AMNA NAWAZ: Well, later tonight, before the convention holds a ceremonial vote to show its support for Walz as the party's vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar will deliver a tribute to her governor.

The senator joins us now.

Great to see you.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): Well, great to be on again.

Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ: So you have known Governor Tim Walz for a very long time.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: Yes.

AMNA NAWAZ: You're going to be speaking about him to nominate him for that V.P.

slot tonight.

Who is the Tim Walz that many Americans say they don't know much about yet?

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: Tim Walz is the dad that I think everyone knows, when you have seen the video this week of his kids not, knowing they would be caught on camera, doing rabbit ears behind their dad as he was going to be nominated for the vice presidency.

He is the soldier who served for 24 years.

He is the teacher.

And you're going to hear from kids that he taught whose lives he changed.

He took a 0-27 football team out of Mankato, Minnesota, by the way, the town my husband grew up in, and turned it into a state champion.

And then he ran for Congress in a red district that only two Democrats held in 100 years.

So this is a guy -- when I think about Michelle Obama's words last night where she talked about not everyone gets generational wealth, not everyone is graced by that or can go bankrupt over and over again, this is a guy from incredibly humble roots in rural Nebraska who then went on to serve his country in many, many different ways.

So I think you're going to hear that story of his life.

And just from a Minnesota perspective, it was my mother-in-law that brought over a Parmesan chicken dinner when their little boy Gus was born.

As a baby, she brought over balloons.

She had -- they -- people did that for her when she had six boys, including my husband.

(LAUGHTER) SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: And so she is paying back for years.

And she did that.

So, it just shows you.

I think you're going to hear a lot about neighbors helping neighbors.

AMNA NAWAZ: Yes.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: That's what Tim Walz is about.

AMNA NAWAZ: I got to say, I have a lot of questions about how we took that team from 0-27 to a winning record.

More on that later.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: Maybe we will learn tonight.

Maybe we will learn.

AMNA NAWAZ: You mentioned his record a little bit as he was in the House.

He was known as much more moderate.

He was representing a very rural district back then.

When he was a governor, he was known to push much more progressive policies.

A lot of people wonder, how would he govern as vice president?

What do you say to that?

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: He has Midwestern common sense.

So I think he's going to look at each problem and figure out how you fix it.

And I -- just like he fixed a headlight in a car.

And then he is going to bring together coalitions, of course, working with Vice President Harris, who's been in Congress herself, knows how to lead.

I think they're going to be a great team, while the other guys look like they need a couple counseling at the moment.

So I think what you will see is someone who will work hand in hand with her on getting things done.

In terms of policies, as governor, he delivered the biggest tax cut in Minnesota history.

But, at the same time, he was able to make sure that kids had lunch and breakfast way beyond COVID.

They get it now, no questions asked, when they're at school.

He made sure that we had a really strong paid family leave policy.

He worked with our unions.

It is -- you just go through his policies.

But what I always keep in mind and I want America to keep in mind, he's looked out for workers and families, yes, but we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country in Minnesota.

And we are six in the country for doing business, according to CNBC just last month.

AMNA NAWAZ: Well, Senator, as you know, back when President Biden was still the nominee, Republicans were eying Minnesota as a place that they felt they could possibly expand the map.

Were you worried about that?

And has that worry gone away with a new Democratic ticket?

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: I was not worried about that, just because I believe that our state, we are able to stitch together a coalition election after election of Democrats, yes, but also independents.

We have a strong independent base.

If you don't believe me, I three words for you, Governor Jesse Ventura, as well as moderate Republicans.

And, of course, Jesse Ventura is supporting this ticket.

And so we have been able to bring together a base of people that wins elections.

And the Republicans have been nominating extreme people in our state, I think the results have shown, as well as in the presidency.

We have voted Democratic election after election.

AMNA NAWAZ: Outside of your state, though, in other places Republicans thought they had a chance, are you less worried now with the Harris/Walz ticket that Republicans could do that?

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: Well, who wouldn't be when you look at the polls?

It's still going to be tight, as the Obamas explained last night.

But in 30 days, Kamala Harris has united our party, cinched the nomination, raised nearly $500 million, filled arenas with 15,000 people, which really pisses off Donald Trump, and is surging in the swing states.

That is what's going on right now.

And that is only in the first maybe 32 days.

AMNA NAWAZ: You also heard Michelle Obama last night warn about what could be ahead, seemed to be hinting at some of the potentially racist or sexist attacks, particularly on a Black woman running for president, that we could see.

Do you share that concern?

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: Yes.

And I look at the past.

Hillary Clinton alluded to it as well.

When she ran back in 2016, 2020, when I ran for president, Elizabeth Warren did, Kamala did, a number of others, there's some really unique attacks.

They tend to be about how you look, how you dress, how you laugh.

And what I love about the Harris campaign is, we have all learned a lot, all of us.

What we have learned is, some of it, you ignore.

You just don't act at everything they say.

Some of it, you take on when it's really serious, but, some of it, you laugh off.

You see they're making fun of her laugh, and now it's a mash-up with Beyonce songs.

They're making fun of coconut trees, and now you see the coconut memes.

I will take a brat summer any day over cat ladies.

AMNA NAWAZ: Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, thank you so much for joining us.

Great to speak with you.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR: Thank you.

It was great to be on.