Voter expectations ahead of the Democratic Party Convention
At the Democratic National Convention, delegates and politicians from across the country will come together to support the Harris-Walz ticket.
Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, will take the stage on Wednesday, the third night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and we will be following the event to let you know if he, Bill Clinton and other speakers stray from the truth.
Walz, 60, is a former teacher who was elected governor of Minnesota in 2019 after serving multiple terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. While Walz will serve as the evening’s keynote speaker, former President Bill Clinton is also scheduled to speak on Wednesday. Vice President Kamala Harris, who will speak Thursday night, announced Walz as her running mate in early August.
Check back here throughout the night as USA TODAY’s Fact Check Team separates fact from fiction and adds context when needed.
Related: Fact check for day 1 of the DNC: See what Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton did right and wrong
Live updates on the Democratic Party Convention: What time does the DNC start? Who are the speakers?
We’re likely to hear something about the war in Ukraine at the DNC, as the conflict remains a key issue for Democrats more than two years after the Russian invasion in 2022.
Many members of the Republican Party have opposed continued U.S. aid to Ukraine, arguing that taxpayer money would be better spent on domestic concerns. Meanwhile, Biden has continued to show steadfast support for the country, signing a 10-year security agreement in June pledging military aid for the next decade of conflict with Russia.
Harris has largely adopted Biden’s foreign policy in this regard, condemning Russia’s “crimes against humanity” in Ukraine and announcing a $1.5 billion aid package to provide energy assistance, humanitarian aid and the security of the country’s civilian population.
USA TODAY has debunked numerous claims about the war in Ukraine:
The war in Gaza remains a sensitive issue for politicians and voters, even though the conflict is now nearly a year old. It will likely be a topic of discussion at the DNC as protesters organize in the streets surrounding Chicago’s convention center.
Young voters and even prominent Democratic donors expressed their disapproval of Biden’s war approach, calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to ongoing U.S. military aid to Israel.
In comparison, Harris was more outspoken about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, raising hopes among some progressive voters.
While reiterating the Biden administration’s view that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas, Harris has publicly expressed concern about human suffering in Gaza. In December, she said Israel must “do more to protect civilian lives,” and in March she called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza because of the “humanitarian catastrophe.” In a December speech in Dubai, she said that “international humanitarian law must be respected.”
Conversely, Republicans have criticized Biden for not supporting Israel sufficiently and condemned the pro-Palestinian protests taking place across the country. Former President Donald Trump even went so far as to say in a March interview that Democrats “hate Israel” and any Jew who supports them “hates their religion.”
USA TODAY has debunked numerous claims about Israel and the war in Gaza:
-Hannah Hudnall
Tim Walz, the keynote speaker at today’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, has been the subject of a series of false and misleading claims since Vice President Kamala Harris announced Walz as her running mate in early August.
The 60-year-old Minnesota governor spent his childhood in Nebraska, joined the National Guard after high school and worked as a social studies teacher and high school football coach. Contrary to some social media posts, he coached at Mankato West High School when it won a state championship in 1999.
His political career began when he volunteered for John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2004. Three years later, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served several terms. In 2018, he was elected governor of Minnesota.
Walz was still in office on May 25, 2020, when a video went viral showing Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee on George Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, sparking protests across the country. Walz – not Trump, as some falsely claimed – activated the National Guard when demonstrations in Minneapolis spiraled out of control.
Harris first introduced Walz during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, highlighting his role as faculty adviser to his school’s first gay-straight alliance club and his work in passing a law protecting abortion access in Minnesota after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Here are several claims about Walz that we have already debunked:
-Chris Mueller
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