CHICAGO (AP) — Vice presidential candidate Tim Waltz Former President Bill Clinton On Wednesday, the third day of the Democratic National Convention, The Party’s Staged Developments New Candidate Kamala Harrisand an appeal to voters.
Waltz faces two challenges in his Chicago speech. Becoming known Trump, known to his supporters as a down-to-earth Midwestern teacher, coach and father, will need to reintroduce himself to the rest of the country and clearly communicate the central message of his campaign and the theme of the night: A second term for Donald Trump puts American freedom at risk.
The third night of the convention will shift from Tuesday’s frenetic party atmosphere to a theme organizers are calling “Fight for Freedom,” with Harris portraying former President Trump as a threat to democracy in general and abortion rights and other individual choices in particular.
Walz will be joined by Clinton to spread the campaign’s message. A veteran of political convention speeches — Other top party stars will also be taking part, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Convention organizers say the speeches will be balanced with voices from “ordinary Americans” whose freedom depends on the upcoming election.
Mini Timaraju, president and CEO of the nonprofit Reproductive Freedom for All, is scheduled to speak on reproductive rights, which the Harris campaign sees as a key motivator for Democrats this fall.
Also taking part in Wednesday’s program will be two governors, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, as well as Democratic senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
Many Americans had never heard of Waltz before Ms. Harris chose him as her candidate. In the early weeks of the campaign, he charmed supporters with his background as a teacher and football coach, helping to balance Harris’ coastal background as a cultural representative of the Midwestern states that Harris will need this fall.
But Mr. Waltz has also faced intense scrutiny, including allegations that he exaggerated his career history. This week, his wife She revealed that she had not undergone in vitro fertilization.As Walz has repeatedly claimed, she was also undergoing other fertility treatments. Republicans also criticized Walz for Comments from 2018 He spoke about bearing arms in war: He served in the National Guard for 24 years but was never deployed to the battlefield.
still, According to the poll data Despite the early hiccups, Walz has had a smoother start as Harris’ running mate than Trump’s Republican pick, J.D. Vance.
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Policy Research finds that about one-third (36%) of U.S. adults have a favorable view of Walz and about a quarter (27%) have a positive view of Vance. Also, significantly more adults have an unfavorable view of Vance than Walz, 44% to 25%.
So far this week has been a tightrope walk for Harris and other Democrats as they try to capitalize on the enthusiasm that has spread through the party since President Joe Biden left office while making it clear to their supporters that the election will be a closely fought one.
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In Chicago, the second day of the convention oscillated between mild celebration and more serious warnings. It turned into a dance partySurprise musicians made appearances included Lil Jon, who performed “Turn Down for What,” a collaboration with DJ Snake.
But former President Barack Obama also delivered a more sober message in his keynote speech, saying, “Make no mistake, this is going to be a fight.”
“There’s so much at stake in this election,” Harris said Tuesday in Milwaukee, speaking at a professional basketball arena in the battleground state of Wisconsin while the convention continued 90 miles away in Chicago. “And I want you to understand this is not 2016 or 2020. The stakes are much higher.”
Harris is scheduled to return to Chicago on Wednesday, the third day of the convention.
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Associated Press writers Ali Swenson in New York and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.
