MINNESOTA Governor Tim Walz secured the coveted vice-presidential pick with a simple dig at JD Vance that catapulted him into the national spotlight.
Vice President Kamala Harris announced on that Walz would be her running mate.
"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," Harris said in her announcement.
"We are going to build a great partnership. We are going to build a great team. We are going to win this election."
Walz was virtually unknown before being named a contender to be Harris' VP pick, however, he suddenly went viral after a TV appearance.
"These guys are just weird," Walz said, describing former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Vance.
"That's who they are...don't give them the power."
He continued, calling the duo a threat to democracy and saying they're trying to take people's rights away.
"I know it as a teacher, a bully has no self-confidence. A bully has no strength. They have nothing.
"We're not afraid of weird people. We're a little bit creeped out, but we're not afraid."
The phrase gained popularity among several in the Democratic Party.
Harris similarly called the Trump-Vance ticket weird on the campaign trail, using it as part of her marketing strategy.
Harris' new VP pick Walz jokes abut 'old white guys' in first campaign rally speech after being introduced by snubbed runner-up
Republicans were quick to criticize Walz as being too radical for ordinary Americans.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer accused Wals of trying "to turn Minnesota into Kamala Harris' home state of California."
But Democrats think Walz can make Harris more appealing to rural and working-class voters.
VEEP WARS
Harris and Walz made their debut on the campaign trail on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Walz had some shocking words for Vance, saying he would like to meet him on the debate stage.
"I gotta tell you - I can't wait to debate the guy," he said. "That's if he's willing to get off the couch and get up."
This comes as...
The crowd erupted with cheers following Walz's words calling Vance "weird."
He used his remarks to slam Trump's presidential record before pointing out that the former president is a convicted felon.
"Make no mistake - violent crime was up under Donald Trump," said Walz.
"That's not even counting the crimes he committed."
The statement earned an audible reaction from the crowd and praise from Harris who nodded along.
Trump was convicted of on 34 charges of falsifying business records and making payments during his hust money trial.
"Donald Trump would sure take us backwards lets be clear about that."
TRUMP BASHES TICKET
Trump was quick to slam Harris' pick, calling Walz "dangerously liberal" in a statement to his supporters.
After the VP pick was confirmed, Trump cryptically wrote "Thank you!" on his social media platform Truth Social.
JD VANCE VS TIM WALZ
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance both had full lives before becoming politicians.
Walz and Vance both served in the military. Walz was in the Army National Guard for 24 years, and JD Vance was in the US Marine Corps for four years.
The veterans both share a love for Diet Mountain Dew.
However, Walz spent most of his early adulthood as a high school teacher and taught for one year in China after graduating college.
In 1999, he was the faculty advisor for the first ever Gay Straight Alliance at the high school he worked for.
Walz didn't foray into politics until 2004 when he volunteered for John Kerry's presidential campaign.
In 2006, he ran for Congress and beat incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht. He served until 2019, when he was elected Minnesota's governor.
Vance, meanwhile, raised himself from a tumultuous childhood in Ohio and went to college after serving in the Marines.
After graduating from Ohio State University, he attended Yale Law School, where he started writing his bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy.
Vance briefly worked in politics before moving to the technology sector in California, where he met venture capitalist Peter Thiel.
In 2016, he published his book and became a household name in popular culture.
Vance, who was once staunchly anti-Donald Trump, ran for Senate on a pro-MAGA platform in 2022 and was elected with Trump's blessing.
"It's no surprise that San Francisco Liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running mate," said Trump Campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
"Walz has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State."
Trump's running mate appeared on Sean Hannity, bashing Harris' decision to pick Walz.
"It's a really shameful moment for Kamala Harris," he said, calling Walz a "really far-left candidate and a really far-left governor."
"But the fact she selected him shows she has really poor judgment and doesn't have what it takes to be president of the United States"
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