It’s time to “turn the page” on Donald Trump, Tim Walz said in a landmark speech setting his stall out against the Republicans.
Kamala Harris’s pick for vice president formally introduced himself to the Democratic faithful, and drawing on his time as a high school American football coach, he urged them to “leave it all out on the field” until election day.
“Our job is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling,” he said, speaking on the third night of the Democratic National Convention.
“One inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time.
“We’ve only got 76 days to go. That’s nothing. We’ll sleep when we’re dead. And we’re gonna leave it all on the field.”
Earlier this week, Mr Walz was accused of lying about his wife using IVF to have their daughter, Hope.
He previously suggested he and Gwen Walz had undergone IVF to conceive their daughter, but Mrs Walz later said they used intrauterine insemination (IUI).
He took on the topic in his speech, saying: “We also protected reproductive freedom because, in Minnesota, we respect our neighbours and the personal choices they make.
“And even if we wouldn’t make the same choices for ourselves, we’ve got a golden rule – mind your own damn business.
“That includes IVF and fertility treatments. This is personal for Gwen and I. If you’ve never experienced the hell of infertility, I guarantee you know somebody who has.”
‘Don’t forget who saved democracy’
Over the course of the night, Democrats put the spotlight on January 6, with a video showing Mr Trump urge supporters to fight before they stormed the US Capitol to try to block Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.
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Nancy Pelosi, who was House speaker on that day, said: “Let us not forget who assaulted democracy on January 6 – he did.
“But let us not forget who saved democracy that day – we did.”
Never before had a president of the US “so brazenly assaulted the bedrock of our democracy”, she added, and “so gleefully embraced political violence, so wilfully betrayed his oath of office”.
She gave her thanks to outgoing president Joe Biden, before turning her attention to Ms Harris, who she said is ready to take the US to “new heights”.
Celebrity backing
Among the celebrities turning up – including performances from Stevie Wonder and John Legend – Oprah Winfrey became the latest to endorse Ms Harris and warn about Mr Trump.
She said there are “people who seek to first divide and then to conquer” and who would have others “believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe”.
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Quoting late congressman John Lewis, she added: “No matter what ship our ancestors arrived on, we are on the same boat now.”
“But he also knew the work is not done,” she added. “The work will never be done because freedom isn’t free.”
“Every now and then it requires standing up to life’s bullies,” she said.
‘Don’t count the lies’
Former president Bill Clinton added his voice to the convention’s theme of mocking Mr Trump, telling the audience “don’t count the lies – count the I’s” next time he speaks.
“He’s like one of those tenors opening up before he walks out on stage trying to get his lungs open by saying: Me, me, me, me.
“When Kamala Harris is president, every day will begin with you, you, you.”
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He also made fun of Mr Trump’s repeated references to fictional killer Hannibal Lector, joking he makes “endless tributes”.
Project 2025, a set of policy proposals some conservatives hope Mr Trump would adopt, also came under fire.
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Comedian Kenan Thompson carried the large policy book on stage, telling the crowds: “Ever seen a document that can kill a small animal and democracy at the same time?
“Here it is.”
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