Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepts VP nomination at Democratic National Convention

CHICAGO, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz officially accepted the Democratic Party's vice presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) held here on Wednesday night.

"It's the honor of my life to accept your nomination for vice president of the United States," Walz said in a speech on the third day of the party's national convention scheduled for Aug. 19 to 22.

Walz, a former public school teacher, high school football coach, veteran, and six-term U.S. House Representative, was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave prime-time speeches. Influential talk show host Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance at the convention and delivered a powerful speech.

On Tuesday night, former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff gave prime-time speeches.

On the opening day of the DNC, both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and United Auto Workers President Sean Fain gave prime-time speeches. President Joe Biden, greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of delegates, closed the night of the first day by delivering a nearly hourlong keynote speech.

On Monday, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the venue to express their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's Israel policy, with at least four being arrested after breaching a security fence although the vast majority of the demonstration proceeded peacefully.

On Tuesday night, dozens of people were arrested after clashing with police during an unauthorized protest outside the Israeli Consulate in downtown Chicago.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who has already won enough delegates to become the Democratic presidential nominee in a virtual roll call vote earlier this month, is expected to officially accept the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on Thursday night.

As Democrats gather for the convention, former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has been holding campaign rallies in multiple states this week, including key swing states Michigan and North Carolina.

In the key swing states that could decide the results of the election, the race between the two remains tight. According to the latest poll data compiled by Real Clear Politics, Harris leads Trump by 1.0 percentage points in Wisconsin and by 2.0 percentage points in Michigan. In Pennsylvania, Harris trails by 0.2 percentage points.