Tim Walz's Son Makes a Splash at DNC

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president on the third night of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, amid plenty of talk of "joy" and "freedom." Some key moments:

• Tim Walz: The vice-presidential nominee painted Republicans as taking away voters' economic and healthcare freedoms. Freedom to Democrats means "freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people you love. Freedom to make your own health care decisions. And yeah, your kids' freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall," he said, per the Washington Post.
• Gus Walz: In one emotional moment, Walz addressed his wife, Gwen, and two children, Hope and Gus. "You are my entire world, and I love you," he said, per CNN. Walz' 17-year-old son, Gus, who has a learning disorder, then stood up and applauded his father as he wept. "That's my dad," he exclaimed. Social media users were touched, per the Hill. On X, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki wrote that she was "Team Gus Walz."

• Oprah Winfrey: "Freedom isn't free," said the TV host, who made an unannounced appearance. "It takes hard work and heart work." The one to do it: Harris, a child of immigrants, who is "the best of America," said Winfrey. Urging voters to "choose joy," she went on to denounce "people who would have you believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe," per the Guardian.
• Nancy Pelosi: Actor Mindy Kaling referred to the former House speaker as "brat before brat was brat" and the "mother of dragons," per Politico. Pelosi spoke only briefly but applauded Joe Biden's presidency as "one of the most successful presidencies of modern times." "I know that Vice President Harris is ready to take us to new heights," she added, per the Post.
• Bill Clinton: The 78-year-old former president "cast Trump as self-obsessed and Harris as a clean break from the drama," per CNN. "We've seen more than one election slip away from us when we thought it couldn't happen, when people got distracted by phoney issues," he said, per the Guardian. "If you can get [Harris and Walz] elected ... you'll be proud of it for the rest of your life."

• Pete Buttigieg: The Transportation Secretary took shots at Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance, specifically his comment that a person without kids has "no physical commitment to the future of this country." "When I deployed to Afghanistan, I didn't have kids … but our commitment to the future of this country was pretty damn physical," Buttigieg said.
• Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin: The parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American hostage held by Hamas, said they'd met "numerous times" with Biden and Harris, who are "working tirelessly for a hostage and ceasefire deal" that would end "a surplus of agony on all sides."
• Ilhan Omar: The representative from Minnesota applauded that latter speech, per the Post. Later, she joined leaders of the Uncommitted National Movement who began a sit-in outside the convention after they said they were refused a speaking slot. They urged an end to US military supplies for Israel's war in Gaza, per CNN.

(More Democratic National Convention stories.)