said it was the students that he taught that had inspired him
02:35to go on that journey into Congress.
02:37And of course, then his time as governor of Minnesota,
02:41where he passed various laws, including free school meals for children.
02:46And enshrined protections for IBF
02:49and other reproductive rights within the state's constitution.
02:52Those are policies which have actually made him come under fire
02:56from the right wing of the political spectrum here in the United States
03:01and also have earned him the nickname of being an extreme liberal.
03:06That's what Donald Trump has been accusing him of.
03:08So Tim Walz, however,
03:11doubling down on his policies as he became governor,
03:16said that while the Republicans were banning books,
03:19that they were banishing hunger from their schools in Minnesota.
03:23So a real pushback there from Tim Walz.
03:26But he did spend the most part, the big chunk of his speech
03:30bigging up Kamala Harris and her record as vice president, as a prosecutor.
03:35He said that she's tough, she's experienced and she's ready.
03:39And then he asked the crowd, are you ready?
03:41So a real rousing cry here from Tim Walz
03:44and a cry that is still being carried on by his supporters from Minnesota.