DNC day three: Kamala Harris officially accepted the vice presidential nomination — making her the first Black and South Asian woman nominated to a major political party’s ticket.
Obama touted his former VP: Former President Barack Obama made his case for Joe Biden and took direct shots at President Trump, saying he “hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t.”
The night’s other big speakers: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and more delivered remarks.
Our live coverage has ended. Read and watch below to see how it all unfolded.
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Biden joins Harris on stage following her acceptance speech
Senator from California and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff stand on stage socially distanced from former Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife former Second Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden at the end of the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware on August 19.
Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images
Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, joined Kamala Harris tonight on stage after she became the first Black and South Asian woman to be nominated to a major party’s ticket.
In her acceptance speech, Harris paid tribute to the Black women that came before her, she urged Americans to fight and she vowed to fight for the nation.
“Let’s fight with conviction. Let’s fight with hope. Let’s fight with confidence in ourselves, and a commitment to each other. To the America we know is possible. The America, we love,” she said.
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Harris talks about relationship with Biden’s late son Beau
From CNN's Gregory Krieg
Sen. Kamala Harris speaks at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, August 19.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Before she was Joe Biden’s primary rival in 2020, Kamala Harris struck up a friendship with Biden’s late son, Beau.
Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015, overlapped with Harris during their times as fellow attorneys general – Harris representing California; Biden with the same job in Delaware – in the years after the financial crisis.
They worked together as part of a larger group that secured a settlement with major banks and lenders who were accused of predatory lending practices in the run-up to the crash.
But their political alliance, Harris said, ultimately took a backseat to a personal friendship that gave her an insight into Beau’s father.
“Beau and I,” Harris said, would talk about “Joe (spending) four hours every day riding the train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington” to see him and his brother, Hunter, who had lost their mother and sister in a 1972 car accident.
“Beau and Hunter got to have breakfast every morning with their dad,” Harris said. “They went to sleep every night with the sound of his voice reading bedtime stories. And while they endured an unspeakable loss, those two little boys always knew that they were deeply, unconditionally loved.”
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Harris emphasizes this moment in history: "We will tell them not just how we felt, we will tell them what we did"
From CNN's Jasmine Wright
In a mock convention hall, Kamala Harris became the first Black and South Asian American woman to accept the nomination vice president from a major political party.
In her remarks, Harris acknowledged that the “road ahead is not easy,” but said, “we believe our country, all of us, will stand together for a better future.” She urged Americans to go out and vote, and act for future generations.
Harris also used her speech to explain with detail her personal life and the vision that she and Joe Biden share for the country if they are elected.
“Joe will bring us together to end this pandemic and make sure that we are prepared for the next one. Joe will bring us together to squarely face and dismantle racial injustice, furthering the work of generations,” she said.
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Harris: "Oh, how I wish" my mother was here
From CNN's Dan Merica
Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris speaks on the third night of the Democratic National Convention from the Chase Center on August 19.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Kamala Harris opened her vice presidential acceptance speech on Wednesday by remembering her late mother, lamenting the fact that she could not be there to see her daughter’s achievement of becoming the first Black and South Asian woman nominated to a major party’s presidential ticket.
She added that she often thinks about what her mother must have thought when she first gave birth at 25-years old at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California.
“On that day, she probably could have never imagined that I would be standing before you now speaking these words: I accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States of America,” Harris said.
Earlier in the speech, Harris said she was there standing on her mother’s shoulders, a woman who “came here from India at age 19 to pursue her dream of curing cancer. At the University of California, Berkeley, she met my father, Donald Harris — who had come from Jamaica to study economics.”
“In the streets of Oakland and Berkeley, I got a stroller’s-eye view of people getting into what the great John Lewis called ‘good trouble,’” Harris said.
Harris’ mother died of cancer in 2009.
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Wolf Blitzer: Obama speech "most powerful" of his career
From CNN's Josiah Ryan
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer reacted to President Obama’s address to the Democratic National Convention this evening, saying that in the many years he’s covered the former President, he doesn’t remember a speech that was more powerful.
“…I have been watching President Obama for example delivering speeches since 2004 deliver speeches,” he continued. “This may have been the most powerful address he ever gave, a presidential address to the nation… going after the sitting President… you don’t see that very often.”
In his speech, earlier in the evening Obama laid into his successor, excoriating Trump as incapable of handling the responsibilities of the presidency and uninterested in “taking the job seriously.”
Speaking before Sen. Kamala Harris, Obama said that while he never expected Trump to “embrace my vision or continue my policies,” he also never believed he would treat the presidency as “anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.”
“I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care,” Obama said. “But he never did.”
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Harris: "There is no vaccine for racism"
Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention, Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
Following her formal nomination tonight, Sen. Kamala Harris invoked the names of Black Americans killed in the US in her acceptance speech.
She continued: “For George Floyd, for Breonna Taylor, for the lives of too many others to name, for our children and for all of us. We’ve got to do the work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law. Because here’s the thing. None of us are free until all of us are free.”
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Kamala Harris pays tribute to Black women who came before her
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention, Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris began her speech Wednesday night saying that her presence – as the first Black woman and first person of Indian descent nominated for a major political party’s ticket – is “a testament to the dedication of generations before me.”
Harris noted that women had earned the right to vote 100 years ago – but that Black women faced a longer battle for voting rights.
She named several female civil rights and political leaders – “Mary Church Terrell and Mary Mcleod Bethune. Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash. Constance Baker Motley and Shirley Chisholm.”
“We’re not often taught their stories,” she said. “But as Americans, we all stand on their shoulders.”
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Harris becomes the first Black and South Asian woman nominated to major party's presidential ticket
Kamala Harris became the first Black and South Asian woman nominated to a major party’s presidential ticket tonight.
She is set to deliver her acceptance speech as the first woman of color on a major party ticket this evening.
Harris, a daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, has often spoken about both their experience in America and her own as a biracial woman.
Harris was officially nominated by her sister Maya, niece Meena, and stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff.
“I love you, I admire you, I am so proud of you. Even though mommy is not here to see her first daughter step into history, the entire nation will see in your strength, your integrity, your intelligence, and your optimism the values that she raised us with,” Maya said.
“We love you, mamala. We are so proud of you, auntie. You mean the world to us, Kamala. And we could not be more excited to share you with the world. As the next vice president of the United States,” the women said together.
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Obama: "Do not let them take away your democracy"
From CNN's Gregory Krieg
Former President Barack Obama.
Democratic National Committee
Hammering away at a message that has become a theme of the night, President Barack Obama lamented the precarious state of democracy in America, then urged voters to go to the polls in November on a mission to save it.
In an implicit rebuke of President Trump’s famous convention line from 2016, when the future president pledged that “I alone can fix it,” Obama on Wednesday said he believed Biden and Harris could “lead this country of dark times,” but that their election wouldn’t be enough.
“No single American can fix this country alone, not even a president,” Obama said. “Democracy was never meant to be transactional, you give me your vote, I make everything better. It requires an active an informed citizenry.”
Obama also addressed the millions of frustrated Americans who could sit out the election, put off by a political and economic system that regularly ignores their needs while profiting off their work. Trump and Republicans, he said, benefited from that malaise and, now, was trying to use it to further empower himself.
“They know they can’t win you over with their policies so they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote and to convince you that your vote does not matter. That is how they win,” Obama said. “That’s how our democracy withers. Until it’s no democracy at all and we cannot let that happen. Do not let them take away your power. Do not let them take away your democracy.”
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Obama fights back tears remembering Americans who fought through oppression
From CNN's Dan Merica
Former President Barack Obama speaks during the third night of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Democratic National Convention via AP
Barack Obama fought back tears during his speech to the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday as he recalled how many Americans fought through oppression but still “joined together” to fight for the future of the country.
The former president was visibly emotional as he recalled the work of past generations, including “Black Americans chained and whipped and hanged, spit on for trying to sit at lunch counters, beaten for trying to vote.”
Then Obama got to his point: If these Americans could still fight to make America a better place, Americans discouraged by this state of the country right now can still keep up the fight and vote.
“If anyone had a right to believe that this democracy did not work, and could not work, it was those Americans. Our ancestors. They were on the receiving end of a democracy that had fallen short all their lives. They knew how far the daily reality of America strayed from the myth,” he said. “And yet, instead of giving up, they joined together and said somehow, some way, we are going to make this work. We are going to bring those words, in our founding documents, to life.”
Obama said he has seen the spirit of those ancestors in protestors over the last four years and urged them to keep up the fight.
“You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place,” Obama said. “You’re the missing ingredient – the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed.”
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Obama on choosing Biden as his own VP: "I didn't know I'd end up finding a brother"
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Former President Barack Obama.
Democra
Former President Barack Obama called Joe Biden his “brother” and California Sen. Kamala Harris his “friend” as he made a personal case for their election Wednesday night.
Obama recounted selecting Biden for the vice presidential nomination in 2008.
“That empathy, that decency, the belief that everybody counts – that’s who Joe is,” Obama said.
He said Biden’s experience as a single father and the parent of a soldier shaped the former vice president.
“For eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president – and he’s got the character and the experience to make us a better country,” Obama said.
Then, turning to Harris, he added: “And in my friend Kamala Harris, he has chosen an ideal partner who is more than prepared for the job; someone who knows what it’s like to overcome barriers and who’s made a career fighting to help others live out their own American dream.”
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Obama lays into Trump: The President "hasn’t grown into the job because he can't"
From CNN's Dan Merica
Former President Barack Obama.
Democratic Nation
Former President Barack Obama laid into his successor in the starkest terms yet on Wednesday night, excoriating President Donald Trump as incapable of handling the responsibilities of the presidency and uninterested in “taking the job seriously.”
Speaking before Sen. Kamala Harris at Wednesday night’s Democratic National Convention, Obama said that while he never expected Trump to “embrace my vision or continue my policies,” he also never believed he would treat the presidency as “anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.”
A former president issuing a harsh critique of the current president, in another era, would be a more unique occurrence. But Trump has entirely changed the calculus by not only attacking his Democratic predecessors, but also the presidents from his own party.
Obama then listed the things Trump was unwilling to do, including put in the work to be president, find common ground with others or help anyone other than himself and his own friends.
“Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t. And the consequences of that failure are severe,” Obama said. “170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.”
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Warren: Child care is "infrastructure for families"
From CNN's Gregory Krieg
Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks during the third night of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Democratic National Committee via AP
Speaking from a Massachusetts pre-K and kindergarten facility shuttered by the coronavirus, Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday night made the case that Joe Biden has the right kind of “plans” to rebuild the American economy.
Warren focused her remarks on child care, an issue that has grown in prominence as more parents than ever before – with schools and day cares closed – struggle to juggle work and caring for their children.
Warren used a moment from her own life’s story, one familiar to those who followed her campaign, to drive home the point.
“As a little girl growing up in Oklahoma, what I wanted most in the world was to be a teacher. I loved teaching. And when I had babies and was juggling my first big teaching job in Texas it was hard, but I could do hard,” Warren said. “The thing that almost sank me? Child care.”
The future Massachusetts senator then called her aunt, who dropped everything to join her, helping Warren for 16 years. But that, Warren noted, was her own good luck – and not the fate of so many other working parents.
“Because of my Aunt Bea, I learned a fundamental truth: Nobody makes it on their own,” Warren said. “And yet, here we are, two generations of working parents later, and if you have a baby and don’t have a Aunt Bea, you are on your own.”
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Democrats highlight plight of small businesses as coronavirus hammers the economy
From CNN's Josiah Ryan
Democrats played a video at the virtual convention this evening, featuring stories of a small business owner, a restauranteur, a farmer and a manufacturer who are all struggling to stay afloat as Covid-19 continues to roil the American economy.
The short video, narrated by Ohio’s Sen. Sherrod Brown, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa, takes aim at President Trump’s handling of the pandemic as well as his trade war with China.
The video ended on an upbeat note, however, with each of the beleaguered entrepreneurs expressing hope that a Joe Biden administration would bring about relief.
“Joe Biden has an understanding of what the average American is experiencing,” said the LA restaurant owner.
“I have a lot of confidence in Joe Biden,” said the Iowa farmer. “He’s a fighter and the real deal.”
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Elizabeth Warren pays subtle tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement
Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks during the third night of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Democratic National Committee
During her speech tonight during the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Elizabeth Warren paid tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement in a subtle and poignant way.
As the senator from Massachusetts discussed the importance of affordable health care, the letters “BLM” could be seen on a shelf over her left shoulder.
More on Warren and race in America: In June, Warren had introduced an amendment calling on the Department of Defense to rename military bases named after Confederate soldiers.
It specifically called for the removal of names of Confederate leaders from all military assets —whether it’s a base, installation, facility, aircraft, ship, plane or type of equipment — within three years.
The plan was adopted behind closed doors by voice vote with the support of some Republicans, even as President Trump condemned any action to remove Confederate leaders’ names from military bases — and the White House vowed to veto any such legislative effort.
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Solis: Biden and Harris have an economic plan "not only to recover what we lost but to improve upon it"
Former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.
Democratic National Committee
Former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis touted Joe Biden’s economic policies when they worked together during the Obama administration and said the former vice president is the fighter that American workers need in the country now.
Solis said that because of President Trump’s “failures,” the country “must once again rescue a sinking economy.”
Solis, who was sworn in by Biden, stated she’s personally seen Biden work for Americans when he and President Obama, “extended overtime pay to more than four million workers” and “saved the automobile industry.” As for Kamala Harris, Solis touted that Harris “took on big banks and won” when people in California “lost their homes.”
She laid out the Biden and Harris’ economic plan, saying that it would not only help the country “not only to recover what we lost but to improve upon it.”
“That is why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris actually have a plan. Not only to recover what we lost but to improve upon it. To build back better. Creating 5 million good union jobs by bringing back supply chains to America. That is building back better. Creating millions of jobs by investing in clean energy. That is building back better. And making sure that working families can afford childcare. That is how we build back better,” Solis said.
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Pelosi: McConnell and Trump are partners in blocking popular policies
From CNN's Gregory Krieg
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Democratic National Committee
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used her speech on Wednesday to tie Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is up for reelection in Kentucky, to President Donald Trump – and cast them as twin bulwarks against popular legislation, like lowering prescription drug prices.
Pelosi also made an argument, and distinction, that has largely gone unspoken during the convention’s first two nights: that Trump’s rhetoric and personal behavior are inextricable from the Republican political agenda.
“As Speaker, I’ve seen firsthand Donald Trump’s disrespect for facts, for working families, and for women in particular — disrespect written into his policies toward our health and our rights, not just his conduct,” she said.
A historical figure in her own right, Pelosi touted the increasingly diverse makeup of the House Democratic majority and the record number of women in this Congress’ ranks.
“This month, as America marks the centennial of women finally winning the right to vote, we do so with 105 women in the House,” she said. “Proudly, 90 are Democrats.”
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Clinton offers cautionary tale against "woulda coulda shoulda" election
From CNN's Dan Merica
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Democratic National Committee
Hillary Clinton, the only other Democrat to run against Donald Trump, urged voters not to take the President’s political standing for granted this year, warning that November cannot be a “woulda coulda shoulda” election.
Clinton’s speech was both a reflection on her bid four years ago, where she unexpectedly lost, in part, because some Democrats sat out the race, and an indictment on Trump, a man she described as ill-equipped to be President.
“Don’t forget: Joe and Kamala can win 3 million more votes and still lose. Take it from me,” Clinton said. “We need numbers so overwhelming Trump can’t sneak or steal his way to victory.”
Clinton added:
When Clinton conceded the 2016 election, she said Democrats owed Trump the chance to prove he could grow into the presidency.
On Wednesday, however, Clinton reiterated what she has said repeatedly over the last four years: That hasn’t happened.
“I wish Donald Trump had been a better president,” Clinton said. “Because America needs a better president than this.”
Clinton also said that Kamala Harris would face he same “slings and arrows” she did as a woman running, but that Harris “can handle them all.”
“This is the team to pull our nation back from the brink,” she said.
Clinton also devoted much of her speech to heralding the humanity behind both Biden and Harris, including telling a story about Tyrone Gayle, a Democratic operative who worked or both Clinton and Harris before he died in 2018.“
When her press secretary Tyrone Gayle was dying of cancer, she dropped everything to be with him,” Clinton said. “Because that’s who she is.”
Of Biden, Clinton remembered the vice president calling when her mother died and how Biden handled Beau Biden’s death in 2015.
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"You tore our world apart": Daughter whose mother was deported pens scathing letter to Trump
From CNN's Josiah Ryan
Estela Juarez, left, with her mother Alejandra Juarez and sister Pamela Juarez.
Democratic National Committee
A daughter whose mother was deported under the Trump administration in 2018, read aloud an emotional letter she wrote President Trump, saying that her father, who is a Marine Corps veteran who voted for him in 2016, would not do do so again.
In the video, played as a part of tonight’s virtual DNC programming, Estela Juarez described her mother, Alejandra Juarez, as her “best friend,” saying she “worked hard and paid taxes and the Obama administration said she could stay.”
She writes that her father actually supported Trump in the 2016 election, believing that because of his vocal support for the military, he would protect their family.
“Instead of protecting us you tore our world apart,” she read.
“We need a President who will bring people together, not tear them apart,” Estela Juarez said.
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Dreamer: We need a leader that will "commit to keeping families together"
The Sanchez Family.
Democratic National Committee
In a section of tonight’s programming focused on immigration, Silvia Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant in North Carolina, shared her story alongside daughters Jessica, who is a Dreamer, and Lucy, who is a US citizen.
Speaking in Spanish, Silvia said that she did what any mother would do to “save her daughter’s life” after her daughter Jessica was born without a fully developed spinal cord and the doctors in their town told them she would not be able to survive.
Silvia said she took her daughter and “traveled for days” to reach the border and then crossed the river.
“We came to America before I was one years old. She saved my life,” Jessica said of her mother.
Silvia said she had no choice but to come to the United States in search of a miracle. She said her family now works hard, contributes to their community and pays taxes in the country.
Jessica echoed her mother’s sentiment, saying her home is in the US and she qualifies for DACA, the Obama-era program that shields from the deportation of certain undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children. But, she said President Trump took her ability to apply for the program.
Jessica explained that because she does not have the right ID, she cannot get insurance through the exchange.
“I need health insurance, I deserve it, right?” Jessica said.
Jessica called on Americans to vote for a leader who “will fix the broken immigration system, and commit to keeping families together.”
“It breaks our hearts to see children separated from their families at the border. That’s wrong, those children need their parents,” Silvia said.
“On November 3rd, I will vote for my mother, my sister, and my daughters. I will vote for a future where all of our lives have dignity and respect,” Silvia’s daughter Lucy said.
“I’m voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the daughter of immigrants. Who are you going to vote for?” Lucy said in closing.
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Billie Eilish urges Americans to "vote like our lives and the world depend on it"
Singer-songwriter Billie Eilish.
Democratic National Committee
Singer Billie Eilish urged Americans to “vote like our lives and the world depend on it, because they do” before performing her new song “My future.”
She opened her remarks by criticizing President Trump, saying he is “destroying our country and everything we care about.”
“We need leaders who will solve problems like climate change and Covid, not deny them. Leaders who will fight against systemic racism and inequality. That starts by voting for someone who understands how much is at stake,” she said.
The Los Angeles native continued: “Someone who’s building a team that shares our values. It starts with voting against Donald Trump and for Joe Biden.”
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New Mexico governor stresses need to focus on climate, touts Biden’s plans
From CNN's Dan Merica
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Democratic National Committee
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham delivered the convention’s primary speech on climate change, slamming the Trump administration for eliminating climate regulations and touting Joe Biden’s climate plans.
Lujan Grisham, who interviewed to be Biden’s running mate, said the former vice president would rejoin the Paris climate agreement if he is elected president and “invest in clean energy jobs.”
“The choice is clear,” she said. “The choice is Joe Biden.”
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Giffords relates personal recovery to the country: "I have not lost my voice"
From CNN's Dan Merica
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords.
Democratic National Committee
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot and wounded when a gunman opened fire on one of her events in 2011, touted the needs for resilience and strength in a powerful speech Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention.
Giffords, who was shot in the head during the deadly attack, says that she while she “known the darkest of days,” she chose to respond with “grit and determination.”
Giffords has become a symbol for the Democratic fight for stricter gun laws, founding the organization Giffords in the wake of her shooting, an advocacy organization that pushes lawmakers to pass sweeping gun laws.
The former congresswoman then related her personal fight to the current state of the country and her support for Biden.
Giffords’ taped speech was introduced by a video on her life voiced by actress Regina King and featured video of the former congresswoman playing the French horn, something she did often before her shooting.
“It was an honor to help share Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ story of perseverance and courage as part of the Democratic National Convention,” King said in a statement. “Her determination to never stay silent, against all odds, should be inspiration to us all.”
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Parkland survivor Emma González featured in video calling for an end to gun violence
Activist Emma González appeared in a video tonight during the Democratic National Convention calling for an end to gun violence in the US.
González is a student at the helm of a pro-gun control youth movement that erupted after a shooter killed 17 of her classmates and others in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 18, 2018.
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Kamala Harris makes early appearance with message on voting
From CNN's Dan Merica
California Sen. Kamala Harris opened the third night of the convention, urging people to create a plan for voting.
“I want to talk about the importance of voting,” Harris said, standing in what looked like the backstage of the convention set up in Delaware.
Harris will accept the Democratic Party’s vice-presidential nomination and delivers her acceptance speech later in the program.
The California senator lamented the fact that voters are hearing a lot about “obstacles” to voting, adding that she thinks it is important for people to “to ask ourselves why (Republicans) don’t want us to vote” and “why are there so many effort to silence our voices.”
Harris urged viewers to create a voting plan and closed the short message by saying, “I’ll see you a little later tonight.”
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Wisconsin governor opens DNC's third night: "Holy mackerel, folks, let's get to work"
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.
Democratic National Committee
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers kicked off night three of the Democratic National Convention by telling viewers that “we were really looking forward to having you here in America’s dairyland.”
Wisconsin, one of the nation’s marquee swing states, expected to host the convention in Milwaukee — but the coronavirus pandemic forced Democrats to switch to a two-hour-a-night televised version.
So instead, Evers — who defeated Republican Gov. Scott Walker in 2018 as Democrats swept statewide races in Upper Midwest battlegrounds — got an opening slot. The election, he said, is about “returning kindness, respect, empathy and stability back to the White House — and that’s who Joe and Kamala are, because they know, especially during challenging times like these, the problems we face can only be solved by all of us together.”
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The third night of the DNC kicks off
From CNN's Maeve Reston
Sen. Kamala Harris kicks off the third day of the Democratic National Convention.
Democratic National Committee
The third night of the Democratic National Convention has begun. Kamala Harris will take her turn in the spotlight tonight, where she will portray her story as the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants as one that can resonate with all Americans as she makes the case for electing Joe Biden.
She will say that she and Biden are committed to “a vision of our nation as a beloved community — where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love.” And one where Americans may not “agree on every detail” but are “united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect,” according to excerpted remarks released ahead of her speech.
Harris will formally become the first Black and South Asian woman ever nominated to a major presidential party ticket.
Three generations of women — Harris’ sister Maya Harris, her niece Meena, and her stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff — will deliver speeches virtually officially nominating the California senator as the Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States.
Harris will be joined on the program by some of the nation’s most prominent women, including Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who, like Harris, competed against Biden for the 2020 nomination.
Former President Barack Obama will also make the case for his former vice president in what will be a sharp rebuke of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the presidency in general.
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Harris' friend on what tonight's historic Democratic vice presidential nomination means to her
Ahead of Sen. Kamala Harris’ speech this evening, friend Stacey Johnson-Batiste spoke to CNN’s Dana Bash about what tonight’s historic moment means to her friend of more than 50 years.
“It means so much, and by this being the 100th anniversary of the women’s right to vote, it’s so symbolic. I mean, it just seams like, you know, the stars have lined up and everything Kamala has worked so hard for, all these decades has gotten her ready,” she said.
Harris will formally become the first Black and South Asian woman ever nominated to a major presidential party ticket when she formally accepts the nomination tonight.
Johnson-Batiste added that Harris’ career has prepared her to debate current Vice President Mike Pence in October.
“Kamala is fierce, and she’s a fighter. And the one thing that she will not do is let, you know, let someone get away with not telling it like it, is telling the truth to the people. She won’t let those types of comments to get past her,” Harris’ friend said. “She’s going to hold him accountable, and she is going to stick to the facts, she’s going to stick to the issue, she’s going to educate.”
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Harris and Clinton speeches will touch on Biden's late son Beau
From CNN's Arlette Saenz
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kamala Harris.
Getty Images
At least two of tonight’s top Democratic speakers will make nods to Joe Biden’s late son Beau, who passed away from cancer in 2015.
A source familiar with Sen. Kamala Harris’ speech says Harris will talk about Beau Biden and how she got to know the former vice president through her relationship with Beau as the two became friends while serving as state attorneys general at the same time.
Hillary Clinton is also expected to talk how the former vice president dealt with the loss of his son in 2015. It’s just one of the many references during this convention to Biden’s resilience in the face of loss and the empathy he exhibits.
Clinton will also shine some light on Harris’ humanity. Clinton and Harris both worked with a young Democratic spokesperson named Tyrone Gayle who died of cancer two years ago.
Clinton will talk about how Harris flew to be with Gayle shortly before he died as she highlights the compassion of Joe Biden’s running mate — a trait this Democratic ticket is trying to present as a contrast to President Trump.
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Hillary Clinton to warn about "slings and arrows" headed Kamala Harris’ way
From CNN's MJ Lee
It is not lost on Hillary Clinton that she has a unique understanding of the myriad of challenges that Kamala Harris now confronts as a woman running against Donald Trump.
The former Democratic presidential nominee plans to specifically address this in her speech tonight, according to a pointed line from it that was first shared with CNN: “I also know a thing or two about the slings and arrows coming her way,” Clinton will say about Harris. “And believe me, this former district attorney and attorney general can handle them all.”
Clinton is, of course, no stranger to public speaking, but tonight’s speech is one that she is taking very seriously – she sees this as a moment of “passing on the baton” from Obama and herself to Harris, according to a Clinton aide. Wanting to make sure she lands the speech, CNN was told she practiced her remarks over Zoom with aides this afternoon from her office in her attic in Chappaqua.
One last piece of color: Clinton plans on talking about her mother – and reference the fact that strong mothers were big influences for both Harris and Joe Biden, as well, according to the aide.
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Kamala Harris will open the convention with brief remarks
From CNN's MJ Lee
Sen. Kamala Harris listens to former Vice President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, on Aug. 12.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
According to a convention planning official, Sen. Kamala Harris will open the show tonight and give brief remarks, and then will return later on in the programming to deliver her full remarks.
The official said there is incredible excitement around Harris joining the ticket, and they want the people to hear from her as much as possible.
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Obama still editing tonight's DNC speech
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny
Former President Barack Obama is still editing his convention speech at this hour, putting the finishing touches on the most confrontational and blistering address he has given against President Trump.
A person close to Obama tells me that he has spent the last few weeks thinking and conceiving of what he wants to say tonight, but most of the writing happened after the eulogy he delivered for John Lewis.
In those remarks, he did not mention Trump by name. Tonight, he will — and he will not hold back, a person close to Obama said, as he decided this moment was urgent enough to break with protocol in going after a sitting president.
He will deliver his remarks without audience or fanfare from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The choice was designed to underscore how “our very democracy is at a stake,” a Democratic official tells me.
One other major change tonight — that CNN has learned Obama suggested himself.
Initially, the convention originally had Obama speaking after the running mate tonight. But once Kamala Harris was selected, Obama suggested switching the order so he could speak first, followed by her.
“It felt like an opportunity to symbolically pass the torch, give her her moment and spotlight,” a person close to Obama said.
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Harris has spoken with several VP finalists
From CNN's MJ Lee
CNN has learned that since being chosen as Joe Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris has personally spoken with several of the other VP candidates, including some of the finalists:
Former national security adviser Susan Rice
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Rep. Val Demings
All of these women have publicly supported Biden’s decision to choose Harris, and we’ve seen some of them speak at this week’s convention.
And as Harris makes history tonight as the first woman of color to be nominated as VP, it is not a coincidence that this evening will also feature several other high-profile Democratic women who will speak in support of her. We expect that gender will be one of the themes tonight.
In a mark of the historic nature of her candidacy, Harris will be officially nominated by three women close to her: Her sister, niece, stepdaughter. But as a reminder of how unusual this convention is, all three women will be speaking virtually.
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Here's what to expect on the third night of the DNC
From CNN's Eric Bradner, Dan Merica and Kate Sullivan
Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Former President Obama, and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The two history-making figures who are linked together by Joe Biden are set to headline Wednesday’s lineup. Sen. Kamala Harris will accept the Democratic vice presidential nomination, and former President Barack Obama will make remarks.
Here are some key things to watch for tonight:
Harris will make it official: Biden’s running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, is set to be officially nominated as the Democratic vice presidential pick — making her the first Black and South Asian woman to appear on a major political party’s ticket and potentially the country’s first female vice president.
Obama to tout his one-time #2: Obama will make the case for his former vice president’s election. Obama knows what it takes to be president. And he knows Biden. That is why Democratic organizers view the former president’s speech, more than any other on Wednesday night, as key to convincing voters that the former vice president is ready to jump to the top job. Katie Hill, a spokesperson for Obama, said the speech will outline “why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris possess the experience and character to lead us out of the ongoing economic and health care disasters that the current administration has blundered into.”
Other notable speakers: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and more will be speaking tonight. Actress Kerry Washington will emcee.
Musical performances: Billie Eilish, Prince Royce and Jennifer Hudson are scheduled to perform.
Elizabeth Warren to hammer Trump's "failed" response to Covid-19
From CNN's MJ Lee and Daniella Diaz
Night three of the Democratic National Convention will feature Joe Biden’s former 2020 rival, Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Warren and Biden have stayed in touch since Warren dropped out of the race in March and the former vice president has publicly endorsed and touted some of Warren’s policy ideas.
A source familiar with Warren’s remarks tonight tells CNN she will be speaking live from a pre-K and kindergarten facility in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Springfield Early Childhood Education Center. The Education Center is run by the city and was forced to close in March because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is in front of this backdrop that Warren will discuss what she sees as the “failed federal response to the pandemic” and the Biden-Harris ticket’s economic vision, the source told CNN.
It’s also worth noting that universal childcare was one of the key pillars of Warren’s presidential campaign and a plan she spoke about with frequency.
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What former VP pick Tim Kaine says Kamala Harris needs to deliver tonight
From CNN's Josiah Ryan
Sen. Tim Kaine wears a mask during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on May 12, in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Former vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine dished some advice to his Senate colleague Kamala Harris this afternoon, as she prepared to accept the Democratic VP nomination later in the evening.
Kaine went on to outline some of the challenges his 2016 running mate, Hillary Clinton, faced running for President, saying that Harris may face similar, if not worse opposition as a woman of color.
“The biggest pain was seeing the tremendous misogyny and double standards applied against women candidates,” he said of running alongside Clinton. “And then when you have a woman of color, it gets even more intense… she has to face off against deep misogyny or subtle double standards that have held women back, and she has to face-off against the President who’s not afraid to use racist lies to try to trash her.”
But Kaine said no matter how Harris’ speech goes, she is bound to make history.
“She is going to make history,” Kaine told Blitzer. “That was not the case with my candidacy. I wasn’t breaking a glass ceiling. But Kamala Harris is.”
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Obama takes direct aim at Trump in excerpts released of DNC address
Former President Barack Obama address a townhall talk to discuss, among others, the future of Europe with young people on April 6, 2019 in Berlin.
John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images
The Democratic National Convention has released text excerpts of remarks coming tonight from former President Barack Obama.
In his remarks, Obama takes direct shots at President Trump, who he says has “shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.”
Read more excerpts from Obama’s speech tonight:
“Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t. And the consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.”
“I’m well aware that in times as polarized as these, most of you have already made up your mind. But maybe you’re still not sure which candidate you’ll vote for – or whether you’ll vote at all. Maybe you’re tired of the direction we’re headed, but you can’t yet see a better path, or you just don’t know enough about the person who wants to lead us there.”
“So let me tell you about my friend Joe Biden. Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn’t know I’d end up finding a brother. Joe and I came from different places and different generations. But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience, born of too much struggle; his empathy, born of too much grief. Joe’s a man who learned early on to treat every person he meets with respect and dignity, living by the words his parents taught him: ‘No one’s better than you, but you’re better than nobody.’”
“Over eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president. He’s got the character and the experience to make us a better country.”
“Tonight, I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala’s ability to lead this country out of dark times and build it back better. But here’s the thing: no single American can fix this country alone. Democracy was never meant to be transactional – you give me your vote; I make everything better. So I am also asking you to believe in your own ability – to embrace your own responsibility as citizens – to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure.”
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Harris will criticize Trump's "failure of leadership," saying it has "cost lives and livelihoods"
In live remarks from Wilmington, Delaware, set to take place later this evening, presumptive vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will sharply criticize President Trump, saying his administration has turned “our tragedies into political weapons,” according to excerpts released by convention organizers.
“Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose,” Harris adds.
The California senator will also use her speech to paint a picture of the country she and Biden hope to build together if they are elected in November.
“[I am] committed to the values she [my mother] taught me, to the word that teaches me to walk by faith, and not by sight, and to a vision passed on through generations of Americans—one that Joe Biden shares,” Harris will say. “A vision of our nation as a beloved community – where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love.”
“A country where we may not agree on every detail, but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect. A country where we look out for one another, where we rise and fall as one, where we face our challenges, and celebrate our triumphs. Together,” Harris continues.
Read more excerpts from her speech:
“We’re at an inflection point. The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid. The callousness makes us feel alone. It’s a lot.
And here’s the thing: We can do better and deserve so much more.
We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better, and do the important work. A president who will bring all of us together—Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indigenous—to achieve the future we collectively want.
We must elect Joe Biden.”
Here is a portion of the video that will introduce Harris:
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Young activists will speak about gun violence and climate change tonight
From CNN's Rachel Janfaza
Emma Gonzalez speaks during an interview, Monday, June 4, 2018, in Parkland, Florida.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
Since Donald Trump’s election, young activists have led the charge in a number of protest movements. They walked out of school in protest of gun violence, striked from school to save the climate and took to the streets with calls for racial justice this summer.
One in 10 eligible voters will be between the ages of 18 and 23 this November, according to the Pew Research Center. Tonight, young leaders from both the gun violence prevention movement and the climate justice movement will take the virtual stage at the Democratic National Convention.
Emma Gonzalez, 20-years-old and a survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, will introduce a section of tonight’s program focused on ending gun violence. The section will feature other gun violence prevention advocates including Gabrielle Giffords, the former congresswoman from Arizona who was shot and wounded in a 2011 mass shooting.
Gonzalez is one of the co-founders of March For Our Lives, the youth-led gun violence prevention organization founded in the wake of the Parkland school shooting. Gonzalez, who was a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the time, famously called “BS” in an address to lawmakers and gun advocates at a 2018 gun control rally just days after the shooting. Gonzalez’s intro during the convention is expected to include audio from this 2018 speech.
Since then, Gonzalez and her peers at March For Our Lives have lobbied for gun control legislation, called out the National Rifle Association, and registered new voters with a cross-country bus tour in the summer of 2018.
Earlier this month, March For Our Lives put out an ad narrated by Gonzales, titled “Our Power,” which chronicles the rise of gun sales throughout the pandemic, and the way that Covid-19 has disproportionately impacted communities of color.
“Our power means we refuse to fear for our lives. We refuse to live without justice. It’s our power, and we will use it,” Gonzalez says in the ad.
Tonight’s convention line-up will also feature a group of young climate activists. During the evening’s segment on climate change, these organizers are expected to talk about what’s at stake when it comes to their future, and what they want from Biden when it comes to climate action.
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Trump on Obama's speech tonight: "I wouldn't be here" if he and Biden did "a good job"
From CNN's DJ Judd
President Trump was asked today to react to excerpts released ahead of former President Barack Obama’s speech tonight at the Democratic National Convention.
Here’s what Trump said:
Trump took aim at the former president, telling reporters at an afternoon briefing, “when I look at what we have, and I look at how bad he was, how ineffective a president he was, he was so ineffective, so terrible, slowest growing recovery in the history, I guess since 1929, on the economy.”
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Obama will deliver DNC address from Philadelphia to underscore American Democracy
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny and Dan Merica
Former President Barack Obama speaks at the opening of the Bits & Pretzels meetup on September 29, 2019 in Munich, Germany.
Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images
Former President Barack Obama will deliver his speech to the nation Wednesday night from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, a senior Democratic official tells CNN, with a location intended to underscore “our very democracy is at stake” in this election.
The former president’s speech comes on the third night of the party’s gathering, which is being held virtually in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with speakers addressing the convention from key points across the country.
Obama plans to make an aspirational case for Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, aides say, in a speech that will outline their “experience and character to lead us out of the ongoing economic and health care disasters that the current administration has blundered into.”
He also teased his speech in a fundraising appeal on Wednesday, calling for the country to return to a time of normalcy after four tumultuous years.
For Obama, it’s his fifth speech at a Democratic National Convention. His first appearance was in 2004, when he delivered the keynote address in Boston, during his bid for the US Senate.
That address marked the beginning of his national rise as an Illinois state senator. Four years later, he accepted the party’s presidential nomination at Mile High Stadium in Denver.
But the speech on Wednesday night is the first of his post-presidency, with his own legacy on the line as he implores Americans to elect Biden and defeat President Trump.
The site of his address, which will be broadcast live directly before Harris’ speech, underscores the gravity of the election, the official said.
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Hillary Clinton's convention message: Don't take anything for granted with this president
From CNN's Dan Merica
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers a keynote speech during the American Federation of Teachers Shanker Institute Defense of Democracy Forum at George Washington University on September 17, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Zach Gibson/Getty Images
Hillary Clinton, the only other Democrat to face President Trump in an election, will make a case on Wednesday that only she can personally make: Don’t take anything for granted with this president.
Clinton, appearing from her living room, will say that the country “deserves a better president” and argue that person is Joe Biden, a source familiar with the remarks tells CNN.
But, the overarching message in her speech will be that this election cannot be close and that Democrats must overwhelm Republicans in November because what Trump will do to win cannot be underestimated.
It’s a message that Clinton is uniquely positioned to make. Democrats believed four years ago that the former secretary of state was on a path towards the presidency. But Clinton lost her bid for the presidency, crushing the party. The former secretary of state and Democratic nominee will argue that this election is too important to let that happen again.
In addition to policy, Clinton will speak about both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ human side.
Clinton will look to enlighten Harris’ humanity, as well, the source said. While Clinton will talk about Harris’ “grit,” she will also look to tout her compassion by mentioning Tyrone Gayle, a Democratic spokesperson who worked for both Clinton and Harris before dying of colon cancer in 2018 at age 30.
Clinton, the source said, will mention how Harris flew to New York to be with Gayle shortly before he died. Both the former secretary of state and California senator eulogized Gayle in 2018.
Clinton will speak live for roughly 5-7 minutes, the source concluded.
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Harris' sister, niece, and stepdaughter will nominate her in virtual speeches
From CNN’s Jasmine Wright and Chris Boyette
Sen. Kamala Harris will be officially nominated by her sister Maya, niece Meena, and stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, tonight in virtual speeches, the Biden campaign announced via Twitter.
The Biden campaign’s deputy press secretary Matt Hill wrote, “Maya Harris, Meena Harris, and Ella Emhoff will deliver speeches tonight at the Democratic National Convention to officially nominate Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States.“
CNN reported Tuesday that Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, will be the only relative physically present during her acceptance speech in Wilmington, Delaware.
Maya, Meena, and Ella are expected to speak after former President Barack Obama and before Harris, according to highlights of Wednesday evening’s agenda sent from the DNC.
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Harris wants "people to see themselves in her speech," aide says
From CNN’s MJ Lee, Arlette Saenz and Jasmine Wright
Democratic vice presidential running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, speaks during the first press conference with Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, on August 12.
Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images
As she’s set to deliver her acceptance speech as the first woman of color on a major party ticket this evening, Kamala Harris “hopes for people to see themselves in her speech,” a Biden-Harris campaign aide says, as she will talk about not just her own personal story but also the experiences of others.
Harris, a daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, has often spoken about both their experience in America and her own as a biracial woman. She’s often drawn upon the lessons she learned from her mother as well as her time at historically black college Howard University to explain her worldview.
The aide says Harris “will set out a vision for a more inclusive nation in which everyone is welcome and given equal opportunity and protection under the law.”
She will also speak to the need to elect Joe Biden, the aide says, showcasing her running mate as “uniquely the leader for this moment” while “drawing a clear contrast with the failed leadership of Donald Trump.”
During her presidential primary campaign, Harris often repeated the refrain she would “prosecute the case” against Trump and his administration.
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Pelosi to slam Trump's "disrespect for facts, for working families, and for women in particular"
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is among tonight’s primetime speakers, and is expected to deliver remarks following former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Read excerpts from her speech:
“We come together again, not to decry the darkness, but to light a way forward for our country. That is the guiding purpose of House Democrats. We are fighting For The People.”
“As Speaker, I’ve seen firsthand Donald Trump’s disrespect for facts, for working families, and for women in particular – disrespect written into his policies toward our health and our rights, not just his conduct. But we know what he doesn’t: that when women succeed, America succeeds.”
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Read excerpts from Hillary Clinton's speech tonight
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers a keynote speech during the American Federation of Teachers Shanker Institute Defense of Democracy Forum at George Washington University on September 17, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Zach Gibson/Getty Images
The Democratic National Convention has released text excerpts of remarks coming tonight from former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
Read more excerpts from her speech tonight:
“I wish Donald Trump had been a better president. But, sadly, he is who he is. America needs a president who shows the same compassion, determination, and leadership in the White House that we see in our communities. Throughout this crisis, Americans have kept going – checking on neighbors, showing up to jobs as first responders and in hospitals, grocery stores, and nursing homes. Because it still takes a village.”
“For four years, people have said to me, ‘I didn’t realize how dangerous he was.’ ‘I wish I could go back and do it over.’ Or worst, ‘I should have voted.’ Well, this can’t be another woulda coulda shoulda election. If you vote by mail, request your ballot now, and send it back as soon as you can. If you vote in person, do it early. Bring a friend and wear a mask. Become a poll worker. Most of all, no matter what, vote. Vote like our lives and livelihoods are on the line, because they are.”
“100 years ago yesterday, the 19th Amendment was ratified. It took seven decades of suffragists marching, picketing, and going to jail to push us closer to a more perfect union. 55 years ago, John Lewis marched and bled in Selma because that work was unfinished.”
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Missed the second night of the DNC? Here's a recap of the evening's key moments
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
Former Second Lady Jill Biden and former Vice President Joe Biden stand together after remarks from Jill Biden on Tuesday, August 18, in Wilmington, Delaware.
Democratic National Committee
Former second lady Jill Biden closed the night with a speech from a Delaware high school classroom that connected the struggles students and parents face now with her husband’s resolve in the face of personal tragedy. She never mentioned President Trump, but her speech offered a clear contrast between Trump and her husband.
Biden officially became the Democratic Party’s nominee. The roll call vote on Biden’s nomination was taken, and votes were cast in short videos from spots in all 57 states and territories that told stories.
The night opened with a 17-person “keynote” speech, interspersing clips of a diverse set of the party’s rising stars into a coherent message.
Tuesday night’s most notable Republican presence was Cindy McCain, the widow of 2008 Republican nominee John McCain. Cindy McCain did not endorse Biden explicitly, but her participation in a video that heralded the friendship between the former vice president and Arizona senator spoke volumes.
A security guard who works at The New York Times gave the first nominating speech, after going viral in a video blurting out “I love you” to Biden in an elevator.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who served in Republican President George W. Bush’s administration, endorsed Biden, arguing that the country needs to “restore” the values he believes America stands for and that Trump doesn’t represent.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and activist Ady Barkan spoke about a country in moral crisis, millions of its citizens going without health care in the midst of a pandemic.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former President Bill Clinton lamented the damage done by Trump, and urged voters to turn back the clock and embrace Biden’s basic decency.
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Barack Obama will "make a pointed case that democracy itself is on the line" in tonight's speech
From CNN's Dan Merica, Eric Bradner and Arlette Saenz
Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during the funeral service of the late Rep. John Lewis at Ebenezer Baptist Church on July 30, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Alyssa Pointer/Pool/Getty Images
President Barack Obama’s speech on Wednesday night will outline “why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris possess the experience and character to lead us out of the ongoing economic and health care disasters that the current administration has blundered into,” said Katie Hill, an Obama spokesperson.
Obama will talk about Biden’s work as his vice president, especially his work on the economy and health care, Hill said, and then turn to the importance of voting and “the cynical moves by the current administration and the Republican Party to discourage Americans from voting.”
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Harris will formally accept the vice presidential nomination tonight
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny, Dan Merica, Arlette Saenz, Maeve Reston and Eric Bradner
Presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee, Sen. Kamala Harris signs required documents for receiving the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States at the Hotel DuPont on August 14 in Wilmington, Delaware.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Presumptive vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris is set to formally accept the vice presidential nomination tonight from Wilmington, Delaware.
Joe Biden named Harris as his running mate last week, making the California senator the first Black and South Asian American woman to run on a major political party’s presidential ticket.
In selecting Harris, Biden added to the Democratic ticket a former primary rival who centered her own presidential bid on her readiness to take on Donald Trump and show Americans she would fight for them.
She rose to national prominence within the Democratic Party by interrogating Trump nominees during Senate hearings, from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Harris’ selection came months after Biden committed to picking a woman to join him on the Democratic ticket. Harris, 55, is now the third woman to serve as a vice presidential candidate for a major political party, following Geraldine Ferraro as the Democratic vice presidential pick in 1984 and Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential pick in 2008.
Aware that his age could be a concern to some voters, Biden, 77, has said that he is “a bridge” to a new slate of Democratic leaders, and by selecting Harris, more than 20 years his junior, he has elevated a leading figure from a younger generation within the party.
Biden’s selection unfolded with the utmost secrecy after a period in which he spoke with the contenders either in person or in face-to-face meetings.
He notified several close advisers on Tuesday, two people familiar with the matter told CNN. After considering some 11 women for the post, he and his aides spent time notifying the vice presidential prospects who he did not choose.
