Kamala Harris Philadelphia rally LIVE updates — Tim Walz jokes about ‘old white guys’ in 1st rally speech since VP pick
KAMALA Harris has held her first rally since announcing Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 presidential election.
Harris and Walz were all smiles as they made the campaign debut on Tuesday, hours after Minnesota Governor Walz beat out the other finalists like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
When Walz took the stage, he praised his running mate saying she took on the "predators," "fraudsters," and "transnational gangs."
He also joked about the "old white guys" in the crowd, saying, "Some of us in here are old enough to remember … I see you down there, I see those old white guys … when it was Republicans talking about freedom."
It came shortly after Harris' VP runner-up Shapiro addressed the Philadelphia rally, vowing to help Harris and Walz beat former President Donald Trump in the November election.
"Over the next 92 days, I look forward to traveling all across the Commonwealth to unite Pennsylvanians behind Kamala Harris’ campaign to defeat Donald Trump, become the 47th President of the United States, and build a better future for our country," he said.
The rally took place at the Liacouras Center at Temple University at 5 pm ET.
Read our Kamala Harris rally blog for the latest updates...
'Bring the fire'
After being introduced by Harris, Walz shouted out Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, telling the crowd “My god, what a treasure you have.
“Holy hell can this guy bring the fire. This is a visionary leader.”
Shapiro, believed to be the runner-up to the Minnesota Governor in the VP pick race, introduced Harris and Walz before they took the stage together for the first time.
Harris' post-rally tweets
Harris also shared several posts on X after the Tuesday night rally where she introduced Walz as her running mate.
"Coach Walz and I may hail from different corners of our great country, but our values are the same: We both believe in lifting people up, not knocking them down," one post read.
Another post read: "Let’s get to work, @Tim_Walz."
That tweet also had the same link to join and donate to the Harris-Walz campaign.
.Walz reps ticket merch
Hours after the rally ended, Walz shared several posts on X.
"What a reception. And no one I’d rather campaign alongside than you, @KamalaHarris," one tweet read.
Another read: "Proud. Now let’s go win this."
That post ended with a call to action to join the campaign and donate.
A third post showed the Minnesota Governor in a Harris-Walz branded hat.
"Capping off the night," the photo caption read.
Trump responds on Truth Social
In the hours after Harris and Walz's rally, former President Donald Trump appeared to lash out on Truth Social.
Trump shared several posts that began, "Crazy Kamabla ... "
He also shared several articles that targeted Walz's time serving in the National Guard.
Here's what's next for the duo as they hit the campaign trail together:
Harris and Walz's first campaign rally together in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, kicked off a seven-state tour across five days.
This tour across swing states includes hitting Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, and Nevada.
The stretch is set to be one of the heaviest weeks of campaign-related travel this election cycle.
After her week-long tour around the country, Harris and Walz will hit the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, from August 19 to 22.
Walz shouts out Shapiro after taking the VP pick over him
"My god, what a treasure you have in Josh Shapiro," said Walz about the Pennsylvania governor.
"Holy hell can this guy bring the fire? This is a visionary leader."
"Everybody in America knows, that when you need a bridge fixed, you call that guy."
"I think sometimes we forget and we see people a little one-dimensional," Walz added.
"There is no one you would rather go to a Springsteen concert in Jersey with than him."
Walz calls Vance "Creepy" and "Weird as hell"
“Like all regular people I grew up with in the heartland, JD studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community,” he said.
“That’s not what Middle America is," said Walz.
"These guys are creepy, and yeah, just weird as hell"
"That's what you see"
"So you know what's out there so say it with me, we are not going back"
"We'll sleep when we're dead."
Walz says there is still much work to do before the election in just 91 days.
"We'll sleep when we're dead," Walz said of the countdown to election day.
"I'll have Vice President Harris' back every single day - and we'll have yours"
"We can't do it alone. We need you. Each and every one of you."
Tim Walz lays a zinger on JD Vance
Walz roasted his Republican counterpart JD Vance, cracking a joke about the Republican VP pick and a viral joke about Vance having sexual relations with a couch.
"I gotta tell you - I can't wait to debate the guy," said Walz.
"That is, if he's willing to get off the couch and show up," he said as the crowd erupted into laughter and disbelief.
For context, a parody post on X claimed that there was part in Vance's best-selling book, Hillbilly Elegy, where the Ohio Senator admitted to having sexual relations with a sofa.
Although this was a fake post, the internet has since run with it, ridiculing Vance online for the false rumor.
The joke was then exacerbated after an article by The Associated Press titled, No, JD Vance did not have sex with a couch, was retracted and deleted from the news site, which prompted a slew of memes on social media saying the rumor must be true.
Kamala Harris asks the crowd what kind of nation they want to live in
"So Pennsylvania, ultimately in this election we each face a question," said Harris to the crowd.
"What kind of country do we want to live in? A country of freedom, compassion, and the rule of law?," asked Harris.
"Or a country of chaos, fear, and hate?"
"And here's the beauty of our democracy - we each have the power to answer that question," said Harris.
"The power is with the people."
"We both know the vast majority of people in our country have so much more in common than what separates them."
"This campaign, our campaign, is not just a fight against Donald Trump... it's a fight for the future."
Tim Walz record as Governor of Minnesota
Walz was born in a small town in rural Nebraska, representing and flipping a deep red district in Southern Minnesota in Congress.
Walz prides himself on knowing rural issues, and the Midwest, signing into law some of the most progressive legislation of any governor in the country with just a one-seat majority.
He is also a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard and a former public school teacher and union member.
Some policies that Walz has passed as Governor of Minnesota:
- Universal free school breakfast and lunch for all public school students
- Free tampons and pads in all public school bathrooms and locker rooms
- Legalized marijuana
- Signed legislation aiming to create carbon-free electricity state-wide by 2040
- Tax rebates for the working class up to $1,300 for residents making under $150k per year
- Lowered taxes on small businesses
- Became the first state to implement a minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers
- 12 weeks of paid family leave
- 12 weeks of paid sick leave
- Banned conversion therapy in the state
- Implemented red flag laws and universal background checks for gun purchases
- Automatic voter registration for state residents
- Free public college under $80k for all state residents
- Ban on PFAS, known as forever chemicals, in the state's water supply
- $2.2 billion increase in k-12 public school funding
- Sectoral bargaining for nursing home workers
- Strengthened access to abortion
- Passed the largest infrastructure bill in state history
- Massive investments into affordable housing and public transportation
Their records are like "a matchup between Varsity and the JV squad."
Kamala Harris, who announced she is now officially the Democratic Party nominee as of today, went over Walz resume in front of the crowd.
"This campaign, our campaign, is not just a fight against DOnald Trump… it's a fight for the future," Harris said.
"To those who know him best, Tim is more than just a governor."
Walz was a public school teacher for over 20 years, state championship winning football coach, a congressman with one of the most bipartisan records in the house of representatives, and the successful Governor of Minnesota - leading the state to become ranked sixth in the nation for business.
"Tim knew the signal that it would send to have a football coach get involved," Harris said of Walz serving as his public school's faculty advisor for the Gay-Straight Alliance.
"I think everyone here can see Tim Walz was the kind of teacher and mentor that every kid dreams of having and that every kid deserves," she continued.
"And in 91 days ... the nation will know Coach Walz by another name: Vice President of the United States."
"When you compare his resume… some might say it's like a match up between the varsity team and the JV squad," Harris said of Walz.
Walz warns what a Trump presidency would look like
"Some of us in here are old enough to remember when it was Republicans talking about freedom," Walz said as he joked about seeing old white guys in the crowd who could relate.
"He's gonna pick up exactly where he left off four years ago - except much, much worse," Walz said of a second Trump term.
Walz said that Trump didn't know what he was doing the last time, but this time, knows exactly what he is doing and is going to do.
"Donald Trump sees the world a little differently than us," said Walz.
"He doesn't know the first thing about service. He doesn't have time for it because he's too busy serving himself."
“Donald Trump's not fighting for you or your family,” he said.
“And I gotta tell you, his running mate shares his dangerous and backward agenda for this country.”
Walz attacks Trump on crime
"Make no mistake - violent crime was up under Donald Trump," Walz said.
"That's not even counting the crimes he committed."
Last year, America saw one of the lowest rates of violent crime in more than 50 years with the murder rate seeing the sharpest decrease in history, according to FBI data.
Instances of violent crime, such as murders, increased during the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of the Trump administration, but have been on the decline since he left office.
Reproductive freedom
During his speech, Walz said that he and his wife had trouble having children.
Walz revealed that his children were conceived using invitro fertilization, otherwise known as IVF, and vowed to use his powers if elected VP to protect this practice.
IVF treatments have been under threat since The Supreme Court's ruling that overturned Roe V. Wade - as clinics in states such as Alabama chose to pause IVF treatments after the state ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law.
“My oldest daughter’s name is Hope. That’s because my wife and I spent seven years trying to get pregnant, needed fertility treatments, things like IVF – things MAGA Republicans would ban"
Love birds
After the speech, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and First Lady of Minnesota Gwen Walz joined their respective spouses on the stage.
Walz and his wife have a daughter named Hope and a son named Gus.
Walz also shouted out his wife, a 29-year public school teacher.
"Don't ever underestimate teachers," Walz said about him and his wife.
'Can't do it alone'
Walz vowed to have Harris' back "every single day - and we'll have yours."
"We can't do it alone. We need you. Each and every one of you."
Walz wants to debate Vance
Tim Walz continued to slam JD Vance, saying that he is not "what middle America is.
"I gotta tell you - I can't wait to debate the guy.
"That is, if he's willing to get off the couch and show up," taking a dig at Vance and the jokes on social media about the Republican VP having sexual relations with a couch.
He continued his rhetoric, calling Trump and Vance "weird as hell."
"So you know what's out there so say it with me: we are not going back.
"We'll sleep when we're dead," he said of the countdown to Election Day.
'Don't believe him'
Walz claimed that Donald Trump knows more about Project 2025 than he lets on.
"Don't believe him when he plays dumb - he knows exactly what Project 2025 will do to restrict our freedoms," said Walz.
"He's gonna pick up exactly where he left off four years ago - except much, much worse."
He added that Trump's running mate, JD Vance "literally wrote the forward for the architect of the Project 2025 agenda."
Trump had tried to distance himself from Project 2025, claiming not to know what it is.
However, Trump has also previously praised The Heritage Foundation, the organization responsible for writing the 900-page document, on numerous occasions and has said they are laying the groundwork for what a second term under him will look like.
Credit: Reuters Walz bashes Trump
Walz praised his running mate, saying that Harris has "fought on the side of the American people.
"She took on the predators. She took on the fraudsters. She took down the transnational gangs. She stood up against powerful corporate interests.
"And she never hesitated to reach across the aisle if it meant improving people’s lives.”
He quickly turned to slam former President Donald Trump who "sees the world a little differently than us.
"He doesn't know the first thing about service. He doesn't have time for it because he's too busy serving himself.
"Trump weakens our economy to strengthen his own hand.
"Make no mistake - violent crime was up under Donald Trump.
"That's not even counting the crimes he committed," referring to Trump's felony conviction.
'Treasure'
Walz shouted out Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, telling the crowd "My god, what a treasure you have.
"Holy hell can this guy bring the fire. This is a visionary leader."
Walz also praised his wife, Gwen Walz, who has served 29 years as a public school educator.
"Don't ever underestimate teachers."
Walz takes the mic
With a roaring introduction from Kamala Harris, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz took the mic to address the crowd.
"Wow. Thank you again, Philadelphia. Thank you, Madam Vice President - but more so, thank you for bringing back the joy.
"I'm thrilled to be on this incredible journey."
Credit: Fox News Kamala slams Vance
After praising Walz, Harris asked the crowd if they should compare his resume with Trump's running mate, JD Vance.
"Well some might say it's like a match-up between the varsity team and the JV squad," she said.
"So Pennsylvania, ultimately in this election we each face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in?
"A country of freedom, compassion, and rule of law? Or a country of chaos, fear, and hate?
"And here's the beauty of our democracy - we each have the power to answer that question.
"The power is with the people."
'Teacher and mentor'
Harris continued to describe Walz's work before being picked as her running mate.
"Tim knew the signal that it would send to have a football coach get involved," she said, adding that he was approached by a student in his social studies class to create a Gay-Straight Alliance.
"He signed up to be the group's faculty advisor and as students said, he made the school a safe place for everybody.
"I think everyone here can see Tim Walz was the kind of teacher and mentor that every kid dreams of having and that every kid deserves.
"That's the kind of vice president America deserves."
Cheers for Walz
Kamala Harris introduced her running mate, Tim Walz to the crowd, praising him for the many hats he's worn throughout his career.
"To those who know him best, Tim is more than just a governor," said Harris.
She addressed his past in the Army National Guard to work as a school teacher, which earned major cheers from the crowd.
Walz also coached football in the Mankato school district.
"And in 91 days ... the nation will know Coach Walz by another name: Vice President of the United States," said Harris.