Three panel image of Gov. Tim Walz. On the left, he smiles wearing a blue baseball cap. In the middle, he poses in a navy suit at a White House event. On the right, he smiles at a fair holding a sleeping pig.

It’s official: Tim Walz — the card-carrying liberal and longtime LGBTQ+-supporting governor of Minnesota — will serve as Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

The announcement follows weeks of reporting around the Harris’ search for the perfect potential VP.

According to CNN, the two will make their first joint appearance at a rally in Philadelphia later today, and Walz confirmed the news in a short statement on Twitter X, writing, “It is the honor of a lifetime … I’m all in.”

Within minutes, social media users across the country chimed in with support for the self-proclaimed Swiftie and Beyoncé fan, showing they’re “all in,” too.

In fact, after the news broke, #BigDadEnergy trended on X in response to Walz’s irrefutable (and kind of adorable) Midwestern father aura.

After examining the retired educator’s unwavering support for gay marriage, trans youth in sports, and recent statewide bill banning “conversion therapy,” it’s hard not to see him as that friend’s dad.

You know, the man who’s willing to drive out to wherever you are and jump start your car at midnight in the middle of a thunderstorm.

And we’re not the only ones….

That being said, the Trump campaign is already on the defensive, although their big critique isn’t the flex they think it is.

In response to this morning’s big news, a handful of conservatives called out Walz’s age as a weakness, causing the phrase “He’s 60” to trend on social media.

But not so fast!

Never mind the fact that Walz is just a year older than Harris, who’s 59. The MAGA-heads seem to be forgetting that their orange-faced Republican candidate is 78… which makes him old enough to be both Harris and Walz’s father.

Thankfully, liberal-minded users were quick to co-opt the phrase with the facts. Got ’em!

But in all seriousness, having a vice presidential candidate who’s been as vocal in their support of LGBTQ+ rights as Walz is extremely promising.

Plus, his allyship started far earlier than his time in office.

While working as a football coach and social studies teacher at Mankato West High School, he served as staff advisor for the school’s first-ever gay-straight alliance in 1999.

As he explained in a 2018 gubernatorial campaign video: “I recognized my responsibility in [supporting LGBTQ+ students]. You have an older, white, straight, married male football coach who’s deeply concerned that these students are treated fairly and there’s no bullying.”

Nevertheless, aside from his #BigDadEnergy and allyship, Walz’s biggest qualification might just be his simplest….

He knows how to properly interact with a couch. 👀 👀 👀

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