The Democratic National Convention begins Monday in Chicago, with roughly 50,000 people expected to arrive in the Windy City. That includes thousands of anti-war activists demonstrating near the United Center.
President Joe Biden is the headline speaker for the first evening. Later this week, Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s nomination.
Here’s the latest:
Biden: ‘I Gave My Best to You’
President Joe Biden stopped to honor Vice President Kamala Harris as he reached the end of his convention speech.
“The ancient Greeks taught us that character is destiny,” Biden said, “Selecting Kamala … was the best decision I made my whole career.” He said Harris will be a president that children can look up to.
“She’ll be a president respected by world leaders, because she already is. She’ll be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future,” Biden said.
“I can honestly say I’m more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected as a 29-year-old United States Senator.”
The president then began to quote the song “American Anthem,” written by Gene Scheer and recorded by Norah Jones.
Biden said one verse stands out, “The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day. What shall our legacy be? What will our children say? Let me know in my heart when my days are through America, America, I gave my best to you.”
After the president wrapped up his speech, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, joined Biden and the first lady on the stage. Screens throughout the United Center displayed the phrase, “Thank you, Joe,” as Harris embraced Biden and smiled.
Biden Celebrates His Administration’s Achievements
During his speech, President Joe Biden discussed some of the policies his administration has fought for over the past three and a half years.
He celebrated Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote that pushed the Inflation Reduction Act over the line; the legislation gave the president the power to negotiate lower prices on key drugs for Medicare patients. Biden also emphasized the work he did toward improving infrastructure with the American Rescue Plan.
“How can we have the strongest economy in the world without the best infrastructure in the world?” Biden asked. He criticized former President Donald Trump for not doing more to expand American infrastructure while in office.
“We’re modernizing our roads, our bridges, our ports, our airports, our trains, our buses, removing every lead pipe from schools and homes so every child can drink clean water, providing affordable, high-speed internet for every American, no matter where they live,” Biden said.
Biden said that he and Harris fought to reopen schools after the pandemic and pushed for teacher raises, business apprenticeships, and “putting students on a path of a good paying job, whether or not they go to college.”
Biden also touted the racial diversity of his cabinet and the signing of the PACT ACT, which expanded health care and disability services for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during service.
Biden Takes the Stage at DNC
After an introduction from his daughter Ashley, President Joe Biden, in tears, took the stage amid resounding applause.
“Thank you, thank you. I love you,” he told the audience as they entered into a standing ovation, chanting, “We love Joe.”
“Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America?” Biden asked.
The president said he had a weighty responsibility when he was inaugurated in January 2021, facing a pandemic, “historic joblessness,” and calls for racial justice.
“But I believed then, and I believe now, the progress was and is possible, just as achievable, and our best days are not behind us. They’re before us,” Biden said.
He said the country now faces an inflection point, “one of those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now will determine the fate of our nation and the world for decades to come … We’re in a battle for the very soul of America.
“As your president, I’ve been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back, to stand against hate and violence in all its forms, to be a nation where we not only live with and but thrive on diversity, demonizing no one, leaving no one behind, and become a nation that we profess to be,” Biden said.
Democrat Kingmaker Jim Clyburn Praises Biden, Harris
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), who’s often credited as a key factor in President Joe Biden’s landslide 2020 primary victory in South Carolina, praised the president and Vice President Kamala Harris during his late-night speech to the Democratic National Convention Monday.
“Thanks to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we reopened our schools, brought back our businesses, and restored our faith in the American can-do spirit,” Clyburn said.
The long-time Biden ally didn’t directly address the president’s decision to back out of the 2024 race, instead praising Biden’s decision to back Harris.
“We’re all grateful for one of the best decisions [Biden] made—selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him.”
Hillary Clinton: ‘The Future Is Here’
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took the stage Monday night to tell the crowd at the Democratic National Convention, “We are writing a new chapter in America’s story.”
The former first lady honored former Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.), who in 1972 became the first black candidate to run for a major party nomination and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.
In 2016, Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president from a major political party when she challenged candidate Donald Trump.
“In 1984, I brought my daughter to see Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated for vice president. If we can do this, Gerry said we can do anything,” Clinton said.
“The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible, but not guaranteed. We have to fight for it and never, ever give up.
“There is always a choice. Do we push forward or pull back? Come together as ‘we the people,’ or split into ‘us versus them.’ That’s the choice we face in this election,” Clinton said.
Vice President Kamala Harris, she said, has the “character, experience, and vision to lead us forward.”
“I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here at this moment, that we were here, and that we were with Kamala Harris every step of the way,” she said. “This is our time, America. This is when we stand up. This is when we break through. The future is here.”
Harris Proposes Raising Corporate Tax to 28 Percent
In a continuation of the economic proposals she made on Aug. 16, Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a plan Monday to raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent.
“As president, Kamala Harris will focus on creating an opportunity economy for the middle class that advances their economic security, stability, and dignity,” campaign spokesperson James Singer said in a statement.
The plan is in line with President Joe Biden’s fiscal year 2025 budget, which also calls for raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent.
Before the 2017 Trump tax cuts, the rate was 35 percent. The former president recently suggested lowering it to 15 percent.
Last week, Harris called for the restoration of the expanded Child Tax Credit and giving families with a newborn a one-off $6,000 child credit.
AOC Renews Support for Harris
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) briefly took the stage at the DNC to reiterate her endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris.
While Ocasio-Cortez has already given her endorsement to Harris in past statements, the New York Democrat took the opportunity to restate her reasoning.
“We have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class, because she is from the middle class,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
She defended Harris’s bona fides on Gaza, one of the most divisive issues among Democrats today.
“[Harris] has worked tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza,” Ocasio-Cortez told the packed convention hall as mass pro-Palestinian protests continued just outside.
Coach Steve Kerr Talks About Leadership
Steve Kerr, coach for the Golden State Warriors and Team USA Men’s Basketball, spoke at the convention on Monday night.
“The reason I said yes to speaking here tonight is that as a coach and former player, as a husband, a son, a father, even a grandfather, and as an American, I believe in a certain kind of leadership. I believe that leaders must display dignity. I believe that leaders must tell the truth,” he told the crowd.
Kerr said he believes leaders should be able to laugh at themselves, care for and love those who they lead, and possess knowledge and expertise.
“And if you look for those qualities in your friends or your boss or an employee or your child’s teacher or your mayor, shouldn’t you want those same qualities in your president?”
Kerr said, “Our country needs leadership, real leadership, not the kind that seeks to divide us, but the kind that recognizes and celebrates our common purpose.
“Imagine what we could do with all 330 million of us playing on the same team. Not as not as Democrats, not as Republicans, not as libertarians, but as Americans.”
Harris Honors Biden During Surprise DNC Appearance
Harris’s first words at the convention focused on the legacy of the man she has stood behind for the last three and a half years. Mirroring other Democrats Monday, Harris used her first moment on stage to thank Joe Biden for what she called his historic legacy.
“Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do,” Harris said, addressing Biden. “We are forever grateful to you.”
Union Leaders Line Up Behind Harris
Democrats want to show voters that they’re with workers, drawing on labor union support for the opening night of the convention.
“We are all in for Kamala Harris because Kamala Harris has always been all in for us,” said April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU.
Verrett was among the group of union leaders who took to the stage to counter the courting of blue-collar workers by Trump, who invited the head of the Teamsters to speak at the Republican National Convention. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien was not among the union leaders speaking at the Democratic convention on Monday.
The crowd waved “UNION YES!” signs as the leaders spoke. Most union households have backed Democrats, helping the party win in key states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in 2020.
Liz Shuler, head of the AFL-CIO, said that Trump’s plans were “a CEO’s dream, but a worker’s nightmare.”
Buttigieg Says Walz Is ‘Genuine Article’
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke with CNN’s “OutFront” on Monday night, right as Democrat delegates officially nominated Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for vice president.
Buttigieg called Walz a great pick and described what he brings to the Democratic Party’s ticket.
“Campaigns and so many parties spend millions on political consultants and ads to try to make their candidates seem like the kind of guy who would be a football coach or a teacher or would serve 24 years in the military,” Buttigieg said.
“He is all of those things. What you see is what you get. He’s the genuine article, and he’s bringing a lot to this ticket.”
When asked if Vice President Kamala Harris can secure the votes of those criticizing the Biden administration’s response to the Israel–Gaza war, including the votes of many of the protesters gathered outside around the convention, Buttigieg said Harris stands for freedom of speech.
“You’re going to see respect for anybody who is peacefully exercising their First Amendment right,” the secretary said.
He added that Harris has been vocal about a cease-fire deal and is “focused on outreach to those who are taking to the streets because of the passion they feel.”
Night 1 of DNC Has Begun
The Democratic National Convention has started with delegates still filtering into Chicago’s United Center.
The gathering opened with remarks shortly after 6:30 p.m. central time by Minyon Moore, chair of the convention committee. Moore called President Biden, the evening’s main speaker, a true patriot.
Jaime Harrison, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, noted to applause the historical moment in that he and Moore are both Black, as is the party’s nominee, Vice President Harris.
Several Protesters Have Been Detained
A group of several dozen activists, who had separated from a larger march advocating for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, were removed from a restricted area by police, including those led by Superintendent Larry Snelling.
Police wearing helmets with masks attached formed a line along a fence, which had been previously breached and still had several panels missing, while some activists shouted at them. Several protesters who had managed to get through the fence were detained and handcuffed by the police.
Biden Arrives at DNC
President Joe Biden is doing a walkthrough at the United Center in Chicago ahead of his keynote speech this evening. During his remarks on the event’s opening night, he’s expected to hand off leadership of his party to Vice President Harris.
When asked by reporters if he was ready to pass the torch, Biden responded, “I am.”
Harris Campaign Manager Says More Policy Proposals Are Forthcoming
The Harris campaign’s principal deputy manager, Quentin Fulks, pushed back against criticism that the vice president hasn’t shared many policy proposals since launching her campaign about a month ago.
Onstage at the CNN-Politico Grill at the convention, he pointed to her proposals to give $25,000 in down payment help to first-time homebuyers, to expand the child tax credit and to build more affordable housing units.
“I think that she has rolled out policy and I think any qualms with sort of what’s on the website is just a matter of literally switching the top of the ticket in a presidential campaign,” he said.
“You’re going to continue to see more policy proposals from her. But the important thing is that the vice president isn’t just saying things to get votes. These policies are being developed based on her worldviews, her values, her vision set. And so, it’s really important to her that she gets it right.”
Trump Says US Manufacturing in a Recession
The U.S. manufacturing industry is in a recession, former President Donald Trump said on Monday.
Speaking at a campaign event in York, Pennsylvania, the Republican presidential nominee doubled down on his criticisms of the U.S. economy, including the decline in real (inflation-adjusted) incomes.
Trump homed in on the current state of the manufacturing sector. The GOP challenger stated that, under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, manufacturing has slipped into a recession and thousands of jobs have been lost since the beginning of the year.
“I don’t know if you know all that, but that’s what’s happened,” Trump said at a Precision Custom Components’ machining plant.
He warned that the U.S. economy will “rapidly become a deindustrialized third-world nation like so many others have become.”
America’s manufacturing sector has stagnated, according to various national and regional gauges.
In July, the Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)—a metric of the prevailing direction of trends in the manufacturing sector—deteriorated and was stuck in contraction territory for the fourth consecutive month. It has been in the recession zone for six of the seven months this year.
The alternative S&P Global Manufacturing PMI turned negative in July for the first time since December 2023.
Regional central banks’ manufacturing data, from the New York Fed’s Empire State Manufacturing Index to the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index, worsened this month.
After the industry recovered all of the lost jobs from the coronavirus pandemic, payroll growth has slowed since November 2022. Manufacturing employment levels have also flatlined in 2024. Year-to-date, the country has lost 13,000 manufacturing jobs.
Demonstrators Break Through Fence
Dozens of activists taking part in the Coalition to March on the DNC broke through a fence set up outside the United Center.
The fence lining Park 578 was torn down as protesters broke through. A second fence was in place in front of dozens of police officers. Activists banged on the fence in front of officers, who yelled at them not to touch it.
Thousands of Protestors March Outside DNC
Several thousand protesters marched in the demonstration snaking through residential areas around the United Center, but the numbers fell short of the “tens of thousands” organizers had predicted in their legal battle for a longer route. “We’re proud of the turnout, especially considering the degree of the repression from the city,” said organizer Faayani Aboma Mijana.
Police presence was heavy along the march route but organizers of the march also provided their own marshals to provide security, hand out water bottles and keep people on the city-approved route.
Local Volunteer Joins Get Out the Vote Effort
Brian Rhoades, 30, a volunteer for a Chicago-based voter mobilization group that mails postcards to voters in rural areas, said the gig has given him a sense of agency he hadn’t felt in previous elections.
“To this point, I’ve been watching everything happen around me, and it’s just like being an observer instead of a participant … I finally feel like a participant,” he said of his work with Progressive Turnout Project.
“We are expected to send out about 36 million postcards this year, and they estimate that we are adding about 180,000 votes in the communities just by doing our postcard program alone. So that’s not including our canvassing and everything else as well,” Rhoades told Epoch Times.
His boss Harry Pascal, the founder of Progressive Turnout Project, told the Epoch Times that the switch from Biden to Harris revitalized his organization; he was having trouble filling volunteer slots before Harris joined the ticket.
Tim Walz Appears at AAPI Caucus Meeting
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, made an appearance at the Asian-American Indian-Pacific Caucus meeting where he received a cheerful ovation and afterward was surrounded by attendees looking to get a selfie with him.
The gathering is one of many caucus meetings at the McCormick Center, where the convention daytime activities are happening.
Walz had a message for AAPI caucus members: Campaign intensely for the Democratic ticket that features Vice President Kamala Harris at the top.
“You’re not doing that out of fear. You’re doing it about hopefulness to move forward,” he said.
The governor noted that Democrats had 78 days of hard work ahead of them, adding that “we know something about hard work.”
“And I keep saying that 78 days is nothing,” he said. “We’ll sleep when we’re dead.”
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who was in the room, highlighted that Walz spoke Mandarin to the audience.
“It’s another hidden weapon, that we have somebody who is so familiar with East Asia,” Takano told The Epoch Times.
“We have a vice presidential candidate who, despite his Midwestern roots, he’s also had a curiosity about the world, and America still needs to lead and lead with our values,” Takano said. “And we’ve got two great candidates who exemplify, are emblematic of those values.”
If elected, Harris would not only be the first female president, but also the first Asian-American president.
Illinois Sen. Duckworth Says Energy Has Changed With Harris
Young people who may have scoffed at President Joe Biden are back on board with Vice President Kamala Harris on top of the ticket, according to Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
In a press gathering at the Democratic National Convention, Duckworth said young Americans are “super energizing” the Harris presidential campaign and down-ballot Democratic candidates.
She said millennials and members of Generation Z from Illinois are “jumping on board” organized groups to work in support of Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s (D-Wis.) reelection campaign in nearby Wisconsin.
With school heading back into session at colleges and universities across the nation, Baldwin said collegiate Democrat groups are “absolutely energized,” too.
As for the president, Duckworth said Biden made a “patriotic” move by “stepping aside.” On July 21, Biden announced he would not seek a second term in the White House.
With Biden out, the Democratic Party quickly chose Harris as its replacement candidate to challenge former President Donald Trump. Trump received the Republican Party’s nomination in July after he dispatched other GOP hopefuls in primaries early in the year.
Since Harris entered the race, national public opinion polling has shown her outperforming Biden in a general election matchup against Trump.
Anticipation Mounts on Empty Streets East of DNC
A mile or two west of the Democratic National Convention, the streets of the Fulton Market District were eerily quiet on Monday morning.
The district is usually a busy neighborhood, especially on a weekday. It’s home to many restaurants, bars, and corporate offices, including the headquarters of McDonald’s (located on the site once occupied by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios). The word on the street is that many workers were told they could stay home to avoid the blocked streets, increased law enforcement presence, and anticipated protests.
Delegates waited for credentials outside a nondescript building. Not far away, high up on a glassy building, a single Palestinian flag fluttered in the breeze.
While some may be nervous about what is to come, Phil, a local who was walking his dog, Miami, was happy with what he has seen so far.
“I think it’s really dope to have the economic resurgence happening in the West Loop,” said Phil, who declined to provide his last name.
“You can see over the past couple of months trees being fixed and walls being painted. Things are looking better,” he said.
What Channel Is Carrying the Convention?
The DNC will livestream on more than a dozen platforms, including the convention website, YouTube and X. For the first time in convention history, organizers say, they will also host vertical streams across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to make the proceedings more accessible on mobile devices.
Convention officials say there will be English and Spanish versions, as well as American Sign Language interpretation and an audio description service.
A number of network and cable news outlets have announced special programming for the prime-time portions of the convention, when Harris and others will give speeches from the hall where delegates are convening.
Other media outlets, both local and national, will stream whatever is happening on the floor. The actual space itself is closed to the public, behind several layers of security accessible only to delegates, officials, volunteers and credentialed media.
More Details on Monday’s DNC Speakers
On day one of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, organizers of the event say viewers will hear from “everyday people” as well as a slate of elected officials.
Among the speakers: United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain; Hillary Clinton; Reps. Grace Meng, Jamie Raskin and Jasmine Crockett; as well as Sens. Chris Coons and Raphael Warnock; and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Much of the programing will focus on Biden’s record of achievements during his time in the White House, which includes passing major pieces of legislation that included policies Democrats had dreamed of enacting for a generation.
Convention Delegates Will Nominate Harris, Again
It’s been nearly two weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris officially won the Democratic presidential nomination in an online vote, the first time a nominee was named prior to a party’s convention. But the approximately 4,700 delegates charged with picking a nominee to lead the ticket did so from locations around the globe on their laptops and devices in relative isolation from one other. There was none of the pomp and fanfare that usually accompany the process of selecting the party’s standard-bearer.
Democratic party leaders hope to make up for that by holding a ceremonial vote at the Democratic National Convention, which begins Monday in Chicago. Among the major agenda items will be what’s essentially a re-staging of the official presidential nomination vote from early August, mirroring the sometimes-festive, sometimes-raucous roll call votes that have been a staple of in-person party conventions for nearly 200 years.
What to Watch on First Day
Biden Will Speak Monday Night
Up until a month ago, Biden had been expected to take the convention stage Thursday night, as is tradition for the party’s nominee. Now, Biden will give a speech on the convention’s opening night of Monday, as will his wife, first lady Jill Biden.
Biden is expected to use his keynote address as a symbolic handoff of his party to Harris, capping five decades in Democratic politics.
Harris will be on hand to watch the president’s speech. Signs in the arena will feature a regular Biden-ism: “Spread the faith.” While Harris is expected to stick around through the week’s events, ahead of her own speech, officials say Biden isn’t planning to be in Chicago past his own appearance.
A Focus ‘For the People’
According to convention organizers, the theme for Monday’s events is “For the People,” a callback to the theme of Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, and a phrase she’s been incorporating into her new one, starting with a fundraising email the very night Biden departed the race.
In addition to the elected officials and party leaders, Democrats also plan to showcase “everyday Americans” and some performers during each night.
Protests Planned Around Town
Thousands of activists are expected to converge on Chicago. Demonstrations are expected every day of the convention and, while their agendas vary, many activists agree an immediate ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war is the priority.
There have been months of preparation for the tens of thousands of activists expected in town. Chicago police have undergone training on constitutional policing, county courts say they are opening more space in anticipation of mass arrests and hospitals near the security zone are beefing up emergency preparedness.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is among the speakers expected to take the stage on the convention’s opening night, said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that the city was prepared for the thousands of activists expected to participate in protests around the DNC.
“Our local police department has worked with the Secret Service as well as other local agencies to ensure a safe, peaceful yet vibrant, exciting convention,” he said.
Trump’s Counterprogramming
As Democrats laud their top-of-the-ticket selectees, Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), have a full week of their own events stumping across battleground states. Like the Democrats—and like at their own convention last month—the Republicans are adding a theme to each day’s events, with Monday intended to focus on the economy.
On Monday both Trump and Vance are in Pennsylvania, the Rust Belt battleground where both men have stumped in recent days. Each day of the DNC, Trump’s allies will also be holding a news conference in Chicago, a prebuttal to what’s expected from the stage at the United Center.
Epoch Times reporters Joseph Lord, Jacob Burg, Andrew Moran, Stacy Robinson, Nathan Worcester, and Jackson Richman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.