Six minutes and 29 seconds into his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, said it: “Mind your own damn business.” Walz was describing the way his fellow Minnesotans don’t impose their values on others, using the salty term that has become a familiar part of how he expresses himself.
During a campaign event with Democratic presidential nominee Harris in Michigan on Aug. 8, Walz said “damn” four times during his brief remarks, including in two sentences in a row:
“When you got a billion dollars, you don’t give a damn about your Social Security check. But if you’re like my mom and you depend on the Social Security check as your sole income, it’s pretty damn important,” he said.
The following day, in Glendale, Arizona, Walz used the term eight more times. A day later, at a rally in Las Vegas, he made use of the expression an additional eight times.
And in a social media post on Aug. 13, he declared that he was “damn proud” of his military service.
These episodes clearly weren’t mistakes or momentary lapses in judgment. What was the vice presidential candidate trying to accomplish by repeatedly using a term that some people find offensive?
I’m a cognitive scientist who studies and writes about language and communication. One question that sprang to mind was whether Walz was speaking as he always had, or whether he was deliberately adopting a new way of expressing himself.
Six minutes and 29 seconds into his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, said it: “Mind your own damn business.” Walz was describing the way his fellow Minnesotans don’t impose their values on others, using the salty term that has become a familiar part of how he expresses himself.
During a campaign event with Democratic presidential nominee Harris in Michigan on Aug. 8, Walz said “damn” four times during his brief remarks, including in two sentences in a row:
“When you got a billion dollars, you don’t give a damn about your Social Security check. But if you’re like my mom and you depend on the Social Security check as your sole income, it’s pretty damn important,” he said.
The following day, in Glendale, Arizona, Walz used the term eight more times. A day later, at a rally in Las Vegas, he made use of the expression an additional eight times.
A gunman attempted to assassinate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Sunday at Trump's golf course in Palm Beach, Florida, authorities said.