Our live coverage of the Democratic National Convention has moved here.
Link Copied!
6 key takeaways from the first night of the DNC
From CNN's Eric Bradner and Gregory Krieg
President Joe Biden gives remarks during the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Austin Steele/CNN
Democrats opened their convention in Chicago with a send-off to President Joe Biden, who closed the night with a hand-off to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden got four-minute ovation: Biden saidchoosing Harris as his running mate in 2020 was “the best decision I made my whole career.”
He also sharply criticized Trump and a detailed recollection of his administration’s legislative achievements.
Clinton underscores potential for first woman president: Though she’d fallen short eight years ago, Clinton said she wanted her grandchildren and their grandchildren to know she’d been there for Harris when the “glass ceiling” finally shatters.
She invoked Shirley Chisholm, the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated for vice president. “Shirley and Geri would say, ‘Keep going,’” Clinton said.
Clinton on Trump’s “familiar” attacks: Referring to Trump’s convictions in New York, she said that he “made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.” The crowd responded with chants of “Lock him up!” – Democrats’ spin on the “Lock her up” chants about Clinton that were omnipresent at Trump’s 2016 rallies.
Abortion rights: Democrats lambasted Trump for appointing conservative Supreme Court justices who helped undo Roe v. Wade’s protections for abortion rights. Three women with stories of abortion and reproductive care told their stories as part of support for abortion rights, which has been Democrats’ most potent issue at the ballot box since Roe v. Wade’s reversal two years ago.
Democrats downplay Israel’s war: Few issues have divided Democrats more – by age, by ideology, sometimes by identity – than Israel’s war in Gaza. Not that you would have known it from watching Monday night. Biden spoke at the greatest length about Gaza, showing sympathy for those killed. But for most of the speakers in prime time, the war barely warranted a mention. It is, quite clearly and unsurprisingly, an issue Democrats see little electoral upside in highlighting.
Spotlight on Project 2025: Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow stepped onstage with a large prop: a book containing “Project 2025” so big that it barely fit on the podium. The moment reflected how eager Democrats are to tie Trump to what McMorrow called “a Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.” Though the former president has disavowed it, Democrats have framed the playbook for a second Trump term as his agenda. McMorrow left the stage with a pledge that the book would return Tuesday night.
Biden says he hasn't spoken to Pelosi, and "no one influenced" his decision to drop out of race
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden speaks on Monday, August 19, in Chicago during the first night of the DNC.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
President Joe Biden said early on Tuesday that he had not spoken to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi since he made the decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
He said “no one influenced” his decision, which he made about one month ago.
“No, I haven’t spoken to Nancy at all,” the president said on the tarmac in Chicago before boarding Air Force One.
The president also talked about what it felt like to be in the convention hall and deliver his address on Monday night.
The president also said that the highlight of his night was his daughter Ashley’s introduction.
Biden was also asked about his reaction to former President Donald Trump’s remarks that there was a “coup” that forced Biden out of the race. The president echoed his earlier comments: “I think he has a problem.”
Link Copied!
Harris to attend campaign rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to deliver remarks at a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, according to her office.
It does not appear that she is expected to attend the Democratic National Convention’s second day of programming.
Link Copied!
Gwen Walz reveals she underwent a different treatment, not IVF
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (L) and his wife Gwen Walz attend the first day of the Democratic National Convention.
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu/Getty Images
Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz has told CNN that she did not use in vitro fertilization to conceive, sharing new details about her and Gov. Tim Walz’s fertility struggles as the governor has highlighted their experience with infertility on the campaign trail.
Gwen Walz said they used a different fertility treatment, intrauterine insemination.
In speeches since joining the Democratic ticket as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Walz has often characterized the issue of access to IVF treatment as “personal” to him and his family while sharing the story of his and his wife’s journey to conceiving their two children.
And in an MSNBC interview in July, he continued attacking Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance for his opposition to a bill that would have guaranteed access to IVF nationwide, while appearing to link the treatment to the birth of his two children.
Gwen Walz told CNN that they tried intrauterine insemination, a process she described as “an incredibly personal and difficult experience.”
Some background: Intrauterine insemination, like IVF, is a common fertility procedure used by couples trying to conceive. But anti-abortion groups have pushed state officials to restrict IVF — when an egg is removed from a person’s body and combined with sperm inside a lab before being implanted.
During intrauterine insemination, known as IUI, sperm is placed directly in the uterus. The process is sometimes combined with ovulation induction, where medication stimulates the release of eggs. People experiencing infertility often start with IUI and move on to IVF if needed.
Fact Check: Biden claims Trump will do “everything to ban abortion nationwide”
From CNN's Jen Christensen
President Joe Biden gives remarks during the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Austin Steele/CNN
“Trump will do everything to ban abortion nationwide. Oh, he will,” President Joe Biden said Monday.
Facts First:Biden is making a prediction that we cannot definitively fact-check, but the claim does not reflect Trump’s most recent comments on abortion and needs context.
While Donald Trump boasts that he played a key role in getting the US Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed abortion rights across the country, Trump says it should be up to the states to decide how and when to restrict abortion. Polls show that the majority of Americans are against a federal abortion ban.
Throughout this campaign, Trump has repeatedly ducked direct questions about his support for a federal ban on abortions, but he said in April that he would not sign a national abortion ban if elected to the White House again. That statement reversed what he said in 2016 when he was first running for the presidency and was the opposite of statements he made throughout his time in office.
Some scholars are concerned that conservative advisers to Trump have encouraged him to ban abortions by enforcing the 1873 Comstock Act, a method that could essentially create a federal ban without Trump needing to sign any legislation to do it.
The Victorian-era anti-vice law that is still on the books is not currently enforced. The law bans the mailing of “obscene” materials used to produce an abortion. Some scholars believe Trump could use the Justice Department to enforce a ban that would not just restrict people from sending the medication currently used in the majority of abortions through the mail, but would ban any kind of materials used to produce any kind of abortion.
Trump has not officially endorsed the enforcement of the Comstock Act, but it is a strategy some of his advisers have outlined as an option for Trump to restrict abortions nationwide.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Biden on number of people with health insurance
From CNN's Tami Luhby
President Joe Biden touted on his achievements in expanding health insurance coverage to more Americans at the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
Facts First: Biden’s claim is outdated. While it’s true that health insurance coverage hit a record high last year, fewer people were insured in the first quarter of this year than in the spring of last year – in large part because a federal law that prevented states from winnowing their Medicaid rolls lapsed last year.
Some 331.5 million Americans had either public or private health insurance coverage in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest National Health Interview Survey. But that’s less than the 336.6 million people who were insured in the second quarter of last year.
Similarly, the uninsured rate stood at 8.2% early this year, up from 7.2% in the spring of 2023.
One main reason why health insurance coverage hit a record high last year was because of a Covid-19 pandemic relief provision that barred states from involuntarily disenrolling residents whom they deemed no longer qualify in exchange for enhanced federal funding. That prohibition was lifted in April 2023.
Only 81.7 million people were enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program this past April, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That compares to 93.9 million people in March 2023, before the provision lapsed.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Biden on carbon emissions
From CNN's Ella Nilsen
President Joe Biden gives remarks during the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
Speaking about his achievements on climate, President Joe Biden said his agenda made “cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030” possible.
Facts First:Independent analysis shows the US is off-track to meet an ambitious goal Biden set early in his administration of slashing US carbon emissions in half by 2030 – even with his climate law.
Biden’s climate target of cutting emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels (2005 was the historical peak for US carbon emissions) by 2030 was always going to be a tough goal to achieve.
When the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022, analysis suggested it would get the US most of the way toward its goal – about a 40% reduction in carbon emissions. The thinking was that regulations from agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency would help make up the rest of the goal.
A recent analysis from the nonpartisan Rhodium Group found that the US isn’t on track to hit Biden’s goal of slashing US emissions in half by 2030. Rhodium estimates the US is currently on track to reduce emissions anywhere from 32-43% by that date.
But the report says the US could surpass Biden’s goal by 2035 if there are no major changes to current policies, finding that the US would likely pick up the pace of decarbonizing its transportation, power and heavy industry sectors in the 2030s compared to the 2020s.
And an even bigger question mark is the 2024 election and whether Biden will be replaced by another Democrat with similar climate ambitions or former President Donald Trump – who has vowed to reverse much of Biden’s climate agenda.
Link Copied!
Analysis: Where Harris has — and has not — rebuilt the Democratic coalition
From CNN's Ronald Brownstein
Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 19.
Gained: In national and battleground state surveys, she’s regained a solid amount of the ground that Biden had lost with traditionally Democratic-leaning groups such as Black and younger voters, and made a more modest recovery with Latinos.
Maintained: In national polls and surveys of the critical Rustbelt battlegrounds of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, she matches or exceeds Biden’s showing among older and working-class Whites — two groups in which Biden had largely maintained his 2020 level of support before quitting the race.
Harris’ performance on each of these fronts has allowed her to pass former President Donald Trump in most polling averages measuring each candidate’s overall support. More importantly, it has reopened the electoral map, providing her more pathways to 270 Electoral College votes than Biden had before he left the race.
Challenge remains: In the Rustbelt and Sunbelt alike, formidable challenges remain to this emerging “Kamala coalition.” Although Harris has demonstrably regained ground with younger, Black and Latino voters, in most polls, she still lags below the levels Biden reached with them in 2020. It’s far from certain Harris can win any of the Sunbelt battlegrounds — North Carolina and Georgia in the Southeast, Arizona and Nevada in the Southwest — unless she can come even closer to those previous Democratic benchmarks. And the remaining voters she needs may be tougher to corral than those that have already returned to her.
In the industrial states, she faces the challenge of defending the beachheads she’s established with working-class and older Whites, who comprise a much larger share of the vote in these places than in the Sunbelt battlegrounds. These White voters without a college degree will likely be the most receptive audience to the GOP arguments that Harris is soft on crime and immigration, and an extreme “woke” cultural liberal.
Biden "remains beloved now and always," Harris adviser says after speech
From CNN's MJ Lee
Joe Biden has “held the line on behalf of our democracy. He remains beloved now and always,” a senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris said after the president’s speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Biden on taxing billionaires
From CNN’s Daniel Dale
During his speech to the Democratic National Convention Monday night, President Joe Biden asked the audience if they knew what the average billionaire in the United States pays in taxes.
Facts First: Biden used this figure in a misleading way. As in previous remarks, including his State of the Union address in March, Biden didn’t explain that the figure is the product of an alternative calculation from economists in his own administration that factors in unrealized capital gains that are not treated as taxable income under federal law.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with the alternative calculation itself; the economists who came up with it explained it in detail on the White House website in 2021. But Biden has tended to cite the figure without any context about what it is and isn’t, leaving open the impression that he was talking about what these billionaires pay under current law.
So, what do billionaires actually pay under current law? The answer is not publicly known, but experts say it’s clearly more than 8%.
“Biden’s numbers are way too low,” Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute think tank, told CNN in 2023.
In February 2024, Gleckman provided more calculations from the Tax Policy Center. The center found that the top 0.1% of households paid an average effective federal tax rate of about 30.3% in 2020, including an average income tax rate of 24.3%.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Biden on building electric vehicle charging stations
From CNN’s Ella Nilsen
Speaking about his administration’s goal to create more clean energy jobs, Biden said IBEW union workers were at work “installing 500,000 charging stations all across America” to power electric vehicles.
Facts First:This is more of a promise than a fact, but even so, it needs context. For a few reasons, it’s questionable whether the Biden administration will be able to meet its goal of installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations on US roads.
Installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations has long been one of Biden’s goals. The president initially proposed Congress spend $15 billion to make it a reality, but just half of that — $7.5 billion — passed as part of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. The latest data from the Department of Energy shows the United States is still a long way from that goal; there are currently more than 180,000 EV charging ports operating at over 66,000 station locations around the US.
Though the administration has said that could be backfilled by private investment, that change in funding could hinder the administration’s ability to meet the goal. The federal government has spent the last few years sending money to states; states can now unlock more than $900 million in funding for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, which the administration estimated will “help build” chargers across approximately 53,000 miles of US highways.
Over the next five years, the full $5 billion will be spent to build out a network of EV chargers on major highways. Another pot of $2.5 billion in grant funding is also available for states to apply to; in January, $623 million in grant funding went out the door to help counties, cities and tribes around the nation install new charging stations for electric vehicles and long-haul freight trucks.
But it’s been slow going. States are still in the process of selecting companies to actually build the charging stations, meaning it could still take months or even years to fully see the impact of the money around the nation.
There is also a wide range in how much different types of chargers cost, and individual states have a lot of leeway in deciding what kinds of chargers will go on their roads. DC fast chargers can charge a car to mostly full in 20 minutes to an hour and are meant to go on major highways and roads. Another kind of charger known as an L2 charger can take hours to charge a car to full. But DC fast chargers are much more expensive, costing around $100,000 compared to around $6,000 for an L2, Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, a senior resident fellow at the think tank Third Way, has told CNN.
Link Copied!
Harris joins Biden on stage after his speech and says "I love you"
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
Vice President Kamala Harris joined President Biden on stage following his remarks on Monday, August 19.
Austin Steele/CNN
Kamala Harris joined President Joe Biden on stage after the president concluded his speech at the Democratic National Convention.
“I love you,” the vice president can be seen saying while hugging the president.
The president also hugged second gentleman Doug Emhoff before welcoming his grandchildren and children onto the stage.
Link Copied!
Biden sums up his political career: “Too young to be in the Senate" and "too old to stay as president”
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden summed up his political career in one line during his Democratic National Convention speech on Monday night:
The president also discussed the long arc of his career, saying that he gave his “best” to the country during his decades in politics.
The president’s speech lasted approximately 49 minutes – and he was greeted by more than four minutes of applause when he first took the stage just before 11:30pmET/10:30pmCT.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Biden’s claim about trade ignores widening deficit under his presidency
From CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald
In his speech Monday night at the Democratic National Convention, President Joe Biden said:
Fact First: This claim is misleading. So far this year, the United States has imported more goods than it has exported, leading to a seasonally adjusted trade deficit of more than $567 billion, according to figures from the US Census Bureau.
In fact, the goods trade deficit has widened since Biden took office. In 2020, the nation’s goods trade deficit was $901 billion. After Biden’s first year in office, it increased to over $1 trillion and has stayed above that threshold every subsequent year.
The dollar’s strength has played a role in widening the goods trade deficit, making it more expensive for other countries to buy US-produced goods and, at the same time, cheaper for Americans to buy goods abroad.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Biden’s claim about removing lead pipes from schools and homes
From CNN’s Ella Nilsen
President Joe Biden, speaking about his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, said: “We’re removing every lead pipe from schools and homes, so every child can drink clean water.”
Facts First:This claim needs context. While the administration is spending $15 billion and working on federal regulations to remove all lead pipes from public drinking water systems over a decade, they may not be able to replace all pipes and service lines on private properties.
Lead drinking pipes can be found nationwide; some national estimates say the total number of lead service lines is around 9.2 million. Lead in drinking water is a major health concern for babies and young children, and Biden has made eradicating it a priority. The Biden Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that, if finalized, would compel water utilities to gradually get rid of 100% of their lead pipes and service lines over 10 years.
The EPA estimates this effort will cost utilities $20 billion to $30 billion over that decade; $15 billion of that could be covered by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and there is an additional $11.7 billion available through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund that could be used for lead removal as well. Cities with lead pipes, including New Orleans, are currently trying to locate all of their lead pipes.
Besides funding, the other issue is the EPA rule, as currently proposed, doesn’t cover lead pipes or service lines on private property. Replacing these smaller pipes on private property that go into homes could present an even more complex and costly challenge. Though the Biden initiative will make a major dent in replacing the country’s lead pipes, it’s unlikely to be able to replace every single one on both private and public property.
Link Copied!
Biden talks about Israel-Hamas war, says protesters "have a point"
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden referenced the Israel-Hamas war during his Monday night convention speech, saying that protesters “have a point.”
“We’re working around the clock, my secretary of state, to prevent a wider war and reunite hostages with their families and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now,” Biden said. “To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge gaps in ceasefire negotiations and the next step is for Hamas to accept ahead of further negotiations expected to take place later this week.
Protests are taking place this week outside the Chicago venue for the convention, with demonstrators continuing to apply pressure despite the party’s positive reaction to Kamala Harris’ move to the top of the ticket. The death toll in Gaza since October has reportedly reached 40,000 people — a bleak figure that underscores 10 months of suffering, malnutrition and despair in the Palestinian enclave during Israel’s war with Hamas.
“Those protesters out in the street, they have a point, a lot of innocent people are being killed, both sides,” Biden added.
"I promise I'll be the best volunteer Harris and Walz campaign have ever seen," Biden says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
First lady Jill Biden embraces her husband President Joe Biden following his remarks at the DNC on Monday, August 19.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
President Joe Biden told supporters at the Democratic National Convention that he will be the “best volunteer” for the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz campaign.
They understand that America “must continue to be a place of possibilities — not just for the few of us, but for all of us.”
He professed his love for America, saying he made a lot of mistakes in his career but he gave his heart and soul to the nation.
During his Monday night address at the DNC, President Joe Biden used some of his time in the spotlight to draw attention to Vice President Kamala Harris’ newly announced housing plan.
“They’ll make housing more affordable by building 3 million new homes, providing $25,000 down payment assistance for the first-time homebuyer,” Biden said, referring to the plan Harris first shared in a campaign speech last week.
Mortgage rates soared last year after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to their highest level in decades to fight inflation. That contributed to a housing market that was out of reach for many Americans. Mortgage rates have inched down recently as investors expect the Fed to cut rates next month, but high home prices and high rent costs remain hurdles for many.
Biden says Harris will put her stamp on America's future
From CNN's Michael Williams
President Joe Biden said Kamala Harris will be a “president our children could look up to” during his address at the DNC on Monday.
In a nod to his own experience, he added: “Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president.”
Link Copied!
Biden says he's not angry at those who demanded he drop from the race
From CNN's Michael Williams
President Joe Biden speaks on Monday, August 19, in Chicago during the first night of the DNC
Rebecca Wright/CNN
President Joe Biden said he harbors no ill will toward other Democrats who demanded he drop out of the 2024 race, as he handed over his baton to Vice President Kamala Harris in a speech at the Democratic National Convention.
“All this talk about how I’m angry at all the people who said I should step down — that’s not true,” Biden said, as the crowd chanted “We love Joe.”
“I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy,” he added.
Link Copied!
Protesters at the DNC hold up "STOP ARMING ISRAEL" sign, blocked by Biden supporters
From CNN's Jake Tapper
A protest banner is partially blocked during President Joe Biden's remarks at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
About three or four protesters at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago held up a banner that read “STOP ARMING ISRAEL.”
Other attendees blocked the banner with their vertical “WE ❤️ JOE” signs, and the arena turned off the lights to the section until the protesters were escorted out
Some context: The grinding, bitter debate over the Biden administration’s handling of Israel’s war in Gaza has continued despite Harris being the Democratic nominee instead of Biden. For months, protests over Israel’s war on Hamas following the group’s October 7 attacks have led to large-scale demonstrations around the country calling for an immediate ceasefire as the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to mount.
Protests were expected outside the convention this week as well, while what would happen within the United Center was uncertain. Dozens of protesters broke through a security fence near the site of the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday as thousands took to the streets to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza.
Link Copied!
Biden touts infrastructure accomplishments and attacks Trump for having "never built a damn thing"
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden touted his administration’s infrastructure accomplishments in his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
Biden took direct aim at former President Donald Trump, saying in part that Trump has “never built a damn thing.”
The president often speaks of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as one of his key accomplishments from his presidency.
Link Copied!
Biden describes the events that led to his decision to run in 2020, his "deep conviction in America"
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden speaks during the opening night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
President Joe Biden in his speech Monday night described the events that led to his decision to run in 2020, including the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Biden has often said the events in Charlottesville were the turning point that made him want to run for president in 2020.
The president said: “I just lost part of my soul, but I ran with a deep conviction in America. I know and believe in an America where honesty, dignity, decency still matter, an America where everyone has a fair shot and hate has no safe harbor.”
The president talks often about the fight for the soul of America, and that was a theme in his convention speech as well.
“We’re in a battle for the greatest soul of America,” Biden said.
Link Copied!
In pictures: The 2024 Democratic National Convention
Biden ended his reelection bid last month, endorsing Harris to succeed him. His unprecedented exit came after weeks of fighting for his political life, and the party has moved quickly to coalesce behind the vice president.
Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 19.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
People hold USA signs at the start of the convention.
Austin Steele/CNN
A convention attendee wears a Pelosi button on Monday.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
Joe Biden speaks at the convention on Monday.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
US Sen. Dick Durbin is seen on a United Center screen as he delivers remarks at the convention on Monday.
Austin Steele/CNN
Link Copied!
Biden touts that the bills he passed did more for red states than blue
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
President Joe Biden at the United Center during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19.
Austin Steele/CNN
President Joe Biden recounted the accomplishments of his administration in his speech at the Democratic National Convention Monday night.
He also recounted his commitment to “rebuild the backbone of America — the middle class.”
Biden touted that the bills he passed “did more for red states than blue” because a president must deliver for all Americans.
“Because of you — and I’m not exaggerating — because of you, we’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period. And when I say we, I mean Kamala and me,” he added.
Biden also listed his accomplishments: bringing America out of the Covid-19 pandemic, going from economic crisis to a strong economy, creating millions of jobs, decreasing racial wealth gap, covering more Americans under health insurance, lowering prescription drug prices, competing on semiconductor chips and passing a sweeping infrastructure bill.
Link Copied!
Biden recalls January 6 before taking office: "You cannot say you love your country only when you win"
From CNNs Jack Forrest
President Joe Biden speaks at the DNC on Monday, August 19.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
President Joe Biden, in his historic speech to the Democratic National Convention, leaned on the circumstances surrounding the historic start to his presidency following the January 6 Insurrection.
He then named off the historic events taking place when he took office, including a global pandemic and a reckoning over racial justice in the US.
“I stand before you now on this August night to report that democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered. And now Democracy must be preserved,” Biden said.
The president talks often about the fight for the soul of America and that theme was again present during speech as he looked to hand reins over to his vice president, Kamala Harris, who watched the speech from the VIP box with her family and running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“We’re in a battle for the very soul of America,” Biden said.
CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report.
Link Copied!
Biden receives emotional welcome as he comes on stage at the Democratic National Convention
From CNN's Elise Hammond
President Joe Biden takes the stage on Monday, August 19, during the DNC in Chicago.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
President Joe Biden received an emotional standing ovation when he came on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday night.
He was introduced by his daughter, Ashley, who spoke after remarks by first lady Jill Biden.
When he came on stage, Biden hugged Ashley and appeared to wipe away tears with a tissue. Other Biden family members were also emotional as they watched the moment from the VIP suite.
It was a show of family support for the symbolic passing-of-the-torch moment to Vice President Kamala Harris, who gave Biden a standing ovation alongside her running mate, Tim Walz.
The crowd cheered for more than four minutes before Biden began his remarks. He started his speech by thanking Jill Biden, calling her “our rock” of the family. The crowd then gave another standing ovation for the first lady.
In the first few minutes of his speech, convention attendees started chanting “we love Joe” while holding matching signs. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was also seen holding a sign.
The president is addressing his own political party after its most influential members — lawmakers, donors and, according to polls, voters — forced his hand to exit the race less than a month ago. After 50 years in public life, the speech is one of his final chances to make his case for his legacy and his view of the country.
Several of the speakers also thanked Biden for his service to the country during their remarks earlier today.
This post has been updated with more remarks from Joe Biden.
CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg, Kayla Tausche, Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee and Edward-Isaac Dovere contributed reporting to this post.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: DNC video leaves out context about Trump abortion comment from 2016
From CNN’s Daniel Dale
A video about abortion rights that was played at the Democratic National Convention on Monday featured a short clip of former President Donald Trump agreeing, in a television interview, that women who get abortions should be punished.
Facts First: The video left out some important context: Trump made this comment more than eight years ago and retracted it hours after he made it. In an interview in April 2024, Trump declined to express an opinion on the idea of a state deciding to punish women for getting an abortion after it is banned, returning to his campaign refrain that abortion policy is now a matter for each state to decide.
Trump made the comment featured in the DNC video at an MSNBC town hall during the Republican presidential primary in 2016.
Trump saidthat “there has to be some form of punishment” for abortion. When host Chris Matthews asked, “For the woman?” Trump responded, “Yeah, there has to be some form.” When Matthews pressed further, Trump said he didn’t know what the punishment should be.
Hours later, after facing widespread criticism, Trump issued a statement in which he said women should not be punished for getting abortions.
In an April 2024 interview, Time magazine asked Trump if he is “comfortable if states decide to punish women who access abortions after the procedure is banned,” such as after a 15-week cutoff date. Trump said, “Again, that’s going to be – I don’t have to be comfortable or uncomfortable. The states are going to make that decision. The states are going to have to be comfortable or uncomfortable, not me.”
Link Copied!
Biden's family members are on the convention floor ahead of his speech
From CNN staff
There are several members of President Joe Biden’s family gathered near the Delaware delegation on the convention floor.
The president is expected to speak shortly.
The family members include:
Grandchildren
Maisy Biden, holding baby Beau
Naomi Biden
Peter Neal, Naomi’s husband
Natalie Biden
Robert “Hunter” Biden
Finnegan Biden
Children’s spouses
Melissa Cohen Biden (married to Hunter)
Howard Krein (married to Ashley)
Link Copied!
Ashley Biden says the president is an "OG girl dad" while describing growing up as Joe Biden's daughter
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Ashley Biden speaks on Monday, August 19, during the DNC in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
At the DNC, Ashley Biden discussed growing up as Joe Biden’s daughter as he carried out his decades of public service.
On the eve of her eighth birthday, she said she went to the Amtrak station with her brothers where Biden stepped out of the train.
Ashely Biden said that her dad is an “OG girl dad” who always encouraged her.
She urged everyone to vote for Harris before she introduced President Biden to the stage.
Link Copied!
Jill Biden recalls how the president dug "deep into his soul" to make decision to not seek reelection
From CNN's Jack Forrest
First lady Jill Biden waves from the stage on the opening night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
First lady Jill Biden in her speech to the Democratic National Convention Monday night recalled how President Joe Biden dug “deep into his soul” to decide not to seek reelection, drawing a parallel between the values of her husband and those of Vice President Kamala Harris.
As she recalled moments when she had fallen in love again with her husband, Jill Biden said she saw it happen again when, weeks ago, “I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.”
Harris was in attendance during the speech and waved at Jill Biden in that moment from her box inside the arena as the crowd cheered.
She recalled how her late son, Beau, worked with Harris while he was attorney general for Delaware and Harris, for California.
“He told me at the dinner table one night, ‘Mom she’s special, someone to keep your eye on.’ And he was right. Joe and I know Kamala, we have seen her courage her determination and her leadership up close,” Jill Biden added. “Kamala and Tim [Walz], you will win.”
Link Copied!
Jill Biden tells personal stories about key moments in the president's life
From CNN's Elise Hammond
First lady Jill Biden speaks on stage on Monday, August 19, during the DNC in Chicago.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
First lady Jill Biden recounted personal memories about her husband, President Joe Biden, as a father, lawmaker and president in her speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
She said these are moments when she is reminded of all of his accomplishments that were “in the name of something bigger than himself.”
The first lady, the president’s closest confidant, was a strong supporter of her husband when he faced a growing number of calls to step out of the reelection race.
This post has been updated with Jill Biden’s remarks.
Link Copied!
Harris is sitting in the VIP suite alongside her running mate
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
Vice President Kamala Harris talks with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
Vice President Kamala Harris is now sitting in the VIP suite at the United Center, between her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
When she entered the box, she jokingly elbowed Walz, who then turned around and hugged the vice president. Harris then hugged Walz’s wife, Gwen Walz.
She is now seated in the suite listening to the evening’s speeches.
Link Copied!
Warnock's speech centers on Jan. 6 and election lies as he calls Trump a "plague on the American conscience"
From CNN's Michael Williams
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock’s speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday focused on Donald Trump’s denial of the 2020 election results and the January 6 insurrection — with the lawmaker describing Trump’s lies as “a sickness.”
Warnock, who was elected as Georgia’s first Black senator the day before the insurrection, said the country must “choose between the promise of January 5 and the peril of January 6.”
He described Trump as “a plague on the American conscience” and a “clear and present threat.”
This post has been updated with Warnock’s comments.
Link Copied!
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear centers his DNC speech on reproductive rights
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during the first night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who was previously in the running to be Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick, focused on reproductive rights during his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“In Kentucky, we put reproductive freedom on the ballot last November, and I beat Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell’s handpicked candidate by more than five percentage points. This November, we’re going to beat them again, elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and protect reproductive freedom,” he said.
He attacked Donald Trump on abortion: “Here’s the thing: Trump and Vance simply don’t believe in your freedom,” Beshear said. “Their policies give rapists more rights than their victims. That’s not inconvenient, it’s wrong.”
Link Copied!
Texas family advocates for reproductive rights after nearly fatal pregnancy complications
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Josh Zurawsk, left and Amanda Zurawksi, second left, speak about reproductive rights on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on Monday, August 19.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
One Texas couple shared their story about being denied an abortion and advocated for reproductive rights at the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
Amanda and Josh Zurawski said they were told that they were going to lose their baby, but they had to wait days, until Amanda’s life was in jeopardy, to receive an abortion because they lived in Texas.
“I am here tonight because the fight for reproductive rights isn’t just a woman’s fight. This is about fighting for our families, and as Kamala Harris says, our future,” Josh Zurawski said.
Amanda Zurawski told lawmakers in 2023 that she received an emergency abortion only after she went into septic shock — adding that she may have been one of the first patients affected in the state of Texas after Roe v. Wade was overturned, removing the federal right to an abortion.
Abortion rights have been a big part of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. As the Democratic nominee, Harris has called for restoring Roe.
She vowed to continue to tell her story and blamed former President Donald Trump for the lack of abortion care in many states. She also warned that “a second Trump term would rip away even more of our rights.”
Harris has also been working to place the blame squarely on Trump, who nominated three justices to the court that overturned Roe.
Link Copied!
Rep. Crockett recalls being consoled by Harris as she faced Republican attacks
From CNN's Michael Williams
Rep Jasmine Crockett speaks on stage during the DNC on Monday, August 19.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
Rep. Jasmine Crockett provided some insight into Kamala Harris’ personal side Monday night, recalling how the vice president consoled the freshman Democrat from Texas as she was facing Republican attacks.
During that interaction, Crockett said Harris told her:
Link Copied!
Rep. Jamie Raskin recalls screams during January 6 insurrection in pointed attack on Trump
From CNN's Jack Forrest
Rep. Jamie Raskin speaks on the opening night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a member of the House January 6 select committee, recalled the events of the January 6 insurrection in his speech to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Monday.
Raskin is the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee and formerly the lead manager in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.
During his remarks he called out each battleground state in attendance at the convention and asked: “Are we going to go back to the days of election suppression and violent insurrection?”
The crowd yelled back, “no” and chanted “we’re not going back.”
“Make no mistake, a man who uses fraud, theft and violence to take power, will commit any crime to keep it,” Raskin said.
This post has been updated with remarks from Raskin.
Link Copied!
Here's how the audience reacts to Harris’ unexpected DNC entry
From CNN's John General
Vice President Kamala Harris made an unexpected appearance on stage during the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Link Copied!
The Bidens are at the United Center now, greeting convention leadership
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are greeting convention leadership at the United Center, according to the Harris-Walz campaign.
This includes DNC chair Jaime Harrison, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Michigan state senator makes false claim about Trump immunity
From CNN’s Devan Cole
During a speech at the Democratic National Convention about Project 2025, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow said that the conservative blueprint for a second Donald Trump term aimed to greatly expand the power of the presidency “like no president has ever had or should ever have.”
The Democratic lawmaker said that if anyone wondered if those potential new powers were legal, “Thanks to Donald Trump’s hand-picked Supreme Court, he’s now completely immune from prosecution — even if he breaks the law.”
Facts First:McMorrow’s comment about the case Trump v. US is false. In their decision last month in the historic case, the six conservative justices granted Trump some immunity from prosecution, but not blanket immunity, as the former president had sought. The court said Trump could not be criminally pursued over “official acts,” but that he could face prosecution over alleged criminal actions involving “unofficial acts” taken while in office.
And while Trump appointed three of the justices who helped make up the six-justice majority, the other three, including Roberts, were appointed by previous Republican presidents.
The federal judge in Washington, DC, overseeing special counsel Jack Smith’s election subversion case against Trump must now examine the allegations against the former president to determine which ones are covered by the newly granted immunity.
Link Copied!
South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn labels Project 2025 "Jim Crow 2.0"
From CNN's Chelsea Bailey
South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn thanked President Joe Biden for his “lifetime of achievement.”
“We owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we’re all grateful for one of the best decisions he made: selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him,” Clyburn said.
Clyburn labeled Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for Donald Trump’s second term, “Jim Crow 2.0” and compared Trump’s record to Harris’, calling the vice president “a true, battle-tested leader.”
“Our great democracy has been tested and so has the basic goodness of the American people,” Clyburn said. “But our resolve to remain a great country with freedom and justice for all will not falter.”
This post has been updated with remarks from Clyburn.
Link Copied!
Crowd chants "lock him up!" as Hillary Clinton takes swipe at Trump's legal problems and slams his presidency
From CNN's Michael Williams
Hillary Clinton at the United Center during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
The crowd at the Democratic National Convention began chanting “lock him up!” as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton began describing Donald Trump’s legal travails on Monday.
The crowd then began chanting “Lock him up!” harkening back to chants made by Trump’s fans about Clinton during their 2016 face-off.
Crowds have chanted the same phrase at Harris events — though she has lately attempted to discourage the chants encouraging the incarceration of her political opponent by instead saying her focus is on beating Trump at the ballot box.
Clinton also slammed Trump’s presidency while praising Harris’ leadership.
“Kamala cares, cares about kids and families, cares about America. Donald only cares about himself,” Clinton said.
“So no matter what the polls say, we can’t let up. We can’t get driven down in crazy conspiracy rabbit holes. We have to fight for the truth. We have to fight for Kamala as she will fight for us,” she added.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Rodriguez’s claim on Trump wanting to terminate the Affordable Care Act
From CNN's Tami Luhby
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez on Monday accused Trump of still wanting to kill the Affordable Care Act.
“Now, Trump is promising to terminate the Affordable Care Act,” Rodriguez said at the Democratic National Convention.
Facts First: Rodriguez’s claim does not reflect Trump’s recent comments on the Affordable Care Act. He did appear to express renewed support for terminating the law in one social media post late last year, but he has since said he wants to improve it, not terminate it. Most recently, he has said he will keep the law unless he can come up with an unspecified “better” plan.
Repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act was one of Trump’s top priorities in his 2016 presidential campaign and first term. However, even though Republicans controlled Congress and the White House the following year, they failed to unite behind a plan to do so, ending any serious attempts to completely overhaul the landmark health reform law, popularly known as Obamacare.
The former president revived the debate over the law’s fate in November 2023, when he wrote on his Truth Social platform that he’s “seriously looking at alternatives” and that the failure to terminate it “was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up!”
Trump quickly walked back his comments, posting a few days later that he doesn’t “want to terminate Obamacare, I want to REPLACE IT with MUCH BETTER HEALTHCARE. Obamacare Sucks!!!”
In April, Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social: “I’m not running to terminate the ACA as crooked Joe Biden says all over the place. We’re going to make the ACA much better than it is right now and much less expensive for you.”
And at a North Carolina rally last week, he said: “(Vice President Kamala Harris) goes around saying, ‘Oh, he’s going to get rid of the health.’ No, no, I’m going to keep it unless we can come up with something that’s better for you and less expensive for you. Otherwise, we’re not doing it.”
However, Trump has yet to release a proposal on how he would make the Affordable Care Act better and less expensive.
Link Copied!
Clinton argues that Harris is the president who will fight for Americans
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton looks on as she arrives on stage to applause on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on Monday, August 19.
Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris is the person who will lead the country forward, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton argued in her speech at the Democratic National Convention.
She said America has a choice: “Come together as we the people or split into us versus them.”
Drawing parallels with her own experience, Clinton said they both got their start as attorneys helping children. Those experiences are something Harris would use to lead the country as president, Clinton said.
Link Copied!
Hillary Clinton says "the future is here" as she talks about women that came before her and Harris
From CNN's Jack Forrest
Hillary Clinton speaks on stage during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on August 19.
Austin Steele/CNN
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton harkened back to women in politics who came before her — and Kamala Harris — as she cast a vision forward for the vice president and for the rights of women across the country.
The former 2016 presidential candidate remembered women who broke the proverbial glass ceiling, including former Rep. Shirley Chisholm who ran for president in 1972 and former Rep. Geraldine Ferraro who was nominated for vice president in 1984.
Link Copied!
Hillary Clinton receives standing ovation at the DNC
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation ahead of her remarks at the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
“There’s a lot of energy in this room just like there is across the country,” she said.
The convention crowd clapped and cheered for more than two minutes.
She’s a prominent member of the party — and also the only other woman who has run a general election campaign against Trump.
“There’s a lot of energy in this room just like there is across the country,” she said.
Clinton started her speech by thanking President Joe Biden, saying he “has been democracy’s champion at home and abroad.”
“He brought dignity, decency, and competence back to the White House and he showed what it means to be a true patriot,” she said.
Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz was seen getting visibly emotional while giving a long standing ovation to Clinton along with the crowd, and then through the former secretary of state’s speech, including when Clinton thanked Biden.
This post has been updated with additional Clinton remarks.
Watch the moment:
Video Ad Feedback
68853c4f-afa4-4fb7-b477-bd653684800c.mp4
02:08
- Source:
cnn
Link Copied!
Steve Kerr compares America to US men's basketball team he coached to gold medal at Olympics
From CNN's Jack Forrest
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr compared America to the US men’s basketball team that he helped lead to a gold medal at the Olympics earlier this month as its head coach.
Harris is an avid fan of the Warriors, which was previously located in her hometown of Oakland before moving to San Francisco. Kerr has been a supporter of the Biden administration and has long been an outspoken voice on Democratic issues like curbing gun violence.
Kerr remarked that he will likely be criticized for speaking at the convention, but, he said: “The reason I said yes to speaking here tonight is that as a coach and former player, as a husband, a son, a father, even a grandfather and as an American, I believe in a certain kind of leadership.”
Speaking of Walz — who helped coach the Mankato West High School football team in Minnesota to its first state championship in 1999 — he said, “Coach to coach: That guy’s awesome.”
Though he joked, “I have to say, coach: way too much reliance on the blitz in ’99 against Mankato East.”
This post has been updated with remarks from Kerr.
Link Copied!
DNC video explores Harris' California roots
From CNN's Michael Williams
A video played Monday at the Democratic National Convention explored the California roots of Vice President Kamala Harris and the critical role her mother played in her upbringing.
The video featured scenes from outside the apartment in California’s East Bay where Harris grew up. Harris is the daughter of an Indian-born mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher who died in 2009, and a Jamaican-born father, Donald Harris, an 85-year-old retired Stanford University economist.
Link Copied!
Union leader Shawn Fain endorses Harris and Walz while wearing "Trump is a scab" shirt
From CNN's Jack Forrest
Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, on Monday threw the support of his powerful union behind Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, and he thanked President Joe Biden for his past support.
He added, “And I want to say thank you to Joe Biden for making history by walking the picket line with UAW.”
Fain has previously endorsed Kamala Harris and appeared alongside the vice president and Walz at a rally earlier this month, calling them a “Democratic Dynamic Duo.”
“Donald Trump laughs about firing workers who go on strike,” Fain said, appearing to reference remarks made by the former president to Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier this month.
“And Kamala Harris stands shoulder to shoulder when they go on strike. And that’s the difference between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump the scab.”
This post has been updated with remarks from Fain.
Link Copied!
Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez begins her speech thanking Joe Biden for his leadership
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez speaks from the stage during the opening night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez was greeted by the crowds at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with chants of “AOC! AOC!”
She began her speech by thanking Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for their vision and Joe Biden for his leadership.
Ocasio-Cortez recounted her past experiences as a waitress with no health insurance, struggling to pay bills after her father passed away due to cancer.
Ocasio-Cortez said Harris is committed to the middle class, to reproductive and civil rights, and to bringing about a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home.
The congresswoman also attacked Donald Trump, saying he would “sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends. And I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people up,” she said.
However, Ocasio-Cortez warned that the fight before the election is not easy.
Link Copied!
Here's who is in the VIP suite at the DNC
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
As Kamala Harris came on stage, we got a look at who was in the United Center VIP suite at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago:
Doug Emhoff, second gentleman
Ella Emhoff, the vice president’s stepdaughter
Cole Emhoff, the vice president’s stepson
Gov. Tim Walz, Democratic vice presidential nominee
Gwen Walz, Minnesota First Lady
Gus Walz, the governor’s son
Hope Walz, the governor’s daughter
Maya Harris, the vice president’s sister
Tony West, Maya’s husband and adviser to the vice president
Meena Harris, Maya’s daughter and Vice President Harris’s niece
Amara and Leela, Meena’s daughters
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Harris campaign video showcasing Trump’s "lies" on the economy misses context
From CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald
In a pre-recorded video from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign team, a staffer shared claims former President Donald Trump has made about the economy, seeking to disprove them.
“Let’s take a look at his track record on jobs before Covid, as compared to the Biden-Harris administration. What do you know? Hardly the most successful ever,” the staffer said as a screen displayed average monthly job gains under Trump from January 2017 to February 2020 compared to average monthly gains during the entire Biden-Harris administration.
“And about his supposed manufacturing miracle, Trump talked a big game, but actually lost 178,000 manufacturing jobs. And just to be clear, it wasn’t just Covid here either. Manufacturing jobs were already on their way down before the pandemic.”
And while it’s true 178,000 manufacturing jobs were lost when Trump was president, Covid-19 did in fact play a big role. In the immediate months before the pandemic, manufacturing jobs were declining very slightly. From November 2019 to February 2020, 36,000 manufacturing jobs were lost. That hardly compares to the roughly 1.4 million manufacturing jobs lost from February 2020 to April 2020. That so many of those job losses were able to be recouped by the time Trump left office is noteworthy.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Beatty’s claim about the Biden administration’s expansion of the child tax credit
From CNN's Tami Luhby
Rep. Joyce Beatty speaks on Monday, August 19, on stage during the DNC in Chicago.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
During the DNC on Monday, Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty praised the Biden administration’s efforts to provide larger tax credits for families and lift more children out of poverty.
“Joe and Kamala have been expanding the child tax credit, and let me just tell you … cutting the poverty rate for our children,” she said.
Facts First: Beatty’s claim needs context. It’s true that the expanded child tax credit passed early in the Biden administration slashed the child poverty rate in 2021, but the benefit only lasted for the one year the temporary enhancement was in effect. Child poverty increased in 2022 to a rate roughly comparable to where it was in 2019.
The American Rescue Plan Act, which Democrats pushed through Congress in March 2021, increased the size of the child tax credit to up to $3,600 — from $2,000 — for eligible families, enabled many more low-income parents to claim it and distributed half of it on a monthly basis.
That helped send child poverty — as measured by the Supplemental Poverty Measure — to a record low 5.2% in 2021, a drop of 46% from 2020, when the rate was 9.7% according to the US Census Bureau. The child tax credit lifted 2.9 million children out of poverty in 2021, with the temporary enhancement accounting for 2.1 million of those kids, according to the Census Bureau.
The Supplemental Poverty Measure, which began in 2009, takes into account certain non-cash government assistance, tax credits and needed expenses.
But in 2022, child poverty soared to 12.4%, roughly comparable to where it was prior to the pandemic in 2019. It was the largest jump in child poverty since the Supplemental Poverty Measure began.
Earlier this year, the House passed a tax bill that would again expand the child tax credit temporarily, though the boost would not be as generous as it was in 2021. Senate Republicans blocked it from advancing in their chamber earlier this month.
Link Copied!
Vice President Kamala Harris thanks Joe Biden in first DNC remarks
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on the opening night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, thanked President Joe Biden in her first remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday.
“I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden,” Harris said during brief surprise remarks.
Biden will be delivering the keynote address later tonight. He is expected to talk about the progress the US made in the last three and a half years and argue Harris is the person to carry on that progress.
A video highlighting Harris’ campaign with Beyoncé’s “Freedom” song played before she entered the stage.
Harris is the first Black woman and Asian American to lead a major party ticket. The vice president was already officially certified as the Democratic nominee through a virtual vote earlier this month. The party rallied around her after Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her.
Looking toward November, Harris said people from all backgrounds will “come together and declare with one voice, as one people: we are moving forward.”
Harris will deliver her formal acceptance speech Thursday evening.
This post has been updated with additional remarks from Harris.
Hillary Clinton to address abortion, say "Donald Trump only cares about himself" in remarks
From CNN Staff
The Democratic Convention has released excerpts of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remarks slated for Monday night.
She will also take on former President Donald Trump.
“Just look at the candidates. Kamala cares about kids, families, and America. Donald only cares about himself,” Clinton will also say.
CNN previously reported that while she has been upbeat today ahead of her speech, she is also taking tonight’s remarks — and that barrier-breaking moment that this week represents — very seriously. She also plans to discuss the proverbial glass ceiling that she herself failed to fully break when she lost the presidential election eight years ago, CNN also reported.
Link Copied!
"We deserve better": California senator says Harris is the kind of president America needs
From CNN's Elise Hammond
California Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler argued Monday that America deserves a president like Vice President Kamala Harris: someone who can unite the country and fight for others.
“She never doubted that our best was still ahead,” Butler said in her remarks at the Democratic National Convention. She recounted her personal relationship and similarities with the vice president like being raised by single mothers and attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
She said that Harris has always believed that unity was the way forward, and as a prosecutor, she worked to hold criminals accountable — even if that meant taking on big banks or corporations.
“Every time she walked into a courtroom, she would simply say, ‘Kamala Harris, for the people,’” Butler said, adding that Harris saw it as a “battle cry.”
She attacked Republicans for “conning young people who simply want a good education” and “stiffing hard-working laborers,” calling out former President Donald Trump by name.
Link Copied!
Analysis: DNC's speaker lineup reflects the generations of pioneers who tore down racial and gender barriers
From CNN's Stephen Collinson
Audience members look on during the opening night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
If Kamala Harris wins in November, her historic achievement as the first Black woman and Indian American president will be on the shoulders of generations of pioneers who tore down racial and gender barriers.
The Democratic National Convention is consciously underscoring that point with its line-up of speakers.
Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee who famously fell just short of shattering the highest glass ceiling and becoming the first woman president, is taking a prominent speaking role on Monday night.
And in a moving moment earlier, Jesse Jackson appeared on stage in a wheelchair. The civil rights icon – who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and didn’t speak, ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 1984. He is remembered for a spellbinding convention speech that year when he declared “our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow — red, yellow, brown, black and white — and we’re all precious in God’s sight.”
On Tuesday, Barack Obama, the first Black President, will make the case for Harris. And on Wednesday, it will be the turn of another pioneer – former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who is arguably the most powerful female politician in the history of the United States.
So far, Harris hasn’t spoken much about her own historic potential in her young campaign. But it’s impossible to miss.
Link Copied!
Hillary Clinton comes home to Chicago
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny
Hillary Rodham Clinton is coming home to Chicago tonight, addressing the United Center crowd as a former Democratic nominee, former secretary of state and former senator – none of the titles she carried when she last appeared on stage here at the 1996 convention.
Then, she was speaking as first lady, supporting President Bill Clinton’s re-election bid.
Tonight, Clinton will look forward – as she works to lift up the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Even though Harris endorsed Barack Obama back in Clinton’s 2008 presidential bid, Harris and Clinton have forged a bond since then and Clinton has become a trusted adviser.
Link Copied!
Photo: Hillary Clinton did run-throughs of her remarks today
From CNN's MJ Lee
Hillary Clinton prepares for her speech during a run-through ahead of the DNC on Monday, August 19.
Courtesy Hillary Clinton
A Hillary Clinton aide shared a photo with CNN – it was taken during Clinton’s speech preparations today in Chicago, as the former secretary of state did run-throughs of her remarks.
CNN previously reported that while she has been upbeat today ahead of her speech, she is also taking tonight’s remarks — and that barrier-breaking moment that this week represents — very seriously.
“She will talk about how many cracks have been put in the glass ceiling — but she will also talk about what she sees once the glass is shattered — once Harris does it,” a person familiar with Clinton’s thinking previously told CNN.
Link Copied!
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz arrives at DNC arena
From CNN staff
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz is at the convention center in Chicago ahead of President Joe Biden’s remarks tonight.
Walz, who is expected to take the stage Wednesday, could be seen greeting people at the arena and shaking their hands.
Earlier this evening, delegates held a ceremonial vote for Walz. Vice President Kamala Harris was already officially certified as the Democratic nominee through a virtual vote earlier this month before she chose Walz to be her running mate. Party rules don’t require a separate vote to confirm the nominee for vice president.
Link Copied!
Project 2025 is coming up at the Democratic National Convention. Here's what it is
From CNN's Curt Devine, Casey Tolan, Audrey Ash and Kyung Lah
Democrats are attacking parts of the conservative Project 2025 that sets up a blueprint for a potential second Donald Trump presidency.
But, last month, Russell Vought, one of the key authors of Project 2025, was heard on video talking candidly about his behind-the-scenes work to prepare policy for Trump, his expansive views on presidential power, his plans to restrict pornography and immigration, and his complaints that the GOP was too focused on “religious liberty” instead of “Christian nation-ism.”
Vought thought the men he was talking to were relatives of a wealthy conservative donor. They actually worked for a British journalism nonprofit and were secretly recording him the entire time.
Project 2025’s proposals for right-wing policies and a radical reshaping of the executive branch have become frequent targets of Democratic criticism. A Harris campaign official previously said the campaign has “made a deliberate decision to brand all of Trump’s policies” as “Project 2025,” since they believe “it has stuck with voters.”
Link Copied!
Pelosi on reports of bickering between her, Biden team: "Sometimes you just have to take a punch"
From CNN's Michael Williams
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears on CNN during the opening night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
CNN
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi downplayed reports of bad blood between her and President Joe Biden’s team stemming from her urging that Biden drop from the presidential race.
Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash at the convention on Monday, Pelosi said her concern was always with Biden’s campaign, not with Biden personally. “Sometimes you just have to take a punch for the children,” the California Democrat said.
Background: CNN previously reported that Pelosi told Biden polls showed he would not win the race and risked bringing down-ballot House Democrats down with him.
Link Copied!
These are the nightly themes of the Democratic National Convention
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
The stage of the Democratic National Convention is seen in Chicago on Sunday.
Austin Steele/CNN
Democrats are gathering in Chicago on Monday for the opening day of the Democratic National Convention as they look to give a hero’s send-off to President Joe Biden and rally around their new nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Here are the themes for each night of the convention:
Monday: “For the People,” featuring a keynote from Biden.
Tuesday: “A Bold Vision for America’s Future,” with an expected speech from former President Barack Obama.
Wednesday: “A Fight for Our Freedoms,” with an expected speech from vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.
Thursday: “For Our Future,” closing out with an acceptance speech from Harris.
Link Copied!
Los Angeles mayor says Harris' service is an inspiration to young girls
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass talked about her personal relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris on the first night of the Democratic National Convention.
Bass said that when she asked Harris to swear her in as mayor, it was a moment to set an example to young Americans — the first woman vice president swearing in the first woman to be mayor of Los Angeles.
“We knew we were sending a message to young girls everywhere that they too can lead,” Bass said, adding that Harris, who is also from California, “feels the importance of this work in her bones.”
“When Kamala meets a young person, you can feel her passion, you can feel her heart and you can feel her fearlessness,” Bass said.
The mayor said Harris has fought for other people “her entire life,” so “this November, we’re going to fight to elect Kamala Harris as the next president of these United States.”
Link Copied!
Country singer Mickey Guyton performs at DNC
From CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister
Country singer Mickey Guyton is performs on the first night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
Country singer Mickey Guyton is performing now at the Democratic National Convention.
When Guyton was asked to perform at the event, the country star told CNN she immediately felt the significance of taking the stage at the convention where Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept her party’s presidential nomination.
Guyton is one of Monday night’s performers at the DNC, along with James Taylor and Jason Isbell.
“I love my country so much and to get such an opportunity to bring unity to such an incredible movement is a great honor,” Guyton told CNN in an interview on Monday.
Guyton, who became the first Black woman to receive a Grammy nomination for best country solo performance in 2021, said that seeing a woman of color possibly become the presidentof the United States is not something she was sure she could possibly witness in her life.
Fact Check: Durbin’s missing context on Trump’s jobs record
From CNN’s Daniel Dale
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate majority whip, claimed of former President Donald Trump: “He lost millions of jobs in America.” Shortly after, Durbin said, “He is one of only two presidents in the history of the United States to leave office with fewer Americans working than when he started.”
Facts First:Durbin’s statistics are correct, but he left out some critical context about them. While there was a net loss of about 2.7 million jobs from the beginning of Trump’s four-year term to the end, there was a net gain of about 6.7 million jobs under Trump until the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country about three years into his term.
Nearly 22 million jobs were lost under Trump in March 2020 and April 2020 when the global economy cratered on account of the pandemic. The US then started regaining jobs immediately, adding more than 12 million from May 2020 through December 2020, but not enough to make up for the massive early-pandemic losses.
Link Copied!
Fact Check: Garcia’s misleading claim about Trump’s comments on Covid-19 and disinfectant
From CNN's Daniel Dale
During night one of the Democratic National Convention, Rep. Robert Garcia of California claimed, among other things, that former President Donald Trump “told us to inject bleach into our bodies,” while criticizing Trump’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis.
During a press briefing in April 2020, Trump expressed interest in scientists exploring the possibility of whether Covid-19 could be treated using disinfectants inside people’s bodies, “by injection inside or almost a cleaning,” or by deploying powerful light “inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way.”
Trump’s comments were slammed by medical experts as highly dangerous, and they prompted urgent warnings from public health authorities and companies that sell household disinfectants. But he never actually said he was suggesting citizens go and use such products.
Trump made the ill-informed remarks after Bill Bryan, the acting undersecretary of science and technology for the Department of Homeland Security, outlined tests in which he said sunlight or disinfectants like bleach and isopropyl alcohol quickly killed the coronavirus on surfaces and in saliva.
When Trump jumped shortly afterward to the dangerous idea of injecting disinfectants inside people’s bodies, he was talking about experts somehow testing that idea.
He said: “And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning, because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that, so that you’re going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me. So we’ll see.”
Link Copied!
Chicago mayor highlights Walz's experience as a former social studies teacher
From CNN's Zachary Wolf
It’s a big moment tonight for social studies teachers.
In his speech opening the Democratic National Convention earlier this evening, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson noted that he’s a former public educator – which is something he has in common with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.
Whatever you think of their politics, it’s cool that two people who started their careers teaching rudimentary US government are now deeply involved in governing – particularly since recent presidents and vice presidents have come from the fields of law and business, rather than the ranks of professional educators.
Link Copied!
"He is a person who spreads hate." Shapiro says Trump has no credibility to speak on antisemitism
From CNN's Michael Williams
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is interviewed by CNN's Kaitlan Collins from the floor of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
CNN
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro criticized claims from Donald Trump that he wasn’t given the Democratic Party’s VP nod because he is Jewish – adding that the former president has “no credibility” to speak on antisemitism.
Shapiro is Jewish and was one of the frontrunners to be Harris’ running mate, but was criticized by some on the left for his support for Israel, criticism that wasn’t directed toward Tim Walz, who shares many of the same views on Israel and Palestinians. Trump has suggested that antisemitism played into the decision not to give the role to Shapiro.
Shapiro added: “I want to be clear about something: antisemitism played absolutely no role in the dialogue I had with the vice president.”
Shapiro conceded there is “some antisemitism within our party” and said Democrats need to “stand up and speak out against hate in all forms.”
Watch here:
Video Ad Feedback
273e777e-4ad7-4898-95d4-e86143cbf3bf.mp4
01:20
- Source:
cnn
Link Copied!
Hillary Clinton's speech tonight at Chicago's United Center will not be her first at the arena
From CNN staff
Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will speak at the DNC tonight, and this is not her first convention speech at the United Center.
Analysis: One key difference between the DNC and the RNC
From CNN's Stephen Collinson in Chicago
Even before the speeches started at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, one sharp contrast with the Republican convention in Milwaukee became obvious.
The concourse of the United Center was filled with veterans of previous Democratic White Houses, campaigns and administrations. Conventions typically have been gatherings of the party clans — drawing former presidents, Cabinet secretaries and top aides.
That didn’t happen at the Republican National Convention last month. There was no former President George W. Bush nor 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney. And don’t even mention the Cheneys. Any Republican who refused to swear fealty to Donald Trump was purged from an event that served to elevate the Trump family and no one else.
But here at the DNC, two former presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, will have major speaking roles. The 42nd president spent his 78th birthday with veterans of his administration in Chicago. And former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on the roster of speakers Monday night.
There’s only one living key Democratic figure of the last 50 years that won’t be here. Jimmy Carter — the oldest living president — has been in hospice care for over a year. He’s approaching his 100th birthday in October, and his grandson Jason told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution he’s hoping to live a little bit longer to vote for Kamala Harris in November.
Link Copied!
Obamas to stress that Kamala Harris is ready for the job – and that the stakes could not be higher
From CNN's MJ Lee
Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, who were aghast in 2016 when Donald Trump won the presidential election, will speak this week as Democrats try to once again stop Trump from entering the White House.
A source familiar with the Obamas’ Tuesday evening remarks said the former president will “affirm why Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are precisely the leaders the country needs right now” – and underscore just how high the stakes are heading into Election Day.
The former first lady, meanwhile, will speak to how she believes Harris is “ready to lead our country forward and turn the page on fear and division,” the source said. She intends to stress that the vice president is “one of the most qualified candidates to seek the presidency.”
Eric Schultz, senior adviser to Barack Obama, said the ex-president intends to continue lending a helping hand to Harris as she campaigns against Trump.
“His strategy this fall will be driven by where he can move the needle with Democrats and persuadable voters, especially in states with key races,” Schultz said.
Link Copied!
Harris insisted on being on hand at convention tonight
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny
Kamala Harris doesn’t plan to be in the convention hall every night this week – like Donald Trump insisted on doing at the Republican convention last month in Milwaukee – but she told advisers she wouldn’t miss tonight.
Tonight is the beginning of an entirely new Democratic convention, which has a new purpose: Elevating and celebrating Harris as the party’s nominee.
The biggest goal of the convention is to keep alive the wave of momentum that Harris has been riding.
When Harris said Sunday that she’s the “underdog” in this race, it was an intentional message, a senior adviser said, to remind Democrats that a difficult race lies ahead.
Link Copied!
Delegates are conducting a ceremonial vote for the vice presidential nominee
From CNN staff
Delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago are holding a ceremonial vote for vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.
Vice President Kamala Harris was already officially certified as the Democratic nominee through a virtual vote earlier this month before she chose Walz to be her running mate. Party rules don’t require a separate vote to confirm the nominee for vice president.
Walz emerged from the most accelerated vice presidential search in modern history from a shortlist that included half a dozen Democrats, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
A former educator, Walz is currently in his second term as Minnesota governor and chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He previously served 12 years in Congress, representing a conservative-leaning rural district that, both before and after his tenure, has been mostly dominated by Republicans.
Watch the moment:
Video Ad Feedback
46030b9a-94e6-4b66-8f09-4e781d6091c0.mp4
02:04
- Source:
cnn
Link Copied!
Project 2025 will be a daily feature of the Democratic National Convention this week
From CNN's MJ Lee
Democrats gathered in Chicago this week to ceremonially nominate Vice President Kamala Harris for president plan to showcase Project 2025 on each night of the four-day event, convention officials tell CNN.
That four-night examination of Project 2025 — the conservative blueprint for Donald Trump’s second term — will begin tonight when Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow will focus on Trump’s recent claim that he would be a dictator on his first day in office.
The Project 2025 segment this evening will claim it would serve as a playbook that would allow Trump to “fire intelligence workers, government engineers and federal prosecutors and replace them with an army of loyalists,” a convention official said.
“Later in the week we’ll look at how Project 2025 will wreck the economy, take away our rights and make America less safe,” the official said.
Every night of this week at the DNC, there will be some segment about Project 2025.
Trump has repeatedly sought to distance himself from Project 2025. In a post to his social media site, Trump claimed, “I know nothing about Project 2025.”
Link Copied!
Democrats honor Rev. Jesse Jackson in an emotional tribute to the civil rights leader
From CNN’s Chelsea Bailey
Rev. Jesse Jackson on stage during a tribute to him on the first night of the DNC on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
Democrats paid tribute to Rev. Jesse Jackson’s tireless dedication to advancing civil rights and equality for all Americans.
In recent years, Jackson’s battle with Parkinson’s disease has largely taken him out of the national spotlight, but Democrats cheered as the 82-year-old civil rights leader appeared on stage Monday night, alongside Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP President Derrick Johnson. Jackson appeared in a wheelchair and waved to the crowd but he didn’t speak.
Earlier in the night, Jamie Harrison, chair of the Democratic Party, credited Jackson’s 1984 DNC speech in Chicago for inspiring him – and the country – to “keep hope alive.”
Jackson joined the civil rights movement as a teenager and became a protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was standing beside Dr. King on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel moments before the civil rights leader was assassinated in 1968.
After King’s death, Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), a Chicago-based civil rights organization that sought to uplift African Americans.
In 1984, Jackson became the second African American to launch a nationwide campaign for the White House. That year he delivered a powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention, calling on Democrats to open their arms and embrace the diversity of America’s “rainbow.” In 2023, he stepped down as president from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
This post has been updated to include remarks from the tribute to Jackson.
Link Copied!
Trump still fixates on Biden while his campaign pushes to sharpen attacks on Harris
From CNN's Phil Mattingly
As Democrats prepare for a deeply symbolic night to mark the passing of the generational torch, former President Donald Trump remains fixated on his former opponent.
Trump’s campaign has pushed to turn sharply toward Vice President Kamala Harris, launching a weeklong swing-state tour in tightly controlled environments with small crowds is an intentional effort to focus Trump. The goal is to counterprogram the convention by leveling the kinds of policy-based attacks allies have pleaded with him to focus on in recent weeks.
He posts about Biden’s decision to step down on social media – and the Democratic pressure that drove the decision – with regularity. He frequently floated, with no evidence and zero credibility, the idea that Biden would try and step back into the race before a virtual roll call made it impossible.
One adviser was asked if he expected Trump to watch Biden’s speech this evening, he said simply: “Of course.”
“I think he’s a little nostalgic for where things were a month ago,” said a Republican who has spoken to Trump in the last few days. “Understandably.”
Link Copied!
Behind the scenes of a critical convention role – the speaker tracker
From CNN's Betsy Klein
Behind every Democratic National Convention speaker this week is a trained guide helping them get where they need to go.
The trackers are helping speakers navigate the sprawling United Center complex, handling logistics from sorting out credentials to speech prep alongside the convention’s speechwriting and production teams, including stage walkthroughs, guiding them around any media interviews and mock sessions with a teleprompter, if needed, according to a 2024 speaker tracker who has previously served in the role.
There are about 200 speaker trackers this year and they are typically trusted, longtime Democratic officials, including former communications and advance staffers, who receive training ahead of time.
During previous Democratic conventions, trackers were also responsible for a worst-case-scenario role — holding a hard copy of the remarks, ready to dart onto the stage with a paper backup if the teleprompters failed. This year, there’s a backup teleprompter.
Link Copied!
Jill Biden "fully invested" in Harris' victory, even as tension persists
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny
First lady Jill Biden on stage during a walk through ahead of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
Tonight, we will hear from first lady Jill Biden – on the biggest stage since her family’s life was upended with President Joe Biden’s decision to step aside and end his quest to defeat Donald Trump.
It’s a poorly-kept secret in Democratic circles that the first lady has had a far more difficult time accepting the political reality that ended her husband’s aspirations for a second term.
Tonight is not the moment to highlight those tensions, a top Biden aide told CNN, insisting she is “fully invested” in Vice President Kamala Harris’ victory.
But those tensions exist, particularly with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other party leaders.
“To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude,” she wrote in a message to supporters late last month.
Link Copied!
More than 200 content creators credentialed for the DNC
From CNN's Betsy Klein
Television, radio and print reporters aren’t the only media in the room for this year’s Democratic National Convention.
More than 200 content creators have also been credentialed for the event in Chicago, with their own reserved platform space on the convention floor.
Engaging online creators and influencers is a key piece of Democrats’ 2024 strategy to meet voters where there are, especially young Americans who are increasingly turning to social media to get their news.
Credentialed creators include Carlos Eduardo Espina, an immigrant rights activist with 10.2 million followers on TikTok; Olivia Julianna, who posts about abortion rights and other Democratic issues to her 682,000 TikTok followers; Nabela Noor Martin, a designer, author, and homemaker with 7.6 million followers on TikTok; and John Russell, a self-described “dirtbag journalist” posting to his 181,000 TikTok followers.
In addition to prime real estate inside the arena, the convention team is providing workspace and logistical assistance for the creators, with an “infrastructure of volunteer roles designed specifically for on-site creator support,” a DNC official said.
Link Copied!
Biden will hail the historic unity of Democratic Party, with Harris' election "at the heart of his legacy"
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny
Democrats are a party united Monday night, thanks to President Joe Biden’s decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in the moments after he ended his bid for re-election.
In his address to open the Democratic National Convention tonight, Biden will hail the “historic unity” of his party, an adviser said, and implore delegates and party activists to remain unified in their quest to defeat Donald Trump.
Biden will not address his legacy tonight, but he believes the election of Harris will be “forever at the heart of his legacy,” the adviser said.
Several minutes have been built into the program tonight for the thunderous applause and welcome the president is expected to receive by the convention hall.
Link Copied!
4 arrested after fence breach near DNC, Chicago police say
From CNN's Jamiel Lynch
Chicago police secure fencing after a breach in the security barrier ahead of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
Four people were arrested Monday after breaching a security fence near the United Center where the Democratic National Convention is being held, Chicago police said.
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, speaking to reporters at the fenced perimeter, said police were assessing whether the current fencing was sufficient.
“That’s an assessment we are going to make once we clear everything,” he said.
The DNC Public Safety Joint Information Center said in a statement: “At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, speaking with CNN from the convention floor, said the authorities have “a good plan in place” and described the fence breaching as brief.
Pritzker said authorities will respect peoples’ right to protest, but will not “stand for any mayhem.”
“Frankly, that’s the way it’s going to be,” Pritzker said.
This post has been updated with comments from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
CNN’s Jennifer Feldman and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.
Watch more here:
Video Ad Feedback
a6d263c2-96dd-41a8-a28d-d5ebb14fad0a.mp4
00:27
- Source:
cnn
Link Copied!
Chicago police hope to avoid standoffs with DNC protesters, superintendent says
From CNN’s Andy Rose
Police block a street as pro-Palestine protesters march ahead of the Democratic National Convention on August 18, in Chicago, Illinois.
Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
The Chicago Police Department is hoping to avoid confrontations at protest events in the city around the Democratic National Convention.
“What we will not tolerate is intimidation,” said police superintendent Larry Snelling in a news conference Monday. “We will not tolerate violence, and we want every single person in this city to feel safe.”
Snelling said they plan to keep police presence as low-profile as possible, while also preventing clashes and traffic problems in the heart of America’s third-largest city. “This won’t be a logjam,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that if anything happens that we have to call an audible on to make sure that everyone is safe, we will do that.”
Despite disagreements with protest groups over how close demonstrators can get to the DNC venue, Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city is committed to letting people express their opinions, even in large numbers. “The city of Chicago is really good at things like this,” Johnson said.
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance suggested in a social media post Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris should have police stand down against protesters and let them “do whatever they want,” given her past support of defunding the police.
This post has been updated with Vance’s comments.
CNN’s Kit Maher contributed reporting to this post.
Link Copied!
Country singer Mickey Guyton says "Shirley Chisholm flew so Kamala could soar"
From CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister
Country singer Mickey Guyton rehearses during the first day of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
When Mickey Guyton was asked to perform at the Democratic National Convention, the country star immediately felt the significance of taking the stage at the convention where Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept her party’s presidential nomination.
Guyton is one of Monday night’s performers at the DNC, along with James Taylor and Jason Isbell.
Guyton, who became the first Black woman to receive a Grammy nomination for best country solo performance in 2021, said that seeing a woman of color possibly become the presidentof the United States is not something she was sure she could possibly witness in her life.
Guyton’s Grammy-nominated 2020 song, “Black Like Me,” was released during the summer of demonstrations about George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police. She has been outspoken about racism that she has experienced in country music and has said she is proud to be paving the way for other Black artists in the genre.
“For me, this is beyond a genre of music. This is about humanity. This is about the culture,” Guyton said when reflecting on performing at the DNC. “This is about our country, and I feel honored to be able to witness history.”
“All I have to say is Shirley Chisholm flew so Kamala could soar,” Guyton said, referencing the presidential race in 1972 when Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm ran a historic campaign as the first Black candidate to seek a major party nomination.
Link Copied!
"He’s come a long way.” The past 4 weeks have started the healing process for Biden
From CNN's MJ Lee
President Joe Biden made the stunning political decision just over four weeks ago to end his re-election campaign – the catalyst for the launch of his vice president’s second presidential campaign, culminating this week in Kamala Harris formally accepting her party’s nomination here in Chicago.
Those close to the president don’t deny what a painful and challenging time these recent weeks have been for the 81-year-old president. But, they say, time has already done some healing.
Multiple sources have told CNN that Biden has made clear to those close to him that as much as this was not the path he set out to chart for himself, he is fully convinced that he made the right decision in ending his campaign.
Biden will use Monday’s remarks to show the nation tonight that he is now passing on his torch to his vice president.
But while there are expected to be plenty of tributes to the president himself this evening, as far as Biden’s speech is concerned, there is one message he wants to convey more clearly than anything else – Harris must beat Donald Trump.
“His number one objective is to do everything he can to send a message of how important it is that Kamala Harris get elected president of the United States,” the person said.
As is typical for Biden with most major speeches, the president is continuing to put final touches on his remarks. While his speech will be among the most defining of his political career, aides say tonight will not be about saying farewell. That moment, they said, will come at a later time.
Link Copied!
Biden says he’s ready to pass the torch
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins in Chicago
A sign sign on a chair in the front row of the Delaware delegation names President Joe Biden as a delegate.
CNN
President Joe Biden said Monday night he’s ready to pass the torch to Kamala Harris as he takes the stage as a supporter of his vice president rather than his party’s presidential nominee.
Asked if he was ready to pass the torch, Biden told reporters, “I am,” as he did a walk through the United Center in Chicago.
Biden has been reworking and fine-tuning his speech in the days leading up to now. He’s been working closely with Mike Donilon, one of his closest aides and one of the final people he consulted before exiting the race. While aides say this is not a farewell speech, they also recognize it was be one of the last major audiences Biden has while in office.
Asked if tonight will be “bittersweet” for him, Biden used a different word to describe it: “Memorable.”
The president’s role as keynote speaker Monday night will not be the only part he plays at the convention. A notable sign is on the Democratic convention floor in the front row of the Delaware delegation: one for “delegate” Joe Biden.
Biden’s home state has a prime spot on the convention floor, a respectful nod to the former nominee who will pass the proverbial torch to his running mate in a matter of hours. Each seat is marked with signs for notable Delaware members: Sens. Chris Coons and Tom Carper, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, and more. But Biden’s, which has not been affixed to any chair, stands out.
Link Copied!
First night of Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago
From CNN staff
A view of the stage as the first night of the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago, on Monday, August 19.
President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are among the major speakers who will take the stage tonight.
As CNN has reported, Biden will use his primetime remarks tonight to talk about the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration and zero in on how critical it is that Harris defeat Donald Trump in November.
Four years ago, the Democratic convention was a mostly virtual affair because of the Covid-19 pandemic and Joe Biden delivered his nominee’s speech in a mostly empty venue.
He and his running mate Kamala Harris then donned black masks and greeted supporters in their cars in a parking lot — as if they were at a 1950s drive-in theater.
The contrast to Biden’s convention speech on Monday night could not be more obvious and will underscore how his legacy will include his role in shepherding the country out of the worst public health emergency in 100 years.
But Biden’s big moment is coming on the first night of the convention and not the last night — underscoring the poignant reality that he will never experience what it’s like for a nominee to be sent on their way to election day after the full endorsement of a rocking arena of delegates.
Democratic delegates however will offer Biden an emotional embrace. He’s now viewed as a hero in his party, not just for a legislatively substantial presidency, but for sacrificing his quest for a second term in the cause of beating Donald Trump.
Link Copied!
Key battleground state governors expected to take the stage this week at DNC
From CNN's Jamie Gangel
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are among the speakers expected to take the stage in Chicago this week, multiple sources familiar with the planning told CNN, highlighting two battleground states that Vice President Kamala Harris is eyeing in the fall.
Shapiro and Whitmer join a growing list of the “next generation” of the Democratic Party who will be featured, which includes House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
Beshear, Shapiro, Buttigieg and Pritzker were on the list of possible VP picks for Harris, and their inclusion, along with Jeffries and Raimondo, is meant to highlight the deep bench of Democrats who are considered the future of the party.
Link Copied!
Biden is enjoying one perk in his final months – a new helicopter
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
For President Joe Biden, the prolonged effort to push him from the top of the Democratic ticket was an unhappy one. But if an early exit from the White House came with one silver lining, it could be this: He was still in office to enjoy a new helicopter.
Flying between O’Hare International Airport and Soldier Field on Monday, Biden utilized for the first time a WH-92A Patriot as Marine One, the iconic green-and-white helicopter designated for the US president.
The helicopter replaces the older VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N White Hawk helicopters that have been used for Marine One dating back decades.
Its inaugural flight was pushed back after years of delays. The effort to replace the aging helicopters began during the George W. Bush administration but was halted at various points due to cost overruns, communications issues and the new helicopters’ tendency to scorch the White House South Lawn.
In all, it has taken almost 20 years to replace the aging presidential helicopters, whose trademark color scheme dates back to the 1950s.
Link Copied!
Harris begins standard transition planning
From CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere
Vice President Kamala Harris filed paperwork on Monday morning to begin planning for a potential transition to the White House — a standard move for a non-incumbent presidential candidate, but another measure of her rushed campaign launch.
Former President Donald Trump announced his own transition committee last week.
To lead the effort, CNN has learned that Harris is tapping the same person who ran the process for President Joe Biden: Yohannes Abraham, the current Indonesia-based ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He and Harris worked together closely four years ago and then when he was the first chief of staff to the National Security Council under Biden. He’ll soon leave his job and move back to Washington for the role.
Law firm Covington & Burling — the firm of former Attorney General Eric Holder, which ran the running mate vetting process for Harris — will help advise how best to set up the effort to hire other staff.
The purpose is to ease any new administration taking control of the massive federal government, preparing senior aides for jobs and structures they may not already know about and facilitating a smoother transition for whoever is sworn in at noon on Jan. 20, 2025.
But it’s a tricky balance for Harris, who is running as both an extension of Biden’s administration and as a fresh start. A person familiar with the vice president’s planning tells CNN that the transition apparatus will not be making personnel decisions before the election. She was facing a deadline of next week to file the paperwork.
The person added that as with the transition processes under Biden and former President Barack Obama, “this transition apparatus will focus on operational considerations in the pre-election period, such as making sure that sufficient vetting capacity exists post-election.”
Eventually, should either candidate win, the transition committee becomes the nexus for everything from picking Cabinet secretaries, to hiring lower-level jobs, to getting arms around information and major decisions the new president will face.
Link Copied!
Analysis: Here are the similarities and differences between the 1968 and 2024 DNCs
From CNN's Zachary B. Wolf
There are some broad-strokes similarities between the Democratic National Convention in Chicago set to confirm Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee in 2024 and the 1968 convention that is now viewed as a key moment in recent US history.
Both the ’68 and ’24 Chicago conventions involve a sitting president (Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 and Joe Biden today) who quit a bid for reelection.
In both cases, the vice president (Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and Harris today) is the choice of delegates as the party’s nominee.
In both conventions, there is some amount of disunity among Democrats. In 1968, the party was split over the war in Vietnam, and today the division relates to US support for Israel.
But the similarities only go so far.
In 1968, the country was reeling from the deaths of American soldiers in Vietnam. Nearly 17,000 American service members died in Vietnam in 1968, the war’s most deadly year. The current war between Israel and Hamas has not directly involved the US military.
It was the perception of organized anti-war groups in 1968 that they were being locked out of the convention, which led to riots in the streets of Chicago as Humphrey accepted the nomination with a tone-deaf speech that touched on his theory of the politics of happiness.
Expect pro-Palestinian protests in Chicago this year but not the massive, organized effort that rocked the city in 1968, when protest organizers encouraged more than 100,000 young people to flood the city even though they were denied a permit to protest.
The country was also reeling from assassinations in 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in April of that year, days after Johnson left the race. In June 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was killed in California after winning that state’s Democratic presidential primary.
A would-be assassin’s bullet also marked the current presidential contest, but former President Donald Trump escaped with an ear injury. The incident at a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania was a shock to the country, but it was not in line with what happened in ’68.
Link Copied!
Chairwoman of Democratic congressional campaigns touts increased enthusiasm for House races
From CNN's Simone Pathe
Democratic excitement about the top of the ticket has trickled down to House races, the chairwoman of the party’s congressional campaign arm said Monday, touting a nearly million-dollar fundraising haul in the 24 hours after Vice President Kamala Harris announced her candidacy.
That was the single best day of online fundraising for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this cycle, chairwoman Suzan DelBene told reporters at a briefing in Chicago. Earlier Monday, the DCCC also announced $27 million in additional ad reservations targeting offensive opportunities, which nearly doubles the committee’s first $28 million investment.
While the landscape of seats in play hasn’t dramatically changed, she said, there’s been a noticeable uptick in enthusiasm and energy that’s showing up in candidate fundraising and volunteer signups. The DCCC saw a 58% increase in volunteers and 196% increase in doors knocked after Harris announced, she added.
“We’re reserving in districts that then-President Trump lost, that are currently held by Republicans, including New York and California. But we’re also expanding into Trump-won and -led districts such as Iowa and Pennsylvania,” DelBene.
Asked by CNN about her candidates’ biggest challenge now, DelBene said “fighting disinformation” from Republican attacks and messaging, touting that the committee has made its largest digital investment to try to “communicate with people where they are.”
Link Copied!
Trump tells Reuters he would appoint Elon Musk to a Cabinet or advisory role if reelected
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens at a business roundtable discussion at a campaign event at Precision Components Group, Monday, August 19, in York, Pennsylvania.
AP
Former President Donald Trump said in an interview with Reuters Monday that he would appoint Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk “if he would do it” to a Cabinet or advisory role if reelected.
The former president, speaking to the outlet after a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, also said he would consider ending a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases and called the credit “ridiculous.”
Musk reportedly said recently that if the electric vehicle tax credit was done away with, it would be “devastating” to his competitors and would “probably actually help” Tesla in the long run.
Trump and Musk earlier this month held a friendly conversation on X in which the two men heaped praise on each other. Musk asked Trump softball questions and steered him to comfortable territory that allowed Trump to repeat campaign talking points during a conversation that was initially delayed by more than 40 minutes due to technical difficulties.
At one point in that conversation, Musk offered to take a role in a potential future Trump administration helping to rein in government spending.
“I think it would be great to just have a government efficiency commission that takes a look at these things and just ensures that the taxpayer money, the taxpayers’ hard-earned money, is spent in a good way,” Musk told Trump in the X conversation. “I’d be happy to help out on such a commission.”
Trump said he would “love it” if Musk were involved and said the billionaire is the “greatest cutter,” referencing cost-cutting measures he has taken at his companies.
Link Copied!
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr among additional speakers added to Monday night DNC program
From CNN's Brian Rokus and Samantha Waldenberg
The Democratic Convention has released the names of additional speakers and entertainers for Monday night’s program. Among them are Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and James Taylor.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who also coached the 2024 US men’s basketball team at the Paris Olympics, is also expected to speak Monday evening. Kerr has been an outspoken advocate for stronger action against gun violence.
In the days after 19 children and two adults were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas – Kerr refused to speak about basketball ahead of one game, instead raising his voice as he railed against gun violence.
Other notable speakers that were previously announced include Hilary Clinton, first lady Jill Biden and numerous high-profile Democratic lawmakers.
It’s all leading up to the keynote address by President Joe Biden, where he will officially pass the torch to his vice president, Kamala Harris.
This post has been updated with additional reporting on tonight’s speakers.
Link Copied!
US concludes Iran is behind hacking attempts targeting Trump and Biden-Harris campaigns
From CNN's Evan Perez, Sean Lyngaas and Zachary Cohen
The US government has concluded the Iranian government is behind the hack-and-leak operation that targeted Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and also attempted to target the Biden-Harris campaign, the FBI and other US intelligence agencies said Monday.
The FBI in recent days briefed the former president on their preliminary findings, after news organizations reported receiving documents believed to have come from an account belonging to a senior Trump campaign official. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has said the hackers were unsuccessful in their attempts.
The investigation marks the clearest sign of the efforts by Iran, and other countries, to try to influence the 2024 election, US officials believe.
Link Copied!
Bill Clinton celebrates 78th birthday with hundreds of former staff members
From CNN's MJ Lee
Former President Bill Clinton, who arrived in Chicago last night for this week’s Democratic National Convention, is celebrating his 78th birthday today.
Because there are so many Democrats who have descended on Chicago for this week’s convention, an aide shares that the ex-president spent a part of this afternoon with hundreds of former Clinton administration alumni who sang happy birthday to him.
Clinton speaks Wednesday night and his wife Hillary Clinton speaks tonight.
Bill Clinton has been out of office for well over two decades now. The current president, Joe Biden, whose age was a serious factor that contributed to his exiting the 2024 race, is 81.
Link Copied!
Trump bashes Harris’ past support of fracking ban in focused speech in Pennsylvania
From CNN's Kate Sullivan in York, Pennsylvania
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Precision Components Group, Monday, August 19, in York, Pennsylvania.
Matt Slocum/AP
Former President Donald Trump delivered a focused speech at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania in which he stuck to campaign talking points about energy and manufacturing and homed in on Vice President Kamala Harris’ past support of a ban on fracking — something she backed as a 2020 presidential candidate, but her campaign says she no longer endorses.
Trump spoke at a machining manufacturer in York, Pennsylvania, that could only accommodate a fraction of the crowd he sees at a typical campaign rally. In an environment much more subdued than the raucous rally setting, the former president appeared to largely stick to his prepared remarks loaded in the teleprompter as he addressed the small crowd of supporters and reporters.
Trump’s campaign stop coincided with the first day of the Democratic convention. Trump continued to claim that Democrats enacted a “coup” when President Joe Biden stepped down and Harris became the nominee.
Earlier today, during a walkthrough of the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Biden responded to the coup claim by saying of Trump: “His stability is in question.”
Link Copied!
Trump posts fake AI images suggesting he has Taylor Swift's support
From CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister and Kate Sullivan
Taylor Swift has yet to endorse any presidential candidate this election cycle — but former President Donald Trump says he accepts the superstar’s non-existent endorsement.
Trump posted “I accept!” on his Truth Social account, along with a carousel of (Swift) images, at least some of which appear to be AI-generated.
One of the AI-manipulated photos depicts Swift as Uncle Sam with the text, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.” The other photos depict fans of Swift wearing “Swifties for Trump” T-shirts.
A representative for Swift did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
One of the posts that was shared by Trump is satire. A slew of fake, AI-generated photos of “Swifties for Trump” references the thwarted planned terrorist attack at Swift’s Vienna concerts earlier this month with a caption that says, “Swifties turning to Trump after ISIS foiled Taylor Swift concert.” (The original X account that first published the post wrote, “LOL @realDonaldTrump shared my post,” confirming that the post was, in fact, satire.)
Swift’s fans — known as Swifties — have gotten political this election cycle. Immediately after President Joe Biden stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, a large group of Swift’s fans formed a community called “Swifties for Kamala,” which is not affiliated with the singer. The group, which has mobilized Swift fans to help elect Harris and other Democratic candidates down the ballot, has more than 60,000 followers on X.
At this time, an official “Swifties for Trump” group has not been formed, though the superstar does have conservative, pro-Trump fans who have expressed their support for the former president across their individual social media accounts. Trump’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, told CNN in a statement, “Swifties for Trump is a massive movement that grows bigger every single day!”
In 2020, Swift endorsed Biden and Harris in their bid for the White House.
Biden does a walkthrough of DNC stage after arriving at the United Center
From CNN staff
President Joe Biden stands on the stage on Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, on August 19.
Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are now doing a walkthrough of the Democratic National Convention stage at the United Center ahead of tonight’s kickoff of events.
He also said tonight will be “memorable” and he’s feeling good about his speech.
This post has been updated with comments from Biden.
Link Copied!
Vance claims Harris and Walz are "hiding in the basement" to avoid interviews and additional debates
From CNN's Kit Maher
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, claimed Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are “hiding in the basement” and failing to answer the Americans’ questions by avoiding interviews and additional debates.
Harris answered questions from reporters on a bus tour in Pennsylvania with Walz on Sunday but has not yet sat down for a major network interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. Her team has said she will have one before the end of August.
Harris and Walz have so far agreed to a debate each against their Republican opponents.
Separately, the Ohio senator said the Trump-Vance ticket would win Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia in the 2024 election. The city has been a Democratic Party stronghold.
“I think we can absolutely win it,” Vance said in Philadelphia. “We’re going to win the whole state of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia.”
The post was updated with more of Vance’s comments.
Link Copied!
Here are some of the celebrities expected to attend the DNC this week
From CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister, Samantha Waldenberg and Norma Galeana
When Barack Obama accepted his presidential nomination at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Jennifer Lopez was in town, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner attended the proceedings together, and Kanye West performed at an Obama campaign party.
Four conventions later, many things are different in Hollywood – but the A-list enthusiasm for the party’s presidential ticket remains the same. Not since the Obama years has celebrity enthusiasm been so high, merging the world of pop culture and politics as the race kicks into high gear with this week’s Democratic convention in Chicago.
John Legend performs onstage at SoFi Stadium on May 4, in Inglewood, California.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
John Legend – who performed at the 2008 and 2020 conventions – is set to headline a show Tuesday for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. On Wednesday afternoon, “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus is hosting a panel with the country’s eight female Democratic governors. And on Wednesday night, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will perform at a benefit concert thrown by the Creative Coalition, a Hollywood advocacy nonprofit.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the Monday show, on June 10.
Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty Images
Notable actors expected to attend include Tim Daly, Uzo Aduba, Anthony Anderson, Iain Armitage, Yvette Nicole Brown, David Cross, Jon Cryer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Danai Gurira, Richard Kind, Busy Philipps and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
High-profile speakers are still being finalized, multiple sources told CNN, adding that a slew of actors will speak on the convention’s main stage. But speculation has run rampant about two stars in particular: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
With no major performer announced, fans of both Beyoncé and Swift are hopeful that the women — who both endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020 — will show up in Chicago. Representatives for Swift and Beyoncé did not respond to CNN’s numerous requests for comment.
Link Copied!
Vance says he'd "love to have" Nikki Haley campaign with him
From CNN's Kit Maher
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance speaks at a campaign rally, on August 19, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola/AP
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, said he would “love to have” former US Ambassador Nikki Haley campaign with him as election day nears and that she is welcome on his campaign plane and at any events.
It wasn’t long ago Haley was fighting in the primary against Trump, until she dropped out in March and urged him to earn the support of her voters. Haley offered a “strong endorsement” of Trump at the RNC last month, yet she has still warned he needs to stay on message.
“She wants Donald Trump to be reelected because she recognizes that his policies will lead to lower prices, more economic prosperity and more peace across the world,” Vance said.
“Obviously, Nikki Haley cares a lot about American foreign policy and recognizes that a lot of the policies of Kamala Harris have made the country much less safe with the world much, much more chaotic,” Vance added.
Last week, Haley told Fox News: “The campaign is not going to win talking about crowd sizes. It’s not going to win talking about what race Kamala Harris is. It’s not going to win talking about whether she is dumb. It’s not — you can’t win on those things.”
Link Copied!
Medal of Honor Society president: Distinction between the award and Medal of Freedom "cannot be overstated"
From CNN's Haley Britzky
The president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society offered a measured response on Friday to comments by former President Donald Trump comparing the Medal of Honor to the Presidential Medal of Freedom, saying in an internal memo to society members that the “distinction between these two honors cannot be overstated.”
His message came a day after Trump said the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest civilian award given for contributions to the United States — is “actually much better” than the Medal of Honor.
Trump was speaking about Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson, who he awarded the Medal of Freedom to while in office.
Trump defended his comments further on Saturday in an interview with WBRE in Pennsylvania, saying that he would “rather in a certain way” get the Medal of Freedom because the Medal of Honor is “a painful thing to get.”
Link Copied!
James Taylor and Jason Isbell among the performers at tonight's DNC kickoff, official says
From CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister
James Taylor rehearses before the Democratic National Convention on August 19, in Chicago.
Paul Sancya/AP
Singer and songwriter James Taylor, country music star Mickey Guyton and “Something More Than Free” singer Jason Isbell will perform Monday night at the Democratic National Convention, according to a convention official.
Link Copied!
What the Democratic National Convention stage will look like
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
The Democratic National Convention unveiled a picture of the stage that will be used this week in Chicago.
Democratic Cabinet officials are back at the convention
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
An attendee walks past a screen at the United Center, ahead of the Democratic National Convention today in Chicago, Illinois.
Kevin Wurm/Reuters
When then-President Barack Obama was preparing to depart office in 2016, he issued an edict: Members of his Cabinet would not be allowed to address that year’s Democratic Convention in Philadelphia.
No such ban exists this year. The roster of speakers on Monday includes Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who is considered a rising star in the party. CNN previously reported that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was expected to address the convention later in the week.
In the span of convention history, Cabinet members having prime speaking spots is not unusual. Putting the party’s top figures in front of a national audience is a way to boost their profiles and show voters the depth of the party.
Still, administration appointees are required by federal law to separate their official and political duties.
Cabinet members speak at conventions in their personal capacity, but the distinction can be blurry for a viewing audience. The mandate from 2016 was rooted in Obama’s desire to signal that his final months in office would not be consumed by politics.
His chief of staff, Denis McDonough, wanted to “send a signal about the primacy of the Obama administration’s responsibility to manage the government and serve the American people,” a statement from the White House said at the time.
Explaining further, then-press secretary Josh Earnest said the goal was to “delineate as clearly as possible the public, official governing responsibilities we have at the White House, and separate that from politics.”
Link Copied!
Hillary Clinton has been tweaking and practicing her speech ahead of tonight's remarks
From CNN's MJ Lee
Hillary Clinton speaks on stage during Vital Voices 23rd Annual Global Leadership Awards on May 30, in Washington, DC.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Hillary Clinton has delivered plenty of big political speeches throughout her career, but she is taking her remarks at the opening night of the Democratic National Convention very seriously, an aide who is with her in Chicago told CNN.
Clinton landed last night in Chicago with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and longtime aides Dan Schwerin, Huma Abedin and Nick Merrill. This morning, with coffee flowing, the former secretary of state has been spending her morning making tweaks to the draft and doing read throughs at her hotel.
While her mood has been “very upbeat” and her spirits have been high, Clinton also recognizes the gravity of this moment and the importance of Vice President Kamala Harris defeating Donald Trump in November.
As CNN previously reported, Clinton plans to discuss the proverbial glass ceiling that she herself failed to fully break in 2016.
Bill Clinton is slated to speak at the convention on Wednesday night.
Link Copied!
Families of hostages in Gaza will be inside the United Center for Biden's speech
From CNN's Kevin Liptak and MJ Lee
Families of the American hostages held captive in Gaza are in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Some family members will be inside the United Center on Monday for President Joe Biden’s speech.
Convention organizers declined to say whether they had assigned the family members speaking slots.
But people familiar with the matter said the plight of the hostages and the necessity of a hostage deal would be addressed in some format during the convention.
The ongoing hostage talks in the Middle East are making for an uncertain backdrop to this week’s convention. Biden’s top diplomat, Antony Blinken, is the region to try to advance the talks.
The Israel-Hamas war has caused deep divisions for Democrats. For Biden, the negotiations to secure the release of captives held in Gaza in exchange for a ceasefire are the best chance to bring the grueling conflict to an end.
At the Republican National Convention in July, family members of an American citizen held hostage in Gaza, Omer Neutra, spoke and appealed for his release.
Link Copied!
New polling: Trump campaign is having difficulty in framing the conversation around Harris
From CNN's Ariel Edwards-Levy
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Getty Images
Heading into the Democratic National Convention, new data suggests the Trump campaign’s initial attempts to frame the conversation about Vice President Kamala Harris have so far gained relatively little traction.
Instead, the public’s attention has remained largely focused around the Democratic nominee’s selection of a running mate and other facets of her campaign — a dynamic that could be reinforced for another week as the Democratic Party gathers in Chicago. Meanwhile, the public conversation around the GOP nominee, former President Donald Trump, remains relatively unfocused in the quieter aftermath of a month of major news stories surrounding him.
The Breakthrough is a CNN polling project that tracks what average Americans are actually hearing, reading and seeing about the presidential candidates throughout the campaign.
Charting the words used to describe each candidate, the project found that in the weeks since Harris entered the race, the word “campaign” has been mentioned more frequently regarding Harris than Trump — a break from earlier in the summer, when the Trump campaign drew as much or more attention than President Joe Biden’s campaign.
In the most recent survey — conducted August 9-12 by SSRS and Verasight on behalf of a research team from CNN, Georgetown University and the University of Michigan —Americans were more likely to report hearing about Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the Democratic vice presidential slot (and other news about the vice presidency, including her own current role) than any other topic. Slightly fewer mentioned other aspects of the Harris campaign, a broad category that includes the new ticket’s rally tour, fundraising totals, poll numbers or ads.
Far fewer mentioned the border, and there was even less mention of the economy – two traditionally GOP-friendly campaign issues on which the Trump campaign has criticized Harris. The most prominent negative news about Harris to break through was criticism that she has been reluctant to hold news conferences or engage with the media.
CNN’s Jennifer Agiesta and Edward Wu contributed to this story.
Link Copied!
Ashley Biden will introduce her father tonight
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
Ashley Biden, daughter of President Joe Biden, tests out the podium at the United Center, the host venue of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, on August 18.
Vincent Alban/Reuters
President Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley will introduce her father on Monday ahead of his convention address, a show of family support for the symbolic passing-of-the-torch moment to Vice President Kamala Harris.
The moment will undoubtedly be a touching one for the president. Family members have introduced him at past conventions, including his son Beau at the 2008 convention where he was nominated as vice president.
Ashley Biden, the only child of the president and first lady Jill Biden, has kept a lower profile than her half-brother Hunter over the course of the Biden administration.
But she is a staunch supporter of her parents and is often seen at family occasions at the White House and in Delaware.
Link Copied!
Former Biden adviser says his DNC speech will be a "resounding argument" for why Harris should be elected
From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury
Anita Dunn, former adviser to President Joe Biden, described the president as “the volunteer in chief,” noting he is fully committed to working to ensure Vice President Kamala Harris is elected.
Dunn said Biden, in his speech at the Democratic National Convention tonight, will deliver a “resounding argument” for why Harris should be elected president.
Bash noted that the former speaker of the House had mentioned that she has yet to speak with Biden.
Link Copied!
Trump allies brush off concerns Trump isn't focusing enough on policy
From CNN's Ali Main
Trump allies promoted the former president’s economic plan and brushed off concerns that he isn’t focusing enough on policy, while trying to draw sharp contrasts with Vice President Kamala Harris on the first day of the Democratic National Convention.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott told reporters in Chicago “absolutely” when asked if Trump was focusing enough on policy, saying the former president has “put out exactly what he will do,” while Harris “won’t even do an interview.”
The vice president has said she’ll sit down for a formal interview as the party’s nominee before the end of the month, but Trump and his allies have continually been critical of Harris’s level of engagement with the media.
She has taken some questions from reporters while traveling, including yesterday in Pennsylvania.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said it’s going to take “ground game” to get Trump across the finish line in his home state, but also “a little assistance” from an “honest and unbiased” media, claiming Harris has been “put on a pedestal” and not held accountable since Biden dropped out of the race.
Johnson downplayed a Wall Street Journal survey of economists last month who said inflation would be worse under a second Trump administration, versus a continuation of the current administration’s policies, saying it’s based on tariff policy that is a necessary response to China’s behavior.
“Those tariffs are meant to discipline China,” he said of Trump’s proposed trade policy, accusing Biden of being “compromised” on China and saying Harris and her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, would be “equally soft” on the foreign adversary.
Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes also said based on internal polling data, the campaign believes the “plateau is reached” after the “honeymoon period” of enthusiasm for Harris at the top of the ticket on the Democratic side, and now, the race is “where it was expected to be.”
Link Copied!
Trump campaign mocks DNC platform for mentioning "Biden's second term"
From CNN's Andrew Millman
The Trump campaign mocked the Democratic National Committee’s platform —and by extension Vice President Kamala Harris — for the multiple references to “Biden’s second term” in a campaign statement released Monday afternoon.
The mentions are “an open admission that Kamala has no policies of her own. She has no plan to fix the litany of crises she’s created,” according to the Trump campaign.
Link Copied!
Vance says Republicans don't have to blunt Harris momentum, and instead need to contrast visions
From CNN's Kit Maher
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance speaks during a visit to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 19.
REUTERS
As the Democratic National Convention gets underway in Chicago, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance told CNN at his event in Philadelphia Monday that Republicans don’t need to blunt Vice President Kamala Harris’ momentum but rather highlight their contrasting vision for the country.
“We just really have to contrast those two visions and those two records of accomplishment. I think if we do that, the American people are going to give Donald Trump another chance,” Vance said.
Asked by CNN why Trump is calling the Democratic National Committee convention “rigged” if he is confident he will win, Vance said, “We are confident we can win. We’re confident we’re going to win by taking forward a message of peace and prosperity to the American people.”
At the same time, Vance said it was “important” to point out “how absurd” Harris’ ascension to the top of presidential ticket is.
“The Democratic Party ran a primary process. They pretended that Joe Biden was mentally fit to do the job and the minute that he became a political dead weight, they cast him overboard, not the voters of the Democratic Party, but the actual elites of the Democratic Party. That is a fundamentally unfair process. I think it’s reasonable for Donald Trump to call that out,” he said.
Walz praises Harris as a visionary leader during DNC caucus meetings
From CNN's Aaron Pellish and Ebony Davis
Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz react as they hold a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 6.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz attended a series of caucus meetings on the first day of the Democratic National Convention where he expressed gratitude for their support while praising Vice President Kamala Harris as a visionary leader.
“You might have seen few people are kind of excited across this country for Kamala Harris, what they’ve seen is what you’ve known in Kamala Harris — a deeply kind, visionary, effective leader,” Walz said during the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders caucus meeting.
Walz stops at four different delegate caucus meeting on the morning of the first day of the Democratic convention, and made specific appeals to some of those groups as he rallied their support for Harris.
During remarks to the Black caucus meeting, Walz acknowledged the Democratic Party’s history of putting White politicians at the top of the ticket and asking Black voters for their support.
“A lot of times, this was the history, you can count on the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, and you can count on White politicians coming to Black communities to ask for their votes,” he said, eliciting knowing laughter from the crowd.
At the Native American caucus meeting, Walz highlighted Harris’ previous commitment to honoring tribal sovereignty and his own work in Minnesota to advance native causes, including by selecting Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to serve alongside him and approving a redesigned Minnesota state flag the removes a depiction of a Native American that Walz called “racist.”
While speaking to the Hispanic caucus, Walz echoed the same message, pledging to acknowledge “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of treatment of Hispanic communities in America.
“It’s all about trying to realize that purely American ideal of a more perfect union. But you know, what great countries do? They acknowledge their history. The good, the bad and the ugly, all of it,” he said. “Because if you can’t acknowledge where you came from, how do you know where you’re going.”
Walz is expected to appear at the LGBTQ+ caucus meeting later today.
Link Copied!
GOP-controlled election board in Georgia passes rule that could further delay certification
From CNN's Nick Valencia, Sara Murray, Jason Morris and Jade Gordon
While the DNC gets underway in Chicago, in Georgia the State Election Board has passed a rule on Monday giving local election officials additional power to investigate ballot counts before certifying the results, a move critics say could inject chaos into the 2024 election and delay the state’s official vote count.
The “Rule for Reconciliation Prior to Certification” will allow for a hand recount of votes to ensure “the total number of ballots cast” does not exceed “the total number of persons who voted,” according to the language of the rule.
County election officials will now be allowed to investigate any possible discrepancies.
The vote was carried 3 to 2 by the five-member board.
Link Copied!
First lady Jill Biden will pay tribute to her husband and call on Americans to get behind Kamala Harris
From CNN's MJ Lee
First Lady Jill Biden attends the Women's Sports & Health Innovation Event at Le Meurice on July 27, in Paris, France.
Kristy Sparow/Getty Images
First lady Jill Biden, who remained steadfast in her support of her husband Joe Biden as he deliberated over his political future before ultimately ending his 2024 reelection campaign last month, will use her remarks at the first night of the Democratic National Convention tonight to call on Americans to now support Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for the presidency.
Jill Biden will express her support for Harris and ask Americans to join together “with faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country,” a source familiar with the first lady’s Monday night remarks tells CNN.
Her speech will also serve as a personal tribute to President Biden – the source said the first lady plans on speaking to her husband’s strength and character “in a way that only a spouse of nearly 50 years can do.”
If the first night of this week’s convention in Chicago will focus significantly on President Biden’s accomplishments, there will also be a moment of honoring Jill Biden’s work as first lady as well. A video that features key moments from her three-and-a-half years as first lady, as well as the causes that have been most central to her career, will serve to introduce the first lady, according to a source familiar.
To that end, the video will feature in part Vivian Wierwille of New Hampshire, who – then a fourth-grader – had introduced Biden in March 2021 at an elementary school in Concord as schools reopened amid the Covid pandemic.
Link Copied!
Biden's DNC speech won't resemble a farewell speech, sources say – that will come in January
From CNN's MJ Lee
President Joe Biden delivers remarks at an event in Prince George's County, Maryland, on August 15.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
President Joe Biden’s speech Monday at the opening night of the Democratic National Convention is not expected to resemble a farewell speech, sources have told CNN.
That moment for the president — to formally mark the end of his one-term presidency in an address to the American people – will likely come in January, a Biden aide said.
The timing would be similar to how former President Barack Obama delivered a farewell address to the nation near the end of his two terms in January of 2017. In that speech, Obama described Biden as “the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delaware’s favorite son” and “the first decision I made as a nominee.”
“And it was the best,” Obama said, “not just because you have been a great Vice President, but because in the bargain, I gained a brother.”
Seven and a half years later, Obama will speak Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention — not on behalf of his former vice president seeking a second term, but rather, Vice President Kamala Harris’ new quest for the White House.
As CNN has reported, Biden will use his prime time remarks tonight to talk about the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration and zero in on how critical it is that Harris defeat Donald Trump in November.
Link Copied!
For Democrats, it's no longer blue wall or bust, but tight race ahead
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny in Chicago
For the Democratic ticket, it’s no longer blue wall or bust.
That’s the blunt assessment of Chauncey McLean, president of Future Forward, the leading super PAC supporting Kamala Harris after spending hundreds of millions of dollars promoting Joe Biden’s candidacy for more than a year.
While the final three months of the presidential contest may be less harrowing for Democrats than before President Joe Biden stepped aside, given the rising enthusiasm for Harris, McLean said Monday the race with Donald Trump is far closer than some exuberant Democrats may assume.
“We have it as tight as a tick, pretty much across the board,” McLean told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and the Cook Political Report. He said his group has surveyed 375,000 Americans since Harris became the nominee.
Democrats have more paths to victory because of a “dramatic uptick in her favorability,” McLean said, with the party no longer playing defense in Minnesota, New Mexico and beyond.
He said Harris has improved her standing in every demographic group, particularly with Latino voters, but among “older white voters she has seen the least gain.”
The race to define Harris is very much alive by both political parties, he said, with surveys showing that a majority of Americans know very little about her or her background. But he said the economy remains a pivotal issue — and challenge — for Harris and Democrats.
Link Copied!
Pelosi has one simple message for Biden: “Thank you, Joe!”
From CNN's Isaac Dovere
President Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi.
Getty Images
Nancy Pelosi helped push Joe Biden to quit his re-election campaign, but Monday morning in Chicago she said that the reaction she wants to see from the Democratic convention when the president delivers his farewell address is:
She mimed some arm pumps to go with her suggested cheer. Pelosi called Biden’s decision to step aside “very selfless on his part,” adding, “he’s one of the greatest, most consequential presidents in our country’s history.”
As for any lingering hard feelings among Democrats over her role in Biden’s decision to step aside, Pelosi said her reaction is: “That’s their problem.”
The comments to reporters came after Pelosi spoke at a California delegation breakfast at a hotel in downtown Chicago, where she said she wanted to take a point of personal privilege to note that the first female speaker of the House came out of California, and now promised that the first female president will as well.
Asked to compare Kamala Harris to Donald Trump, as she tends to do, Pelosi refused to mention the Republican nominee by name.
“The difference between the two is that Kamala Harris has a set of values and priorities,” Pelosi said. “When the other guy was in the room, all he wanted was a tax cut for the richest people in America.”
Link Copied!
Pro-Palestinian protesters at DNC say they're not swayed by the change at the top of the presidential ticket
From CNN's Andy Rose
People gather for a Pro-Palestinian protest ahead of the Democratic National Convention on August 18, in Chicago, Illinois.
Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
Protests are taking place this week outside the Chicago venue for the Democratic National Convention, with demonstrators not swayed by the party’s positive reaction to Kamala Harris’ move to the top of the ticket.
“We’ve made it clear from the very beginning that there is no difference” between Harris and Joe Biden, said Hatem Abudayyeh, Coalition to March on the DNC spokesperson. The coalition’s website says “the March on the DNC will be a march for Palestine” and the main demand will be ending US aid to Israel.
Despite the fact Republican candidate Donald Trump has spoken more favorably of Israeli military action in Gaza than the current administration, protesters said they don’t believe supporting Democrats will help Palestinians.
“There is no lesser of two evils when the so-called lesser is aiding and abetting a genocide,” said Faayani Aboma Mijana, also a spokesperson for the coalition.
“We will not take any responsibility if Kamala Harris loses the election,” Abudayyeh added.
Link Copied!
CNN exclusive: Prominent conservative judge endorses Harris, calling Trump a threat to democracy
From CNN's Jamie Gangel and Gregory Krieg
Retired federal appeals court Judge J. Michael Luttig, a prominent conservative legal scholar put on the bench by President George H.W. Bush, is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump, whose candidacy he describes as an existential threat to American democracy.
It will be the first time Luttig, a veteran of two Republican administrations, has voted for a Democrat.
Luttig played a now famous role in persuading then-Vice President Mike Pence to defy Trump and certify the 2020 presidential election. In a series of tweets drafted at the request of Pence’s attorney, Luttig spelled out in stark terms the legal rationale for Pence to reject the former president’s attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s victory.
Since then, Luttig has emerged as a preeminent constitutional critic of Trump. In endorsing Harris, Luttig argued partisan distinctions must, in this election, be set aside in order to prevent the “singularly unfit” Trump from returning to the White House.
Link Copied!
Harris is a breath of fresh air, says TV's "Wonder Woman" star and Harris campaign surrogate
From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury
Actress Lynda Carter arrives for the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner, in Washington, DC, on April 27.
Drew Angerer/AFP/Getty Images
Lynda Carter, the original “Wonder Woman” actress and Harris campaign surrogate, said the vice president is a breath of fresh air following years of disruption.
“I’m just so thrilled that we have competent, wonderful human beings that are for the whole country not just half the country,” Carter said.
Carter highlighted that abortion rights are a key issue for her and that she is working to reverse the impact of the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade.
“I will do everything in my power and in my pocketbook to change that,” she said.
Link Copied!
Here's who's speaking tonight
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Stage is set for the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on August 18.
Austin Steele/CNN
The Harris campaign previewed the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, which will feature remarks from President Joe Biden, former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Monday night will also include people who have been impacted by stricter abortion laws passed by states following the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, including Hadley Duvall, the Kentucky woman whose story of has been featured in Democratic campaign ads in this cycle.
Quentin Fulks, principal deputy campaign manager for the Harris campaign, shared a list of speakers expected to address the convention.
The list included:
UAW President Shawn Fain
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett
New York Rep. Grace Meng
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
Delaware Sen. Chris Coons
Fulks also said the convention “will feature the men and women that have been subjected to cruel and dangerous abortion bans under Donald Trump,” including Duvall, who was impregnated by her stepfather at 12 years old and has since used her story to campaign for Harris.
Link Copied!
Harris campaign says Biden speech will allow Democrats to “celebrate” him
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Harris campaign officials previewed what they expect to hear from President Joe Biden’s remarks at the Democratic National Convention this evening and praised both his record as president and his decision to step away from the presidential race.
At a news conference ahead of the first night of the convention, the Harris campaign said they expect Democrats in attendance to reflect positively on his record over the past four years and celebrate his handing the Democratic ticket to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Sen. Chris Coons, a close Biden ally, said his speech tonight won’t end his involvement in working to get the vice president elected, noting he expects to see Biden campaign in Pennsylvania ahead of election day.
“No one loves to campaign like Joe Biden. You will see him campaigning with some joy and some lift in Pennsylvania and around the country and focusing on the job that yet to be done, both for the remaining five months and then going forward,” he said.
Minyon Moore, chair of the convention, said Biden’s speech will give Democrats the opportunity to “celebrate” him.
“We are going to celebrate him, celebrate all the accomplishments that he has given us,” she said.
Moore also touched on Harris’ relationship with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will also speak tonight, saying Harris and Clinton are “on speed dial with each other.”
“She has been an incredible partner to Vice President Harris. They have a great friendship. You know, they’re on speed dial with each other,” Moore said.
Link Copied!
Rising stars in the Democratic Party praise Harris — with an eye to their own futures
From CNN's Betsy Klein
A trio of rising star Democratic governors addressed delegates from battleground Pennsylvania Monday morning – placing focus on the election 78 days from now while keeping an eye on their own political futures.
Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, all believed to hold presidential ambitions of their own, each heralded Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy and implored Pennsylvanians to do their part in working and organizing to elect her.
But their presence and messages before key leaders of Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party offered some insight into a future Democratic bench. Shapiro, Whitmer and Pritzker were all on initial lists of potential running mates for Harris in a sign of their post-2024 potency.
Shapiro addressed his home delegation with his “GSD (getting stuff done)” signature message centered around education, public safety, jobs, and personal freedoms and rights.
He also singled out former President Donald Trump, who, he said, is “scared of Kamala Harris.”
Pritzker, meanwhile, touted his own successes in his home state of Illinois, pointing to his efforts to raise the minimum wage, eliminate grocery taxes, cancel medical debt, lower the cost of prescription drugs, and raise teacher pay, among others.
And Whitmer offered a broad message cementing the Pennsylvania’s importance this November as one of the “blue wall” states that will be critical to Democrats’ electoral map.
“We gotta do the work. It means showing up and knocking doors. It means writing the postcards. It means making the phone calls, sometimes having a difficult conversation in the grocery store checkout line, right? But the stakes are so high” she told the Pennsylvanians.
Link Copied!
Trump defends saying Medal of Freedom is "actually much better" than the Medal of Honor
From Owen Dahlkamp
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Asheville, North Carolina, on August 14.
The former president said he “always considered that to be the ultimate, but it is a painful thing to get,” referring to the Medal of Honor.
Trump added that “to my knowledge, I don’t think anyone has suffered” to achieve the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
On Thursday, former President Trump argued Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson, whom he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom while in office, had received the “much better” medal compared to the top military award the Medal of Honor, because for the latter the recipients have “been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead.”
On Monday, CNN exclusively reported that Trump’s former chief of staff and retired Marine General John Kelly rejected his comments about the medals, telling CNN that the honors are “not even close. No equivalency of any kind.”
“The Medal of Honor is earned, not won, by incredibly brave actions on the battlefield under fire typically by very young men who joined when others did not to defend their country,” Kelly said.
Link Copied!
Analysis: Harris and Trump may be embracing bad economics – but it's good politics
From CNN's Stephen Collinson in Chicago
The four-week campaign between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has already cemented a hugely significant change in American politics.
Both candidates have embraced a populist approach to economics – one that extends a shift engineered by both Trump in his first term and President Joe Biden who moved away from the centrist, corporate and globalist approach to policy of their predecessors.
Harris will put her new economic plan on display at the Democratic National Convention this week. She’s vowing to use federal power to combat what she says is price gouging by supermarket giants and to offer government help for first-time home buyers.
Trump has slammed Harris’ approach as Venezuela-style socialism. But the Republican nominee has his own populist plan. He’s pledging to end taxes on tips for service workers – a proposal Harris matched – and would slap tariffs on foreign goods of up to 20% and even higher for China.
Mainstream economists say Harris’ price controls would lead to food shortages. They argue the cost of Trump’s import duties would be borne by Americans rather than foreign trade competitors and would ignite massive inflation. But working - and middle-class voters have been hurting for years and have little interest in hearing from the architects and promotors of an economy they see as making the rich richer.
Harris and Trump may be embracing bad economics – but it’s good politics.
Link Copied!
Harris will bring a needed new perspective to the White House, California Democrat says
From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury
Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks at an event in Raleigh, North Carolina, on August 16.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters
Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, of California, said Vice President Kamala Harris will bring a much needed fresh perspective to the White House.
“Vice President Harris brings a perspective. She brings a lens that has not been in the White House that we know to solve these problems. We have to have new energy, new lens, new perspectives, new vision for where we go.”
Lee added that she believes that Harris has the experience and is prepared to lead the country.
Lee, who has attended Democratic national conventions since the 1970s, also told CNN on Monday that this year’s gathering is different. She said that previous conventions have been more about an inclusive democracy and including more people who had never had a seat at the table — “but at this one I think we see more hope, more joy.”
Lee added that Harris’ candidacy along with her vice president pick Tim Walz has energized the party.
Regarding the historic nature of Harris’ candidacy, Lee said the moment is a culmination of years of sacrifices made by Black women and women.
“There have been so many who have paved the way, such as Fannie Lou Hamer, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Hillary Clinton, Shirley Chisholm. And so we’ve come to this point now where the work and the sacrifices of so many Black women and so women and so many young people have gotten us this point and so this is historic,” Lee said.
Lee noted that this convention is kind of a “bookend” from 1972, when she was a part of Shirley Chisholm’s campaign for president.
Link Copied!
Walz rallies a pair of "Blue Wall" battleground state delegations on Monday
From CNN's Ali Main and Betsy Klein
Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz rallied a pair of so-called “Blue Wall” battleground states’ delegations Monday morning, offering a pep talk to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania’s delegates as the Democratic National Convention gets underway.
He continued, “I am not waking up the day after this election and not thinking we left it all on the field. We are going to leave it all on the field. We’re going to knock every door that needs to be knocked. We are going to have no regrets on this.
Walz was introduced at the Wisconsin breakfast by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who told the delegates if Democrats keep the Senate and House, including winning key races in Wisconsin, and “we elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz president and vice president – you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers also praised Walz, noting that the “path to the White House runs straight through our state,” and “we’re going to deliver.”
Moments later, Walz made a surprise appearance before the Pennsylvania delegation, telling an enthusiastic crowd, “The blue wall is solid, people. The blue wall is solid.”
Walz ticked through some organizing milestones: 48,906 new volunteer signups, more than 28,000 call shifts, 621,590 phone calls as of last night, and over 90,000 door knocks since Harris assumed the campaign on July 21.
Link Copied!
Hollywood heads to Chicago for Democratic National Convention, as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift speculation swirls
From CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister, Samantha Waldenberg and Norma Galeana
Beyoncé (L) and Taylor Swift.
Getty Images
Not since the Obama years has celebrity enthusiasm in Democratic politics been so high, merging the world of pop culture and politics as the race to kicks into high gear with this week’s Democratic convention in Chicago.
John Legend – who performed at the 2008 and 2020 conventions – is set to headline a show Tuesday for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
On Wednesday afternoon, “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus is hosting a panel with the country’s eight female Democratic governors. And on Wednesday night, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will perform at a benefit concert thrown by the Creative Coalition, a Hollywood advocacy nonprofit.
Notable actors expected to attend include Tim Daly, Uzo Aduba, Anthony Anderson, Iain Armitage, Yvette Nicole Brown, David Cross, Jon Cryer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Danai Gurira, Richard Kind, Busy Philipps and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
High-profile speakers are still being finalized, multiple sources told CNN, adding that a slew of actors will speak on the convention’s main stage. But speculation has run rampant on two stars in particular: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
With no major performer announced, fans of both Beyoncé and Swift are hopeful the women – who both endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020 – will show up in Chicago.
Representatives for Swift and Beyoncé did not respond to CNN’s numerous requests for comment. Spokespeople for the DNC and the Harris campaign would not comment on the rumors surrounding the two megastars.
Walz will attend a series of DNC caucus meetings today where he will thank them for their support
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Democratic vice presidential running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz attends a campaign event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on August 7.
Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic vice presidential hopeful will be attending a series of caucus meeting at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, a Harris campaign spokesperson said in a statement.
Walz will “drop by” the Black Caucus meeting, the Hispanic Caucus meeting, the Native American Caucus meeting, the AAPI Caucus meeting, and the LGBTQ+ Caucus meeting on Monday.
There, he’ll “express his gratitude for their support,” the campaign spokesperson said.
Link Copied!
Former White House chief of staff says Biden is "very enthusiastic" about Harris-Walz Ticket
From CNN's Mina Allen
Frmer White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain says President Joe Biden is “very enthusiastic” to show his support for the Harris-Walz ticket at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago when he speaks at the convention tonight.
Klain told Kasie Hunt on CNN This Morning that he spoke to President Biden last night.
Klain joked that overall Democratic support is “H-O-T T-O G-O” for the Harris-Walz campaign referencing the popular song by Chappell Roan. He continued, “Democracy is on the line this year” and Vice President Harris is the right choice to be the next President.
When asked about Harris’ opponent, former President Donald Trump, and his attacks on the Harris-Walz campaign, Klain told Hunt:
Klain argued that Trump “really doesn’t know what to say about her so he’s just throwing old garbage at her.”
The Harris campaign on Monday launched a broadcasting channel through the messaging platform WhatsApp targeting Latino voters in an effort to mobilize the core constituency.
The channel will be operated by the “Latinos con Harris-Walz” organizing programming and aims to provide a novel way to court the key coalition “in an increasingly dynamic and fragmented media environment.” It will provide content that reflects the Latino community while also combating misinformation and disinformation.
The platform features a bilingual selfie-style video from Harris-Walz campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, and will also include daily voice memos, videos and notes from surrogates. The campaign believes it will be able to create an organic path to reach the demographic by emphasizing grassroots non-produced content and uplifting news stories and commentary from trusted outlets and voices.
Link Copied!
Democratic congressional leaders Schumer and Jeffries will speak at convention
From CNN's Donald Judd
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at a press conference on Capitol Hill in July.
Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will both speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this upcoming week.
Other speakers throughout the week include President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, will deliver the vice presidential acceptance speech on Wednesday and Harris will deliver her presidential acceptance speech Thursday.
Link Copied!
Harris "lit this country on fire," CNN political commentator says
Speaking from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, CNN political commentator Van Jones said Kamala Harris has “lit this country on fire.”
Watch as he talks about his excitement for the Democratic campaign here.
Link Copied!
Biden will call out Trump by name in his address to the DNC tonight
From CNN's Sam Fossum
President Joe Biden will make the case for Vice President Kamala Harris and sketch out his view of the stakes of this election during his speech to Democrats this evening in Chicago, White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt told CNN’s John Berman.
“The president has focused his presidency on defending democracy at home against the threat posed by Donald Trump who wants to be a dictator from day one. And he’s going to call on Americans tonight to defend democracy one more time in November by voting for his close governing partner Vice President Harris and governor Walz,” LaBolt said.
LaBolt added that Biden’s “key goal” this evening will be to make the case for Vice President Harris and lay out the stakes of the election as he draws a contrast with Trump.
Asked if Biden would call out Trump by name, LaBolt replied:
Asked how this convention feels when compared to previous ones, LaBolt said: “This is a historic moment. It’s different than past conventions, and I think you’ll see a sitting president pass the torch to Vice President Harris and the next generation.”
Link Copied!
The DNC kicks off in Chicago today. Here's who's expected to make speeches this week
From CNN staff
Security officials walk through the United Center in Chicago during preparations ahead of the Democratic National Convention on Sunday.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris is set to accept her party’s nomination Thursday at the Democratic National Convention, but only after a “who’s who” list of speakers from of the Democratic party and beyond.
From past presidents and presidential hopefuls to key Harris allies, here’s a look at some of the people who are set to deliver speeches in Chicago this week:
Monday:
President Joe Biden
First lady Jill Biden
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
Tuesday:
Former President Barack Obama
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff
Former first lady Michelle Obama
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker
Wednesday:
Vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
Former President Bill Clinton
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
Thursday:
Presidential nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris
Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries are also expected to speak at some point during the convention, according to DNC officials.
Link Copied!
An independent who avoided politics is now organizing for Harris — she’s not the only Indian American to do so
From CNN's Harmeet Kaur and Aditi Sangal
Vineeta Gupta, who immigrated to the US from India in 2003, says she didn't engage much with electoral politics until Harris became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. She's seen here at an August 6 Harris rally in Philadelphia.
Courtesy Vineeta Gupta
On a recent Sunday afternoon, Vineeta Gupta hosted 20 Indian American women at her home in Silver Spring, Maryland. Fueled by chana masala, naan and rice pudding, they wrote hundreds of postcards in an appeal to fellow South Asians.
Their message: Vote Kamala Harris for the next president of the United States.
Organizing for a political candidate was a highly unusual move for Gupta, a 61-year-old physician and human rights lawyer who immigrated to the US from India in 2003. Despite advocating various social justice causes, Gupta — a registered independent — had never involved herself in electoral politics outside of voting.
That changed last month when Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, rose to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t seek reelection.
Gupta joined several WhatsApp groups of politically activated South Asian Americans. She participated in a “South Asian Women for Harris” Zoom call. She appealed to skeptical women of color on LinkedIn. On August 6, she drove to Philadelphia to watch Harris introduce Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate — Gupta’s first election rally.
Many Indian Americans appear to share Gupta’s newfound enthusiasm and urgency. Over the pastseveral weeks, national and grassroots political organizers from the community say they’ve seen a groundswell of support and energy for the Harris campaign.
2 arrested Sunday during DNC-related protests in Chicago
From CNN's Whitney Wild
Protesters march ahead of the Democratic National Convention on August 18, in Chicago.
Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
A 23-year-old female and a 28-year-old male were arrested Sunday during DNC-related protests, according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
The 23-year-old female was arrested for Criminal Defacement of Property and Resisting/ Obstructing Peace Officer. The 28-year-old male was arrested for Criminal Damage and Resisting/Obstructing Peace Officer. All of the charges are misdemeanors.
CPD did not specify when the arrests occurred.
Link Copied!
Economists warn Harris' and Trump's economic proposals could cause prices to go higher
From CNN's Alicia Wallace
Inflation is slowly moving back to what’s considereda more sustainable pace, but for many Americans, it’s hard to take solace: The post-pandemic spike in price hikes drastically increased the cost of living.
Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have pledged to bring those costs down. But some economists warnthat the candidates’ aims — including an initial economic policy laid out Friday by Harris and the economic-related statements made in recent months by Trump — could push prices higher … and in the latter’s case, possibly much higher.
Both candidates’ plans would probably raise the deficit and increase demand, including through government spending and tightening the labor market, Joe Brusuelas, RSM US chief economist, said to CNN via email.
But Trump’s plan, or what he’s so far released of it, presents more risks, Brusuelas said. “Both likely inflation and the risk to permanently higher inflation are greater with the Trump proposal.”
Trump will speak about the economy in Pennsylvania today as part of DNC counterprogramming events
From CNN's Kristen Holmes and Brian Rokus
Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
Former President Donald Trump will hold a series of what his campaign is internally calling “messaging events” in several battleground states this upcoming week, a source tells CNN, in counterprogramming to the Democratic National Convention.
These events will be at smaller venues and focus on one or two policy issues important to the campaign.
Trump’s event on Monday will be in Pennsylvania, the same day that the DNC kicks off in Chicago. His remarks will focus on the economy, according to a statement.
And on Tuesday, Trump will deliver remarks on crime and justice in Howell, Michigan, the campaign announced. His running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will also hold a rally focused on crime the same day in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
He is also expected to visit North Carolina and Arizona. The additional trips will also touch on the economy, as well as crime and immigration, three issues the former president’s campaign believe could help Trump win in November.
Trump held two speeches last week centered on the economy and his policies, but he has yet to release a detailed economic plan. Harris spoke Friday afternoon about the economic proposals she is rolling out, including enhancedtax credits for kids, housing assistance and efforts to control prices. Trump repeatedly slams the Biden-Harris administration for high inflation and has pledged to bring down prices immediately.
CNN’s Katie Lobosco and Tami Luhby contributed reporting to this post.
Link Copied!
"I don't think in my ancestors' wildest dreams I imagined this moment," supporter says about Harris-led ticket
From CNN’s David Rind in Chicago
Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the University of Las Vegas Thomas & Mack Center on August 10, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Harini Krishnan had worked as a volunteer organizer for Sen. Kamala Harris’ first presidential campaign in 2019, but she said Harris’ decision to drop out of the race then had left her distraught.
Nearly five years later, Krishnan says seeing Harris now atop the Democratic ticket makes her emotional.
“I am proud to call her a friend and to think that this could happen, I don’t think in my ancestors’ wildest dreams I imagined this moment,” said Krishan, the national director of South Asians for Harris.
Harris’ rise could encourage more young Asian-Americans to consider politics as a potential career path, instead of traditional roles like doctor or engineer, Krishnan said.
But at the same time, she admits that people are still getting to know Harris and want more specifics from her on policy, which she expects to get soon. “People are asking for it, but I also would say that let’s get through convention and you’re going to see more of our platform,” she told CNN.
Link Copied!
"We have a chance as women to do what we didn’t do in 2016," Clinton supporters say ahead of the DNC
From CNN's Arit John
Eight years after Hillary Clinton lost the election to former President Donald Trump, she will again address the Democratic National Convention.
This time, to rally support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, the second woman to win a major party nomination.
For many Democrats who hoped Clinton would become the first woman elected president, the sudden elevation of Harris is both a thrilling surprise and a second chance to make history. Clinton’s presence at the convention — the first in-person gathering since her own 2016 event — speaks to that dynamic.
“If I know anything about her, she’s going to be talking about the future,” said Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood. “She’s like my mother before her, she’s not about crying over spilled milk.”
Like many Democrats, Clinton is excited about Harris’ candidacy and is “all in” for her, and her speech will reflect that, according to a source familiar with her thinking. Her remarks are upbeat and will touch on the momentum the vice president has generated. She will also argue that Democrats need to be “clear eyed” about the long road to Election Day and Republicans’ familiar playbook.
Speakers at the DNC include lawmakers and an officer wounded on January 6
From CNN's MJ Lee and Donald Judd in Chicago
U.S. Capitol Police officer Sgt. Aquilino Gonell testifies before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol on July 27, 2021 at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C.
Oliver Contreras/Getty Images
Some speakers at the Democratic National Convention were chosen to highlight the threat to democracy that Democrats say former President Donald Trump poses — including lawmakers and a Capitol Police officer wounded during the January 6, 2021, riots.
Those speakers include Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, who served on the House select committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection, an official with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign told CNN. That committee ultimately recommended in its 2022 report that Trump be barred from holding office again.
Retired Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, one of the Capitol Police officers wounded on January 6, will also address the convention. Since responding to the attack on the US Capitol over three years ago, Gonell has become a public face of the insurrection’s toll and a vocal critic of Trump and the Republicans who continue to defend him.
Here are some other speakers:
Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who also served on the January 6 committee.
The so-called Tennessee Three: state Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson. Jones and Pearson were expelled from the Tennessee House last year after the three lawmakers led a gun control protest on the chamber floor. They have since won reelection.
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, who serves as pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. served.
Link Copied!
How Chicago prepared for the Democratic National Convention
From CNN's Eric Bradner
Homeland Security Police patrol around federal buildings in downtown Chicago on Sunday.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Protective fencing is up, street closures are beginning and local and federal law enforcement officials say Chicago is prepared as Democrats begin to descend on the city for the party’s convention.
The convention is kicking off just five weeks after the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — a moment that raised concerns about the security at Democrats’ gathering in Chicago as well as Republicans’ convention in Milwaukee last month.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Thursday on CNN that the attempted assassination “did heighten our awareness here” as law enforcement planned for “any possibility.”
“Comparing Butler to a national special security event — you can’t compare it,” Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Derek Mayer told reporters this week. “This is a whole of government approach — we’ve been planning for this convention for well over a year.”
Also looming as Chicago prepared for the convention has been the memory of 1968, when violent clashes between law enforcement and protesters erupted amid protests over the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War.
The Democratic Party platform is full of contrasts between Trump and Biden
From CNN's Ethan Cohen and Eric Bradner
The Democratic Party released its proposed platform Sunday on the eve of the Chicago convention. It is brimming with contrasts between Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and the old Democratic nominee.
The 92-page nonbinding document, which outlines the Democratic National Committee’s priorities for the next four years, will be voted on by delegates at the party’s national convention today. But it hasn’t been updated since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him.
Platforms, which lay out the goals and policies the party broadly supports, are typically crafted to mirror the priorities of their presidential nominees. But Harris officially locked down the Democratic nomination in late July — and only began laying out the details of her policy agenda with the rollout of an economic platform in North Carolina on Friday.
The platform is already outdated: On the economy, the platform includes sections about expanding tax credits for working people, but it doesn’t go as far as Harris’ proposal for a $6,000 tax credit for middle-class and working families with newborn children.
And while the platform criticizes companies for keeping prices high even as their costs have come down, it doesn’t include Harris’ proposal for a federal ban on price gouging on groceries.
The document is also explicitly anti-Trump. Section by section, it lays out contrasts with the former president.
Biden will argue Harris must be elected to safeguard the country as he passes the Democratic torch
From CNN's Kayla Tausche, Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee and Edward-Isaac Dovere
President Joe Biden talks to reporters upon his arrival to Joint Base Andrews, en route to the White House, on August 18.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
After 50 years in public life, Joe Biden’s speech on Monday will be one of his final chances to make his case for his legacy and his view of the country.
Those close to him say he will want to talk about the progress the US made in the last three and a half years, an appeal expected to be supplemented by highly produced visuals showcasing the evolution of the country’s economy from Covid-era school closures and employees working from home to an America that’s fully open for business.
Here’s what to expect: He’ll argue Kamala Harris is the natural successor to that record, and will frame his work in office as a foundation for her to build upon. In keeping with the touchstones of both his 2020 and truncated 2024 runs, he’ll issue warnings that Donald Trump poses a dire threat to democracy. He’ll argue Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, must be elected to safeguard the country from that continued threat.
And, as he told reporters before heading off to Camp David on Friday, he’ll offer a concise message to Democrats heading into the final heat of the election: “Win.”
Link Copied!
Democrats will use speaking roles to highlight perceived threat to democracy
From CNN's MJ Lee and DJ Judd in Chicago
Jamie Raskin speaks during a press conference outside the Capitol on January 5.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Democrats gathered in Chicago this week for the national convention will highlight the threat to democracy that they say former President Donald Trump poses, giving prominent speaking roles to lawmakers, as well as to a Capitol Police officer injured during the January 6, 2021, riots.
An official with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign told CNN that among those speakers are Reps. Jamie Raskin and Bennie Thompson, who both served on the House select committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection. That committee ultimately recommended in its 2022 report that Trump be barred from holding office again.
Retired St. Aquilino Gonell, one of the Capitol Police officers injured during the January 6 attack, will also address the convention.
“Donald Trump’s failure to denounce the violence on January 6, 2021 is a betrayal to every officer who put their life on the line that day — and to every veteran who risked everything to defend our country,” Gonell, who is supporting Harris, said in a statement provided to CNN. “You cannot say you back the police or the Constitution if you’re offering pardons to criminals who tried to destroy our democracy, hurt our leaders and attack law enforcement.”
Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who also served on the January 6 committee, is scheduled to address the convention Thursday, CNN previously reported.
The so-called Tennessee Three — state Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson — are also expected to speak at the convention. Jones and Pearson were expelled from the Tennessee House last year after the three lawmakers led a gun control protest on the chamber floor. They have since won reelection.
Before dropping out of the 2024 race, President Joe Biden made the argument that Trump posed a threat to democracy a driving feature of his candidacy.
As a new presidential candidate, Harris has placed less focus on the argument — a marked departure from Biden’s campaign. But the Harris campaign will make clear this week that it believes the issue is a critical concern to voters.
“We will remind all Americans about the stakes of this election for freedom and the future of our democracy,” the campaign official said.
Link Copied!
Key things to watch for at the DNC
From CNN's Gregory Krieg and Eric Bradner
Stage is set for the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on August 18.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
Democrats are primed to celebrate their Kamala Harris-inspired renaissance in Chicago this coming week, less than a month after the vice president’s ascent lifted the party’s election hopes and injected fresh vibes into a campaign once beset by dread over President Joe Biden’s dismal prospects
Here are six things to watch for — and listen to — this week during the Democratic National Convention:
Harris’ biggest stage: Harris has effectively erased the polling and fundraising gaps Biden faced — which reflects voters’ desire for a different choice than the one they’d faced in 2020 and underscores how quickly she has hit the ground running. Harris will give a prime-time speech on Thursday and frame the race against former President Donald Trump as the two prepare for at least one debate in September and the start of early voting in some states soon after.
Biden’s send-off: Democrats are getting perhaps the most awkward part of their business out of the way tonight: sending off Biden. While he will receive a hero’s welcome, Democrats acknowledge that this convention will look much different than it would have if they were sending him into a second matchup with Trump.
Trump’s shadow: The former president will be omnipresent at the DNC. The biggest job Democrats face this week, though, could be insulating Harris from Trump’s attacks — many of which he’s previewed by portraying her as one of Washington’s most liberal Democrats and a flip-flopper who has disavowed the positions she took in 2019 as a presidential candidate.
Introducing Walz: The twice-elected governor and former congressman was little-known to Democrats outside Minnesota just a month ago. Walz will speak in prime time on Wednesday under the kind of scrutiny he never knew during his time in Congress, the first term of his governorship, or during all the years he spent as a high school teacher, as a football coach, and in the National Guard.
Former presidents’ pitches: Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton will also speak at the DNC — a stark difference from the Republican National Convention, where aside from Trump, no former presidents or vice presidents took the stage. Two former first ladies, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, are also scheduled to speak.
Handling protests: For all that’s changed since the party traded Biden for Harris, the grinding, bitter debate over the administration’s handling of Israel’s war in Gaza remains. Outside the convention, tens of thousands will protest against the Biden administration’s support — most notably via weapons sales — of the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Link Copied!
Kerry Washington and Mindy Kaling are among the DNC hosts
From CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister
Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Mindy Kaling and Ana Navarro will serve as hosts at the Democratic National Convention this week, convention officials told CNN.
Each star will host one night of the four-day convention in a role similar to an award show host, kicking off the event and then appearing onstage throughout the evening to help guide the audience through programming, according to organizers, reported first by CNN.
Goldwyn will host on Monday night, Navarro on Tuesday, Kaling on Wednesday, and Washington on Thursday, when Vice President Kamala Harris will speak.
All four hosts have a history of supporting the Democratic Party and publicly campaigning for candidates.
Link Copied!
Analysis: Democrats gather to enshrine their stunning turn from Biden to Harris
From CNN's Stephen Collinson in Chicago
Democrats this week will enshrine one of the most audacious power plays in modern political history as they gather for a convention that was hastily reconfigured to try to vault Kamala Harris to a historic presidency.
It begins with adulation for President Joe Biden, who will speak tonight to a crowd grateful that he belatedly agreed to pass the torch. But the moment will be bittersweet for the 81-year-old president, who, despite a productive tenure, was pressured by his own party leaders to end his reelection bid when a 50-year career succumbed to the ravages of age.
Biden told Americans last month when he announced his departure from the race that “History is in your hands. The power’s in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
The response from his party was a swift coalescing behind Harris, 59, as hopes of some activists for a multi-candidate race among Democratic rising stars were dashed.
With Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz leading their new ticket, Democrats now hope to thwart a White House comeback by Donald Trump amid panic over the prospect of a second term he plans to devote to “retribution.”
Hillary Clinton will use tonight's speech to discuss "glass ceiling" she failed to fully shatter 8 years ago
From CNN's MJ Lee
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton participates at the COP28 World Climate Summit, in Dubai on December 4, 2023.
Amr Alfiky/Reuters
When former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president eight years ago in Philadelphia, she heralded a milestone — the first time in American history that a major political party was nominating a woman for president.
But a handful of months later, in a devastating night for Democrats across the country, Clinton would lose the election to Donald Trump. At what was supposed to be Clinton’s victory night party in New York City, green-tinted confetti meant to look like shattered glass were emptied out into boxes, unused.
This week, as her party once again prepares to formally nominate a woman for the presidency at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Clinton plans to discuss that proverbial glass ceiling that she herself failed to fully break when she takes the stage Monday.
Clinton and Harris have been in regular touch since President Joe Biden chose Harris as his running mate in the 2020 election, and the two women have spoken multiple times since Biden dropped out of the 2024 race last month, sources said. The former secretary of state was one of the first people Harris called the day Biden ended his campaign.
Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, immediately endorsed Harris after Biden left the race. Since then, the person familiar with Hillary Clinton’s thinking said, she has been “legitimately excited” about the enthusiasm that has surrounded Harris’ ascent to the top of the Democratic Party and has made clear to associates that “there’s something different about what’s happening now.”
Clinton will aim to use her speech to make “very clear that she believes this can be done … and we have to stand behind Harris,” they said. “Because we’ve seen this movie before.”
Link Copied!
Harris is expected to appear with Biden at DNC tonight for passing-the-torch moment
From CNN's Jeff Zeleny and Kevin Liptak
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are seen during an event in Maryland on August 15.
Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post/Getty Images/File
The Democratic torch is set to be passed Monday night in Chicago, with Vice President Kamala Harris expected to make her first appearance on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention after President Joe Biden delivers his marquee speech to the party faithful.
As Democrats put the finishing touches on a far different convention than imagined only a month ago, several people familiar with the planning tell CNN that Harris is poised to appear alongside Biden before the party begins to look forward toward the November election.
The whirlwind change to the Democratic ticket – with Harris replacing Biden as the party’s nominee – is giving way to something of a slow motion series of appreciations for Biden. Their joint appearance on Thursday in Maryland, where Biden arrived to a hero’s welcome, was seen as the prelude to the big finale on Monday.
The moment will amount to the end of a long political arc for Biden, who attended his first Democratic National Convention as a 29-year-old candidate for Senate in 1972. Then, he was running to be the country’s youngest senator. He’ll walk onstage Monday as it’s oldest sitting president.
While there were early discussions around whether Biden would attend Harris’s acceptance speech on Thursday, they did not advance. He is not expected to remain in Chicago past Monday, as the convention turns toward officially elevating Harris as the Democratic standard bearer.
Biden has watched with genuine pride as the party coalesces around Harris, people familiar with his thinking say, and he has voiced relief that a prolonged battle for the nomination was avoided after he swiftly endorsed her following his decision to withdraw. Harris, meanwhile, has taken pains to venerate Biden in public.
Link Copied!
"Jamaica to the world": How a small town is celebrating Kamala Harris’ meteoric rise
From CNN's Fredreka Schouten, Zoë Todd, Curt Merrill and Byron Manley
Three and a half years ago, Sherman Harris gathered together a clutch of family and friends at his home on a hilltop here in rural Jamaica to watch his cousin step into history.
As Kamala Harris took the oath of office as vice president of the United States, the room erupted in screams and tears, he recalled.
“Even talking to you now, I feel some sort of tears from my eyes too, you know,” Sherman Harris, 59, said in an interview with CNN. “It’s like tears of joy.”
This week, they will gather again before his widescreen television to watch Harris make history once more, when she formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination — becoming the first Black woman, the first Jamaican American and the first Asian American to become a major party’s White House standard-bearer.
Although the milestone will be celebrated by her relatives in this town of some 12,000 people on the island’s northern coast, Harris’ Caribbean roots still are coming into focus for the millions of Americans getting acquainted with her after she was suddenly thrust to the top of the Democratic ticket a month ago when President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed his vice president.
