Live updates: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz appear in Philadelphia for their first rally together

Walz went after JD Vance's attempts to play up his Midwestern and "Middle American" upbringing.

"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," Walz said sarcastically. "Come on. That's not what Middle America is."

He doubled down on calling both Trump and Vance "creepy" and "weird as hell," echoing the attack line he unintentionally started as a rallying cry for Democrats and the Harris campaign.

"I gotta tell you, I can't wait to debate the guy," he added.

During his speech, Walz relayed a personal anecdote about his wife's fertility struggles.

"When my wife and I decided to have children, we spent years going through infertility treatments," he said. "And I remember praying every night for a call for good news, the pit in my stomach when the phone rang. And the agony when we heard the treatments hadn't worked.

"So it wasn't by chance that when we welcomed our daughter into the world, we named her Hope," he added.

After complimenting Harris, Walz shifted to attacking former President Donald Trump.

"Trump weakens our economy to strengthen his own hand," Walz said. "He sows chaos and division, and that's to say nothing of his record as president."

Walz continued to attack Trump's response to the COVID pandemic and how the economy suffered under his presidency.

"Make no mistake, violent crime was up under Trump," he said. "That’s not even including the crimes he committed.”

Walz then pivoted to talking about health care, in particular reproductive rights — a key talking point for both him and Harris.

"Some of us in here are old enough to remember when it was Republicans who were talking about freedom," Walz said. "It turns out now what they meant is that the government should be free to invade your doctor's office."

He mentioned a golden rule he says Minnesotans follow that the government should pick up too: “Mind your own damn business.”

In his first speech as Kamala Harris's running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz talked about his experience serving in the military, as a teacher and as a high school football coach.

Walz said his students had encouraged him to run for office in 2006, the year he was elected toCongress.

“I learned the art of compromise without compromising my values," he said of his time on Capitol Hill.

"These same values I learned on the family farm and tried to instill in my students, I took to Congress and the state capital," he continued. "And now, Vice President Harris and I are running to take them to the White House!"

Following a lengthy introduction from Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took to the podium in Philadelphia on Tuesday to a thunderous standing ovation.

"Thank you, Madame Vice President, for the trust you put in me, but even more so, thank you for bringing back the joy," Walz said in his first public remarks since becoming her running mate.

Harris laid out some of Walz's shooting accomplishments, claiming he is known as Capitol Hill's "best marksman," having won several bipartisan competitions during his time in Congress.

Then, Harris emphasized that despite Walz's personal interest in shooting and hunting, he and Harris align on a commitment to passing universal background checks for gun owners and banning assault weapons.

During Harris's opening remarks, she told the audience about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's background, emphasizing his time as a high school football coach — where he took a team from winless to state champions — and his decision to help one of his student start a gay-straight alliance at the school.

She also mentioned Walz being named "most inspiring faculty member."

"He's the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big," Harris said. "That's the kind of vice president he will be and that's the kind of vice president America deserves."

"I set out to find a partner who can help build this brighter future," Harris told the crowd in Philadelphia. "A leader who will help unite our nation and move us forward, a fighter for the middle class, a patriot who believes as I do in the extraordinary promise of America: a promise of freedom, opportunity and justice — not just for some but for all. So, Pennsylvania, I'm here today because I found such a leader."

Harris continued promoting Walz, explaining that he's known by many different titles to different people: a father, a congressman, a sergeant major and a coach.

"In 91 days, the nation will know Coach Walz by another name," Harris said, to roaring applause. "Vice president of the United States."

After giving a shout-out to local elected officials, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. John Fetterman, Vice President Kamala Harris publicly acknowledged the news that she formally secured the Democratic presidential nomination late Monday night.

"I stand before you today to proudly announce I am now officially the Democratic nominee for president of the United States," Harris said, flanked by her newly minted running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. "And so now we got some work to do."

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz were showered with applause as they walked onstage together at the duo's first campaign rally.

Harris and Walz were preceded by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who called Walz "a good friend" and said Harris was "courtroom tough" and "ready to go."

The two took the stage to Beyoncé's "Freedom," which has already become a regular feature of Harris's campaign rallies.

At the end of his speech in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro gave a nod to the city's role in history, and the country's Founding Fathers declaration of freedom from England.

"They came here to declare their independence from a king," he said. "And we're not going back to a king."

Earlier in his remarks, Shapiro chastised former President Donald Trump for not accepting his loss in the 2020 election.

"It sure as hell isn't freedom to say, 'You can go vote, but he's gonna pick the winner,'" Shapiro said. "That is not freedom."

In his speech Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he was "proud" of his Jewish faith, and rebutted Republican critics who claim that Harris's pick of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was evidence that antisemitism was prevalent in the Democratic Party.

"I want to tell you what my faith teaches me," Shapiro said, adding, "My faith teaches me that no one is required to complete the task but neither are we free to refrain from it. That means that each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, to get in the game and to do our part."

Shapiro made clear in his full-throated endorsement of Harris that he would be working hard to get her elected president in the coming months.

Shapiro gave a shout-out to Gen Z, the youngest generation qualified to vote, as "understanding the responsibility" when it comes to voting and staying organized — even referencing TikTok as their platform of choice to do so.

Social media plays a critical role in how the majority of Americans get news, but young adults 18 to 29 especially lean on TikTok for information.

After Gov. Josh Shapiro mentioned former President Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance, the crowd started to chant, "He's a weirdo! He's a weirdo!"

The term "weird" has been a common line of attack from Democrats for the past few weeks, starting with an interview Walz gave in July.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was reportedly passed over by Vice President Kamala Harris for her choice of running mate, spoke at the beginning of Harris's first joint rally with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in Philadelphia.

"I love you Philly," Sharpiro said after being greeted with thunderous applause. "And you know what else I love? I love being your governor."

Shapiro vowed to do whatever he can to help campaign for Harris and Walz, who he described as his friends.

"I'm going to continue to pour my heart and soul into working for you every day as your governor," he said. "And I'm going to be working my tail off to make sure we make Kamala Harris and Tim Walz the next leaders of the United States."

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro received a standing ovation and loud applause when he took the stage.

"I love being your governor," he said. "You all fill my heart and I love you so much."

Shapiro, who was on the shortlist for Harris's running mate, praised the vice president, saying, "She is courtroom tough. She has a big heart. And she is battle-tested and ready to go."

DJ Diamond Kuts, a Philadelphia native, spun a hefty mix of hip-hop, including "Swag Surfin" and "Knuck if You Buck," during her set to warm up the crowd at tonight's rally at the Liacouras Center. While spinning, she invoked a "Harris-Walz" call-and-response in the middle of the songs.

DJ Diamond Kuts also has a "coconut tree" remix, a nod to the now viral meme that references remarks Vice President Kamala Harris made in May 2023.

Harris and Walz, who are scheduled for their first rally today in Philadelphia at 5:30 p.m. ET, will host a virtual grassroots fundraiser, according to Harris's personal X profile.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz landed in Philadelphia ahead of Tuesday's campaign rally at the Liacouras Center. Walz, his wife, Gwen, and their two children, Gus and Hope, disembarked the plane, with Walz greeting awaiting staff before heading into a black SUV, video posted on X showed.

The rally will be his first campaign appearance as Kamala Harris's running mate.