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Tim Walz drops brutal ‘get off the couch’ joke on JD Vance as Kamala Harris admits ‘we are the underdogs’ in 2024 race

Tim Walz on Tuesday targeted Republican rival JD Vance using a couch joke during his first public appearance as Kamala Harris' running mate.

Published on: Aug 7, 2024, 16:15:47 IST
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday made his first public appearance as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, targeting his Republican rival JD Vance using a couch joke.

Tim Walz and Kamala Harris addressed the crowd at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 6, 2024, on the first day of their "Battleground State Tour". (AFP)
Tim Walz and Kamala Harris addressed the crowd at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 6, 2024, on the first day of their "Battleground State Tour". (AFP)

Amid the plenty of applause in Philadelphia, Harris introduced his VP candidate Walz and hailed his accomplishments. He “really does shine a light on a brighter future that we can build together,” she asserted on the first day of their “Battleground State Tour”.

Meanwhile Harris campaign too lauded “battle-tested leader” Walz, stressing that he has an “incredible track record” of getting things done for people residing in Minnesota.

Reacting to all love and applauds, Walz declared serving as Harris’s running mate would be the “honor of a lifetime.”

Walz says ‘can’t wait to debate’ Vance

Walz, who became the first Democrat to call out Donald Trump and his VP candidate Vance as “weird”, targeted the Ohio Senator. “Like all regular people I grew up with in the heartland, JD studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community,” he stated with Harris by his side at the campaign rally.

“Come on, that’s not what Middle America is,” Walz remarked.

Expressing his eagerness to debate Vance, he quipped: “I got to tell you, I can’t wait to debate the guy …. that is if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up.” “See what I did there?”

He made the joke, which absolutely thrilled the crowd, in reference to an online hoax that purportedly stated Vance included an X-rated anecdote about a couch in his 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.”

Walz went on to characterise Trump as “creepy” and “yes, just weird as hell.”

Walz, 60, declared he would run for office every day in an effort to unseat Vance and Trump and emerged victorious in the 2024 battle. He roared, “We'll sleep when we're dead,” prompting cheers from the crowd.

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Harris calls herself and Walz ‘underdogs’ in the race

Comparing the resumes of Trump's running mate with Walz, Harris said, it is “like a match-up between the varsity team and the JV squad.”

She admitted that “we are the underdogs in this race”, but added, “we have the momentum and I know exactly what we are up against.” Hitting out at Trump, she compared him to the predators, scammers, and offenders.

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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