DNC 2024 live: ‘Coach’ Tim Walz delivers powerful ‘pep talk’ after surprise Oprah speech going after Trump

The TV icon called out Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance during her surprise speech on day three of the DNC after being welcomed on stage by a roaring crowd, with delegates springing to their feet during her debut appearance at a national convention.

The billionaire media mogul described herself as an independent before asking all the “independents and all you undecideds” to choose “truth”, “honour” and “joy” as she endorsed Kamala Harris.

“Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024,” she said in a direct appeal to the unaffiliated.

She then focused on a message of unity while criticising the Ohio senator for his “childless cat ladies“ insults directed at women who don’t submit to the idea of “traditional families”.

Here’s more from Alisha Rahaman Sarkar.

Former president Bill Clinton, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Nancy Pelosi and Democratic rising stars Pete Buttigieg, Wes Moore, Hakeem Jeffries and Josh Shapiro all spoke at the United Center on Wednesday, with musical performances by Stevie Wonder and John Legend.

Clinton, whose wife Hillary spoke on Monday, likewise tore into Donald Trump while touting Kamala Harris’s leadership in a speech seeking to help shepherd his party into a new era.

The Arkansas veteran leaned heavily into the role of elder statesman in his remarks while describing Trump as self-centered and positioning Harris, the Democratic nominee, as the natural opposite.

He began by referencing his age — notable by the slightly raspy voice and shake in the hands — while still getting in a dig at Trump.

“Two days ago I turned 78 – the oldest man in my family,” Clinton remarked.

“And the only personal vanity I want to assert, is that I’m still younger than Donald Trump.”

Alex Woodward and Julia Saqui have this on the former high school teacher’s students who turned out en masse to cheer on his big moment last night.

“The Walzes are out of central casting for good, decent people,” Jacob Reitan, who graduated in 2000, told The Independent at the DNC.

The Minnesota Governor’s seventeen-year-old son exploded with pride during his father’s address last night, yelling: “That’s my dad!” as his old man expressed his love for his family from the United Center’s podium.

The younger Walz stood, tears streaming down his face, and pointed ecstatically to his father as Walz Sr delivered his acceptance speech to thousands of people in the packed arena and millions more watching at home.

Here’s more on a very moving moment.

Kamala Harris will finally accept the Democratic Party’s nomination to be its 2024 presidential candidate on Thursday as the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago reaches its climax.

Her running mate Tim Walz formally accepted his nomination on Wednesday, delivering a moving speech that brought his family to tears as he told them: “Hope, Gus and Gwen – you are my entire world and I love you.”

Walz was met with cheers and chants of “Coach! Coach! Coach!” as he took to the stage and declared: “Never underestimate a public school teacher.”

“It’s the fourth quarter, we’re down a field goal, but we’re on offense and we have the ball, we’re driving down the field and boy do we have the right team,” the former football coach concluded.

“Kamala Harris is ready! Our job for everyone watching is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and the tackling.”

Here’s Alex Woodward and Andrew Feinberg’s report.

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, where Kamala Harris is poised to accept her party’s nomination for the presidency.

Her running mate Tim Walz formally accepted his nomination on Wednesday, with delegates also listening to speeches by former president Bill Clinton, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Nancy Pelosi and Democratic rising stars Pete Buttigieg, Wes Moore, Hakeem Jeffries and Josh Shapiro and musical performances from Stevie Wonder and John Legend.