Teacher, coach and veteran, Tim Walz makes his primetime DNC debut to accept VP nomination

Facing the biggest moment of his political career to date, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will introduce himself to voters during his primetime speech Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Laura Barrón-López joins Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz to discuss what to expect.

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Geoff Bennett: Well, Laura, as you say, it is a major moment for Governor Walz tonight. What can we expect to hear from him?

Laura Barron-Lopez: Governor Walz is going to be introduced by a former student of his, one that he coached for track, not football, although many of that he was a former football coach.

And he’s expected to talk about his upbringing in small-town Nebraska. And you are — we are also going to be seeing videos throughout the night that highlight his service in the National Guard, as well as his time as a public school teacher.

And we’re expected that he is going to be talking a lot about his middle-class, working-class roots. That’s been a big theme here this convention, Geoff, which we have also heard from second gentleman Doug Emhoff last night, where he talked about working at McDonald’s when he was in high school, very similar to the vice president working at McDonald’s when she was at Howard.

And that’s something that the campaign has largely leaned into heavily as they try to relate to voters.

Amna Nawaz: Laura, we expect another full slate of speakers on the convention stage tonight as well. Who are some of the folks will hear from we’re expected to hear from?

Laura Barron-Lopez: We’re expected to hear from Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Murphy, as well as Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, as well as House leaders, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and some of those V.P. contenders that Vice President Harris considered as potential running mates, like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

But we are also going to be hearing from more Republicans, Amna, like former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia Geoff Duncan. And that’s a big play from the Harris campaign, as she tries to make sure that she is keeping that anti-Trump coalition together that Biden was able to use in 2020 to win the presidency.

Geoff Bennett: What about the themes and through lines tonight, Laura? What’s on tap on that front?

Laura Barron-Lopez: So, overall, we are going to continue to hear more about the threats Democrats say that Project 2025 poses. That’s that Heritage Foundation blueprint for a second Trump presidency.

And we are also going to be hearing from more reproductive rights leaders, including Mini Timmaraju, who we interviewed on our special last night. And I’m also told that a number of speakers are going to be talking more directly about immigration and trying to own that issue, which Democrats have increasingly tried to do, as well as this is going to be a big night of phone banking alongside the convention for Democrats.

They are expected to have 400 phone bakes across the battleground states with some 4,000 volunteers, Geoff.

Amna Nawaz: Laura, in the meantime, we know there’s been some question around how much or how little Vice President Harris has worked to differentiate herself from President Biden and his policies.

As you talk to delegates and voters, what do they make of that?

Laura Barron-Lopez: So, a number of the Democrats that I have talked to be them, be them delegates, operatives, as well as party leaders, they essentially say that they do not think that Harris needs to differentiate herself dramatically from President Biden.

The only issue that the Democrats I spoke to say that they think she should carve out her own lane and a more empathetic lane is on Gaza and making her own path on Israel, her own policy positions on Israel much more clear.

On the rest, on economy, immigration and abortion, they say she should simply just build upon Biden’s agenda. And my producer, Shrai Popat, he spoke to a Republican who spoke at the convention last night, Trump voter Kyle Sweetser, who he said that he just thinks that Harris and Walz need to be — quote — “more adaptive” and don’t go — appear to be going after things like Second Amendment rights.

And then another Republican we spoke to here — and this speaks to the balance that Harris needs to strike by keeping that anti-Trump coalition together — another Republican said that, in states like Michigan, in addition to those 100,000 uncommitted votes, this Republican said Harris needs to pay attention to the Nikki Haley primary voters, of which there were some 300,000 in Michigan.

Amna Nawaz: All right, that’s our White House correspondent, Laura Barron-Lopez, joining us from the convention.

Laura, good to speak with you. Thank you.

Laura Barron-Lopez: Thank you.