Highlights from Kamala Harris and JD Vance’s Philadelphia rallies

On a random Tuesday in August, Philadelphia will go down in political history as a day it will never forget.

In the morning, Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance dropped by for an unusual hybrid rally and merchandise sale, largely focused on criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris. Hours later, Harris flew into town to introduce Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential candidate before a energized crowd at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. The high-octane rally kicked off a multi-part state tour and marked Harris’ first campaign appearance since officially winning the Democratic presidential nomination.

The two events in Philadelphia underscore the importance of Pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes. In some polls of Pennsylvania voters conducted before Walz’s election, Trump maintains a narrow lead, while Harris wins in others.

Here are five key takeaways from the substantial day in Philadelphia.

Josh Shapiro on Fiery Moment: ‘I Lean on My Family and My Faith’

Gov. Josh Shapiro eagerly embraced and defended his Jewish faith in what appeared to be a bold response to comments by Republican candidate Sen. J.D. Vance earlier in the day suggesting that Shapiro was being passed over because of anti-Semitism among Democrats.

In one of the most memorable moments of the evening, Shapiro looked into the camera and told the world, “I lean on my family and my faith to call me to serve, and I am proud of my faith.”

Towards the end of his impassioned speeches, when the governor’s voice began to hoarse from shouting, Shapiro quoted Pirkei Avot, an old text of Jewish ethics: “No one is obligated to perform a task, but we are not allowed to refrain from doing so either.”

Vance said Tuesday morning at his campaign event in Philadelphia that Shapiro had needed to “run away” from his Jewish faith, but the governor’s statement that evening at the Liacouras Center showed he was doing the exact opposite and was instead using the teachings of Judaism to promote civic engagement.

“That means that each and every one of us has an obligation to get off the satellites, get into the game and do our part,” Shapiro said of the line from Pirkei Avot. “Are you ready to do your part? Are you ready to form a more perfect union? Are you ready to build an America where no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love or who you pray to, there is a place for you?”

Comedy show starring Tim Walz

Walz wasn’t afraid to get personal during his first speech as Harris’ vice presidential candidate, sharing how his students inspired him to run for office and the journey he and his wife, Minnesota First Lady Gwen, began with in vitro fertilization treatments.

In a rhythm reminiscent of the jokey punch line of a comedy show, accompanied by laughter from the crowd, Walz quickly became personal in a different way, attacking Trump, Vance and Republicans with his direct, Midwestern sense of humor. “There is a golden rule [in Minnesota]“Mind your own damn business,” Walz said of GOP lawmakers’ attempts to restrict reproductive rights.

The rowdy crowd responded with chants of “Mind your own business!” to which Walz laughed and replied, “These guys are chasing my heart chanting ‘Mind your own business,’ that’s good.”

Walz, a man who has called Trump and Vance “weird,” reached another level of humor Tuesday night, saying he “can’t wait” to debate the Ohio U.S. senator if Vance “is willing to get off the couch and show up,” in a veiled reference to unsubstantiated claim that has been circulating online about Vance.

Walz then pulled on his ear and asked the crowd, “See what I did?”

Walz used the same joking tone to compare his working-class background to his Republican opponent.

“Like all the regular people I grew up with in the heartland, JD went to Yale University, was funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, and then wrote a best-seller that denigrated that community,” Walz said, before exclaiming, “Come on!”

Trump has not been exonerated of Walz’s allegations.[Trump] is throwing COVID in the face. It destroyed our economy and make no mistake, violent crime is up under Donald Trump,” Walz said, preparing for another punch line: “That’s not even counting the crimes he committed,” referring to Trump’s felony conviction.

Kamala Harris Talks About Walz’s Characteristics That Could Work in Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia rally was the first time Harris has taken the campaign stage since becoming the official Democratic nominee. She acknowledged the momentous occasion but spent much of Tuesday night introducing Walz to the world and highlighting the qualities that could lend a hand the candidate win in swing states like Pennsylvania.

Before Walz became the butt of jokes on a national stage in the Midwest, he served in the National Guard, was a teacher, a football coach and a rural congressman, Harris told the crowd.

Harris made special note of Walz’s past as a football coach and teacher, calling him “Coach Walz” in her speech and recounting how the governor “saw potential in kids who sometimes didn’t even see it in themselves.”

Walz was an advisor to his school’s first gay-straight alliance, and under his tenure, Minnesota became the fourth state offering free breakfasts and lunches for all students.

She joked that Walz, a hunter, was known as “one of the best marksmen in the Capitol” (the campaign has since started selling Harris-Walz camouflage hats) and emphasized Walz’s ability to break through divisions and win in a district dominated by GOP supporters.

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pennsylvania) said Walz’s time spent representing diminutive towns and rural communities in Congress bodes well for the campaign’s prospects in Pennsylvania’s purple and red counties. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.) echoed Walz’s sentiment, citing Walz’s ability to win and represent a rural congressional district that Trump won by 15 points in 2016 and 10 in 2020.

Shapiro’s Protagonist Syndrome

Shapiro’s piercing words before welcoming Harris and her running mate to the stage may have further underscored his ability to make himself the centerpiece, even if it isn’t always welcomed.

During the interview for the vice president position, Shapiro asked a lot of questions about the role and his responsibilities. “He tried to talk her back into it,” said a person familiar with the process and the response from Harris’ team. “He’s not No. 2, he just wasn’t right for the job,” The Inquirer reported.

Several factors — both professional and personal — contributed to Shapiro not being selected as Harris’ running mate.

The governor has faced more public scrutiny than Walz, but efforts by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and U.S. Sen. John Fetterman may have contributed to the narrative that Shapiro is too ambitious to be second in line.

Shapiro himself has admitted to being interested in top leadership positions in the past and told the Harris campaign that it was complex for him to give up his position as governor of Pennsylvania.

“I love you, Philly,” Shapiro said during his speech Tuesday to much applause. “And you know what else I love? I love being your governor… you all make my heart full.” He added that he loves “doing s—t” for the people of Pennsylvania.

JD Vance in South Philadelphia

Despite his best efforts to avoid the term Walz popularized, Vance’s campaign event in South Philadelphia, held next to an IKEA store, can best be described as weird.

Although the Trump campaign described the event as a “press event,” hundreds of Trump and Vance fans still wore Trump-themed merchandise ready for the rally.

To complicate matters further, Vance stood in front of a backdrop that alternated between the Trump-Vance logo and a vast sign reading “Kamala Chaos.” At times, however, the bottom of the sign was cut off by the crowd behind Vance, leaving only the word “KAMALA” observable, prompting the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, a union that claims to represent more than 170,000 entertainment workers backstage, to mock the Trump campaign and say it had not hired union workers for the Philadelphia event.

Vance, in his speech, attempted to connect the vice president to the “opioid epidemic” and her role as “border czar” in the Biden-Harris administration — though that was never her role — by mentioning three people whose family members have struggled with addiction.

Vance suddenly began taking questions from reporters. He touched on several topics, including Walz and his 2021 “comments from a childless cat lady” that the reporter thought it offended women.

At this, a woman from the crowd shouted, “That cat lady loves you!”

“I think American families are good, and government policies should be more family-friendly,” Vance said. “Now, if the media wants to take offense at a sarcastic remark that I made before I even ran for the United States Senate, the media has a right to take offense.”

Vance then turned the conversation back to Harris and the border, saying he was “insulted” that Harris “opened America’s southern border and allowed fentanyl to enter our communities,” which is untrue.