Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and former President Bill Clinton headlined the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also addressed the convention.
Here is the latest:
DNC Day 3 Gaveled Out
The third day of the Democratic National Convention was gaveled out by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
The third day concluded with the night’s main event, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s acceptance speech as the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee.
The convention will resume at 6:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 22.
Walz: Health Care and Housing Are Human Rights
Towards the end of a brief acceptance speech as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz unveiled a vision that appeared to entail greater state support, or control, on economic issues and less state involvement on social issues.
Walz’s speech closed out the third night of the DNC with a gesture to the left wing of the Democrats, who helped push for his selection as Harris’s running mate.
Both housing and health care are, he said, human rights. The Minnesota governor also called for the government to “stay the hell out” of Americans’ bedrooms.
“That’s how we make America a place where no child is left hungry, where no community is left behind, where nobody gets told they don’t belong,” he told the crowd in Chicago.
Walz’s selection as vice presidential candidate over other contenders, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, met with approval from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
“Harris choosing Walz as a running mate has shown the world that DSA and our allies on the left are a force that cannot be ignored,” the DSA wrote on X after he was chosen.
Walz Rounds Out Speech With Coach Pep Talk
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told the audience at the Democratic National Convention he is experienced in giving “pep talks.”
Walz, a former high school football coach who has been called “Coach Tim” by several speakers at the convention, closed his speech Wednesday night with a series of sports analogies.
“It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal, but we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball. We’re driving down the field,” he said to cheers from the audience.
“And boy do we have the right team,” he said, referring to the Harris–Walz ticket for November.
Walz Makes Personal Plea for Fertility Treatments
Early in his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made a plea for continued access to fertility treatments such as IVF.
He said that includes access to IVF fertilization and other fertility treatments, which he described as “personal” for himself and his wife, who relied on fertility treatment to have their daughter, Hope.
In Minnesota, he said, “We’ve got a golden rule: Mind your own damn business.”
Walz has said in the past that he and his wife relied on IVF to conceive, though this was recently refuted by his wife, who said it was a different type of treatment.
Democrats have long claimed that, should former President Donald Trump be reelected, Republicans would ban IVF.
Trump has expressed support for continued access to IVF and similar fertility services.
Walz Accepts Nomination
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to accept the nomination for vice president.
“It’s the honor of my life to accept your nomination for vice president of the United States,” Walz said, thanking Vice President Kamala Harris for naming him to the position.
Moments before, students he had coached in the past came onstage to show their support.
One of them related a story about Walz, a high school football coach, taking a second job coaching 7th grade basketball in order to help pay off a student lunch debt.
Buttigieg: ‘America Is Ready for a Better Kind of Politics’
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said at the Democratic National Convention that he thinks “America is ready for a better kind of politics.
“Yes, politics at its worst can be ugly, crushing, demeaning—but it doesn’t have to be,” Buttigieg said. “At its best, politics can be empowering, uplifting.”
Throughout the convention, Democrats have sought to portray themselves as less political than their Republican opponents and former President Donald Trump.
Oprah Makes Call to Independents
Oprah Winfrey called on independent voters to choose based on “values and character” in the upcoming presidential election, saying that common sense mandated a Harris–Walz vote.
“Let us choose inclusion over retribution; let us choose common sense over nonsense,” she said during her speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Winfrey said she is a registered independent voter, who votes regularly.
“I’ve always voted my values, and that is what is needed in this election—now more than ever,” she said.
“Let us choose truth; let us choose honor, and let us choose joy,” she said, bursting into song on the last word.
Oprah: There Is ‘No American Dream’ Without Abortion
During a surprise late-night appearance at the Democratic National Convention, daytime TV star Oprah Winfrey said that “there is no American dream” without access to abortion.
Winfrey cited personal stories about abortion related to the convention over the previous three days, including harrowing experiences related to rape, incest, or a medical threat to the mother’s life.
“They told us these things for one reason, and that is to keep what happened to them from happening to anyone else,” she said.
“Because if you do not have autonomy over this, if you cannot control when and how you choose to bring your children into this world and how they are raised and supported, there is no American dream,” Winfrey said.
Shapiro: ‘Let’s Get to Work’ for Harris
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was among Harris’ finalists to be her running mate, is speaking ahead of Walz Wednesday night after the convention rejiggered its schedule. Shapiro says, “We are the party of real freedom,” criticizing Republicans for trying to undermine elections and roll back abortion access.
“Let’s do the hard work necessary to win this election and write the next chapter in our American story,” Shapiro said. He praised Harris’s career, while criticizing “banned books,” abortion opposition, and Trump’s disputing the results of the 2020 election.
He also alluded to the impact of Harris being the first woman president, and the effect it would have on young women. “It’s on us, my friends, to organize in our communities,” he said.
“America, let’s get to work.”
Pelosi Addresses DNC
Pelosi spoke about the president’s achievements before quickly pivoting to the woman who stood by him for the last three and a half years.
“Personally, I know her as a person of deep faith, reflected in her community, care and service,” the California Democrat said.
Clinton Contrasts Harris With Trump
Former President Bill Clinton sought to contrast Vice President Kamala Harris with her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.
“Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race who has the vision, the experience, the temperament, the will … and yes, the sheer joy to get something done,” Clinton said.
In contrast, Clinton depicted her opponent as only concerned about himself, repeating a Democrat talking point at the party’s convention.
Aside from one direct reference, Clinton generally avoided mentioning Trump by name, instead referring to “Republicans” or “Harris’s opponent.”
Clinton Praises Biden Sacrifice in Stepping Down
Former President Bill Clinton praised President Joe Biden’s decision to step down during his address at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night.
“He did something that’s really hard for a politician to do—he voluntarily gave up political power,” Clinton said.
“George Washington knew that, and he did it … It helped his legacy and it will enhance Joe Biden’s legacy.
“I want to thank [Biden] for his courage, compassion, his class, his service, his sacrifice,” Clinton said.
Crowd Chants ‘Bring Them Home’ as Parents of Hamas Hostage Speak
Attendees at the Democratic National Convention chanted “bring them home” as the parents of a young man being held hostage by Hamas addressed the crowd.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was one of about 250 people, including Israeli and American citizens, taken hostage by Hamas during the terrorist group’s attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
There are eight Americans being held hostage by Hamas. Goldberg-Polin, who has dual citizenship, was taken hostage from the Nova music festival.
His parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jonathan Polin, said that since that day, they “live on another planet.”
“Anyone who is a parent or has had a parent can imagine the anguish and misery that Jon and I and all the families of hostages are enduring,” Goldberg said.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestinan protests were ongoing just down the street from the United Center.
The convention crowd, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who has been outspoken against Israel’s military operations in Gaza, was respectful and largely stood during the solemn address.
“This is a political convention, but needing our only son and all the cherished hostages home is not a political issue—it is a humanitarian issue,” Polin said.
“In a competition of pain, there are no winners.”
DNC Speaker Schedule Wednesday Night
The third night of the Democratic National Convention kicked off just before 6 p.m. CT on Aug. 21.
Vice presidential hopeful Tim Walz will give the keynote address sometime after 9 p.m. He will be preceded by Benjamin C. Ingman, one of his former students, as well as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and other party leaders at the federal and state levels.
Between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., former President Bill Clinton, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Pennsylvania’s Gov. Josh Shapiro will take the stage.
Former supporters of former President Donald Trump will again share why they decided to switch sides. Tonight, those speakers include Olivia Troye, a former Trump administration national security official, and Georgia’s former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.
Musical guests include singer-songwriter Maren Morris, slated to take the stage before 7 p.m., Stevie Wonder, who will perform before 8 p.m., and John Legend, who will take the stage after 9 p.m.
Convention attendees will also hear from Jonathan Polin and Rachel Goldberg, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is being held hostage by Hamas.
The following officials will also be giving remarks:
- Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)
- Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
- Keith Ellison, Minnesota attorney general
- Dana Nessel, Michigan attorney general
- Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)
- Javier Salazar, sheriff of Bexar County, Texas
- Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chair of the House Democratic Caucus
- Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.)
- Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate
- Wes Moore, governor of Maryland
- Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Campaign: RFK Jr. Plans to Speak Friday About ‘His Path Forward’
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to speak Friday “about the present historical moment and his path forward,” his campaign announced Wednesday.
The speech comes amid growing speculation that Kennedy would drop out and throw his support to Republican Donald Trump, a possibility his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, openly discussed on a podcast this week.
Kennedy will give his speech in Phoenix, hours before Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in neighboring Glendale.
A spokesperson for Kennedy, Stefanie Spear, declined to say whether he plans to drop out or why he chose Arizona for his speech.
At Least 55 People Arrested During Protests Near the DNC on Tuesday
At least 55 protesters were arrested following violent clashes with police in Chicago on the second night of the Democratic National Convention, a situation the police chief called “a danger to our city.”
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Wednesday that those arrested outside the Israeli Consulate, about 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the United Center where Democrats were meeting, “showed up with the intention of committing acts of violence, vandalism.”
“As the Chicago Police Department, we did everything that we could to deescalate that situation,” Snelling said during a news conference. “But there’s only so much deescalation that you can attempt before it becomes excessive repetition.”
The intense confrontations between pro-Palestinian protesters and officers began minutes into the demonstration, after some protesters—many dressed in black, their faces covered—charged at a line of police who had blocked their march. They eventually moved past the officers but were penned in several times throughout the night by police in riot gear who did not allow protesters to disperse.
A Look at Who’s Scheduled to Speak at the DNC on Wednesday
In addition to headlining speeches from former President Bill Clinton and vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, the convention’s third night will include some of the party’s biggest names and anticipated future leaders.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York will speak. So will a list of senators: Cory Booker of New Jersey, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Also addressing the convention will be Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a finalist to be Harris’ running mate. Both are seen as ascendant in Democratic politics.
To help articulate the evening’s theme around fighting for freedoms, Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of the nonprofit Reproductive Freedom for All will give remarks.
Trump Will Hold His First Outdoor Rally Since July Assassination Attempt
Former President Donald Trump’s event Wednesday in Asheboro, North Carolina, has enhanced security from past outdoor rallies, including panes of bulletproof glass boxing in the podium where the Republican presidential nominee will speak.
Blocks from DNC, Man Wanted for Murder Apprehended after Standoff at Restaurant
A man who escaped from a Mississippi courthouse and is wanted on murder and armed robbery charges was taken into custody Wednesday following a standoff with police at a restaurant in Chicago, blocks from the Democratic National Convention, authorities said.
Joshua Zimmerman was taken into custody Wednesday morning, said Abigail Meyer, a spokesperson with the U.S. Marshals Service.
Zimmerman had been sought by the U.S. Marshals Service since his escape in June and was located Tuesday at the restaurant in Chicago, according to Justin Smith, chief deputy with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi.
The U.S. Marshals Service said Zimmerman escaped from the circuit court building in Hernando, Mississippi, where he was being held on attempted murder and armed robbery charges. He was also awaiting extradition to Houston where he’s been charged with murder, the Marshals Service said.
There was no indication of any connection to the Democratic National Convention.
Walz’s Big Moment
After a tumultuous few weeks, where Harris’s running mate went from little-known Midwest governor to top of the Democratic ticket, Walz is expected to get his own moment in the spotlight Wednesday when Democrats officially nominate the 60-year-old as their vice presidential candidate.
Walz wasn’t widely known outside of Minnesota before Harris chose him to join her on the Democratic presidential ticket. But they clicked when the vice president interviewed him, and she was impressed by his record as a governor and congressman—and the splash he made on TV.
He will get a chance to show the American public that in primetime on Wednesday.
Mindy Kaling to Serve as Host
Kaling, best-known for her role as Kelly Kapoor in the popular TV sitcom “The Office,” will assume hosting duties on Wednesday.
The Indian-American actress and comedian has used her star power in the past to express support for Harris, appearing alongside Harris in a virtual campaign event for President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential bid. The actress has also been featured in several YouTube videos with Harris. In a 2020 video, Kaling spoke with Harris about politics and their common perspectives as women and women of color.
“I think it’s your stance about minimum wage, about universal health care and protecting that, about women’s reproductive rights, about ending the practice of private prisons,” she said, adding that she is an “issues-based” voter.
Joseph Lord, Stacy Robinson, Nathan Worcester, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.