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The same chant greeted Obama when he took the stage in Chicago just after 10pm ET on Thursday and embraced his wife, Michelle. But halfway through his speech, Obama broke from his teleprompter remarks to ad lib: “Yes, she can!” The crowd instinctively chanted, “Yes, she can!” in response.
There was a symbolic echo for Democrats who had come to fear that Obama’s election might be a historic aberration but now sense that it might in fact be Trump who represents the last gasp of a dying order.
In a nod to his debut at the 2004 convention, Obama, now 63, quipped: “I’m feeling hopeful because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible.
“Because we have the chance to elect someone who’s spent her whole life trying to give people the same chances America gave her. Someone who sees you and hears you and will get up every single day and fight for you: the next President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris.”
The crowd roared its approval. Obama went on to pay tribute to outgoing president Joe Biden, who was not present, having delivered a valedictory address on Monday. “History will remember Joe Biden as a president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger,” he said. “I am proud to call him my president, but even prouder to call him my friend.”
The torch has been passed, he continued, but “for all the rallies and the memes”, the race for the White House remains tight. He suggested the people who will decide the election are asking a simple question: who will fight for them.
Amid chants of “Yes, she can!”, Barack Obama returned to the scene of past triumphs on Tuesday to pass the mantle of political history to Kamala Harris – and eviscerate her opponent Donald Trump.
The former US president delivered the closing speech on night two of the Democratic national convention in his home city of Chicago. Obama prompted raucous cheers as he delivered a withering critique of Trump, who succeeded him in the White House in 2017.
“We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos,” he told delegates. “We have seen that movie before and we all know that the sequel is usually worse. America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”
It was another night crackling with energy in the packed arena as America’s first Black president made the case for the nation to elect the first woman and first woman of colour to the Oval Office.
Obama was speaking 20 years after he first exploded on to the political stage at the Democratic convention in Boston. That summer, Harris helped host a fundraiser for Obama’s run for the US Senate in Illinois. Four years later, she backed him against Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary, a campaign in which he coined the phrase “Yes, we can!”:
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Harris took aim at Trump at a rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday, criticising him for saying he had no regrets about the US Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had recognised women’s constitutional right to abortion:
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Key takeaways: Lil Jon, Spike Lee and other celebrities appear at roll call
Tuesday night featured the ceremonial roll call when delegates from each state announce their support for the nominees. This portion of the event was led by Grammy-nominated DJ Cassidy and had party vibes as each state had its own song.
Celebrities made surprise appearances – film-maker Spike Lee with the New York delegation; rapper Lil Jon with Georgia; the Stranger Things actor Sean Astin with Indiana; and actor Wendell Pierce with Louisiana. Lil Jon sang a spin on his hit, Get Low, saying, “VP Harris … Governor Walz” to the tune of the “To the window … to the wall.”
Key takeaways: Republicans, including a former Trump aide, support Kamala Harris
The DNC brought out Stephanie Grisham, Donald Trump’s former press secretary, to offer a firsthand account of the Republican nominee’s character. Grisham, a Republican operative who also served as spokesperson for former first lady Melania Trump, said Donald Trump “has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth”. Behind closed doors, she said, “Trump mocks his supporters. He calls them basement dwellers. On a hospital visit one time when people were dying in the ICU, he was mad that the cameras were not watching him.”
Before Grisham, Kyle Sweetser, an Alabama voter, told the convention crowd he previously voted for Trump and donated to his campaign, but was now supporting Harris: “I’m not leftwing, period. But I believe our leaders should bring out the best in us, not the worst. That’s why I’m voting for Kamala Harris.” John Giles, mayor of Mesa, Arizona, said: “I have a confession to make. I’m a lifelong Republican. But I feel more at home here than in today’s Republican party.”
Key takeaways: Harris made another surprise appearance – from Milwaukee
Although Harris’s big speech is scheduled for Thursday, she made a surprise appearance at the convention when her large Milwaukee rally with Tim Walz was live-streamed in Chicago. The moment allowed her to energize two large crowds at the same time. On Monday at the start of the convention, Harris also made a surprise speech on stage to thank Joe Biden.
In Milwaukee, Harris criticized Trump for comments earlier in the day saying he had “no regrets” about Roe v Wade. She also told her supporters: “We know this is going to be a tight race until the very end.”
Key takeaways: Michelle Obama energized the crowd: ‘Hope is making a comeback’
The former first lady had one of the most energetic receptions of the night. She reflected on how the GOP nominee had attacked her family: “For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking and highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black.” She offered heartfelt praise for the vice-president, praising the “steel of her spine, the steadiness of her upbringing, the honesty of her example, and yes, the joy of her laughter and her light.
“Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open to others. She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth,” Obama said.
The former first lady described “a deep pit in my stomach, a palpable sense of dread about the future”. But she got a standing ovation when she said, “America, hope is making a comeback.”
Key takeaways: Bernie Sanders laid out a progressive agenda and reiterated ceasefire calls
The Vermont senator Bernie Sanders detailed an extensive progressive agenda that he said Democrats must enact if Harris and Walz take the White House. Sanders mentioned Harris’s name only a handful of times and instead focused his forceful speech on the need to expand healthcare access, reduce the cost of higher education and raise the minimum wage. In a nod to big money that has targeted progressives in primaries, Sanders said: “Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections, including primary elections.” He also earned cheers when he said: “We must end this horrific war in Gaza, bring home the hostages and demand an immediate ceasefire.”
A group of uncommitted delegates earlier in the night told reporters that they still hadn’t heard back from the Democratic convention on their demand to have a Palestinian American leader speak on stage.
Here is Gwen Walz’s response to Obama’s comments on her husband’s wardrobe:
Gwen Walz’s reaction to Obama’s mention of Tim Walz’s flannel shirts is everything. pic.twitter.com/w3r01ix1G9
— Chris Strider (@stridinstrider) August 21, 2024
Key takeaways: Barack Obama’s keynote speech: ‘Yes she can’
The former president ended the second night of the convention with a characteristic call to action: “We’ll elect leaders up and down the ballot who will fight for the hopeful, forward-looking America we believe in. And together, we too will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal and more free. So let’s get to work.” His speech prompted repeated throwbacks to his own campaign slogans, with the crowd chanting, “Yes she can!” and Obama telling the crowd, “Do not boo, vote!”
He mocked Trump for his “childish nicknames”, “crazy conspiracy theories” and “weird obsession with crowd sizes”: “It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that Trump is afraid of losing to Kamala … The other day, I heard someone compare Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day.” Of Walz, Obama said, “I love this guy,” and of Harris, he said: “She had to work for what she’s got and she actually cares about what other people are going through. She’s not the neighbor running the leaf blower – she’s the neighbor rushing over to help when you need a hand.”
Kamala Harris has pushed back on Donald Trump for saying he has “no regrets” about overturning Roe v Wade and ending women’s access to abortion in much of the US.
“Yesterday, when he was asked if he has any regrets about ending Roe v Wade, Donald Trump, without even a moment’s hesitation – you would think you’d reflect on it for a second – said: ‘No regrets,’” said the vice-president at tonight’s rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just after a raucous ceremonial roll call at the Democratic national convention being held in Chicago confirmed her as the party’s nominee for president.
“Bad behavior should result in a consequence. Well, we will make sure he does face a consequence, and that’ll be at the ballot box in November.”
The remarks come on the heels of the former president’s repeated boasts about overturning Roe v Wade.
As she wound up her speech, Michelle Obama talked about the limited time left until voting day, and warned them not to be foolish.
Don’t complain if nobody has specifically reached out to you to ask you for your support, she said. “There is no time for that kind of foolishness”.
“Consider this to be your official ask. Michelle Obama is asking – no I’m telling y’all, to do something.”
The crowd started to chant, “Do something! Do something!”.
She ended by saying there were 77 days left to “turn from the fear and division of our past” and “go higher, yes, always higher than we have ever gone before as we elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”
And on that voice mail Doug Emhoff left for Kamala Harris almost ten years ago:
Their 10th anniversary is the day of her convention speech which would be a great time to play that voicemail just saying https://t.co/TJImJxvjTp
— Katie Rogers (@katierogers) August 21, 2024
And here are the highlights of the musical performances and songs, featuring Lil Jon’s Turn Down for What – live and in person.
Democrats had fun with the roll call this year. The roll call was purely ceremonial – Democrats moved to nominate Harris and Walz virtually on 6 August.
So, at the DNC on Tuesday night, the process, which is usually dry, took place with a celebratory sound track for every state.
Here are the highlights from the speech by Kamala Harris’s husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, in which he recounts their first date and the long and awkward first voice mail he left for Harris afterwards.
The US vice president plays for him every year on their anniversary.
Hello, this is Helen Sullivan taking over our live news and analysis of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. I’ll be with you for the next few hours. If you have questions, get in touch on helen.sullivan@theguardian.com.
What happened this evening on night two of the Democratic national convention
The house lights are up in Chicago’s United Center, which means the second night of the Democratic national convention is over. We’ll do it all again tomorrow starting from 5.30pm CT, when Kamala Harris’s running mate Tim Walz is expected to be the keynote speaker.
Here’s a look back at everything that we saw this evening:
Barack Obama gave the keynote speech, saying that “America is ready for a new chapter” under Harris, and coining what may be a new chant for her campaign: “yes, she can!” He also took Donald Trump to task for his “weird obsession with crowd sizes”.
Michelle Obama sung Harris’s praises, saying she was “one of the most qualified people ever” to run for president. She also bashed Trump over his use of the phrase “Black jobs”.
Doug Emhoff did not shy away from self-deprecation as he described how he was set up with Harris on a blind date and called her to make plans – at 8.30 in the morning.
Harris did not appear at the convention’s venue in Chicago, instead holding a rally with Walz in Milwaukee. But, in a clever move, the convention jumbotron showed the opening moments of the event, and the vice-president greeted crowds in both cities.
Harris and Walz have already secured the party’s formal nomination, but the party held a ceremonial roll call that gave delegations from across the nation the chance to show off.
Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary under Trump, told the convention her former boss has “no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth”.
We got to see Lil Jon. What more can you say.
It looks like Kamala Harris will not be appearing at the Democratic convention tonight.
Her motorcade has arrived back at her hotel in Chicago, and the convention’s closing benediction is now being given.
Obama concludes speech by telling Democrats, 'let's get to work!'
As he finished his keynote address to the Democratic convention, Barack Obama told the crowd to “get to work” on electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
“I believe that’s why, if we each do our part over the next 77 days – if we knock on doors and make phone calls and talk to our friends and listen to our neighbors – if we work like we’ve never worked before – we will elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States, and Tim Walz as the next vice-president of the United States,” he said.
“We’ll elect leaders up and down the ballot who will fight for the hopeful, forward-looking America we believe in. And together, we too will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal and more free. So let’s get to work!”
Barack Obama just told the convention about his relationship with his mother-in-law Marian Robinson, who died this year, and how she reminded him of his own grandparents.
“Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican or somewhere in between, we’ve all had people like that in our lives,” he said.
“People like Kamala’s parents, who crossed oceans because they believed in the promise of America. People like Tim’s parents, who taught him about the importance of service. Good, hardworking people who weren’t famous or powerful, but who managed, in countless ways, to leave this country a little better than they found it.”
Barack Obama took a moment to reflect on the international stakes of this election.
“By the way, that doesn’t just matter to people in this country. The rest of the world is watching to see if we can actually pull it off,” he said.
“We shouldn’t be the world’s policeman and we can’t eradicate every cruelty and injustice in the world. But America can be, must be, a force for good – discouraging conflict, fighting disease, promoting human rights, protecting the planet from climate change, defending freedom. That’s what Kamala Harris believes – and so do most Americans.”
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Kamala Harris watched both Michelle Obama’s speech and Barack Obama’s ongoing address to the Democratic convention as she headed to United Center from her rally in Milwaukee, the White House says.
Which means she will probably come onstage soon, probably after Obama finishes speaking.
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Crowd chants 'yes, she can' as Obama argues Harris better choice for working class
Barack Obama brought the crowd to his feet when he described Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as leaders who would care about blue-collar workers.
“In this new economy, we need a president who actually cares about the millions of people all across this country who wake up every day to do the essential, often thankless work to care for our sick and clean our streets and deliver our packages – and stand up for their right to bargain for better wages and working conditions,” he said, as he drew a standing ovation. “Kamala will be that president.”
“Yes, she can,” he continued, and the crowd joined in, briefly chanting, “yes, she can!”
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And then the former president offered his assessment of Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor, who is running alongside Kamala Harris.
“I love this guy. Tim’s the kind of person who should be in politics – somebody who was born in a small town, served his country, taught kids, coached football and took care of his neighbors,” Obama said.
Among the things Obama loves about Walz is his fashion sense:
He knows who he is and what’s important. You can tell those flannel shirts he wears don’t come from some consultant, they come from his closet and they’ve been through some stuff.
The convention jumbotron then showed the governor’s wife Gwen Walz, who clapped and nodded her head, as if she was saying, “Oh yes! they have.”
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Obama tells convention: 'America is ready for new chapter' with a President Harris
Barack Obama pressed his attack on Donald Trump:
It’s one of the oldest tricks in politics – from a guy whose act has gotten pretty stale. We don’t need four more years of bluster and chaos. We’ve seen that movie – and we all know that the sequel’s usually worse.
Then he turned to Kamala Harris:
America is ready for a new chapter. America’s ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.
And Kamala Harris is ready for the job. This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a champion. As you heard from Michelle, Kamala wasn’t born into privilege. She had to work for what she’s got and she actually cares about what other people are going through. She’s not the neighbor running the leaf blower – she’s the neighbor rushing over to help when you need a hand.
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Obama hits Trump for his 'weird obsession with crowd sizes'
And then Barack Obama turned to Donald Trump, the Republican successor who he loathes.
“Here’s a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually been getting worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” Obama said.
“The childish nicknames and crazy conspiracy theories and weird obsession with crowd size,” he continued, referring to something that even some Republicans think Trump should not be bothering with.
“It just goes on and on and on. The other day, I heard someone compare Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day.”
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Obama continued to praise his former vice-president.
“This country will remember him as an outstanding president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger,” he said of Joe Biden, noting that in addition to calling him president, he was “even prouder to call him my friend”.
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He then spoke approvingly of Joe Biden, who gave yesterday’s keynote address, but has left the convention and will not be back before it ends on Thursday.
“My first big decision as nominee turned out to be one of my best: asking Joe Biden to serve as my vice-president,” Obama said.
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Barack Obama kept the energy up as he began his remarks.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling fired up!” Obama said.
“Yeah!” the crowd replied.
“I’m feeling ready to go! Even if I’m the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama,” the ex-president continued.
Barack Obama speaks to Democratic convention
Barack Obama just strode on to stage, introduced by his wife, Michelle Obama.
“He wakes up and thinks about everyday, what’s best for this country,” the former first lady said.
They’re holding hands and waving to the crowd now.
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Obama calls for Americans 'to stand up for what we know is right'
Michelle Obama steered her message towards all Americans, not just the Democratic faithful gathered before her in Chicago.
“Look, I don’t care how you identify politically, whether you’re Democrat, Republican, independent, or none of the above, this is our time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right, to stand up, not just for our basic freedoms, but for decency and humanity, for basic respect, dignity, and empathy for the values at the very foundation of this democracy,” she said.
The former first lady made a point of mentioning how Donald Trump had spent much of Barack Obama’s presidency spreading the baseless conspiracy theory that he was not born in the United States, and therefore ineligible for the presidency.
“For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard working and highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black,” Obama said.
Michelle Obama suggests Trump is seeking 'one of those Black jobs' by running for president
Obama is now laying into Donald Trump by name.
In a reference to the former president’s much-derided comment about undocumented migrants taking “Black jobs,” Obama said: “Who’s going to tell him that the job he is currently seeking might be one of those Black jobs?
“Who’s gonna tell him the job he is currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?” - Michelle Obama pic.twitter.com/tGFvVGMzpO
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 21, 2024
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Obama then took another veiled swipe at Donald Trump, and his insinuations that Kamala Harris and other Democrats were not real Americans.
“No one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American, no one,” she said.
Michelle Obama calls Harris 'one of the most qualified people ever' to run for president
Michelle Obama then turned to Kamala Harris, whose accomplishments she talked up.
“Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment. She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency. And, she is one of the most dignified – a tribute to her mother, to my mother and to your mother, too,” she said.
'America, hope is making a comeback,' Michelle Obama tells convention
As she opened her speech, Michelle Obama described a nation riven with uncertainty – a subtle jab at Donald Trump, whose name she did not use.
But better days were ahead, she said: “America, hope is making a comeback”.
It sent the crowd to their feet.
Michelle Obama addresses convention
Former first lady Michelle Obama is now on the convention stage.
She’s drawn a huge applause from the crowd.
With a self-deprecating tone that the convention audience is eating up, Emhoff is telling them how he courted Harris, who he was set up with by a client at his law practice.
“For generations, people have debated when to call the person you’re being set up with, and never in history, has anyone suggested 8.30am. And yet, that’s when I dialed,” he said.
“I just started rambling. Hey, it’s Doug, I’m on my way to an early meeting. Again, it’s, Doug. I remember I was trying to grab the words out of the air, and just put them back in my mouth. And for what seemed like far too many minutes, I hung up. By the way, Kamala saved that voicemail. And she makes me listen to it on every anniversary.”
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Second gentleman Emhoff says Harris is 'ready to lead'
Kamala Harris isn’t here to see her husband speak because she’s busy in Milwaukee, but Doug Emhoff paid tribute to her from afar.
“I can’t wait for you to come back to Chicago, because we’re having a great time here,” he said.
“I love you so much. I’m so proud of how you’re stepping up for all of us, but that’s who she is: wherever she’s needed, however she’s needed, Kamala rises to the occasion, and she did it for me and our family.
“And now that the country needs her, she’s showing you what we already know. She’s ready to lead. She brings both joy and toughness to this task, and she will be a great president we will all be proud of.”
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Emhoff kept it light as he began his speech.
“A special shout out to my mother. I see you. My mother is the only person in the whole world who thinks Kamala is the lucky one for marrying me,” he said, to laughs.
Doug Emhoff addresses Democratic convention
Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris’s husband and the first second gentleman in US history, is now addressing the Democratic convention.
He’s wearing a dark suit, white shirt and black tie.
Now playing on the Democratic convention jumbotron is a video displaying photos of Doug Emhoff and Kamala Harris.
The second gentleman is expected to speak next.
Angela Alsobrooks: 'We as a nation have felt trapped'
Now up at the DNC is Angela Alsobrooks, who is running for US senate in Maryland, facing off against the state’s former GOP governor, Larry Hogan, in a closely watched race.
Alsobrooks detailed Kamala Harris’s prosecutorial record, saying Harris “knows how to keep criminals off the streets”. She also noted Harris’s criminal justice reform efforts, including her signature “Back on Track” program in San Francisco, which gave people convicted of low-level offenses an opportunity to do job training. The program reduced recidivism and was replicated in other jurisdictions.
Alsobrooks said of Donald Trump:
Ever since Donald Trump rode down that ridiculous escalator, we as a nation have felt trapped. Every national decision has been made in reaction to this one man and his extremist Maga movement. We are still frozen by the fear that Donald Trump might once again come to power. And it’s not just our politics that have been trapped. It’s our imagination. And then Kamala came along. Kamala has reminded us that we don’t need to fear anything, not the future, and certainly not that man.”
'Fund housing, not genocide' protester escorted from Kamala Harris rally
At Kamala Harris’s Milwaukee rally, a demonstrator held a “Fund Housing, not Genocide,” banner, according to an NPR reporter:
Protestor at Harris’ Milwaukee rally unfurl a banner that read “Fund Housing, not Genocide.”
— Asma Khalid (@asmamk) August 21, 2024
Some others in the crowd try to yank it down and it appears the protestors were escorted out. pic.twitter.com/AgbPXYecCN
A pool reporter said the demonstrator was drowned out by the crowd and ejected from the rally:
NOW: There’s a Gaza protester being ejected from the Harris rally but you can barely even hear him pic.twitter.com/zlOsWNQGa5
— Christian Datoc (@TocRadio) August 21, 2024
The demonstration did not seem to interrupt the speech, and Harris didn’t acknowledge the protest.
Illinois governor JB Pritzker: 'Trump is rich in stupidity'
JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, has laid out the difference between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in his DNC speech:
We have a choice, America. Between the man who left our country a total mess and the woman who has spent four years cleaning it up. And I think it’s time we stop expecting women to clean up messes without the authority and the title to match the job. Vice president was a good title for Kamala Harris. You know an even better one? President of the United States of America.”
Another notable line from Pritzker: “Trump is only rich in one thing: stupidity.”
Illinois Governor @JBPritzker:
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 21, 2024
“Donald Trump says we should trust him on the economy, because he claims to be very rich. Well take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is only rich in one thing: stupidity.” pic.twitter.com/KdDRHiwccX
Harris finished her brief remarks in Milwaukee on Tuesday night, careful not to distract from the Chicago convention for too long. Walz joined Harris onstage but did not deliver remarks.
Harris spoke of Walz and said “only in America” would a kid who grew up on a farm in Kansas and an Oakland girl who had a summer job at McDonald’s end up on a presidential ticket. She also seemed to rib Walz for the way he was chanting her rallying cry: “We’re not going back.”
After she concluded her speech, they high-fived and walked together off stage.
Kamala Harris criticizes Trump for saying he has 'no regrets' about Roe v Wade's end
Kamala Harris in her Milwaukee rally highlighted Donald Trump’s defiant comment about Roe v Wade on Tuesday:
Yesterday, when he was asked if he has any regrets about ending Roe v Wade, Donald Trump, without even a moment’s hesitation – you would think you’d reflect on it for a second – said, ‘No regrets.’
Bad behavior should result in a consequence. Well, we will make sure he does face a consequence, and that’ll be at the ballot box in November.
Kamala Harris helps get medical help for rally attendee
Harris said the stakes were higher than ever before for the country.
“This is not 2016 or 2020,” she said, arguing that Trump has become more dangerous as he seeks a second term. “The stakes are higher,” she added, pointing to the supreme court’s immunity ruling for presidents. She raised Trump’s comments promising to be a dictator on his first day in office, and suggested he would terminate the constitution.
Shortly after, someone in the crowd had a medical emergency. From the stage, Harris asked for medical help. She instructed rally-goers to clear a path. After a few moments, Harris declared: “We’re going to be ok.”
“This is what we’re about, looking out for each other,” Harris said.
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In a smooth feat of scheduling – which cannot be said about the convention so far – as Dr Dre faded in Chicago, Beyoncé blared in Milwaukee.
Harris’s home state of California concluded the Democrats’ “celebratory” roll call vote to nominate her and Walz to be the party’s presidential ticket at their convention in Chicago. When it finished, Harris and Walz walked out to another packed stadium of cheering supporters at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, about 100 miles north.
Speaking to the cameras, which were broadcasting the beginning of her remarks at the convention, Harris said she’d see Chicago in two days, when she will formally accept the nomination on Thursday. Harris said there were 76 days left until the election and they had a lot of work left to do.
“We like hard work. Hard work is good work,” Harris said, before turning to her economic agenda.
Sanders then detailed the goals of what he described as the “struggle” of America’s progressives.
My friends, at the very top of that to-do list is the need to get big money out of our political process. Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections, including primary elections. For the sake of our democracy, we must overturn the disastrous Citizens United supreme court decision, and move toward public funding of elections.
Let me tell you what else we must do. We need to join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee healthcare to all people as a human right, not a privilege. We need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage.
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Sanders tells Democrats: 'We're going to win this struggle'
Bernie Sanders is not a Democrat, but he works with the party in the Senate and is attracting decent applause as he re-states his support for progressive policies that could transform the government’s relationship with businesses and everyday Americans:
My fellow Americans, when 60% of our people live paycheck to paycheck, the top 1% have never, ever had it so good. And these oligarchs tell us we shouldn’t tax the rich. The oligarchs tell us we shouldn’t take on price gouging. We shouldn’t expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision, and we shouldn’t increase social security benefits for struggling seniors.
Well, I’ve got some bad news for them: that is precisely what we are going to do, and we’re going to win this struggle, because this is precisely what the American people want from their government.
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Bernie Sanders addresses Democratic convention
Bernie Sanders, the independent senator who caucuses with Democrats and is a progressive icon, is now addressing the convention.
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Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer says party could expand majority in November
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s path to the White House will be hard. But equally hard, if not harder, will be Democrats’ quest to maintain their majority in the Senate.
Political analysts generally agree the party has few-to-no opportunities to pick up seats in Congress’s lower chamber, and is in fact guaranteed to lose at least one, thanks to Joe Manchin’s decision not to pursue a second term representing deep-red West Virginia.
The fate of the party’s majority is seen as depending on the re-election of Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown in Ohio, as well as Harris’s election as president, which will allow Walz to cast the tie-breaking vote in an evenly divided chamber.
Nonetheless, the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, projected optimism in his address to the convention:
“We’re going to hold the Senate, and we’re going to pick up seats,” he said.
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Kamala Harris on Project 2025: 'We're not going back'
In Milwaukee, Kamala Harris touted her affordable housing plan to support first-time buyers, and then moved on to criticizing Project 2025:
Can you believe they put that thing in writing? That plan tells us what they are up to. Donald Trump intends to give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations … he wants to impose what is, in effect, a national sales tax, which will cost a typical family $3,900 a year.
She warns about the potential end to the Affordable Care Act: “Remember what that was like when insurance companies could deny people with pre-existing conditions? Breast cancer survivors, children with diabetes, grandparents … being denied care. We’re not going back.”
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Kamala Harris in Milwaukee: 'This is going to be a tight race'
The vice-president is speaking in Milwaukee now alongside her running mate Tim Walz. They also made a brief virtual appearance at the Democratic convention, which is continuing.
Harris started with praise for Joe Biden: “Wasn’t he terrific last night? I know we are all deeply grateful for his lifetime of service to this nation. Thank you, Joe.”
“We know this is going to be a tight race until the very end … We will win.”
Harris sounds hoarse, but energetic as she projects optimism: “This is not just about us versus Donald Trump. This is about two very different visions for our nation. Ours is focused on the future.”
Why Minnesota and California were initially passed over at the convention roll call
The ceremonial roll call was conducted in alphabetical order, but some convention viewers were confused when Minnesota and California’s delegations were passed over.
California, however, went last, since it is the home state of Kamala Harris. Minnesota also went second to last to honor the vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, the state’s governor.
After a few brief remarks from Harris, the convention hall jumbotron has shifted back to its scheduled speakers, with Ana Navarro, co-host of The View TV show, now speaking.
But the vice-president is continuing her rally in Milwaukee, alongside her running mate Tim Walz. We’ll let you know what Harris says.
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Harris makes surprise virtual remarks to convention ahead of campaign speech
With the ceremonial roll call concluded, the convention hall jumbotron is showing a livestream of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in Milwaukee, where they are holding a rally in the city.
“Good evening, Milwaukee!” the vice-president said. “And hello to everyone joining us from exciting Chicago!”
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Up now is the final delegation to speak: California.
The Governor Gavin Newsom is speaking about the state, which he notes is “the most diverse state in the world’s most diverse democracy”. The former House speaker Nancy Pelosi is standing next to him – both are from the Bay Area, and so is Kamala Harris. Also prominent in the delegation is longtime congresswoman Maxine Waters, from Los Angeles.
Just before them was the Minnesota delegation, home of Harris’s vice-presidential pick Tim Walz.
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DJ Cassidy presides as Democrats hold ceremonial roll call
Here are some images from inside the United Center in Chicago as Democrats held the ceremonial roll call – which is being led by Grammy-nominated DJ Cassidy.
'Tennessee Three' lawmakers appear at convention
The three Democratic state lawmakers from Tennessee who last year faced expulsion for protesting in favor of gun control, just announced their delegation’s support for Kamala Harris at the convention.
“In Tennessee, because we believe that justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, which is why we are so proud to have been the first state in the union to have pledged all of our delegates to Kamala D Harris,” said Justin Jones, who along with his colleague Justin Pearson, was booted from the legislature, before voters sent both back to their seats.
They became known as the “Tennessee Three,” alongside Gloria Johnson, who also joined the protest but survived an expulsion vote in the Republican-dominated house of representatives. She was on the convention floor, alongside Pearson and Jones.
Here’s more about their saga:
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There are reports of long lines to get into the Democratic convention as the ceremonial roll call continues.
The line to get into the DNC tonight - where former Pres @BarackObama is the featured speaker - stretches way, way down the block. I’ve heard estimates of 1.5 hour+ waits pic.twitter.com/b98TGOBhQy
— Anya van Wagtendonk (@twiceanya) August 21, 2024
Another absolutely insane line to get into the United Center at the Dem convention. Just overheard someone say, "I hate to say it, but the RNC did a better job than this." pic.twitter.com/9nQIZ69vPr
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) August 21, 2024
Semafor reported earlier today that Standing Committee of Correspondents, which represents Capitol Hill journalists, has raised concerns to the convention’s organizers about logistical problems with media access, and that reporters were concerned with long lines and other issues. The Trump campaign seized on reports of long lines, with an adviser saying, “Waiting in lines are all part of the Kamala economic plan.”
Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor, just announced his state’s support for Kamala Harris.
He was considered a top contender to be her running mate, but she ultimately chose the Minnesota governor Tim Walz.
“I’m governor Josh Shapiro, proud governor of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the birthplace of democracy, the birthplace of freedom, the greatest commonwealth of all. And together, together, Pennsylvania casts 178 votes for the next madam President of the United States, Kamala Harris, and vice-president Tim Walz,” he said.
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The roll call is giving every state the opportunity to show off its local politicians, celebrities and idiosyncrasies.
When New York was called, film-maker Spike Lee was seated prominently with the delegation, but didn’t speak. Kathy Hochul, the governor, talked about how the state was home to barrier-breaking female politicians:
We are also not just the birthplace of great progressive movements. We are the birthplace of Shirley Chisholm. We are the birthplace of Geraldine Ferraro, and we are the home of Hillary Clinton, and that’s why, as the first woman governor of New York, I am so proud to cast 298 votes to make Kamala Harris the first female president of the United States of America.
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I exited the United Center near the gates where delegates enter, and the lines were again long, though moving apace.
Anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ rights protesters were among the delegates, holding signs that said, “Obey Jesus or hell” and “abortion is murder.”
A giant bloody hand, an apparent reference to Democrats having blood on their hands because of the war on Gaza, had the name of Code Pink, a leftwing anti-war group, and was also among the protesters.
Exited the United Center and the lines for delegates to enter were long, with some protestors among them pic.twitter.com/zu1hoMqjho
— Rachel Leingang (@rachelleingang) August 21, 2024
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As speakers started taking the stage, a group of uncommitted delegates told reporters in the United Center hallway that they still hadn’t heard back from the Democratic convention on their demand to have a Palestinian American leader speak on stage.
The ceasefire movement first asked for Tanya Haj-Hassan, a doctor who worked in Gaza, to speak on the main stage. She instead has spoken at press conferences elsewhere at the convention.
With time at the convention passing by, the uncommitted delegates said their requests were more urgent, as was the call for a permanent ceasefire and arms embargo.
The convention’s organizers have not responded publicly to these requests for speakers.
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Lil Jon made his surprise entrance by coming down from the elevated seating and onto the convention floor, where he met up with the Georgia delegation:
He then stood with the delegation, which included senator Raphael Warnock, as they announced their support for Kamala Harris.
In the first celebrity surprise of the night so far, rapper Lil Jon is performing his hit Turn Down for What, after they called on Georgia’s delegation.
It sounded like he was saying something like, “to the window, to the Walz”.
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Democrats kick off ceremonial roll-call at convention
The Democrats have started their “celebratory roll call”, during which state delegates are standing up to announce their support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the party’s nominee for president and vice-president.
It’s a ceremonial move, since Harris and Walz were already nominated by a virtual roll call held earlier this month, but it gives the party a chance to draw attention to delegates from all 50 states, as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Delaware, the home of Joe Biden, kicked off the roll call.
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One of the more unusual moments of the convention thus far came when photographer Abbas Shirmohammadi took the gathering’s official photo.
He used a 110-year-old camera mounted on a giant tripod on the podium behind where the delegates were seated. Because of the camera’s age, he asked the hundreds of people standing below him not to move, otherwise they would appear blurry in the shot.
It was a tall order for a crowd that had just been dancing and clapping during a musical interlude between speakers, but after several exhortations from Shirmohammadi of “do not move please,” he got his shot, and also took a few with a digital camera.
PetaPixel reports that Shirmohammadi also took the 2016 convention’s official photo, and yes, he asked the crowd not to move then, too.
Harris and Walz arrive in Milwaukee ahead of rally
Vice-president Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, have just arrived in Milwaukee, where they are due to speak at a rally scheduled for 8pm CT.
Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/c0rgwNm5Hc
— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) August 20, 2024
The duo was greeted by Cavalier Johnson, the Milwaukee mayor, the state representative Kalan Haywood and José Pérez, a Milwaukee council president, according to a pool report.
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They’ve rolled a table and chairs onto the Democratic convention stage, as well as a DJ and his turntables.
The convention’s announcer just said that they will soon hold the ceremonial roll call of states, during which delegates will stand up and announce their support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the party’s standard bearers.
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Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen shows up at Democratic convention
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, has turned up at the Democratic national convention, for reasons unknown.
Cohen fell out with Trump years ago, and was a witness for the prosecution in the former president’s hush-money trial in New York, which ended with him being found guilty of 34 felonies related to falsifying business documents.
Now, Cohen is hobnobbing with Trump’s sworn political enemies:
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We won’t be seeing Joe Biden again at this convention, but we’re going to hear plenty about his policies and how Kamala Harris will carry on their most popular aspects.
Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans who the Biden administration tasked with supervising the implementation of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, is talking up the legislation’s benefits before the delegates.
“After years of dead ends and broken promises, President Biden and vice-president Harris brought Republicans and Democrats together to actually get something done. Trump promised infrastructure week, but never built anything. But this time, the Biden-Harris administration is actually breaking ground, and we’re starting to turn dirt, ushering in an infrastructure decade,” Landrieu said.
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Former White House press secretary says Trump has 'no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth'
Stephanie Grisham, who served as White House press secretary for part of Donald Trump’s term, just appeared on the Democratic convention stage to denounce her former boss.
“I wasn’t just a Trump supporter. I was a true believer. I was one of his closest advisers. The Trump family became my family,” she said.
Grisham then accused the former president of mocking his supporters in private, saying: “He calls them basement dwellers. On a hospital visit one time, when people were dying in the ICU, he was mad that the cameras were not watching him. He has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth.”
She said the former president once advised her: “It doesn’t matter what you say, Stephanie, say it enough and people will believe you.
“What you says matter, and what you don’t say matters. On January 6, I asked [then first lady Melania Trump] if we could at least tweet that while peaceful protest is the right of every American, there’s no place for lawlessness or violence. She replied with one word: ‘No,’” Grisham said, recounting that she resigned after that.
“Now, here I am behind a podium advocating for a Democrat, and that’s because I love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people, and she has my vote.”
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At the convention, we just heard from Kyle Sweetser, an Alabama resident, who said he used to vote for Donald Trump, but stopped doing so after tariffs implemented during the former president’s administration drove up costs at his construction job.
“Costs for construction workers like me were starting to soar. I realized Trump wasn’t for me. He was for lining his own pockets,” Sweetser said.
In a message that Democrats would certainly like moderate voters to hear, Sweetser said: “Now, I’m not left wing period, but I believe our leaders should bring out the best in us, not the worst. That’s why I’m voting for Kamala Harris. She’s tough. She’s going to tackle inflation. Trump will make it worse. I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she’ll make us proud to be American again.”
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Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, will focus his remarks on the US economy.
“Bottom line: we need an economy that works for all of us, not just the greed of the billionaire class,” Sanders plans to say, in a preview of his speech his press office shared with journalists.
Here’s more:
These oligarchs tell us we shouldn’t tax the rich; we shouldn’t take on price gouging; we shouldn’t expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision; and we shouldn’t increase Social Security benefits for struggling seniors.
Well, I’ve got some bad news for them.
That is precisely what we are going to do and we’re going to win this struggle because this is precisely what the American people want from their government.
Kamala Harris has also been discussing plans to propose a federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries and lowering the cost of education and childcare. She is no longer promoting Medicare for All, which she initially had co-sponsored with Sanders, as part of a broader shift toward the center. But she has been promoting strengthening Medicare and expanding other health programs that area already in place.
Here’s more on her platform:
In his speech tonight, Doug Emhoff will share why he sees his wife Kamala Harris as a “joyful warrior”, according to excerpts the DNC sent to journalists.
“Whenever she’s needed, however she’s needed, Kamala rises to the occasion,” Emhoff plans to say. “She did it for me and our family. Now that the country needs her, she’s showing you what we already know: she’s ready to lead, she brings both joy and toughness to this task and she will be a great president who we will all be proud of.”
Emhoff has become an important surrogate for Harris on the campaign trail, speaking about reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights and antisemitism.
The second gentleman, who is a lawyer and visiting professor at Georgetown University Law Center, has faced a wave of antisemitic, misogynistic attacks since his wife became a presidential candidate. If Harris wins the election, Emhoff would become the first ever first gentleman.
How to watch this evening's Democratic national convention
There are lots of ways to watch night two of the Democratic national convention. CSpan will have it live, as will several YouTube channels, and the Guardian will, of course, be live blogging it from inside the United Center in Chicago.
Democrats are hoping their message reaches millions of American voters, and particularly those in the seven swing states they view as key to putting Kamala Harris in the White House. Here’s more about how to tune in to tonight’s show:
Who is scheduled to speak on night two of the Democratic national convention?
We are expecting about two dozen speakers at the Democratic national convention this evening, as well as a ceremonial roll call of state delegations to confirm Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s place atop the ticket. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of who is scheduled to speak, and when:
The Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison will gavel in the convention’s second evening at 5.30pm CT, and after that, we’ll hear from Jimmy Carter’s grandson Jason Carter, and Jack Schlossberg, John F Kennedy’s grandson.
In the 6pm hour, Donald Trump’s former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham will speak, and after her comes senator Gary Peters.
The ceremonial roll call is scheduled for the 7pm hour and after 8pm, we will hear from the Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, and the progressive luminary Bernie Sanders.
From 9pm, Angela Alsobrooks, the party’s nominee for Maryland’s open Senate seat, will give remarks, followed by Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Barack Obama is scheduled to make the keynote speech at 10pm, and the night’s programming will conclude after that.
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Barack Obama to deliver keynote speech on second night of Democratic national convention
Hello, US politics blog readers, and thanks for joining us as we cover the second night of the Democratic national convention. Barack Obama will be the keynote speaker this evening, the theme of which is “A Bold Vision for America’s Future.” Before he takes the stage at the United Center in Chicago, we will hear from Michelle Obama, the former first lady, Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, the independent senator Bernie Sanders and a slew of other top Democrats and party allies.
In addition, a ceremonial roll call will be held, where state delegations are to announce their support for Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee and the Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate. But we do not expect to see either of them until much later in the evening, because Harris and Walz are holding a rally in Milwaukee, the largest city in the neighboring swing state of Wisconsin, that coincides with the convention.
The convention kicked off at 5.30pm CT and is scheduled to wrap up sometime after 10pm. Here’s more of what we know about the night’s events:
Obama is expected to deliver a “forceful affirmation” of Harris’s candidacy in his speech to the convention, an advisor to the former president told CNN today.
Several senators are speaking tonight, including the majority leader Chuck Schumer, Michigan’s Gary Peters and Illinois’s Tammy Duckworth. Angela Alsobrooks, the party’s nominee in Maryland and an understudy of Harris, will also give remarks.
Stephanie Grisham, a former press secretary in Donald Trump’s White House, will be one of the earlier speakers and likely denounce her former boss.
The night’s invocation will be given by Los Angeles-based rabbi Sharon Brous and Talib M Shareef, an imam from Washington DC.
Do not expect to see Joe Biden. The president was last night’s keynote speaker, giving an address that served to pass the torch to Harris and mark the conclusion of his more than five decades in politics. He then departed Chicago for vacation in California.
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