Tim Walz makes rare public appearance at 9/11 event

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday made his first public appearance in the state in his official capacity as governor since becoming Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate five weeks ago, a move that drastically changed his political life.

He took a detour from the campaign trail to greet volunteers packaging meals for local food shelves in honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance marking 23 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Walz, who was a teacher at Mankato West High School at the time, reflected on being in the classroom when he heard the news.

"I picture that moment of disbelief, of horror," he said to a couple hundred volunteers inside Roy Wilkins Auditorium. "Students started to filter in in the morning when news was happening, and to watch young faces try and comprehend the war that was in front of them."

His remarks were brief and after he spoke, he helped volunteers seal some of the 230,000 bags of oatmeal organizers said they planned on packaging by the day's end. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan also joined Walz Wednesday; he didn't take any questions from the press.

"I remember that morning very clearly, but I remember the mornings after that, when on streets I had never seen American flags [on] before, they started to come and people who hadn't talked about that much together started talking together," Walz said of Sept. 11, 2001. "And it may not have lasted as long as we'd like, but there was a moment of unity around shared values."

It was his first official public appearance in Minnesota since early August when Harris announced that she had chosen him to join her on the Democratic ticket. He made a brief stop at the Minnesota State Fair , which was organized by the Harris Walz campaign.

While she used to frequently tag team events alongside the governor, Flanagan has made more solo appearances in the state in recent weeks as Walz crisscrosses the country to make the case to voters eight weeks before Election Day.

Starting Thursday, he's back on the road as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, scheduled to visit the electoral battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin.