(NewsNation) — Tim Walz’s wife, Gwen, and his son, Gus, were emotional as the Minnesota governor took the DNC stage Wednesday evening.
The two, standing next to each, stood on their feet as tears streamed down their faces. Gus Walz could be seen throwing his fist in the air and cheering as his father walked onto the stage to raucous applause.
“That’s my dad,” Gus Walz said, pointing to the stage.
During his speech, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate assured the middle class that their taxes will be cut under a Harris-Walz presidency.
“If you’re a middle class family, Kamala Harris is gonna cut your taxes,” Walz said. “If you’re getting squeezed by prescription drug prices, Kamala Harris is gonna take on Big Pharma. If you’re looking to buy a home, Kamala Harris is gonna make it more affordable. And no matter who you are, Kamala Harris is gonna stand up for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead.”
The speech was Walz’s first major national address to accept the vice presidential nomination, a day after former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama electrified the crowd at the United Center in Chicago.
Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach, quipped “never underestimate a public school teacher” as he spoke about his first time running for Congress in a red House district.
“…It was those players and my students who inspired me to run for Congress,” Walz said. “They saw in me what I had hoped to instill in them: a commitment to the common good, an understanding that we’re all in this together, and the belief that a single person can make a real difference for their neighbors.”
“So there I was, a 40-something high school teacher with little kids, zero political experience and no money, running in a deep red district,” he continued. “But you know what? Never underestimate a public school teacher.”
Walz fell back on his football coach roots in his closing remarks at the DNC.
“It’s the fourth quarter, we’re down a field goal but we’re on offense and we got the ball,” Walz said, adding that the Democrats have “the right team.”
“Kamala Harris is ready. Our job is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling one inch at a time, one yard at a time.”
The Hill contributed to this report.
