Democratic convention replay: Kamala Harris accepts Democratic presidential nomination
Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, telling voters across the country that she believes the 2024 election marks a "fight for America's future."
"With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past. A chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans," Harris told a cheering crowd at the Democratic convention.
Harris spent much of 2024 campaigning as President Joe Biden's running mate. But on Thursday, she talked to the party that swiftly rallied around her after he ended his reelection bid. She laid out how she would address the major debates facing the nation, ranging from abortion rights to the southern border and the economy.
The vice president's speech comes after her own running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, delivered his acceptance address on Wednesday, telling his fellow party members "Thank you for bringing the joy to this fight."
Keep up with the USA TODAY Network's coverage of the Democratic convention in Chicago.
Harris pledges to ‘stand strong’ with Ukraine, work to end war in Gaza
Harris pledged to “stand strong” with Ukraine and NATO and said she is working “around the clock” to end the war in Gaza.
“Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelensky to warn him about Russia’s plan to invade,” she said. “I helped mobilize a global response, over 50 countries, to defend against Putin’s aggression. And as president I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies.”
On the war in Gaza, Harris said “now is the time to get a hostage deal and a cease-fire deal done.”
“Let me be clear, I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself,” she said. “Because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on Oct. 7.”
She also said “what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating.”
“The scale of suffering is heartbreaking,” she said. “President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages is released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Reproductive rights get center-stage moment in Harris’ speech
Bashing her opponent and the GOP’s record, Harris highlighted reproductive rights as a key issue in the first presidential election since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
“Simply put, they are out of their minds,” Harris said of Trump and Republicans. “And one must ask, why exactly is it that they don’t trust women?”
“Well, we trust women,” she continued, adding that as president she would “proudly sign” legislation to enshrine abortion access.
As vice president, Harris has been the leading voice in the current Biden administration on reproductive rights and abortion access – a winning issue for many Democrats since 2022.
? Savannah Kuchar
Harris vows to bring back bipartisan border deal Trump bashed
Harris said that after decades in law enforcement, she knows the “importance of safety and security, especially at our border.”
“Last year, Joe and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades,” she said. The bill was killed by Senate Republicans in February after pressure from Trump.
“Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign, so he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal,” she alleged. “Well I refuse to play politics with our security. And here is my pledge to you as President, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and I will sign it into law.”
? Sudiksha Kochi
'New path forward'
Harris told convention attendees that her campaign is all about charting a “new path forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class.”
“We know a strong middle class has always been critical to America's success, and building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” she said.
Harris said that, if elected, she would pass a middle class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans. She said her term would also also allow Americans to “fully make their own decisions about their own lives, especially on matters of heart and home,” she said, referring to reproductive rights and other matters.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Trump hits Harris and her speech
Not exactly breaking news: Donald Trump gave bad reviews to Kamala Harris' acceptance speech.
In a constant stream of Truth Social posts, Trump assailed the vice president's remarks on items ranging from the condition of her former home city of San Francisco to inflation, immigration and relations with other countries.
After Harris accused him of wanting to be an autocrat, Trump concluded by saying: "The Tyrants are laughing at her, she’s weak and ineffective, and for three and a half years she has done nothing except enabled them to get STRONG, RICH, and POWERFUL!"
At another point, Trump pointed out that Harris and President Joe Biden have ignored the issues that came up in the speech: "No specific programs, ALL TALK, NO ACTION - Why didn’t she do it three and a half years ago."
? David Jackson
Harris zeroes in on Trump in convention address
Kamala Harris called out former President Donald Trump by name in her acceptance speech, saying the former president is “in many ways ... an unserious man.”
“But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” Harris said.
Pointing to what she called the “chaos and calamity” of his first term, Harris raised alarms about her 2024 opponent.
“Consider what he intends to do if we give him power again. Consider his explicit intent to set free violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers at the Capitol,” she said, referring to Trump’s comments about potentially pardoning January 6, 2021 rioters.
? Savannah Kuchar
Kamala Harris lays out her record as a prosecutor
Harris walked the crowd through her history as a prosecutor, both at the local level and as California's attorney general. "As a young courtroom prosecutor in Oakland, California, I stood up for women and children against predators who abused them," she said.
"As attorney general of California, I took on the big banks, delivered $20 billion for middle class families who faced foreclosure and helped pass a homeowner bill of rights, one of the first of its kind in the nation," she said.
Harris said she stood up for veterans and students who were being scammed by for-profit colleges and workers who were cheated out of their wages.
"I fought against the cartels who traffic in dugs and guns and human beings, who threaten the security of our border and the safety of our communities," she said. "And I will tell you, these fights were not easy and neither were the elections that put me in those offices. We were underestimated at practically every turn. But we never gave up. Because the future is always worth fighting for."
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Harris accepts presidential nomination
Kamala Harris formally accepted her party’s presidential nomination, as the Democratic convention comes to a close Thursday.
“On behalf of every American regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks, on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey ... I accept your nomination,” Harris told the crowd.
Democrats had officially nominated Harris in a virtual vote earlier this month and affirmed the decision at the convention Tuesday in an enthusiastic celebratory roll call.
? Savannah Kuchar
Harris calls Biden’s character ‘inspiring’
Harris began her remarks thanking President Joe Biden, who ended his reelection bid and immediately endorsed her candidacy.
“To our President Joe Biden. When I think about the path that we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude,” Harris said.
“Your record is extraordinary, as history will show, and your character is inspiring, and Doug and I love you and Jill, and are forever thankful to you both,” she added.
She said that the path to get to the nomination was “no doubt unexpected but I'm no stranger to unlikely journeys.”
? Sudiksha Kochi
Ilhan Omar: “Mistake” not to platform Palestinian voice
On Thursday evening, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota said the DNC’s decision not to platform a Palestinian-American speaker at the convention was a “huge mistake.” That had been a key ask of the protesters seeking to push the Democratic Party towards a more pro-Palestinian stance.
“I think it undermines our messaging about unity, about diversity,” said Omar, one of the most vocal critics of Israel in Congress.
Omar said she spoke with the DNC chair, Jaime Harrison, multiple times in an effort to push the committee to change their mind. "Last I heard from the Harris campaign was for us to be patient,” she said.
On the campaign trail, Harris has touted her and Biden’s efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. She has not explained if or how her approach to the conflict would differ from Biden’s.
—Laura Gersony
Roy Cooper calls Kamala Harris ‘one hell of a fighter’
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper acknowledged he’s not the main event of the night.
“Hello, America,” he said. “I’m Roy Cooper, the last guy standing between you and the moment we’re all waiting for.”
Cooper, a former North Carolina attorney general, told the audience how he worked with Harris when she was California’s attorney general, when she insisted on holding out for a bigger settlement from the nation’s big banks after the 2008 housing crash.
“She went toe to toe with some of the world’s most powerful executives, and she refused to give in,” he said. “Let me tell you, this was a huge risk, but she knew it was a risk worth taking. That’s Kamala. And we all know what happened. The banks caved.”
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Kamala Harris’ sister, Maya Harris, pays tribute to their mother
Maya Harris, Kamala Harris’ younger sister, opened her remarks by reflecting on her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris.
“Mommy was so many things to so many people, a civil rights activist, a scientist, a devoted mother to her two little girls,” said Maya Harris. “But most of all, Mommy was a trailblazer who defied the odds and defined herself. And when it came to Kamala and me, Mommy had great expectations for us, but she had even greater expectations of us.”
“She raised us to believe that we could be and do anything, and we believed her.”
Maya Harris said that she wishes her mom, who died in 2009, could have attended the convention.
“ I can just see her smiling, saying how proud she is of Kamala,” said Maya Harris.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Don't bet on a Beyoncéappearance
Beyoncé's publicist Yvette Noel-Schure shut down speculation about Beyoncé appearing at the DNC, despite reports.
Minutes before fans hoped to see the "Cowboy Carter" singer on the convention stag, Noel-Schure posted to her Instagram.
"At home watching and anticipating the VP’s historic speech,” she wrote. “Focus on the win and register to vote. Do not report rumors. FOCUS."
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report that according to a representative for the singer, "Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there.”
Leading up to the DNC, fans speculated the megastar might perform. Of course, Walz has been deemed a certified Beyhive member. And Beyoncé's camp gave Harris approval to use her song "Freedom" featuring Kendrick Lamar on her campaign trail. The song has become an anthem for Harris' campaign.
? Liz Schubauer
Another Republican for Harris addresses Democratic audience
Saying he was “proud to be in the trenches” with the evening’s crowd, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger acknowledged the “awkward alliance” between himself and Democrats.
“I never thought I’d be here, but listen,” he told the audience, “you never thought you’d see me here, did you?”
“The Republican party is no longer conservative. It has switched its allegiance from the principles that gave it purpose to a man whose only purpose is himself,” Kinzinger added, referring to former President Trump.
A turning point, Kinzinger said, was January 6, 2021. He was one of two Republicans to serve on the House committee investigating the insurrection at the Capitol. “How can a party claim to be patriotic if it idolizes a man who tried to overthrow a free and fair election?” Kinzinger asked.
? Savannah Kuchar
Eva Longoria calls on Democrats to say ‘she se puede’
Actress Eva Longoria put a new twist on a popular chant as she urged the crowd to root for Harris’ success. Longoria told the crowd to take the Spanish phrase, “Si se puede,” meaning, “yes we can,” and turn it into “she se puede.”
When somebody asks, ‘Is she going to be the first female president of the United States?’ we’re going to say, ‘She se puede,’” Longoria said.
“We know how to work so let’s get to work,” she said. “Let’s turn all of this enthusiasm and joy into action between now and November 5th. Let’s go!”
She walked offstage to chants of “she se puede!”
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Gretchen Whitmer takes the stage at the convention
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer made a point to share her nickname with convention attendees at the beginning of her remarks.
“In Lansing, they call me governor, but in Detroit, they call me Big Gretch,” she said, adding that women across America GST- “Get Stuff Done.”
“At 29 I joined the sandwich generation sandwiched between working and raising my newborn and caring for my mom, who was dying from brain cancer. It was hard, but not extraordinary. It's life. Those nights reminded me who I was fighting for, people just trying to make it. Kamala Harris knows who she's fighting for too,” she said.
Whitmer also knocked Trump in her remarks, saying he can’t relate with everyday families.
“You think he understands that when your car breaks down? You can't get to work? No, his first word was probably chauffeur. You think he's ever had to take items out of the cart before checking out? Hell, you think he's ever been to a grocery store? That's what the chauffeur is for,” she said.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Ruben Gallego leads Democratic veterans onstage, tells Trump to ‘show some respect’
Arizona Senate nominee Ruben Gallego led a group of Democratic veterans, including members of the U.S. House and Senate, onstage, urging Donald Trump to “show some respect” to veterans.
“We were proud to wear the uniform,” said Gallego, a congressman who served in the Marines. “And we’re proud serving our countries in city halls, state capitols, the U.S. House and the Senate. These veterans represent the best of our country. We stand united as veterans, Democrats and patriots to fight for everyone who serves.”
Gallego said “politicians like Donald Trump” don’t stand with veterans. He referred to Trump’s frequent insults to the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
“John McCain was an American hero,” Gallego said. “Show some respect.”
“Trump’s Project 2025 would slash veteran benefits and force VA hospitals to close across the nation,” he said. “Show some respect.”
--Stephen Gruber-Miller
Mark Kelly says Trump ‘dreaming’ of becoming a dictator
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly said Harris will stand with America’s allies and is “the leader we need right now.” Harris, he said, understands the importance of international alliances like NATO, and of supporting Ukraine in its war defending itself from Russia’s invasion.
“Donald Trump skipped his intelligence briefings,” Kelly said. “He was too busy sucking up to dictators and dreaming of becoming one himself.”
Kelly referred to a 2020 report in The Atlantic that said Trump described fallen service members were “suckers” and “losers.” Trump denies the report.
“Trump thinks that Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice are suckers and losers,” Kelly said. “If we fall for that again and make him the commander in chief, the only suckers would be us.”
?Stephen Gruber-Miler
Denied a speaker, pro-Palestinian Democratic delegates make new demand on Kamala Harris
Stymied in their demand that a Palestinian-American be allowed to speak to the Democratic National Convention about the war in Gaza, a group of uncommitted delegates ended a protest outside the United Center on Thursday with a new demand: that Vice President Kamala Harris meet Arab-American and Muslims in Michigan and elsewhere.
They also set a deadline for such a meeting or meetings to take place of Sept. 15.
While not saying what they would or would not do if a meeting did not take place to discuss their insistence that the U.S. stop shipping weapons to Israel and demand a cease-fire in Gaza, the organizers suggested there would be ramifications. Those could potentially involve holding back in terms of organizing on Harris' behalf in the fall campaign or arguing her case to voters.
?Todd Spangler, Karissa Waddick and Tamia Fowlkes
Group shares harrowing stories about gun violence
A group took to the stage at the convention Thursday night to retell somber stories about the loss of their loved ones from gun violence. One of the stories was from Abbey Clements, a former second grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Twenty-six people were killed at the school in a mass shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.
Kim Rubio recalled when her daughter Lexi walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, for the last time.
“It’s 10:30am at Robb Elementary in Uvalde,” Rubio said. “The school is recognizing my 10 year old daughter, Lexi, for receiving all A's. She receives a good citizen award, and we pose for photos. She wears a St Mary's sweatshirt and a smile that lights up the room.”
“30 minutes later, a gunman murders her 18 classmates and two teachers. We are taken to a private room where police tell us she isn't coming home,” Rubio said.
Melody McFadden told convention attendees about when her niece was shot in Myrtle Beach. “10 years of waiting, and Sandy's murder is still unsolved. I'll keep calling and I'll keep fighting,” McFadden said. Edgar Vilchez, whose friend was killed in a shooting at their high school, said that moment changed him. “Instead about worrying about taking a test, I started worrying about living to take another test,” he said.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Shooting survivor and former congresswoman Gabby Giffords takes the stage
Part of a series of speakers to address gun violence, mass shooting survivor and former Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona appeared Thursday to recount her experience.
“Terrible, terrible day. I almost died,” Giffords said of an assassination attempt in 2011 that killed six and left the congresswoman severely injured.
“But I fought for my life, and I survived,” she continued.
Giffords was joined on stage by her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly. She began her speech by telling the crowd she was “born with grit.” And, she said, Harris too “has grit.”
? Savannah Kuchar
Who is singing with P!nk?
The singer P!nk performed her hit some "What About Us" at the Democratic convention, taking the stage with her daughter, Willow.
?Marina Pitofsky
Joe Biden says he spoke to Kamala Harris ahead of her acceptance speech
President Joe Biden posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, just got off the phone with Kamala Harris ahead of her acceptance speech. He shared a picture of the first couple standing in front of a television showing the convention, a phone in his hand.
“Jill and I just spoke to @KamalaHarris — we can’t wait to watch her accept this historic nomination,” Biden wrote in the post.
“Kamala and Tim will inspire a generation and lead us into the future,” he wrote, referring to vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.
The Bidens spoke Monday on the convention’s first night, before ceding the spotlight to Harris and Walz.
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Kamala Harris’ loved ones, Meena Harris, Ella Emhoff and Helena Hudlin, speak out in support
A trio of Kamala Harris' loved ones paid tribute to the vice president on Thursday.
Meena Harris, niece of Kamala Harris, said that her aunt “showed me the meaning of service, helping her sister, a 17 year old single mom, fighting for justice for the American people, and still cooking Sunday family dinner.”
“She guided me. Now she's guiding my own children, and I know she'll guide our country forward,” said Meena Harris.
Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of Kamala Harris, said that the vice president came into her life when she was 14 - “famously a very easy time for a teenager,” she joked.
“Like a lot of young people, I didn't always understand what I was feeling. But no matter what, Kamala was there for me. She was patient, caring, and always took me seriously. She's never stopped listening to me, and she's not going to stop listening to all of us,” Emhoff said.
Helena Hudlin, goddaughter of Harris, said that Kamala Harris’ advice “means everything, whether it's pursuing my passions, making an impact, or finding hope when the world doesn't feel so hopeful.”
“She taught me that making a difference means giving your whole heart and taking action,” Hudlin said.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Kerry Washington brings 'Scandal' costar Tony Goldwyn, Harris family members on stage with her
Actress Kerry Washington helped host the final hours of the Democratic convention’s final night.
She brought back to the stage her former “Scandal” costar Tony Goldwyn, who days earlier also made a convention stage appearance. And in a moment that appeared to be targeted at Republicans’ mispronouncing of Harris’ first name at the GOP convention last month, Washington was joined by the vice president’s young grandnieces, Amara and Leela.
"Confusion is understandable. Disrespect is not,” Washington said. “So tonight, we are going to help everyone get it right.”
? Savannah Kuchar
The Chicks perform the National Anthem
The Chicks, the award-winning country band, performed an a cappella version of “The Star Spangled Banner” to a packed convention hall.
Members Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines and Emily Strayer stood onstage at a single mic as they sang the anthem.
After they finished, the crowd began chanting “USA. USA.”
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Texas Senate candidate Colin Allred calls Donald Trump, Ted Cruz ‘me guys’
Texas Senate nominee Colin Allred called former President Donald Trump and his own Republican opponent Sen. Ted Cruz ‘me guys’ who are out for themselves. Allred, a member of Congress from Dallas and a former NFL player and civil rights lawyer, introduced himself to the crowd as “the guy who’s going to turn Texas’ Senate seat blue.”
He said in the NFL, the term they’d use to describe Trump and Cruz is “me guys.”
“You know the type. Talk a big game, only care about themselves,” he said. “But you don’t want to be stuck with them at a barbeque.”
“We’ve got a message for the ‘me guys,’” he said. “‘We’ is more powerful than ‘me.’ We will protect and restore reproductive freedom. We will secure the border. We’ll protect Medicare and Social Security. And we’ll turn the page and write a new chapter for this country: Elect Kamala Harris to be the next president and beat Ted Cruz.”
As Allred walked offstage, the crowd chanted “beat Ted Cruz.”
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Convention broadcasts video of Steph Curry
The convention featured a pre-recorded video of famed basketball player Stephen Curry, who just won gold in the 2024 Olympics. Curry began his remarks saying that unity on and off the basketball court “reminded us all that together, we can do all things and continue to inspire the world.”
“That's why I believe that Kamala as president could bring that unity back and continue to move our country forward. This is about preserving hope and belief in our country, making sure families can be taken care of during the most precious times,” he said.
Curry noted that he visited Harris with his team at the White House last year, and said he can tell attendees something he knew then that he definitely knows now: “the Oval Office suits her well.”
“So, in the words of Michelle Obama: do something! Go vote! Be active!” he said.
?Sudiksha Kochi
Maxwell Frost calls on voters to back Kamala Harris 'for our planet'
Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, the first Gen Z member of Congress, called on Americans to vote for Harris “for our planet.”
“The climate crisis isn’t some far off threat,” Frost said. “It is here.”
A former organizer for the student-led gun control advocacy group March for Our Lives, Frost said the Biden-Harris administration has already been making progress addressing climate change.
“This election is about every drop of water that we consume and every breath we breathe,” he told the crowd. “Fighting the climate crisis is patriotic.”
? Savannah Kuchar
Deb Haaland says Kamala Harris will fight for ‘clean air, clean water and healthy communities’
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said Harris will tackle climate change, pointing to her record as California attorney general and vice president.
“An American president must lead the world in tackling climate change,” Haaland said. “We need a president who understands that assignment. That’s Kamala Harris.”
She praised Harris’ record holding polluters accountable for oil spills, defending former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan in court and casting the tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes a range of climate provisions.
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will fight for a future where we all have clean air, clean water and healthy communities,” Haaland said.
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Antron McCray, Central Park Five speak out against Trump: ‘45 wanted us unalive’
The Central Park Five, a group of Black and Latino men who were wrongly accused of assaulting a white female jogger in 1989, bashed Trump on stage. The former president had bought out full-page advertisements calling for the death penalty after the attack
“35 years ago, my friends and I were in prison for a crime we did not commit. Our youth was stolen from us. Every day as we walked into courtroom, people screamed at us, threatened us because of Donald Trump,” said Korey Wise, one of the members of the group.
Yusef Salaam, now a member of the New York City Council, said that “45 wanted us unalive.’
“That man thinks that hate is the animating force in America. It is not. We have the constitutional right to vote. In fact, it is a human right, so let us use it. I want you to walk with us. I want you to march with us. I want you to vote with us,” said Salaam.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Al Sharpton said Kamala Harris’ nomination will ‘realize Shirley Chisholm’s dream’
Activist Rev. Al Sharpton told the DNC crowd, “Tonight, we are going to realize Shirley Chisholm’s dream” when Harris accepts the nomination.
Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress. In 1972 she became the first Black candidate to run for a major party’s nomination and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s nomination.
“Fifty-two years ago I was one of the youth directors in her campaign for president,” Sharpton said of Chisholm. “And 52 years after she was told to sit down, I know she’s watching us tonight as a Black woman stands up to accept the nomination for president of the United States.”
He contrasted Harris’ record with Trump’s on voting rights, civil rights and more, as the crowd chanted “won’t go back.”
“I see one candidate who wants to protect the right to vote while the other has tried to cook up 11,000 votes in Georgia,” Sharpton said. “I see a candidate who, with Joe Biden, brought leaders to the White House to confront violent hatred, running against a man who said neo-Nazis in Charlottesville were fine people. I see a candidate who has sought to reform and uphold the law and a man who wrongly assumes his mug shot appeals to Black Americans.”
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Mitt Romney says he's not tonight's surprise guest: 'So disappointing, I know!'
Mitt Romney will not be joining Democrats in Chicago.
"Contrary to fake news posts, I am not the surprise guest at the DNC tonight," Romney wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Romney's was one of several names floated as a possible "surprise guest" appearing on the final night of the Democratic convention. The Utah senator said instead, "My guess is that it will be Beyoncé or Taylor Swift."
"So disappointing, I know!"
? Savannah Kuchar
Elissa Slotkin tells crowd to ‘claim your patriotism’
Michigan Senate nominee Elissa Slotkin leaned into her national security background, telling the audience that “the choice in November is stark.”
Slotkin, who currently serves in Congress representing Michigan’s 7th District and is a former CIA intelligence officer, said America can either retreat from the world or lead the world. “Trump wants to take us backwards. He admires dictators. A lot. He treats our friends as adversaries and our adversaries as friends.
She urged the audience to “claim your patriotism.”
“For everyone here and everyone watching, I want you to proudly claim your patriotism,” she said. “You are here because you love your country. Do not give an inch to pretenders who wrap themselves in the flag but spit in the face of freedoms it represents.”
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
RFK Jr.? Donald Trump announces 'special guest' at Friday event in Arizona
The Donald Trump campaign may be trying to build anticipation for a possible endorsement from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The campaign announced late Thursday that a "special guest" would join the former president at a Friday event in Glendale, Arizona.
In nearby Phoenix on Friday, Kennedy is scheduled to make an announcement about his independent campaign's future.
In recent days, Trump has said he would welcome Kennedy's support and possibly consider appointing him to some kind of position in a new administration.
"He's a little different kind of a guy, very smart guy, is a very good person," Trump said Thursday on "Fox & Friends." "If he endorsed me, I would be honored by it. I would be very honored by it."
? David Jackson
Elizabeth Warren on Donald Trump and Kamala Harris: ‘The difference between a criminal and a prosecutor’
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren attacked former President Donald Trump’s criminal record in her speech to Democratic delegates, contrasting it with Harris’ experience as a prosecutor.
Warren, who ran for the presidency in 2020, teared up as she was warmly greeted by the crowd Thursday night. She praised Harris’ work as California attorney general after the 2008 housing crash.
“Kamala Harris stepped up,” Warren said. “She enforced the law, she fought the giant banks and she delivered billions of dollars of help for families. And that is the difference between a criminal and a prosecutor.”
Warren said Harris will work to make life more affordable for working families.
“Donald Trump, the felon, has no plans to lower costs for families,” Warren said. “He doesn’t know how. And basically, he doesn’t really care. When did he ever fill up a gas tank or worry about a grocery bill? The only bills he worries about are from his criminal defense lawyers. But Kamala, she cares deep down. And she will take on the giant corporations that are squeezing American families.”
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Morgan Freeman lends iconic voice to Harris ad
Actor Morgan Freeman narrated a video advertisement for the Harris campaign released Thursday, hours before the vice president takes the stage to accept her party’s nomination.
“She’s fighter for the American people,” Freeman began the 10-minute ad.
“Committed to our values, our hopes, our dreams. Bringing joy back across our nation,” he continued, followed by a track of Harris’ laugh.
? Savannah Kuchar
Crucial swing state senator talks about rising prices for Americans
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey said he’s had conversations with moms in his state who have asked him, “What am I supposed to do if I can't afford diapers?”
“In just six months, a box of diapers went up $15,” said Casey. “The corporations say your prices are up only because their costs are up. They're selling you a lie. It's in the bag with the diapers. Prices are up because these corporations are scheming to drive them up.”
He added that “most companies are good companies. It's the food conglomerates that sit behind the supermarkets, the faceless wholesalers, they're the ones who are extorting families at the checkout counter.”
“I've been fighting to ban price gouging on food, and next year, when she's president, Kamala Harris will sign a bill to do just that,” Casey said.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Harris shares wedding anniversary date with eldest senator
Vice President Harris and husband Doug Emhoff celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary Thursday, on the final night of the Democratic convention.
Also celebrating today: Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and his wife, Barbara Grassley, who are marking 70 years of marriage.
The 90-year-old senator posted on X, formerly Twitter, a photo of the pair at a restaurant in Waterloo, Iowa.
“Barbara & I went to the Hickory House in Waterloo when we were 1st dating,” Grassley wrote, “2nite we celebrate our 70th wedding anniversary where it all started.”
? Savannah Kuchar
Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse says Kamala Harris will work to make college affordable
Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse said Harris has been working to make college more affordable for her entire career.
Neguse, who represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, including Boulder and Fort Collins, said Harris took on for-profit colleges as California’s attorney general, securing $1 billion for students. He said she’s also worked to expand Pell grants, increase funding for HBCUs.
“And Kamala Harris made public service loan relief a reality for teachers and first responders and firefighters and nurses and countless others across our land,” he said.
“Vice President Harris delivered before and she will do it again,” he continued. “As president, she will build a brighter future. A more affordable future. A future where going to college doesn’t break the bank.”
?Stephen Gruber-Miller
Taylor Swift? Beyoncé? What to know about those DNC surprise speaker rumors
Rumors swirled on Thursday about a surprise speaker making an appearance on the last night of the Democratic convention.
USA TODAY has not confirmed the speculation, but it hasn't stopped political observers from wondering if mega-stars like Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, who have both previously waded into politics, will show up in Chicago.
– Marina Pitofsky
Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin talks about protecting Social Security, Medicare in remarks
Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin began her remarks with a personal note about her family.
“My mother was a teenager when I was born, and she struggled with addiction. I never met my father, but I had two incredible grandparents who stepped in and raised me,” she said.
“My grandparents were there for me, and as they grew older, it was my privilege to be there for them. So when I work to protect Medicare and Social Security, I do it with a personal knowledge of what those big programs meant in small but deeply meaningful ways to my grandparents,” she added.
Baldwin accused former President Donald Trump of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare “while giving a huge new tax break to billionaires and corporations.”
“They've got it backwards. We Democrats, we honor our elders and ask the wealthiest to pay their fair share,” she said.
? Sudiksha Kochi
California Sen. Alex Padilla says Harris will defend American dream
Sen. Alex Padilla said Harris will defend the American dream for families and kids. Padilla, a former California state lawmaker and secretary of state, was appointed to the Senate in 2021 after Harris was sworn in as vice president, and he won election to a full term in 2022.
He joked that when he took over Harris’ Senate seat, “I knew that I had some big Chuck Taylors to fill,” referencing the vice president's signature shoe.
“My question for all of you tonight is this: This November, who’s ready to defend the dream?” he asked the audience, repeating the question in Spanish.
“Tim Walz is ready to defend the dream,” Padilla continued. “Kamala Harris will defend the dream. And between now and Election Day each of us must defend the dream too, by electing them as vice president and president of the United States of America.”
? Stephen Gruber-Miller
Teacher union presidents blast Trump, Vance
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, called former President Trump and his running mate JD Vance “not just wrong.”
“They’re dangerous,” she said.
Pringle criticized Project 2025, a conservative guidebook for a Republican presidency that calls for eliminating the Department of Education. Trump has repeatedly denied association with the document.
President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten followed Pringle on stage and continued criticism of the Republican ticket.
“Donald Trump and JD Vance can’t claim they’re pro-child while gutting funding for public schools,” Weingarten said.
? Savannah Kuchar
Veronica Escobar kicks off welcome remarks at final night of convention
Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, opened up her remarks knocking Trump for being a “small man speaking in small venues talking about small ideas.”
“Our ideas, our vision for America, brings us together,” said Escobar.
“Our vision for America embraces every community and everyone. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are working hard because they know our country is great. They know that we can build a future for all of us, and they're earning our votes by laying out a plan that puts the American dream not just within reach, but so we can fully grasp,” she added.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Tennessee Three not expected to speak at DNC amid rumors of a mystery guest
The trio of Tennessee lawmakers known as the "Tennessee Three" were expected to get a primetime speaking slot at Thursday's Democratic National Convention, but the group is expected to be bumped from the program amid last-minute scheduling changes.
State Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson will not be speaking from the DNC stage tonight, according to a Tennessee House Democratic caucus spokesperson.
The scheduling shift comes amid swirling rumors that a surprise speaker was being slotted into Thursday's night schedule. None of the rumors have been confirmed, though social media is abuzz that a high-profile celebrity such as Beyoncé or Taylor Swift may appear.
? Melissa Brown
Who are Ella and Cole Emhoff? Meet Kamala Harris' stepchildren ? who call the VP 'Momala.'
As America’s first second gentleman, Doug Emhoff became the first person to bear the title when Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn into office in 2021.
But how did the two meet? Originally from Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, Emhoff became an attorney in Los Angeles, focusing on entertainment and intellectual property law. In 2013, one of Emhoff’s clients – who also happened to be Harris’ best friend – set the pair up on a date.
Harris and Emhoff were married in 2014 in Santa Barbara, California where Harris’ sister, Maya, officiated. It was Harris’ first marriage and Emhoff’s second, and they share two adult children from his former marriage, Ella and Cole.
? Victor Hagan
Gus Walz broke the internet with his tearful love for his dad. Then the bullying began
An emotional, unscripted moment between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has unleased a flood of praise and admiration – but it also has prompted ugly online bullying.
Gus Walz, who has a nonverbal learning disorder as well as anxiety and ADHD, watched excitedly from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and sobbed openly Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic nominee for vice president, delivered his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The Minnesota governor was recounting the difficult fertility treatment he and his wife, Gwen, went through to conceive their daughter, Hope.
But the show of affection triggered a swath of snark and ugly comments from internet trolls, many of them MAGA supporters of former President Donald Trump, who faces Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
More: Gus Walz broke the internet with his tearful love for his dad. Then the bullying began
– Michael Collins and Sam Woodward
Pop-up political protester: How one woman quit her job to hassle Trump nationwide
There's a good chance you'd recognize Nadine Seiler. The 59-year-old woman has developed a knack for being at the right place at the right time to get photographed by the media as she protests former President Donald Trump and conservative policies like the Agenda 2025 plan to remake the federal government.
Multiple news photographers have captured Seiler's protests across the country since at least 2019, from Chicago to Milwaukee to Miami to outside the Virginia home of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
This isn't how she'd planned to spend her retirement savings after arriving in the United States from the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago nearly 40 years ago. But with her bright makeup and eye-catching signs, protest has become her calling. In Chicago, she's sleeping in a friend's van so she can keep costs down.
"I am crazy," Seiler said with a laugh. "Nobody who is totally sane would do this."
– Trevor Hughes
Pop-up political protester: How one woman quit her job to hassle Trump nationwide
Harris celebrates nomination + 10-year wedding anniversary
Kamala Harris will take the stage tonight to formally accept her party’s presidential nomination. She also has another cause for celebration Thursday: her and her husband, Doug Emhoff’s 10th wedding anniversary.
The pair married in 2014 in Santa Barbara, California. In his convention address Tuesday, Emhoff recalled an awkward voicemail he left for Harris when they first met and said she now plays the saved recording back for him each anniversary.
– Savannah Kuchar
Trump travels to border
After traveling to the Arizona-Mexico border to protest illegal crossings, Donald Trump began his speech Thursday with false comments about a "coup" against president and former election opponent Joe Biden.
"A very sad time for this country in many ways," Trump said. "You had a candidate - I was no fan of Joe Biden - but the way he was taken out was a coup."
Trump has protested having to run against Kamala Harris throughout his counter-convention tour this week, noting that she never received a primary vote. There was no coup, however; the party turned to Vice President Harris after Biden withdrew from the race last month.
To be sure, Trump did use most of his remarks Thursday to criticize the Bush-Harris administration's record on border security. The event that lasted more than an hour also featured family members who have lost loved ones in crimes committed by people who are in the country illegally.
In criticizing Harris, Trump said Harris "will not mention the victims" in her acceptance speech on Thursday night. During the convention, Democratic speakers said Trump is also responsible for border problems, having used his power over Republican lawmakers to block legislation that would have tightened the border.
– David Jackson
White House slams ‘anti-Semitic’ Donald Trump post targeting Josh Shapiro
The White House condemned a social media post from Donald Trump as “Antisemitic, dangerous and hurtful” after the former president referred to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as a “highly overrated Jewish Governor” and slammed his support for Kamala Harris.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social Wednesday night after Shapiro spoke at the Democratic National Convention, wrote that Shapiro “made a really bad and poorly delivered speech” for Harris – someone who Trump said “hates Israel and will do nothing” to help Israel survive.
“Yet Shapiro, for strictly political reasons, refused to acknowledge that I am the best friend that Israel, and the Jewish people, ever had,” Trump wrote. “I have done more for Israel than any President, and frankly, I have done more for Israel than any person, and it’s not even close. Shapiro has done nothing for Israel, and never will.”
Shapiro, who is Jewish, was among the final contenders for Harris’ vice-presidential running-mate before Harris ultimately picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. White House spokesman Herbie Ziskend, in a statement, called it “Antisemitic, dangerous, and hurtful to attack a fellow American by calling out their Jewish faith in a derogatory way, or perpetuating the centuries-old smear of ‘dual loyalty.’”
Ziskend added: “President Biden and Vice President Harris believe we must come together as Americans to condemn and combat Antisemitism – and hate and bigotry of all kinds.”
– Joey Garrison
Pro-Palestinian protesters take the spotlight during DNC. What impact will they make?
It's been no 1968.
The prospect that massive protests over the war in Gaza would dominate the Democratic National Convention and bring mayhem to the streets of Chicago both energized supporters and instilled unease in others.
But headlines out of Chicago instead have been splashed with Democratic enthusiasm for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The Gaza protests and marches, which attracted thousands of passionate demonstrators, have been significantly smaller than organizers predicted.
There's still one night to go, with the highest stakes yet for both the anti-war movement and the Chicago authorities as Harris formally accepts her party's nomination for president.
– Sophie Carson, Terry Collins, Michael Loria, Tamia Fowlkes and Trevor Hughes
What time does the DNC start tonight? Where to stream the DNC?
The convention will air live on its website, from the United Center in Chicago between 7 p.m to 11 p.m. ET (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT) Tuesday through Thursday.
USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube each night of the DNC, Monday through Thursday.
– Gabe Hauari
Democrats face uphill battle courting business community
In a high-rise building overlooking the Chicago River downtown, Democratic Party advocates made the case Tuesday that business leaders should step up their opposition to GOP-led threats to U.S. democracy – not for moral reasons, but economic ones.
“The other party right now is so unpredictable,” said Rhett Buttle, an entrepreneur and advocate. “I think it’s a question of stability in business, and normal rule-making, or potentially chaotic markets.”
In courting the business community, Democrats have a steep hill to climb. The GOP broadly supports an agenda of low taxes and light regulation.
While President Joe Biden’s big-spend infusions into the U.S. economy have been welcomed by some industries, he and other Democrats have taken a more aggressive tone towards large companies, blaming corporate greed for some of Americans’ affordability issues. Vice President Kamala Harris recently announced a proposal to ban price-gouging in the food and grocery industries.
Daniella Ballou-Aares leads the Leadership Now Project, a business group focused on “protecting American democracy.” She said executives are split between the two parties, and argued the prospect of an authoritarian turn is making some in that group nervous.
“Do business leaders like all Democratic policies? No,” she said. “But are they scared of a leader who’s gonna go after his enemies, and reward his friends, and turn us into a banana republic? Turns out they don’t like that.”
– Laura Gersony
Klobuchar: 'There is a lot of competition about competition'
During the Republican National Convention last month, Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s support for anti-monopoly measures set off a flurry of messaging from Democrats, as they sought to reassure voters that they, not the GOP, are the party of workers and economic progressivism.
Speaking in Chicago on Thursday, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar suggested those shifting fault lines could be a good thing for antitrust-minded Democrats.
“There is a lot of competition about competition,” Klobuchar said. “When you look through history, that actually is what’s gotten things going. … When you’ve got some buy-in from both sides.”
Vance, the Republicans’ vice presidential nominee, has praised the current Federal Trade Commission Chair, Lina Khan, who is controversial even among Democrats for her strong anti-monopoly intervention.
So far, Vice President Kamala Harris has signaled she will embrace a populist economic platform, arguing large corporations have helped drive Americans’ affordability issues. Though key details of her platform remain in flux: some of Harris' big donors have been pushing her to replace Khan.
– Laura Gersony
Maggot probe continues in Chicago
Authorities are still investigating whether saboteurs put insects into a breakfast buffet for delegates at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, sickening one person.
Speaking to reporters Thursday morning, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling declined to discuss specifics of the investigation at the Fairmont Chicago hotel. Last month, Gaza war activists released insects at the Watergate hotel in Washington, D.C. in an effort to disrupt the stay of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
One witness staying at the Fairmont told USA TODAY the insects appeared to be crickets, while other news reports suggested maggots. Officials indicated the contamination happened around 6:45 a.m., and witnesses said all the food had been replaced within an hour.
Read more on the ongoing investigation.
— Trevor Hughes
Who is performing at the DNC? The Chicks expected to sing the national anthem
The Chicks, the country music group formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, are expected to perform the national anthem for the final night of the Democratic convention. The group was seen doing a sound check at the United Center on Thursday afternoon.
The appearance isn’t the group’s first foray into politics. In 2003, it’s lead singer Natalie Maines said during a concert that the band was “ashamed” that President George W. Bush was from her home state of Texas.
— Karissa Waddick
Who is set to speak tonight at the DNC?
The official DNC Day 4 speaker schedule lineup has not yet been released. But so far, according to USA TODAY reporting and reports from other media, the list includes:
Vice President Kamala Harris
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
Former Illinois Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger
Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin
California Sen. Alex Padilla
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Former Secretary of Defense & former CIA Director Leon Panetta, along with a number of veterans
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords
Rep. Lucy McBath
Tennessee State Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, known as the "Tennessee Three"
Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark
Colorado U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse
Florida U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost
— Gabe Hauari and Chris Sims
Trump says he will provide running commentary on Harris' speech
You didn't think Trump would stay quiet during Harris' acceptance speech, did you?
The Republican nominee has announced that he will provide running commentary on Harris' address via his Truth Social website.
"I will be doing a LIVE PLAY BY PLAY," Trump said early Thursday on Truth Social, later adding: "We will start at 10 P.M., Eastern, and be covering and commenting on some of the earlier Speeches made, prior to hers."
— David Jackson
Vivek Ramaswamy pushes GOP at Trump Tower in Chicago ahead of Harris speech
Former GOP presidential candidate and Trump campaign surrogate Vivek Ramaswamy held a news conference Thursday at Trump Tower in Chicago ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris' speech on the last day of the Democratic National Convention.
Ramaswamy addressed a packed room to bash Harris' border policies.
"If only (Democrats) cared as much about keeping illegals out of our country as they do keeping their own left wing protestors out of their own convention," he said. "From one kid of legal immigrants to this country to another, my message to (Harris) is 'shame on you.'"
Ramaswamy called on Harris to apologize to the families of Americans killed by undocumented immigrants during her speech.
"She has an opportunity... to have a spine," Ramaswamy said. "If she doesn't, it'll tell you all you need to know."
— Sam Woodward
'YYYEEEEAAAAHHH': Lil Jon makes Democratic national convention cameo for Georgia delegates in convention roll call
Georgia's delegate roll call at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday included a star cameo: Lil Jon.
Each state was introduced by a DJ at the convention before announcing how their delegates cast their vote (even though the formal nomination has already happened). When Georgia was called on to cast their votes, the cameras panned to Lil Jon atop the United Center stadium stairs in Chicago.
"YEEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHHH," the Atlanta rapper said as the intro to "Turn Down for What," played on the speaker.
– Kinsey Crowley
Muslim Women for Harris-Walz disbands
The group Muslim Women for Harris-Walz announced it is disbanding after the campaign refused a request from the uncommitted movement to give a Palestinian American a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention.
"We cannot in good conscience continue Muslim Women for Harris-Walz," the group said in a statement. "We pray that the DNC and VP Harris’ team makes the right decision before this convention is over. For the sake of each of us.”
The uncommitted movement has for months pushed Democratic leaders to implement an arms embargo to Israel and work toward a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Delegates from the group organized a sit-in outside of the convention on Wednesday, saying they would stay put until Harris' campaign allowed a Palestinian speaker on stage.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
— Karissa Waddick
What Shyamala Gopalan's legacy means to Kamala Harris
In the story of Kamala Harris’ life, her mother steals the show. The vice president would have it no other way.
“Mommy, you are the star of this book because you are the reason for everything,” Harris wrote in her 2019 memoir “The Truths We Hold.” “There is no title or honor on earth I’ll treasure more than to say I am Shyamala Gopalan Harris’ daughter.”
Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher who died in 2009 at age 70 of colon cancer, won't see her daughter accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president on Thursday, but she will be a strong presence.
Gopalan set out on her own across the world at the age of 19, defying her native culture. She raised two girls to identify both with her own background and one that was totally alien to her. She encouraged them to excel and exceed expectations but not leave others behind. And she did it all while performing important scientific work of her own.
Read more on Harris and her mother's legacy in her life.
— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
DNC schedule Thursday: See full list of events, where to watch Democratic convention
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz visits home delegation, touts importance of today
Fresh off his convention floor speech, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joked with Minnesota Democrats that Thursday was an important day.
"Look, it's an important day. The eyes of the world are focused on this day because it's the day that the Minnesota State Fair opens up," Walz told delegates at the Fairmont Chicago.
Walz thanked his home-state delegates for supporting him and his wife Gwen in recent weeks.
"We're ready to take the Minnesota values that you all taught us," Walz said. "Everybody who I talk to across this country, when I talk to them, they want to be Minnesota."
— Jessie Balmert
What people are saying about Kamala Harris: 'A vibe I’m feeling'
Polls suggest millions of Americans are changing their presidential voting plans with Harris currently topping the Democratic ticket, signing up for who she is and what they feel she represents.
Many voters interviewed by USA TODAY find themselves surprised to be supporting the new Democratic candidate for president this year, swept up in the excitement and "vibes" of her campaign.
There are at least four distinct groups of Harris supporters: The Democrats who would have voted for whoever their party put at the top of the ticket; the Democrats who weren't sure they would have bothered to vote for Biden, but are enthusiastically behind Harris; the undecideds who have come down on the side of Harris; and the former Trump supporters who are excited about someone new.
Read what Americans are saying about the Harris campaign.
— Terry Collins, Deborah Barfield Berry and Trevor Hughes
Poet Amanda Gorman, comedian Kenan Thompson among Wednesday highlights
Amanda Gorman, the country's first national youth poet laureate, delivered a poem that drew applause and cheers from the audience at the Democratic convention on Wednesday night.
Gorman debuted a new poem called "This Sacred Scene".
“Only now approaching this rare air are we aware that perhaps the American Dream is no dream at all, but instead a dare to dream together,” she said in one of her lines.
Comedian Kenan Thompson took the stage to continue criticizing Project 2025, a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation for potential new Republican administration, though Trump has continually denied association with the it.
“You ever seen a document that can kill a small animal and democracy at the same time?” the comedian said while holding a large hardback copy of the project.
— Sudiksha Kochi, Amaris Ecinas and Savannah Kuchar
Kamala Harris ushers in a new Democratic era, stepping out of Biden shadow
As President Joe Biden gave a tearful goodbye to the Democratic Party this week, a liberated Kamala Harris stepped out of his shadow and commandeered the national stage.
The handoff at the Democratic convention, one of several Biden farewells, was a visceral example of how the country is changing, with the first Black and Asian American woman topping a presidential ballot.
Now, Harris has less than three months to convince the rest of America to entrust her with a four-year presidential term. She has raced to lay out an agenda that hits on Americans’ most pressing problems that excites the party’s base and is palatable to moderates.
After years of quiet inroads on issues she cares about without undermining the president’s agenda, the pressure is on for Harris to provide a detailed vision of her own coming out of the party’s four-day gathering in Chicago.
Read more as Harris prepares for her acceptance speech tonight.
— Francesca Chambers and Rebecca Morin
Trump: I'd be 'honored' by Kennedy endorsement
Donald Trump wouldn't say whether he has spoken with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in recent days, but made clear he would welcome an endorsement from the independent candidate.
"If he endorsed me, I would be honored by it — I would be very honored by it," Trump said during an early morning interview on "Fox & Friends" otherwise devoted to attacking Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Trump praised Kennedy during the Fox interview, quite a change from earlier this year when he denounced the independent candidate as a "Radical Left Liberal" whose candidacy would hurt him and help the Democrats.
Kennedy is expected to withdraw from the presidential race later this week.
— David Jackson
Jewish Democrats have party loyalties tested in 2024 election
Jewish Democrats have had their party loyalties tested this election year as the left flank's support for the plight of the Palestinians has, at times, seemed to have taken on anti-Semitic undertones in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent Gaza war that's led to an estimated 40,000 Palestinian deaths.
The pushback from the left has been on display during protests at this week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where Democrats nominated Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
The split among Democrats and progressives over the war in Gaza is partly generational ? with even some young Jewish Americans opposing Israel's war in Gaza. The right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has caused some younger Jewish Americans to push back at Israel.
A Pew Research Center poll in March found that 42% of American Jews between the ages of 18 years old and 34 believe the way Israel is carrying out its war against Hamas is "unacceptable." Only 27% of Jewish Americans ages 50 to 64 years old said it is "unacceptable."
Read more on the divisions facing some Democrats.
— Joey Garrison and Rebecca Morin
Gus Walz in Wednesday night's most touching moment: 'I love you, dad.'
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the vice-presidential running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, has spoken openly and lovingly about his neurodivergent 17-year-old son Gus, who has ADHD, along with a non-verbal learning disorder and an anxiety disorder. Walz and his wife, Gwen, both former teachers, said recently in a statement to People magazine that they never considered Gus’ conditions an obstacle.
When Walz delivered his acceptance speech inside the packed United Center arena Wednesday night, Gus watched from the audience with his mother and sister, Hope, and sobbed.
“Hope, Gus and Gwen – you are my entire world, and I love you,” Walz said.
Gus Walz sprung from his seat, moved by his father's words.
He pointed his index finger, saying "I love you, dad."
Read more about Gus and how advocates for Americans with learning disabilities believe the Walz family's openness about their son and their willingness to speak publicly about the experience will raise much-needed visibility that could help others who are going through similar issues.
— Michael Collins
Walz hometown view: Locals at DNC watch party cheer on their former football coach
Democratic National Convention highlights: Tim Walz makes everyman pitch
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz played up his role as the everyman on the Democratic ticket on Wednesday night by talking about his time as a high school teacher and coach while accepting his party's nomination for vice president.
Taking the stage as the night's keynote speaker, Walz revved up the crowd by bragging about his policy record as governor. He talked up cutting prescription drug costs and establishing free school lunch for students while defending abortion rights and establishing firearm regulations. But the 60-year-old Democrat also underscored how the heart of his progressive values — and differences with the Republican ticket — are about respecting others.
Here are the key takeaways from Wednesday night:
'A dad in plaid' Walz speech: Democrats went into overdrive to convey that Walz is a regular small-town dude living down the road, with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar introducing her home-state governor as a “dad in plaid.” They even brought out former students and football players on the stage sporting jerseys while playing up his military service (which has come under attack by the GOP). The message was clearly aimed at Midwest voters across the blue wall, particularly in rural white working-class areas where Democrats have struggled.
Hamas hostage's parents address DNC convention, spark response: A somber moment overtook the convention hall Wednesday when Rachel Goldberg talked about her son, Hersh, being kidnapped by Hamas when he attended the Nova Music Festival in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it didn't take long for that moment to be wrapped up into the larger, divisive debate. A group of uncommitted delegates held a sit-down protest outside the United Center, saying they had asked the Harris campaign and convention organizers to allow someone to talk about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza on stage, but were rebuffed.
Oprah makes surprise appearance for Harris: Oprah Winfrey, the billionaire media mogul, made a rare dive into national politics, delivering a forceful case for Harris. It was a surprise appearance, reported only a few hours before she made her introduction on the convention stage.
‘Thank you, Joe,’ Pelosi says amid rift with Biden: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to end any bad blood between herself and President Joe Biden during a brief tribute to the outgoing president at the top of her convention address. Pelosi was instrumental in applying pressure on Biden to drop out of the election last month.
Bill Clinton's complicated legacy with modern Democrats: In the 1990s, William Jefferson Clinton was the boss of the Democratic Party, and considered one of the best political communicators of the age. the former president is still thought of fondly by a segments of the party who believe he could be an asset this cycle. Still showcasing the 42nd president could also backfire and aggravate younger generations of Democrats, who find it hard reconcile with Clinton's tenure scarred by an extramarital affair with an intern. That sort of misbehavior is looked at much differently among progressives, especially in the post-#MeToo era.
— Phillip M. Bailey and Joey Garrison
Tim Walz speech: VP pick chooses a folksier intro to voters
Call him Coach.
Never mind that Tim Walz has been governor of Minnesota for the past five years and a congressman for a dozen years before that. As he seeks a promotion to vice president, he chose a folksier introduction Wednesday to Americans who had no idea who he was until Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate two weeks ago.
Not a pol, not at heart. Instead, a husband and father, a deer hunter and a car guy, a social studies teacher and a basketball coach from the Gopher State who helped turn his high-school team from losers to state champions.
"I haven't given a lot of big speeches like this, but I have given a lot of pep talks, so let me finish with this," Walz declared to cheers as he accepted the vice-presidential nomination on the third night of the Democratic National Convention. "It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal, but we're on offense and we've got the ball."
Read more on Walz and his acceptance speech.
— Susan Page
Maggots in convention breakfast buffer? FBI investigating insect attack
Chicago Police and the FBI are investigating if saboteurs placed bugs in a breakfast buffet prepared for delegates at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.
One witness told USA TODAY the creatures appeared to be crickets while other reports suggested maggots. The incident took place at Fairmont Hotel, where delegates from Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri and South Dakota are staying.
"Multiple unknown female offenders are alleged to have entered a building...and began placing unknown objects onto tables containing food," the convention's information center said in a statement.
— Dan Morrison and Trevor Hughes
Who is speaking at the DNC Day 4?
The biggest name, of course, is Vice President Kamala Harris who will give her acceptance speech as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.
Other speakers include a group of Tennessee lawmakers known as the Tennessee Three, who rose to national prominence last year after facing an expulsion vote from legislative Republicans in the Volunteer State.
— Duane W. Gang
Full 2024 DNC schedule for Thursday
Here's a look at the full schedule for the 2024 DNC for Thursday.
Note: All times listed are in Central Time.
7 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Delegation breakfasts
9 a.m.-10a.m.: Morning press briefing
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Women's Caucus meeting
12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Disability Caucus meeting
12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Youth Council meeting
12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Rural Council meeting
1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Veterans & Military Families Council meeting
1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Poverty Council meeting
1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Interfaith Council meeting
6 p.m.-10 p.m.: Main programming
— Gabe Hauari
How many nights is the DNC?
The DNC is scheduled to run August 19-22 at the United Center in Chicago.
— Gabe Hauari
Where is the Democratic convention in 2024?
The convention is in Chicago, just 90 miles south of Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention was recently held.
The Democratic Party has held a national convention every four years since 1832 to nominate its chosen candidates, and Chicago has a storied history of hosting conventions on both sides of the political aisle dating back to 1860, with the nomination of Abraham Lincoln.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, this will be the Windy City’s 26th political convention.
— Maya Homan
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DNC replay: Kamala Harris accepts Democratic presidential nomination
