DNC as it happened: Walz attacks 'weird and dangerous' Republican agenda – as Trump compared to spurned ex-boyfriend – Sky News
Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz rallied Democrats on day three of the National Convention. Other speakers went on the attack, comparing Donald Trump to a spurned ex-boyfriend, while a Republican took to the stage telling voters to “dump Trump”.
Thursday 22 August 2024 09:43, UK
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Many of you will just be waking up to read about the third day of the Democratic National Convention.
We’ve been bringing you all the latest updates through the night, which you can read by scrolling through this blog – we’ll be doing the same again this evening for the convention’s finale.
If you’d prefer a quick recap, here are the key moments you might have missed…
Tim Walz delivers headline ‘pep talk’
Tim Walz accepted the nomination for vice president in a “pep talk” that vowed to “turn the page on Donald Trump”.
The Minnesota governor, little-known before his selection by Kamala Harris, gave the audience an overview of his career, starting with his work as a high school teacher and football coach.
“It was those players and my students who inspired me to run for Congress,” he said.
“Never underestimate a public school teacher,” he laughed. “I represented my neighbours in Congress for 12 years, and I learned an awful lot.”
He also spoke about his family’s struggle with infertility and, turning to gun control, bragged about having a “better shot than most Republicans”.
Warning about Project 2025 – a controversial right-wing set of policy proposals – he called it a “playbook” for the next Republican administration.
“Look, I coached high school football long enough to know and trust me on this – when somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re going to use it,” he said.
As he wrapped up his speech to wild applause, his walk-off song Rockin’ In The Free World played – Neil Young having signed off on its use after suing Mr Trump for using the song at campaign rallies without permission.
Bill Clinton urges people to vote for ‘president of joy’
Former president Bill Clinton used his convention speech to denounce Mr Trump as selfish and urged Democrats to back the “president of joy” Kamala Harris.
Slating Mr Trump, he compared him to a tenor who warms up by singing “me, me, me”.
“What does her opponent do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself,” he said. “So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I’s.
“We need Kamala Harris, the president of joy, to lead us,” he said.
Looking forward, he said Ms Harris was a “clear choice” for president and praised her ‘McDonalds approach’ to public office.
“When she was a student, she worked at McDonald’s. She greeted every person with that thousand-watt smile and said, ‘How can I help you?’ And now, at the pinnacle of power, she’s still asking ‘How can I help you?'” he says.
“I’ll be so happy when she actually enters the White House because, at last, she’ll break my record as the president who has spent the most time at McDonald’s.”
Harris ready to take US to ‘new heights’, says Pelosi
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who played a part in convincing Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race, thanked him and said Ms Harris was ready to “take us to new heights”.
She also criticised Mr Trump over the January 6 Capitol riots, saying he “brazenly assaulted the bedrock of democracy”.
She said: “The parable of January 6 reminds us that our democracy is only as strong as the courage and commitment of those entrusted with its care.
“Let us not forget who assaulted democracy on January 6 – he did.”
Trump like ‘old boyfriend who won’t go away’
Speaker after speaker argued their party wants to defend freedoms – especially abortion access and voting rights – while Republicans want to take them away.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries described Ms Harris as a “courageous leader”, while likening Mr Trump to “an old boyfriend who you broke up with, but he just won’t go away”.
“He has spent the last four years spinning around the block, trying to get back into a relationship with the American people,” the New York Democrat said.
“Bro, we broke up with you for a reason.”
By James Matthews, US correspondent
Tim Walz is the quiz question you might struggle with in 10 years. He carries the anonymity of the number two and, as the running mate who ran from nowhere, even more so.
This was a political speed date for the man with limited time to build a profile – in prime time, an opportunity to cement himself in the consciousness of the voting public.
America has a fondness for, and trust in, its football coaches.
Hence the Walz stage introduction that involved members of his Mankato West High School football team.
It was the essence of small-town Nebraska his party managers want to promote: ordinary man, ordinary surroundings, knowledge of ordinary people.
The video tributes from former colleagues in the National Guard highlighted his military service and offered rebuttal to Republican criticism that he misrepresented it.
Walz’s challenge isn’t just to establish who he is but also what he stands for, to lay out his credentials and capacity for serious politics.
In his effort to do so, he offered a retrospective on his governorship of Minnesota.
He spoke reproductive rights and invoked his personal story of IVF that enabled the birth of his daughter.
Expect more of that on the campaign trail to come – the personal take on an issue at the heart of the Democrats’ election strategy, even if it might not always trigger what was probably the TV moment of the speech – his son Gus, in tears and pointing to the stage, shouting: “That’s my Dad.”
It was a son’s certainty inside the United Centre – what dad does next is the doubt.
Day three of the Democratic National Convention has drawn to a close.
Several high-profile speakers have addressed the convention tonight, including Tim Walz, former president Bill Clinton and ex-House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Tonight will see the finale, with Kamala Harris due to deliver her speech accepting the presidential nomination.
As Tim Walz finished his speech, he was joined on stage by his family.
His wife Gwen, his son Gus and his daughter Hope all held hands and raised their arms in the air.
All three of them were mentioned by name by the vice presidential candidate in his speech, who addressed them in the crowds and said: “You are my whole world, I love you all so much.”
Governor Walz walked off stage as the song Rockin’ In The Free World played – Neil Young having signed off on its use after suing Donald Trump for using the song at campaign rallies without permission.
The Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz has arrived on stage to deliver his headline address.
As the Minnesota governor walks out, the crowd goes wild, chanting “Walz”.
He formally accepts his party’s vice presidential nomination and thanks Kamala Harris for putting her trust in him and inviting him to be part of an “incredible campaign”.
The former teacher also thanks Joe Biden for his “strong, historic leadership”.
“We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason – we love this country,” he tells the crowd.
‘Never underestimate a public school teacher’
In a personal touch, he reflects on his childhood in a small town in Nebraska, saying it taught him to take care of others.
“The family down the road, they may not think like you do, they may not pray like you do, they may not love like you do, but they’re your neighbours. And you look out for them, just like they do for you,” he says.
Talking about his love of teaching, he says it was his students that first inspired him to run for Congress.
As he moves on to discuss his political career, he says he first ran in a deep-red district in Minnesota with “zero political experience” and “no money”.
“Never underestimate a public school teacher,” he laughs. “I represented my neighbours in Congress for 12 years, and I learned an awful lot.”
When he came back to serve as Minnesota governor, Mr Walz says he cut taxes for middle class families, passed paid family and medical leave legislation, invested in fighting crime, and cut the cost of prescription drugs.
“We made sure that every kid in our state got breakfast and lunch at school. So while other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” he adds.
Walz talks about ‘hell of infertility’
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).
Despite facing criticism, he hasn’t shied away from 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.”
Walz brags about having ‘better shot than most Republicans’
Keeping on track with the theme of freedom, Mr Walz says people should be free to make their own health care decisions and children should be free to go to school “without worrying they’ll be shot in the halls”.
As he talks about gun control, he resurfaces his not-so-humble brag about being a “better shot than most Republicans in Congress”.
He does have the trophies to prove it, having won annual congressional clay shooting competitions.
But as a father, he says his first responsibility is keeping “kids safe” from guns.
Walz calls Project 2025 the Republican ‘playbook’
He also takes a moment to attack Project 2025, calling it a “playbook” for the next Republican administration.
The initiative has been drawn up by Donald Trump allies and has been criticised for its suggestions to expand presidential powers and impose ultra-conservative policies.
“Look, I coached high school football long enough to know and trust me on this – when somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re going to use it,” he says.
“It’s an agenda nobody asked for. It’s an agenda that serves nobody except the richest and the most extreme amongst us.
“Is it weird? Absolutely. But it’s also wrong and it’s dangerous,” he adds.
Taking aim at Mr Trump specifically, he says leaders “don’t spend all day insulting people and blaming people”.
“I don’t know about you all, but I’m ready to turn the page on these guys. So say it with me: We’re not going back,” he says, leading the crowd into a chant.
Walz praises Harris and ends with ‘pep talk’
As Mr Walz praises Kamala Harris, he lists a number of changes she will make, including cutting taxes for the middle class, making homes more affordable and tackling prescription drug prices.
“Kamala Harris is gonna stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life you want to lead. Because that’s what we want for ourselves,” he says.
He ends his speech with a “pep talk”, telling the crowd: “We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offence. We’re driving down the field. And, boy, do we have the right team to win this.
“Kamala Harris is tough. She’s experienced. And she’s ready. Our job is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling.
“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.
“That’s how we’ll keep moving forward. That’s how we’ll turn the page on Donald Trump.”
John Legend appears on stage full of energy to perform his tribute to “two Minnesota icons” – vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and singer Prince.
He sings Let’s Go Crazy alongside singer and drummer Sheila E, with the crowd cheering and dancing along.
The song originally appeared on Prince’s album Purple Rain in 1984.
Host and actress Mindy Kaling describes the performance as “incredible”.
“I just want to say I feel so motivated after tonight,” she adds.
Oprah Winfrey has turned up at the Democratic convention as a surprise guest tonight.
She takes the stage, telling the crowd they should be “fired up” after hearing Michelle and Barack Obama’s speeches last night.
“We can’t wait to leave here and do something,” the talk show host says.
“What we’re going to do is elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States.”
She warns that there are “people who seek to first divide and then to conquer” in the US, and who would have others “believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe”.
‘Freedom isn’t free’
She quotes the late congressman John Lewis, saying: “No matter what ship our ancestors arrived on, we are on the same boat now.”
She says Mr Lewis “knew very well how far this country has come because he was one of the brilliant Americans who helped to get us where we are.”
“But he also knew the work is not done. The work will never be done because freedom isn’t free,” she adds.
“Every now and then it requires standing up to life’s bullies.”
Winfrey moves on to discuss reproductive rights, which has been a hot topic tonight.
Tapping her hands with her body, she says: “If you do not have autonomy over this… there is no American dream.”
Looking ahead, she says “decency and respect” are on the ballot in the November election, and “common sense” tells people that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will deliver that.
“Let us choose common sense over nonsense because that’s the best of America,” she adds.
“We won’t be set back… we’re not going back.”
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi is addressing the Democratic National Convention.
The 84-year-old was reportedly one of the key players who helped convince Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
Harris will take US to ‘new heights’
She starts by saying Biden’s administration “was one of the most successful presidencies of modern times”.
“Thank you, Joe,” she adds, before saying Kamala Harris is ready to take the US to “new heights”.
“I’ve known Kamala Harris for decades. Personally, I know her as a person of faith, which is reflected in her community care and service,” she says.
“Officially, she is a leader of strength, and wisdom and eloquence on policy.
“Politically, she is astute and strategic in winning difficult elections, quickly securing the nomination with dignity and grace.”
Talking about vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, she says she had the “honour” of working with him in Congress for 12 years.
Trump ‘brazenly assaulted the bedrock of democracy’
Ms Pelosi also criticises Donald Trump over the January 6 Capitol riots.
“Never before had a president of the United States so brazenly assaulted the bedrock of our democracy, so gleefully embraced political violence, so wilfully betrayed his oath of office,” she says.
“Let us not forget who assaulted democracy on January 6 – he did.”
She adds that the choice for president “couldn’t be clearer”.
“Those leaders are Vice President Harris and Governor Walz,” she says.
Former president Bill Clinton is addressing the Democratic convention.
He appears on stage to a loud round of applause and asks the crowd if they are proud to be a Democrat.
Our US partner NBC News has been told that he tore up a draft version of his speech after hearing Monday night’s convention speeches.
He begins by thanking US President Joe Biden for his “courage, compassion, his class, his service and his sacrifice” while in office.
Praise for Kamala Harris’s McDonald’s record
Looking forward, he says Kamala Harris is a “clear choice” for president.
“When she was a student, she worked at McDonald’s. She greeted every person with that thousand-watt smile and said, ‘How can I help you?’ And now, at the pinnacle of power, she’s still asking ‘How can I help you?'” he says.
“I’ll be so happy when she actually enters the White House because, at last, she’ll break my record as the president who has spent the most time at McDonald’s.”
Trump ‘mostly talks about himself’
Taking aim at Donald Trump, he says he is like a tenor who warms up by singing “me, me, me”.
“What does Donald Trump do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself … his vengeance, vendettas, complaints, his conspiracies,” he says.
“The next time you hear him, don’t count the lies – count the I’s.
“When Kamala Harris is president, every day will begin with you, you, you, you.”
‘You should never underestimate your adversary’
Mr Clinton says the Democrats have already seen one election “slip away” when they thought it couldn’t happen.
“You should never underestimate your adversary, and these people are really good at distracting us,” he adds.
“We Democrats have a lot of hay in the barn. We’ve got massive achievements, massive advances, but there are still a lot of slips between today and election day that we have to navigate,” he says.
He laughs as he mistakenly says he has been to every DNC since 1976, before correcting himself to say 1972 and warning that he doesn’t know how many more he will be able to come to.
“We need Kamala Harris, the president of joy, to lead us,” he says.
“I’ll see you when we are making a really joyful noise when the votes are counted,” he concludes.
Donald Trump is “like an old boyfriend who you broke up with but just won’t go away”, the Democratic House minority leader tells the DNC.
Taking the stage to a round of applause, Hakeem Jefferies says the former president has spent the last four years “spinning the block trying to get back into a relationship with the American people”.
“Bro, we broke up with you for a reason,” he laughs, sparking cheers from the crowd.
He also calls him a “chaos agent” who tried to “destroy our democracy”.
“There is no reason for us to ever get back together. Been there, done that, and we’re not going back,” he adds.
Praising Kamala Harris, he lists a number of things she will do including putting people over politics, lowering costs for the middle class, protecting affordable care, and combatting the climate crisis.
The crowd erupts into applause and chants of “USA”.
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