2024 Democratic National Convention | DNC Night 1 | PBS News special coverage

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Thank you.

A new nominee for the future.

Her new running mate.

I couldn't be prouder to be on this ticket and a surge in enthusiasm.

This has energized us for the future.

I haven't been this excited in a long time.

With the race for president transformed.

Democrats gather in Chicago.

This is a battle of inches, not of yards, hoping to build momentum to make history this November.

And the promise of America.

And are we ready to fight for it.

It's the opening night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Welcome to PBS News special coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

I'm Jeff Bennett and I'm Ana Navaz.

It's only been one month since Republicans gathered for their convention 90 miles from here, but in that month, the race for the White House has been completely upended.

Democrats are feeling momentum heading into this first night of the convention.

Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic nominee for president, has seen a surge in polls to make this now a razor thin election.

The vice president will be here tonight, of course, but much of the focus will be on the current president Joe Biden, as he addresses his party after ending his campaign just 4 weeks ago.

That's right.

We'll also hear from First Lady Jill Biden and former Secretary of State in 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and we'll be watching it all night alongside some familiar faces here at our table that includes Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, David Brooks of The New York Times and Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post.

But first, let's head down to the convention floor.

That's where we find our White House correspondent Laura Barone Lopez, who's been covering the Biden and now Harris campaign.

Laura, tell us what's going on down there.

Well, there's a lot of excitement and action down here.

I was just speaking with a delegate from a swing state who said that they felt as though so much energy has changed on the ground in their state once the nominee became Kamala Harris, that it was night and day compared to when President Biden was in this was the nominee that they feel as though they're seeing more from Kamala Harris than they were from President Biden.

That being said though, tonight is, as Jeff mentioned, President Biden's main night and it be about his legacy, but down here on the floor we're also seeing a lot of signs saying union yes people getting ready for Sean Fein's speech.

He is speaking tonight.

The President of the United Auto Workers as Kamala Harris and Tim Walls really lean in to their working class, middle class agenda and their credentials, something that they're trying to reach voters on.

I also saw that another delegation, Washington State, has some sashes on that say cowboy.

Pamela, we know that Harris is using a lot of Beyonce's music during her rollout of her campaign as she's really trying to solidify and differentiate herself as the new Democratic nominee, and Laura, I know you've been talking to your campaign sources all day.

What do we expect to hear from President Biden when he takes the stage later tonight?

Well, President Biden is going to be talking about his legacy, what he has done and what he has accomplished as president, because again, Jeff, that is his record is not something that Kamala Harris is going to be running away from.

In fact, a lot of what she worked on with President Biden throughout this term in office is something that she wants to highlight, whether it's caffeine, insulin at $35 the infrastructure bill that President Biden was able to pass and other bipartisan.

Legislation, so President Biden is going to remind voters what his administration was able to do and of course he is going to be talking about the fact that he thinks that it's time to hand off the baton and why he thinks Kamala Harris is the best person to hand that baton off to, Jeff.

Lopez on the convention floor for us tonight.

Laura, thanks so much.

Thank you.

Let's bring it back now here to our panel.

Amy Walter, David Brooks, Jonathan Capehart, great to have you all here in Chicago with us Jonathan and David, I wanna get your take just on this convention, which is not Jonathan the convention Democrats thought they'd be having a month ago, a month ago, by the way, what do you make of how they've just totally revamped the program, they've lined up the speakers, the fact that we're now going to hear from the sitting president on the first night of the Who would have thought Democrats would get their act together so quickly after the president decided not to run for re-election.

I remember however many weeks ago it was we were talking about the potential of a contested convention and floor fights and things like that and none of that happened.

I think this might be the most united Democrats have been.

In ages maybe since, well, I can't even say Barack Obama because of the contentiousness between Senator Obama and and and Senator Clinton in their primary fights.

I wasn't expecting this at all, but I think because of the energy and enthusiasm we've seen since Vice President Harris took the top of the ticket.

You feel it here in the hall.

You see it in the excitement in people's faces, so this is the Democrats are in an infinitely better spot right now than they were a month ago and with the president of the United States.

Getting the accolades that he deserves on this first night in a literal handing of the batons.

Not just to his vice president but literally to the next generation of Democrats.

It's going to be an incredible moment to see.

David, I thought about that.

I think it's a Bill Clinton line about, you know, Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line.

It feels like that has switched.

Is that accurate?

Yeah, that's pretty accurate, although I'm hoping that Biden will say, I want my delegates back.

We're gonna have an open convention.

I want a big fight a big fight of speech, yeah, I'm good.

Look, look at the last 4 weeks, anything that happened.

So, you know, it is, um, it's as I said on the news hour, this is the first time I've been at two conventions where both sides are happy because the Republicans really thought we got this in Now the Democrats are probably a little overexuberant, but feeling really good about themselves.

I guess I'm looking forward to this convention first for tonight, obviously to see Steve Kerr, the US basketball coach of basketball, but uh, but, uh, mostly to see Biden personal.

I'm, I'm hoping he'll get a little personal, reflect on an incredible career and a little sadness, it would be normal to show some sadness over what just happened to him.

But then the larger picture is Clearly the Democrats have tons of momentum, but it's still close.

They've got up to close.

So what's the next chapter?

Like, do they have to do something else to, to get a winning edge or, or are they doing good or can they just coast on what they're, they're doing right now.

I'm curious over the next few days to see what they do.

Amy, what about that?

I mean, from, from where you sit, are Democrats' position to keep riding this wave of momentum they found with Kamala Harris as the nominee.

So, um, I think what happened, and I, I agree with Jonathan.

It is remarkable how quickly the party coalesced behind her and how Differently she is viewed now by those voters, the same exact voters and she was just a month ago.

Her favorability ratings have shot up enthusiasm has shot up.

These were not things that people were saying about her, even um.

A month ago, so they have the base now engaged.

The fight from here on out is for that 5 to 6% of the electorate that hasn't put on their blue jersey or their red jersey.

They are still either shopping around maybe not paying as much attention to people who haven't yet figured out who they're going to vote for I'll give you a little analogy.

I know when the football season begins, OK?

I know there's an NFL season.

I know there are teams.

I know there are players.

There are some people who go into fantasy football leagues.

There are some people who know the schedule.

They know who's in first.

They know who's in last.

That's who we are, OK?

We're those people who follow it at detail to that.

I am not following football that way.

I start following it when it starts to get interesting, like closer to the playoffs when people are talking about it when people are.

The point being this isn't because they are not.

Smart people that they're not civic minded people, that they're not interested.

They just do not see it in the same way that people who are really engaged partisans or feel a very, very strongly about who will win.

So part of the challenge to Amy's point here, Jonathan, is that to get those people, you have to get those people and Vice President Harris is still in some ways defining herself to most of America, right, who know who are only in the vice presidential role and most vice presidents aren't that well.

how much of that do you expect to hear on the stage tonight and in this condensed timeline.

I think we're going to hear lots of her story throughout these next 4 days from the people who take the stage, particularly the president tonight.

I think other big marquee people will talk about the party, but also her and then the big moment will be when the 2nd gentleman takes the stage and talks about his wife and then the vice president gets up there and talks, you know, thanks.

The the delegates for nominating her.

She accepts the nomination and then she tells her story.

The thing that we have to keep in mind is, yes, all these people who are like me who don't pay, pay attention to the NFL until Super Bowl Sunday, um, but what we have to remember is that the vice president has been traveling the country since.

And even before then she was going to college campuses talking to young people, so she has been tilling the field all this time as a dutiful vice president, and now we're about to see that pay off with her at the top of the ticket, and I think those folks as we go into the campaign in the fall will be open.

To to her story.

Let's welcome in if we can and Democratic Senator Gary Peters, uh, who joins us now.

You, you can't hear us, sir?

Can you, can, can you hear me across the table?

I can hear you now.

All right, well thank you thanks sir thanks so much for being with us.

Perfect timing.

Indeed, indeed.

So let's just start, let's start there with your assessment of how the the Harris Walls ticket has has reset this race in your view.

it's done it in a in a big way, certainly in Michigan but around the country as I've been working on races the SEC.

But it's just about the amount of energy that we're seeing as a result of this race, especially young people throughout Michigan, you know, I did a canvas kickoff recently and on a Saturday and a beautiful day in Michigan, it's sometimes hard to get volunteers to go out and go out door knocking, but we had a large crowd, lots of young people, and what really, really got me going was that over half of the young people that were there said it's the first time they ever worked on a campaign.

They were coming out to knock on doors to make a difference.

So when you get that kind of energy.

Ground, that makes a huge difference.

Where does that make a difference, especially in your role as chair of the Democratic senatorial Campaign Committee, we know that Senate map has not looked great for Democrats, right?

You've got some 23 seats there, you've got to defend and I heard you in an earlier interview say that you believe that not only will Democrats keep the majority, but you have a chance to expand the map you mentioned specifically Texas and Florida.

Why?

What have you seen in those two states that tells you Democrats have a there.

Well, first off, I, I feel very good that we're going to hold the 50 seats.

That means making sure the incumbents we have now come back and where we don't have an incumbent running in Michigan to hold that seat.

We have a very strong challenger that's going to be able to win there.

Elisa slot.

But we can go on the offense and and these are tough states both Texas and Florida, but if we look at candidate quality, and that's how we've been able to win races in the last cycle.

Folks didn't think we could do what we did last cycle, we did it, and these are candidate to candidate races.

We have very strong incumbents for strong candidates versus flawed Republicans and making that kind of contrast can be a big deal, and we're seeing in places like Texas and Florida, we have weak Republican incumbents that aren't polling very well.

We have strong democratic challengers in Florida.

We've got an abortion referendum on there, abortion rights, which we know the power of that to turn out people, so we believe that it's very possible.

I'm, I'm cautiously optimistic, although I will tell you as the DSEC chair, my number one job is to bring all the incumbents back, and when we do that, we'll be at 50 and then Tim Walsh will be the tiebreaker for us.

Well, a handful of those incumbents, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, John Tester of Montana, Jackie Rosen of Nevada.

They opted against attending the DNC this week.

Why?

What message does that send that they don't want to appear alongside the nominee and the and the sitting president.

Well, you know, every, every candidate's going to make a decision as to what they need to do and certainly opting to be in your home state campaigning during this time and not being here is something that they will make that decision and figure they want to be talking to voters in their respective states, but I don't think that means they don't support the ticket.

I don't think that's what that means.

It's that they know that every day on the ground will make a difference.

These are really tight races.

They're going to come right down to the wire every day that you're talking to voters in your state is a day that's critically important for that outcome.

The historic fundraising that we've seen on the Democratic side since Harris was, was, had become the nominee.

How much of that has trickled down to the, to the to what you do, focusing on keeping the Senate and how has that, uh, if at all, benefited of the infrastructure and the get out the boat operations that you're trying to mount.

Well, it's been it's been a big plus after the announcement was made, we saw the fundraising for the DSEC, my committee, went up dramatically, especially our small donors, our online donations.

In fact, we had a the day after it beat the previous record.

That was when Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away and we had a huge surge of support at that time and then we beat the record again the next day and it's continued and it hasn't just been confined to the DSCC.

Our individual candidates and their fundraising has also gone up dramatically since that time and it's it's what's most encouraging to me.

It's those small donors, the folks who are contributing 5 $10.20 dollars, whatever they have that are engaged and we find when people Give $20 to a campaign.

They're invested.

They tell their neighbors and their friends, and they'll often volunteer as well, so it's very encouraging, Senator, can I ask you about an issue that I know you've seen cause a lot of frustration among Democratic voters in Michigan as and led many of them to to vote uncommitted during the primary process as well, and that was this Biden Harris administration's policy in the Middle East, um, and I want to ask you about it because I I heard earlier today and speaking with another reporter that you mentioned that you think that there are differences between Vice President Harris and President Biden, when it comes to how they view that conflict or what US policy should be and in your words, you said that she should be who she is, candidates to be who they are.

What does that mean?

Do you think that?

Vice President Harris coming out and articulating a different policy could help bring in more voters.

The comments that I made was whatever her whatever her position is on that, she just needs to be herself.

It may be the same as what we've been seeing out of the Biden Harris administration.

She may have some nuances there.

She's running for president.

She's going to be the next president of the United States, in my opinion, but in order to win she needs to be true to who she is.

She know the American people who she is.

We're going to see that here certainly when she gives her speech, so it may be what we've already seen.

It may be different, whatever it is, she's got to be true to herself and and I know her.

She was my seatmate in the Senate.

We sat next to each other as a new members.

We were kind of in the back row in the corner and you know as the new kids on the block.

A lot of comments about what was going on with some of that.

What do you know about Vice President Harris that the rest of us don't know.

Well back the curtain a bit.

Well, I think others, no, I just know that she is a woman with a good sense of humor.

She is really engaging as a friend, but she's also very passionate, but I think other people know that too, but I can just say that I've seen that personally and have had that opportunity to work with her, so I'm really excited about her candidacy.

I think it it's not only great for the country, it's going to us when our seats in the key Senate races and hold the majority and as you know, having a majority in the Senate is absolutely critical for the president.

It's tough for a president to move their agenda forward if they don't have a majority in the Senate when it comes to keeping the Senate, do you care to put a number on it?

How many seats do you think you'll have come November?

Well, I'm, I'm very confident we're going to have 50, but I believe it's possible we can do a 51.

I feel like there are some more questions I want to ask about those back row conversations we could do that offline another time.

I would enjoy doing that, Senator Gary Peters from Michigan.

Senator, thank you so much for joining us.

Good to have you here.

Good to be with you.

Thank you.

All right Jonathan, David, let's bring you in.

Let's bring you in here, Jonathan, based on your conversations with other Democrats and Senate Democrats, how are they feeling about their chances in keeping that chamber and keeping keeping the Senate.

I have not had a deep conversations with folks about their thoughts about the Senate, but I do think Democrats overall in the House and the Senate, and those looking at the White House are really confident about.

Uh, taking the majority in the House, I think they are more confident than they were a month ago that the chances are better than 50/50 that they can win the White House, especially given the way things are and with the Senate, people sort of hesitate.

It's sort of like um me we can hold on to the majority.

I think they can hold on to the majority, which is why I thought Senator Peters saying when he said, oh we'll take, we'll keep 50 wasn't surprised by that what I was surprised is that you know Democrats.

are always hopeful about Texas and Florida.

Always hopeful about Texas and Florida, but they never.

They never talk about it really because it's like, ah, good try.

But the fact that the head of the Democratic Senator senatorial campaign committee said we're feeling confident that we could possibly have a go at it, Texas and Florida made my ears perk up, especially for the reasons he gave candidate quality and um abortion on the ballot in Florida and I'm looking at Amy because Amy is like silly rabbit silly, but he has a lot of defense.

He's got to play a lot of defense.

As you noted, there are 23 seats they have to defend and 9 of them are in really competitive states now.

It things have looked Pretty good for this democratic class up this year given how difficult the map is, even in states like Ohio that Trump will win Ohio.

You're not going to get an investment at the presidential level, Sherrod Brown, the Democratic incumbent, has been leading in the polls consistently.

Now I think it's gonna tighten up.

He's still going to have to outrun Harris by 6 to 8 points.

Not easy.

But the fact that that race is still in play and in the other battleground states, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, the Democratic candidates there have been looking consistently really strong and so what it does mean is, you know, he's right, 50/50, we all know what that means, right?

50/50 without getting Harris, that's a Republican Senate, so regardless, it's who wins the presidency that will tell you who gets control of the Senate.

The only question is Is it going to be plus one or + 2 for for for Republicans?

We should say if people are hearing music in the background, that's country music star Mickey Geiton performing on the stage behind us.

see there on the split screen.

Can we go back to something that you said while we kind of keep our eye on the stage.

Sherrod Brown, in order to win Ohio, has to run 6 to 8 points ahead of the nominee.

It's not easy that work.

Uh You can ask the one person who's been able to to hit that.

Number in the last two election cycles, and that's Susan Collins.

who is a much smaller state, of course.

It's a state that is Democratic leaning But it does have a more conservative pockets and she has built a brand of being an independent voice in that state.

That's how John Tester from Montana continues to win election after election, and he was elected in 2006.

The difference Sherrod Brown the last time he ran in a presidential year was 2012.

When Barack Obama was getting 51% of the vote in Ohio, so he's He's used to running in a red state now, but it's not, it's much redder than it was back then, David, in terms of how these Senate races linked to folks at the top of the ticket, right?

Harris here and Trump on the Republican side.

It's been fascinating to see and I want to get your take on Texas too because I feel like if I had $1 for every time someone told me this was the year that Texas goes blue.

I would be a wealthy woman, but you know this idea that in some of these races, Texas, for example, There's a lot of focus on immigration and you have the Democratic candidate there, Colin Allred, really going tough on immigration and saying Senator Ted Cruz has not done enough, I would be tougher.

It's like hyperlocal issues that make the difference here.

Who does that benefit in red is a good candidate.

He's the best candidate they've thrown against certainly Ted Cruz, um, but you know, every 6 years Democrats take a look at Ted Cruz and their eyes get wide, they think, I don't really like that guy, plus he's personality.

It's not the easiest guy, so he, we, if we can't take that guy out, and then every 6 years he wins because it's Texas, it's just Texas.

And so I, you know, I've heard this actually this year Georgia, you always hear Georgia is about to turn.

Georgia's a, I don't know Amy would know this better than I, seems to be a little more plausible than Democrats do well in Georgia than in Texas.

Texas is still pretty Texasy still, although they will do better or at least in 2020, did better in Texas than Ohio.

That margin was smaller in Texas, so it's one of those where you.

Get close enough.

North Carolina to me is the most fascinating of the battleground states of those ones that get so close and yet there's they just are.

Never quite over the top Democrats, that is 2008, the last time they were able to win their's go back to the floor for a quick second because, uh, Laura Roman Lopez has a delegate with her.

Laura, are you there?

Who are you with?

Yeah, I'm here, Jeff, and I have Lupe Conchas.

He's a delegate from Arizona in Maricopa County, which as anyone knows Arizona, Maricopa County is one of those swing counties.

So Lupe, I just wanted to ask you how have things changed on the ground?

Since Kamala Harris became the nominee.

Well, definitely there's been a burst of excitement in Arizona.

We're ready to hit the ground running to November, and I think that young people, seniors, even independent voters, even Republicans and Democrats are ready to come together to deliver 11 electoral votes to Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz.

Did it feel like that before, you know, what was it like on the ground when President Biden was the nominee and what were conversations with voters like that?

Yeah, so President Biden won our election in 2020 or 11 electoral votes, and for us we believe that the Biden agenda is the Harris agenda, and we know that that is a winning agenda because it's for working class people and it's for lowering the cost of health care and lowering the cost of living, and we think that these issues have continued to be very important in front and center to Arizonans.

In addition to those affordability issues and housing issues, what are some of the other issues that you hear about the most from voters?

I know that, um, uh, housing is extremely important.

Me, I'm a renter and I had my rent increased 14% in just one year and we've seen that housing has increased and that also affects our seniors who are on fixed incomes and when they're in their rents go up, then they're either displaced out of their homes or they need to go live somewhere else and so I think that housing is extremely important in Arizona and I believe in democracy as well.

We want to make sure that we have free and fair elections, and we want to make sure that our votes matter.

And our votes are counted and that nobody is trying to take our right to vote away.

What do you hope to hear from Kamala Harris this week and Tim Walls about how they may differentiate themselves from President Biden.

Yeah, so I believe that we need these leaders of the Democratic Party to get everyone engaged because we cannot sit at home and expect for voters to know what it is that the Democratic Party, Kamala Harris and Tim Was stand for.

We need to go out and knock on doors.

We need to go and Make phone calls, text messages, and we need to be in the communities like my community in Glendale in Phoenix and Guadalupe, which is a highly democratic and also Latino and African American and black communities we need uh volunteers and leaders to be there to make sure that we get out the vote.

Great, Lupe, thank you so much, Jeff and Ana, as you heard, Lupe thinks that Kamala Harris needs to really be speaking to a lot of those key voting blocks that are a part of the Democratic coalition, be it Latinos, black voters, and seniors, and Laura, a question for Mr. Conces if you if you wouldn't mind.

So the Harris campaign says that the Harris Wals ticket has opened up multiple pathways to 270 electoral votes, including through the Sun Belt, places like Arizona, Nevada, uh, from where he sits, does he think that that is Within the realm of of possibility.

Lupe, my, my colleague Jeff has a question for you.

He wants to know that the Harris campaign believes that since she became the nominee that there have been pathways opened up in states like Arizona and Nevada.

Do you think that Arizona is winnable for Kamala Harris?

100% it's winnable.

I think about my mom who she was going to support the president Joe Biden, but now she's excited about Kamala Harris.

She's excited to see a woman at the top of the ticket.

She's excited to see um.

What Kamala Harris is going to bring a brighter future, not only to her and to her kids, but also to her grandchildren as well.

Jeff, as you heard, he's kind of is capturing, Lupe is capturing that enthusiasm that has only grown with Harris at the top of the ticket.

All right, Laura Bon Lopez, thanks so much.

Thank you, Amy Walter.

What we just heard, I mean, put that into context for us, uh, the Democrats need to win Pennsylvania as they try to cobble together enough states electoral votes.

What does it look like if they go through the sunbelt?

Um, well, the Sun Belt either your choices you either win, uh, Pennsylvania and those other two Midwestern states plus the congressional district in Nebraska for that BR 270 if you start putting states like Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia and even North Carolina in the mix.

Now just opens opportunities for you.

Arizona is the most interesting to me um in that it's a state that had been so red for so long, people weren't really paying much attention to it.

And yet if you go back these last 2016.

Since that election, Democrats have won every statewide office.

They've won both of the Senate seats.

They've had a special election there it feels like every 10 minutes there's a special election in Arizona.

They've won all of those.

They won the governorship they won down ballot races, um, uh, for statewide office in that state and of course it was very narrow, but Biden won there.

It is Maricopa County.

It's absolutely, it's everything.

It's basically the entire state vote most.

The vote comes from Maricopa, so it is a suburban area, um, that is also has very um uh different dynamics and uh look I think you've got uh, uh, for, for the Harris campaign, the real question is she's been able to energize those core voters.

What about those Latino voters who were Telling pollsters we've been hearing them in focus groups talking about, well, I didn't really like Donald Trump, but I kind of think he was better on the economy.

I'm really conscious about how much stuff costs maybe, you know, maybe we should give him another shot because he did a good job when he was president on the economy.

Can she win those types of voters back.

There is an abortion referendum on the ballot in Arizona, it is interesting.

though that remember the people who are going to turn out and vote for that amendment might not necessarily be people who are voting for Harris, um, because they can be both pro-choice and also vote for Trump, but just having the energy behind that and the focus on that issue is beneficial to Harris and when you look at this core voting bloc, I'm so glad you brought it up, not just reference to Arizona, but of course in so many other states, Nevada and Georgia, and otherwise, Jonathan, this, you know, going The fastest growing segment of the voting population, Latino voters in America and we know that's where Mr. Trump had been making some inroads, right, not necessarily winning over a majority of voters, but enough to make a difference in enough places that mattered.

We've seen this Harris Walls campaign come out very quickly with targeted strategies, ads targeting members of the community launching a WhatsApp group, which by the way for anyone in a first generation American family like if it's not happening on WhatsApp, it's not happening there's they're they're reaching out in a very.

What people call culturally competent way.

Is there a realization on the campaign that they kind of have to win back ground in some of these places they've been losing previously when Biden was at the top of the ticket.

I mean the fact that they're doing these things is, is proof of that, um, and cultural competency is extremely important when you're talking about not just Latino voters but black voters, any, any quote unquote subgroup if you will, folks wanna know that you understand them and they're listening for words.

Looking at how you carry yourself when you talk about issues that are important to them, you know, I'm they're highly attuned to when Vice President Harris is talking to me, you know, black person to black person.

I see it.

It's in the, it's in mannerisms, it's in tone, it's in the way she says things and I think people are looking to see themselves reflected in the candidate somehow and when you have a presidential campaign that is culturally competent that has people around them who are Able to say here this is how you reach these voters.

This is how you have a chance to talk to them, whether they vote for you is another thing.

But here's a way you can communicate with them.

You have always had people like that, that you have candidates who are willing to say, OK, let's do it.

I think that is going to make it possible for the Harris Wells ticket to maybe win those at least get a hearing from those voters who are looking at Trump to give him, give him their vote this November.

And David, on the other hand, you have Donald Trump who for the last two weeks has been fielding unsolicited advice from folks like Nikki Haley and Lindsey Graham to focus on the issues, focus on the economy and immigration.

These two areas which polls show him leading the pluralities of voters say that we trust him on these two issues yet.

He appears to be constitutionally unable to do that.

He's talking about all sorts of other things, uh, and coming up with the tag lines that have not seemed to stick against Kamala Harris.

What is the, the political consequence of that?

Well, first, what, what is the surge about that Harris has enjoyed first, it's the Nikki Haley rule, whichever party gets rid of their 80 year old first, it's going to do well.

And so the Democrats did that and they're doing well.

Uh, and so I think that's part of it.

Second, people generally look at her and they think, very likable person, I like her.

She she's happy, she seems evulent, uh, and so the fact that she's a candidate without serious drawbacks.

Which Biden and Trump both had in their own way, so I think that's the second thing.

But then the third thing, and this is the most interesting thing which Amy talked about at the beginning, why, why are our favorabilities up?

Why are handling the economy?

Why is that all the way up?

And I think a lot of people took a look at her and said, I, I can sort of relate.

And so I think she gets a what you might call an identity bump that she's younger and she looks a little like me and, and so, yeah, and so a lot of the groups that Trump was doing well in, they fled back.

But so that's the identity bump.

The question is what It's the class dynamics here.

And so a lot of the divergence, especially in Latino vote, was about class.

It wasn't highly educated Latinos who were swinging over the less educated and working class folks.

And so does she have to tell, and I think she does, an economic story, an immigration story, and the fact that Trump is not telling his story is political malpractice, but as you say, keeping Trump to focus is not necessarily the job you want to have unless they're showing these videos, of course we'll be seeing throughout the evening here.

I should note that every time former President Trump comes up on the screen, the entire arena behind us erupts into booze, but they are drawing a very clear contrast here, Amy in terms of who this party is united against and I wonder too because I want to bring it back to this idea that the headliner tonight is the current sitting president is the man who is continuing to message on the fact that he believes democracy is at stake.

That's this man can never be president again.

You expect to hear from him.

We've talked a little bit about the legacy part of it, but also That he has to really get behind Harrison Wals in this speech tonight to say this is the future so that all those many months ago, which only was a month ago when we were all sitting around talking about what's the pathway for Democrats.

It was.

this time, yes, there's still going to be.

Attacks on the contrast with Trump, but it will be, it will be leaning much more into the positive and the energy that wouldn't have been there had Biden been taking um uh taking this nomination tonight.

Well, it wouldn't be, I'm Thursday, um, the other thing that's remarkable, and I'm sure we'll talk about this a lot, but we have never seen a sitting president in a modern era, give up.

Running for re-election and then show up.

To talk to these very same people who said, Yeah, we're OK with you leaving and we're really happy to have someone else, um.

Obviously Lyndon Johnson did not come to Chicago in 1968, so this is really it's a historic moment.

And it is going to be, um, I think you're going to see just an outpouring of support for Biden, for who he is, but also for what he allowed to happen, which is the energy, the, as we were talking about earlier, that this feeling in the building that we can actually do this.

People feel like they can win and that it's seeping up from the grassroots.

It doesn't feel like it is manufactured.

The other point of contrast that might be worth just putting a point on is that this week we will see veterans of previous Democratic White Houses, Democratic campaigns, former Democratic cabinet secretaries, former Democratic presidents, we didn't see any of that at the RNC.

That that's, that's good and bad.

So I, I think it's good because you got a lot of superstars we're going to see Obama and Clintons.

I was in the White House at several months ago, and one of the big important meetings broke up out of this room called the Roosevelt Room, and all the people walked out and I knew them all and I knew them all not only from this time, I knew them all from 20 years ago.

And so there, there's like a lot of the same people have been in democratic administrations through Obama and through Clinton.

And so if you're a country that wants change, which 70% say we want change, then you're thinking, well, kind of the same old crew.

Uh, and so I think uh Harris has been very smart to pick up a lot of thosebaba people to help run the campaign because they, they do know what they're doing, but, uh, I, I think it's something to watch out for.

How can she say I am something totally, I'm your change agent here, which Donald Trump for all his flaws can say I'm your change agent, uh, even though he's already been president once.

But so I, I think that's something to pay.

Attention to if I were the Harris campaign.

How does she do that, Jonathan, because voters do want change, right?

That's every 4 years, that's, that's what they want for Vice President Harris to package herself as an agent of change here when she's the sitting vice president to this president that the Democrats don't want to run anymore.

What does she overcome that she's starting to already and people didn't think she was a change agent.

We wouldn't be here talking about the sitting vice president about to take the nomination.

We'd be looking for, OK, who's got the votes who you know you talking about a floor fight and we don't have that.

I think just.

Uh, visually generationally, demographically, she's changed and people are responding to that the fact that she comes into this not with the apparatus that Clinton had or Biden had President Obama didn't have nearly as entrenched a coterie of people as Clinton and Biden when he came into into office and so I think.

You know, the way she's possibly looking at this in the way that the American people should look at this is you use the best from Clinton successful two term presidency, the best from Obama, successful two-term Democratic presidency and then you bring the people with you who have been with you from the beginning and I think it's the New York Times has a story about the very people who were involved in this last incredible month that saw her go from loyal vice president.

On June 27th to Democratic presidential nominee right now.

There are people around her who have been with her since um uh her time as California attorney general.

These are all and there are, there are more people once you get to the presidency, all sorts of people who work for you will will come out with their expertise for good and bad, and so the change will be who does she bring who does she bring with her in addition to the folks who have the expertise.

I get what you're saying, David, there's some bad that comes with having folks who've been at, you know, grinding at the wheel all this time, but you get a lot of good when you tap into those folks they've got the experience.

They know how to do these things.

To the point that Senator Peters raised earlier though, Jonathan, do you think she needs to more explicitly break policy wise from the Biden Harris administration.

I mean, does that matter?

It matters because she's still the vice president and that's the that's the delicate dance and one of the things I'm very interested to hear from President Biden is, does he rhetorically give her the leeway to, you know, when she comes out on Thursday to you know break some dishes.

go ahead.

It's interesting the way you phrase that question too about we didn't see any of these people with Trump.

It was, as we discussed a lot in Milwaukee, the party that showed up in Milwaukee.

It's not a Party of Republicans, it's the party of Trump, and that it was all about one person's personality.

This is a convention for a party, the Democratic Party and Kamala Harris is one of them and that's a very big difference between the two conventions, and this is the message that the Harris campaign is also trying to put forward, which is, you know, he's all about himself.

We're about you.

We're like we're a team.

He's his own player looking.

Out for himself, um, and that to me is like the really the biggest thus far, one of the biggest differences and one of the rhetorical changes that we've seen, I wish this wasn't original thought, but it was actually Ezra Klein who pointed this out, that the way that Kamala Harris and Tim Walls talk about President or rather uh Donald Trump is vastly different, that in many ways that Joe Biden.

Unintentionally elevated him and made him a bigger figure by talking about him as an existential threat in this perilous threat to democracy whereas Harrison Walls.

Openly make fun of him.

Call them weird.

They're trolling him on his own social media accounts?

What do you see as the, the political impact of that?

Yeah, I don't like that change.

You know, I, I weird was good for a week.

It was nice, but you can't, uh, this meme campaign that they're running.

It's not presidential, and you know this is a serious office for a serious country in serious times.

And so to me, weird is a week.

And if you want to spend your whole campaign doing memes.

Fine, but uh I, I do think Donald Trump is actually a threat to democracy, uh, and you might as well say that, uh, and, you know, they just set it up on the screen here, so I don't think they're going to walk away from that.

But yeah, I'm against memes as presidential campaigns, so anti presidential.

I'm a change agent with new blood who's against technology.

And me, Jonathan Crowme Auntie, where do you stand?

Look, I am pro meme when it is directed at.

Uh, uh, a narcissist for whom this kind of.

Um, attack.

It gets right under his skin and this is why he can't focus on policy.

This is why he can't focus on the things that Graham and Nikki Haley are trying to communicate with him through television and through blind quotes or on the record quotes in the press to focus on policy, he can't because the meme campaign, which is just part of the campaign.

It's not the campaign.

It's just part of the campaign, which is why I think it's.

Extremely effective because again you want young people to be interested in this campaign.

Young people are all about memes.

I don't have kids.

You have kids.

They might be in memes they're all in the memes.

My kids are very offline.

I sort of, yeah, but I'm cool for my kid.

My kid is, if I like it, it's not the kids today, you know, when it comes to me they're very demure.

Oh gosh, I had to.

I just had to spark the time for the first of your we're going to put.

and head to the stage and pick up the rest of this speech from California Senator Lufonza Butler.

Mortgage crisis together with families who lost their homes, she took on the biggest banks in the world and want a settlement 5 times what was initially offered.

Every time she walked into a courtroom.

She would simply say Kamala Harris for the people.

For her it wasn't just a professional oath.

It was a battle cry.

And let's be clear.

To her opponents this way of seeing the world, the idea of fighting for someone other than yourself.

Is unthinkable.

But let me tell you Democrats what's really unthinkable.

Crowning young people who simply want a good a good education is unthinkable.

Stiffing hardworking laborers like Donald Trump did in Atlantic City is unthinkable.

Bragging about having ripped away a woman's freedom to choose what she does with her own body is unthinkable and Democrats, Americans, we deserve better.

We deserve we deserve a president who is tough.

Not just tough talking.

One who shatters the boundaries of what's possible, not the boundaries of what's legal.

One who wipes the floor with cheeks and fraudsters because well Democrats.

She knows the type.

Democrats that president, the president that we deserve.

That president is my friend Kamala Harris.

Thank you all so much.

Yeah.

Hi everyone.

I'm Deja Fox and I'm so excited to be here today from Arizona.

That's right, that's where I was born and raised by a single mom.

I was a free lunch kid raised in public housing, and I got my healthcare at planned Parenthood.

Because of policies that lift people up.

I walked through the gates of my dream school as a first generation college student.

People my age are making big decisions about our lives, and we deserve a president who has our back.

Not some power hungry millionaire reality TV personality who only cares about himself.

We need Kamala Harris.

So the liver a future where we can decide if and when to start a family.

A future where we can afford rents and groceries of future where we're not crushed under student debt of future where any free lunch kid can walk through the gates of their dream college.

For young people, this is a fight for our future.

We have a responsibility to do this, and we have a responsibility to do it right, and that's why we're going to show up for Kamala Harris and Tim Walsh.

The musical performance is Jason Isbell.

Thank you.

I get home I my Oh.

We'll have to.

I get home.

I wrestle my clothes.

Front door.

You see the.

Near where it hurts.

lucky W But I thank I and I I W And every Mhm And I find.

Somebody proud.

To love a man like me.

It's my Working I Some.

Thank you the Alabama delegation in there.

worked hard to achieve our goals.

Working mother.

I had a summer job at McDonald's.

Donald Trump worked hard to spend his daddy's fortune.

She believes in working hard for the American people when the middle class is strong, America is strong.

Donald Trump believes in working hard.

billionaire friends.

I don't care about you.

I just want your vote.

I don't care.

Please welcome former Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo.

Hello Hello Chicago.

It's a great honor for me to be here this evening.

You know, long before.

I was the governor of Rhode Island.

I was a little girl.

Growing up there.

In a middle class family.

My dad.

Found his American dream.

In a watch factory in Providence.

And that job.

That job gave him a way to provide for our family.

A community for him to belong to.

And so much pride.

But like so many Americans in the 80s.

After 25 years of his hard work.

His job And the job of all of his friends was shipped overseas.

You know, years later, My dad said to me, Gina, this happened because our leaders let us down.

And my father was right.

The Republicans in power who pushed failed economic strategy.

Let's just cut taxes for the wealthy and leave everybody else behind.

Not only did my father lose his job.

But frankly manufacturing left my state manufacturing withered in Rhode Island and all across this nation.

In communities all across America.

Factories shuttered.

Communities got hollowed out.

And people were left without their job.

Without hope.

Without the dignity that comes with a decent job.

And you know Republican economic policy.

Failed Rhode Island.

How do I know that?

Because when I took office, First Democrat elected governor in a couple of decades.

I inherited one of the worst economies in the country.

It was a mess.

But we got to work and we turned it around.

We turned it around.

With a pro business pro worker agenda.

Kamala Harris has that same agenda.

She knows.

We need an economy.

Where the costs are low.

An opportunities abound.

And an economy.

Where people can show up to their jobs with dignity and pride.

She has a new economic vision for America.

You know how she knows that?

She knows it because just like me, Kamala Harris grew up in a middle class home.

Her mom worked to cure breast cancer by day.

And feed her family at night.

And as an adult, Kamala were to lock up sex offenders and violent criminals by day.

And she took care of her sick mother at night.

Kamala Harris gets it.

She gets that so.

So many Americans.

Work so hard every day and they're barely getting by.

And that is not right.

It is a fundamental economic principle, hard work ought a payoff.

We believe in that.

And that's why the vice president is committed to building the opportunity economy.

An economy that rewards ambition.

An economy that rewards hard work.

She believes in an America where everyone Regardless of who you are, what you have, where you started, you got a chance to get ahead in this country.

Kamala Harris will give more than 100 middle class Americans a tax cut.

She'll build 300 new homes for the middle class.

And she's gonna forge an economy with fair competition free from monopolies, monopolies that crush workers and small businesses and startups.

Kamala Harris.

Will make building up the middle class.

A defining goal of her presidency.

Gina Raimundo is on the stage now, but we're going to take a short break for our PBS stations.

We will be right back with continued live coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

Stay with us.

I'm Michael Beschloss, presidential historian, Newshour contributor.

1956 Adlai Stevenson was nominated and then he said, why don't I just let the delegates select who they want for vice president and there was this amazing confrontation on the floor between John Kennedy, the little known senator from Massachusetts against Estes Keifover, who had been the runner up to Stevenson.

It was very close for a lot of it it looked as if it was going to go to Kennedy, finally, Keith F1.

Kennedy got up and gave a Sessions speech.

This convention has selected a man.

who has campaigned in all parts of the country.

Who has worked entirely for the party.

who will serve as an admirable running mate to Governor Stevenson.

I hope that this convention will make SCC nomination unanimous.

Thank you.

In a way that was the first speech that Kennedy gave in the 1960 presidential campaign.

And welcome back to PBS News live coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

I'm Ana Navaz and I'm Jeff Bennett.

Coming up tonight, we expect to hear speeches from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and President Biden, but for now let's head back to the convention floor.

I have a lifelong Republican.

Former Trump voter.

And I will not be voting for Trump in 2024.

My name is Norma.

I'm from Carson, Washington, and I am a two-time Trump voter.

I will not be voting for Trump this time around.

I'm actually embarrassed to say that I did vote for Trump in 2016.

Donald Trump has nothing but contempt for the American people and ironically for those who claim to be as thieves, he's only interested in bedding, fitting himself personally he said he would do, he did not do.

I Do not trust that he can do the right thing anymore.

We've seen what Donald Trump really is and it disgusts me to my core.

I don't think the man can be trusted.

He talks on both sides of his mouth.

He's a very dishonest person.

I hate the way he disrespects women voting against Trump and Thork Cla Harris is the right thing to do.

Please welcome New York Governor Kathy Hochle.

Hello Democrats.

Are you To elect Kamala Harris The first president of the United States.

Yes you are And Like so many of us.

My grandparents came from Ireland as teenagers.

With nothing but hope in their hearts.

And fire in their bellies.

They built their lives in the promised land of Buffalo, New York.

A union card.

Me good work at the steel plant.

The steel plant that lived in my parents.

From living in a trailer.

To the middle class.

Like other families in my blue-collar community.

They believed Now with hard work.

They could build a better future.

Not just for themselves.

But for those with less hope.

And less opportunity.

I'm proud of my roots and the values I learned.

Grit, determination, compassion.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walls grew up with those same values.

And those values have always defined the people of my state.

Well.

Most of us anyway.

Donald Trump was born a New Yorker.

But I ended up of fraud of philanderer, and a felon.

He wasn't raised with the New York values that I know.

You never had to worry about child care costs or groceries or rent.

He never had to worry about anything.

Or anyone but himself.

Trust me, America.

If you think you're tired of Donald Trump.

Talk to a New Yorker.

Deal with them 78 long years.

The fraud, the tax dodging, the sham university, the shady charities.

We've seen him stiff contractors, rip off workers.

He abuses women.

Brags about it and then takes away their rights.

And New Yorkers are sick of it.

It's no wonder he had a fleet to Mar a Lago.

Sorry about that, Florida.

Sorry about that.

Trump hasn't spent much time in New York lately.

Except that is to get convicted of 34 felonies.

Just fine with us.

Because New York's motto.

Is excelsior ever upward.

And Trump takes us ever downward.

Because here's what Trump never understood.

America is in a luxury good to be bought and sold by the privileged and powerful few.

America.

We just can't afford another 4 years of that.

We have kids to feed, roads to build, jobs to create real problems to solve.

We need leaders.

Who can get it done.

Trump talked big about bringing back manufacturing jobs.

But you know who actually did it?

President Biden And Vice President Kamala Harris.

Thank you, Joe, thank you, Carla.

And look no further.

than the city of Syracuse.

Where a company called Micron.

is building a $100 billion microchip factory with Union Labor.

The largest Private investment in American history.

And it's going to create 50,000 good paying jobs.

The Biden Harris administration.

has made the most significant investments in our economy and generations.

And as president, Kamala Harris will continue to build.

An opportunity economy for all.

My friends.

History's watching us.

Together we must protect abortion rights together we must protect the middle class together we must protect the American dream, and together we must elect Kamala Harri.

President of the United States.

Oh trying to rain on the thunder.

Tell a story.

I'm gonna come and march on the regular painting white flats.

What kind of America do we want?

One, we were divided.

Angry, depressed.

Come on.

We're Americans.

Fascism, we conquered it.

Moon landed on it.

The future Building it.

Freedom Nobody loves it more.

And we fight for it.

Freedom from control.

Freedom from extremism and fear.

Extreamists want to take us back, but we are not going back.

We go forward.

That's American.

And we need a leader who is for the people.

This is a fight for the future.

Pamela Harris.

Protecting people from predators and big drug cartels holding Wall Street banks accountable.

A crime perpetrated against our middle class.

Standing up to dictators.

And fighting for all of us.

I say we fight.

That's our choice, a prosecutor.

Or a felon Are you ready to make your voices heard?

Do we believe in the promise of a man.

To fight And when we We win.

It is so good to be with everyone this evening in this hall and everyone at home.

This is going to be a great week.

want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden.

Speaking later tonight, Joe, thank you for your historic leadership for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do.

We are forever grateful to you.

Thank you Joe.

And looking Looking out at everyone tonight.

I see the beauty.

of our great nation, people from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here united by our shared vision for the future of our country and this November we will come together and declare with one voice as one people, we are moving forward.

hope faith So Guided by our love of country, knowing we all have so much more in common than what separates us.

Let us fight for the ideals we hold dear and let us always remember when we fight.

You, God bless The United of America Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee paying tribute there to President Joe Biden, who we expect to hear from later this evening.

We want to welcome to the table now Anita Dunn.

She served as senior adviser to President Biden until she left the White House last month.

She's now senior advisor to future forward, that's a super PAC supporting Kamala Harris's campaign.

Thanks so much for being here.

Thank you for having me this evening.

Yes, of course you have said that the speech that President Biden will deliver tonight, it will not be a farewell speech.

He is going to make the case for presidency.

Still though, how is he feeling about this moment?

This was not the convention he was expecting a month ago.

He is someone who has served public service for 50 years before he was forced out by by Democratic leaders.

How is he feeling about all of this, you know, he's going to come out tonight and make a speech that makes the case for Kamala Harris and for moving this country forward.

He'll talk about the work he did running in 2019 to save the soul of the country to fight for democracy.

He'll talk about the fact that under his administration democracy proved it could deliver for people, deliver real results, and now in 2024, the fight is to preserve democracy by electing Kala Harris and defeating Donald Trump.

So he is a president very focused on the mission ahead, which is to elect Kamala Harris, and that's what you'll hear tonight.

Anita, you've gone from one of the president's closest advisers to now devoting yourself to getting Vice President Harris elected running this.

O'Harris super PAC, but she's walking a very difficult line right now and will for the next several weeks she's running as a change candidate while as a sitting vice president to a president who has some pretty unpopular policies with a number of people in the American electorate.

How would you advise her to navigate that moving forward on issues like immigration and the economy in the Middle East, how should she break or distance herself from the Biden policies to get more people on board.

You know, every vice president who runs for the presidency faces the challenge of moving on a continuum from loyalty to independence so that voters see that they're running with their own program and their own policies, you know, the vice president began that process last Friday and of course this is the most compressed election.

Any of us can remember, but she went out and she made a speech where she clearly staked out positions that are Kamala Harris's positions, not just Joe.

positions and made it clear that she is going to build on many of the pieces of the economic policy that the president's put in place to really renew and restore the middle class, but that she's got some things of her own, and that's what she needs to do between now and election day is demonstrate to the American public what her presidency will be about when she talks about moving the country forward.

What does that mean?

You know, the transition from the Biden Harris team to the Harris Walls team has seemed from the outside looking in fairly seamless.

Take us inside that process.

What, what has, what has the last month been like from where you sit?

No, I think that the Biden Harris team.

Became that Harris Waldstein.

Because there's A shared set of values and an absolute sense of mission that translated from one candidacy to the other.

Don't forget she's been our vice president.

She was part of our ticket back in 2020.

So this is a team that was already working for her and already excited about her.

I give the vice president a lot of credit, and I give the president a lot of credit for how seamless this has been, and it's because of their partnership and also because they have made it.

this is what the stakes are.

We have to defeat Donald Trump.

We have to elect Kamala Harris.

Is it fair to say then that the Harris administration, if she wins, would in many ways be a continuation of the Biden presidency.

You know, I'm not sure that is fair to say because each administration has its own rhythms.

It has its own agenda.

I think that she'll answer that question better than I can for her, but at the end of the day, her job is to go out to the American public and make the case for when she's.

says she's going to move the country forward.

What does that mean?

And she started that Friday by making it clear that her economics will be centered on growing the middle class and that her.

is when we grow the middle class, we grow the economy, and that's the beginning of a process here.

Nina, can I ask you about President Biden who you know so well.

And have for so long and I spoke earlier today with Senator Chris Coons, who's also known him for many, many years and I'd asked him, is there any part of the president that second guessed his decision to step aside and he said immediately, you know, we all second guess our decisions at some point.

I wonder if you had sensed that.

As well and also would characterize this moment for the president.

Bittersweet, is it complicated?

How would you describe it?

I think this is going to be an emotional evening in this hall.

I think there's a lot of emotion that the delegates are going to feel a lot of emotion that the guests are gonna feel and a lot of emotion the president will feel.

But having said that, he is not a person who spends a lot of time second guessing, and he's been very clear since the day he announced he was no longer a candidate, that he wanted his team.

To put together a plan the way we always have 100 day plans in the White House.

He wanted to see it.

He wanted his agenda to get pushed forward.

He wanted to know what he was going to be doing, and he wanted to know how we were going to get Kamala Harris elected and he is really someone who, having gone through so much in his life, has the ability to focus on what is most important, and I believe that's what you're going to hear tonight as a president who's focused on what's most important.

Even though there are Democrats who are very enthusiastic about the Harris Walls ticket.

There are also Democrats who take issue with the way that they think President Biden was treated and Speaker Emerita Pelosi said today about the Democrats who disagreed with their public questioning of Joe Biden's electability.

If they're upset, I'm sorry for them.

That's a direct quote.

How do you respond to that?

Oh, you know, the speaker's been Speaker emeritus has been very clear her feelings on all of this.

I think there are that at the moment what Democrats really need to be doing is looking forward and moving forward with this ticket because this is a close race, and we cannot afford to lose.

The stakes are too high for the American people.

They're too high for all of the progress that the Biden Harris administration has made since January 2021 and so I think the president and I think people around the president are focused on How do we get that job done?

We saw Vice President Harris take the stage there.

We heard this room absolutely erupt into cheers for her and we heard her very heartfelt way thank President Biden saying thank you, Joe.

She said, I want to thank you for your lifetime of service, for your leadership.

She also said, I want to thank you for all the work you'll continue to do.

There's a passing of the torch here tonight.

Does this make Kamala Harris now the leader of the Democratic Party, and if so, what role do you see President Biden playing going forward?

President Biden's going to do whatever helps Vice President Harris get elected, you know, add volunteer in chief to the list of jobs that he has now, I think, you know, that the Democratic nominee is kind of de facto the leader of the Democratic Party, but I think that, you know, in many ways the president will continue to be a leader as well, and it speaks to their relationship that it's gonna work out very well the same way that the campaign has been able to transition so seamlessly because They know each other, they trust each other, they love each other.

Anita Dunn, longtime Biden adviser, now senior adviser for Future Forward, thanks so much for spending some time with us.

Thank you for having me this evening.

Thanks.

We appreciate it.

Let's head to the convention stage now because Steve Kerr, Team USA's men's basketball coach and of course the coach of the Golden State Warriors is addressing the convention right now.

I believe leaders must tell the truth.

I believe that leaders should be able to laugh at themselves.

I believe leaders must care for and love the people they are leading.

I believe leaders must possess knowledge and expertise, but with the full awareness that none of us has all the answers.

And in fact Some of the best answers often come from members of the team.

And if you look for those qualities in your friends or your boss or an employee.

Or your child's teacher or your mayor.

And shouldn't you want those same qualities in your president?

And when you think about it that way.

This is no contest.

With Kamala Harris and Tim Walls, I see all those qualities.

They have devoted their lives to serving other people.

Whether Vice President Harris was defending her community in the courtroom.

Or Governor Walls was inspiring the next generation in the classroom.

Or on the field for that matter, by the way, coach to coach, that guy's awesome.

Although I have to say, Coach Wals way too much reliance on the blitz in '99 against Mankato East.

You had a strong defensive line.

I would have played more press coverage with your corners and then drop the safeties into a Tampa 2.

That's just me.

Sorry, I wanted you to know how I feel every day of the NBA season.

All right.

But listen, The joy The compassion, the commitment to our country that we saw at the Olympics.

That is what Kamala Harris and Tim Walls have.

And it is what our country needs.

Leadership Real leadership.

Not the kind that seeks to divide us.

But the kind that recognizes and celebrates our common purpose.

Think about what our team achieved with 12 Americans in Paris, putting aside rivalries to represent our country.

Now imagine what we could do with all 330 million of us playing on the same team.

Not as, not as Democrats.

Not as Republicans, not as libertarians, but as Americans.

who know the greatness of this nation doesn't come from any one of us.

But from each of us doing our part to build a more perfect union.

That vision is what this campaign is all about.

It's why I'm here tonight.

And it's why I'll be getting out every day.

To help people get out and vote on November 5th and elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walls.

As the next president and vice president of the United States.

And And After the results are tallied that night.

We can In the words of the great Steph Curry.

We can tell Donald Trump.

Night night All right.

Democrats would need to flip just a handful of seats in November to win back control of the US House of Representatives, and many eyes will be on New York for pickup opportunities.

But they also have to hold on to some competitive seats like those represented by Congressman Pat Ryan, who represents a district north of New York City, and he joins us now.

Thanks for being with us.

We appreciate it.

Thanks for having me.

You were among the first House members to publicly call on President Biden to exit the race after his debate performance in June.

I wonder what your assessment is of the Harris Was ticket and and how that potentially boosts Democrats' chances of winning the House.

I think the combination of Joe Biden Pat Perotically passing the torch and then Kamala Harris and Tim Walls.

Absolutely taking command of this race in a way that has trump, I think petrified, and now for example attacking.

My fellow combat veterans attacking Medal of Honor recipients just self-inflicted wound after self-inflicted wound.

So I think we're on the offensive now.

You're fair to say, I think playing a little defense back home as well know Republicans are targeting your seat, among others, so I just wonder what you think, what you want to hear from the Harris Walls campaign that will help folks like you what kind of policy articulation, what kind of message you want to hear from this ticket that would actually have a positive down ballot impact.

Yeah, I mean, I think.

Fisher and Harris has been right on the message for a district like mine and for the country.

She's been centering freedom.

Talking about protecting, expanding, and, and defending core American freedoms, reproductive freedom, of course, but economic freedom we saw her agenda or the beginnings of it on Friday, making sure that folks that are really feeling that financial pressure right now, get some relief that is that winning combination and we're we're hearing it tonight.

We're going to continue to hear it, and I think it's now at sort of very close to an unstoppable level of momentum for Kamala Harris.

Well, you won your seat in 2020. by campaigning aggressively on the issue of reproductive rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe.

Based on your experience, I mean, what from that was instructive that you would advise other Democrats to do in those races where reproductive rights might be a resident issue.

I think on that issue of reproductive freedom and abortion rights and all issues, we need to stop pulling our punches.

We need to be clear from the heart, from the gut, and we've seen Vice President Harris do that and really connect with people and give people something to be for, and that is just, that's the energy that we're feeling here right now.

When New York Democrats underperformed in the last election that was largely why Republicans were able to pick up the house.

What has, has, has your, your delegation, your caucus, I mean, what are you planning to do differently in this next race?

Well, we have leader Hakeem Jeffries from my home state who not only leads our delegation, but is of course about to be the Speaker of the House, which is very exciting on the message we've talked about that.

Organizationally, the New York State Democratic Party under Hakeem's leadership has really stepped up our game in my district, for example, we have field offices, paid volunteers to, to really marshal this energy of volunteers and that's all going to build to I think a winning formula, not just in my race, but I think we're going to flip several of these critical New York house seats from, from red to blue.

You care to make a prediction?

We we should mention we had Speaker Emerita Pelosi on not too long ago and she said, you know.

She predicted that you're going to win a majority here, but she did cite, as Jeff mentioned, those 5 seats as those were like critical seats in New York, um, that you can tell she still holds dear I should have, should have not lost those, but how do you think y'all will fare in this next election?

I feel really good.

We've got to earn it.

I mean, I think we should not be celebratory.

We should not get ahead of ourselves, but the momentum and the trajectory is just growing and building.

I think we could easily flip 3 and maybe up to 4 or 5 in New York.

All right, that is New York Congressman Pat Ryan.

Thanks so much for being with us.

Thank you guys.

We're going to turn our attention now to the convention floor because Sean Fain, who is the president of United Auto Workers is addressing the convention right now.

That's not just my opinion, that's a fact.

All we have to do is look at the track record.

When Donald Trump was president.

Corporate America ran wild.

Donald Trump did not bring back the auto industry.

When Donald Trump was president.

Auto quits closed.

Trump did nothing.

Trump told workers in Lordstown, Ohio.

That he would be bringing all the auto jobs back.

And Trump did nothing.

In 2019.

General Motor workers went on strike for 40 days.

For a good jobs and a better life.

And Trump did nothing.

Talk is cheap.

But in 2019, You know who was on the picket line standing shoulder to shoulder with auto workers.

I'll give you a clue.

He initials are Kamala Harris.

In 2023. Who helped bring jobs back to Lordstown, Ohio.

Kamala Yes And in 2024. Who will stand with the working class in our fight for justice.

Kamala Har Yes And that's the difference.

Donald Trump.

Is all talk.

And Kamala Harris walks the wall.

Oh In the words of the great American poet, Nelly.

It's getting hot in here.

It's hot in here.

It's hot in here because you're fired up and you're fed up.

And the American working class is fired up and fed up.

The American working class is in a fight for our lives and if you don't believe me, just last night.

Blue collar workers, the UAW members at Cornell University had to walk out on strike for a better life because our fighting corporate greed.

And our only hope is to attack corporate greed head on.

Corporate greed.

Turns blue collar blood, sweat and tears.

Into Wall Street stock buybacks.

And CEO jackpots.

It causes inflation.

It hurts workers.

It hurts consumers.

And it hurts America.

And corporate greed is alive and well in the auto industry.

You know, last fall.

We achieve life changing gains in our strike at the big 3.

We even want a commitment to reopen a closed plant not too far from here.

We were able to do that.

Thanks to the support.

Of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden and the thousands of work.

that went on strike.

But a year later, One company wants to go back on their commitments in our contract.

And let me be clear.

Stelaus must keep the promises they made to America in our union contract.

And the UAW You will take whatever action necessary it's to us or any other corporation to stand up and hold corporate America accountable.

And when the UAW stands up.

We know who stands with us and who stands against us.

Donald Trump Laughs about firing workers who go on strike.

And Kamala Harris stand shoulder to shoulder with workers when they're on strike.

And that's the difference between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump a scab.

Trump is pushing divide and conquer tactics.

Of the rich It's the oldest trick in the book.

They want to blame the frustrations of working class people.

They want to take those frustrations.

They want to blame it on race.

They want to blame it on the LGBTQ plus people.

They want to blame it on some destitute and desperate person at the border.

They do that Because they want working class people to be divided and to focus and keep the focus off the one true enemy corporate greed.

The rich think we're stupid.

But working class Americans see this for what it is.

This is our generation's defining moment.

So I have a question for you.

Are you ready to stand up?

Speak up And show up And put Pamela T W We We need a defender of the working class in the White House.

Someone who is one of us.

And someone who knows how to fight.

And that fighter is the next president of the United States.

Please welcome New York representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

Chicago I Tim For your vision Thank you Thank you Chicago for your energy.

Thank you, Kamala Harris and Tim Walls for your vision.

Thank you Joe Biden for your.

6 years ago.

I was taking omelet orders as a waitress in New York City.

I didn't have health insurance.

My family was fighting off foreclosure.

And we were struggling with bills after my dad passed away unexpectedly.

From cancer Like millions of Americans.

We were just looking for an honest shake.

And we were tired of a cynical politics that seemed blind to the realities of working people.

It was then Only through the miracles of democracy and community that the good people of the Bronx and Queens.

Chose someone Like me To elect them in Congress.

And America In my heart I know from that same cloth of hope and aspiration, we will also elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walls as presidents and vice presidents of the United States.

of Here tonight Because America before us a rare and precious opportunity.

In Kamala Harris.

We have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class.

Because she is from the middle class.

She understands the urgency of rent checks and groceries and prescriptions.

She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on corporate greed.

And she is working tirelessly.

To secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home.

In Kamela See a leader who understands.

I see a leader with a real commitment to a better future for working families.

In Chicago We have to help her win.

Because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for $1 if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends.

I'm tired about hearing about how a two bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights.

What People I You cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business.

To love country is to fight for its people, all people, working people.

Everyday Americans like bartenders and factory workers and fast food cashiers.

clock The feet Day in some of the toughest.

Jobs out there.

Ever since I got elected.

Republicans have attacked me.

By saying that I should go back to bartending.

Tell you Happy to any day of the week because there is nothing wrong with working for a living.

I OK In having leaders in the White House who understand that.

Leaders like Kamalat.

10 Chicago Just because Choice is clear to us, does not mean that the path will be easy.

Over the next 78 days we will have to pour every ounce, every minute, every moment into making history on November 5th.

But We cannot And Carmela and Tim to the White House alone.

Together we must also elect strong democratic majorities in the House and The Senate To Just People Trying to afford Yes And child care.

is for you.

If you are a senior who had to go back to work because your retirement didn't stretch far enough, Kamala.

For you.

If you're an immigrant's family just starting your American story, Kamala is for you.

America When we knock on our neighbor's door.

Organize our communities and elect Kamala Harris to the presidency on November 5th.

We will send a loud message that the people of this nation will not go back.

We choose a new path and open the door to a new day, one that is for the people.

By the people thank you.

Wow How about that see Lord So Kamala Harris's story.

Begins in a middle class neighborhood in the East Bay.

Yeah.

In a modest apartment above a nursery school.

In a close-knit community where people looked out for one another.

With a mother who instilled in Kamala Harris the core principles that have defined her life in public service.

These are the experiences that made her the leader.

she is today.

The neighborhood we grew up in was a very hardworking.

Middle class, tight knit community.

Family's going to church on Sunday.

Kids playing in the front yard.

Mommy got us these bright blue matching bikes with banana seeds and we were surrounded by caring adults.

This neighborhood on Bancroft Way we've spent so much time here behind me is where it all began.

Her mom Shamala rented the apartment that was above the Shelton's nursery so in the beginning, Mrs. Shelton used to babysit the girls.

Sharma was a single mom.

Life was not easy for them, but she loved her daughters fiercely.

Kamla herself says that her mom told her that she may be the first to do many things but to make sure that she's not the last she's always been that kind of person, a true leader and very protective of her friends and her family.

When Kala was all of 4 years old.

Her best friend in kindergarten, Stacey Johnson.

Got into something with another kid on the playground.

This one particular day we had made some clay art and this one boy in our class had taken mine for whatever reason and threw it on the ground and it shattered so Kamla being very protective, just jumped in front of me and stood up to him to me that shows the kind of person that she has always been to stand up to the bully and to stand up for the underdog and to stand up for what is right.

Kamala Harris the lessons of our mother, the fighting spirit of our mother, the compassion, and I have seen it over and over again in our growing up.

When we were in high school, my sister's friend, Wanda was being molested by A family member.

And Kamala just jumped in.

wanted her to come and stay with us and mommy said, of course.

That is Kala.

She can't help herself from standing up for people and standing up for what she thinks is right.

She has been that way our whole lives being a protector is what led her to become a prosecutor.

Looking back now, I could say it was her calling.

Please welcome Stacey Johnson Batiste and Doris Johnson.

Good evening.

I'm Stacey Johnson Batiste, and this is my mom Doris Johnson we.

We are so excited and honored to be here with you, Kamala and I have known each other for a long time.

We met at Burwood Head School.

We hit it off immediately and became each other's very first best friends.

Our moms also became fast friends.

And on weekends we would pile until my 1966 Mustang.

And uh Carmela's mom Chavela would sit in the front with me.

And Kamala.

And Maya and Stacy would sit in the back.

And off we would go to a a movie or some adventure.

My mom still has that Mustang.

I do.

Pamela and I both get our grit from our mothers.

Kamala has always been a protector.

One day at school we made clay art.

Pro uh projects during story time when they were outside on tables, uh, to dry for whatever reason a boy in our class took mine, threw it on the ground, and it shattered.

Kamala jumped in between him and me and said something that made him so mad he picked up a rock or something and hit her on the head.

Blood came streaming down the school called Shamala to uh to come take her to the hospital.

The stitches she got left a scar over one of her eyes.

She still has it.

That's the kind of person Kamala has always been from the very beginning someone who doesn't hesitate to stand up for what's right to take up for the underdog and to stand up to bullies.

I have seen it time and again whether the bully is an individual, a gang or a corporation.

She fights for all of us.

Before we go, I know my mom has one more thing to say.

Carmela, your mom would be so proud of you.

Please welcome former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Thank Thank you.

K There's a Energy in this room just like.

Some Something is happening in America.

Uh You can feel it.

Something we've worked for and dreamed of for a long time.

First though Let's salute.

President Biden.

He has been Democracy's champion at home and abroad.

He brought dignity.

Decency and confidence back to the White House.

And he showed what it means to be a true patriot.

Thank you, Joe Biden for your lifetime of service and leadership.

And now We are riding a new chapter in America's story.

You know, my mother Dorothy was born right here in Chicago before women had the right to vote.

That changed 14 years ago yesterday.

Think about it Tennessee became the final state.

To rat the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

State legislature was deadlocked.

Until One lawmaker's mother, a widow who read 3 newspapers a day sent a letter.

A letter To her son.

No more delays, she wrote.

Give us the vote.

And since that day, Every generation has carried the torch forward.

In 1972, a fearless black congresswoman named Shirley Chisholm.

She ran President He determination.

Let me and millions of others dream bigger, not just because of who she was.

But because of who she fought for.

Working parents, poor children, the last, the least, and the lost.

In 1984, I brought my daughter to see Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated.

For Vice President.

If we can do this, Jerry said we can do anything.

And then There was 2016 when it was the honor of my life to accept.

Party's nomination for president.

Nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no ceilings on our dreams.

Your word We refused to give up on America.

Millions marched.

Many ran for office.

We kept our eyes on the future.

Well, my friends, the future is here.

Wish my mother And Pamela's mother could see us.

They would say keep going, surely.

J Say For reproductive health care are saying keep going.

stretching to afford child care.

Young people struggling.

To pay their rent.

They're all asking us to keep going.

So With faith in each other and joy in our hearts.

Let's send Kamala Harris and Tim Walsh.

to the White House Yes story Of my life and the history of our country is that.

Progress is possible but not guaranteed.

We have to fight for it and never ever give up.

There is always a choice.

Do we push forward or pull back?

Come together as we the people are split into us versus them.

That's the choice we face in this election.

W know her heart.

and her integrity.

We both got our start as young lawyers, helping children who were abused and neglected.

That kind of work changes a person.

Those kids stay with you.

Kamala carries with her the hopes of every child she protected every family she helped every community she served.

So as president, she will always have our backs.

And she will be a fighter for us.

She will fight to lower costs for hardworking families.

Open the doors wide for good paying jobs and yes, she will restore abortion rights nationwide.

a Prosecutor Pamela locked up murderers and drug traffickers.

She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety.

Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial and when he woke up, He made his own kind of history.

The first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.

As vice president As vice president Sad in the situation room.

We also know as Vice President Kamala.

Sad in the Situation Room and stood for America's values.

I know what it takes and I can tell you.

As commander in chief.

Kamala won't disrespect our military and our veterans.

She She reveres our Medal of Honor recipients.

She won't be sending love letters to dictators.

She will defend.

Democracy and our Constitution and will protect America from enemies, foreign and domestic.

Think about it.

The Constitution says, The president's job.

is to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

Those are the words of our founders.

Take care.

Just look at the candidates.

Covalent cares cares about kids and families, cares about America.

Donald only cares about himself.

Her first day in court.

Kamala said 5 words that still guide her.

Kamala Harris for the people.

That is something that Donald Trump will never understand.

So it is no surprise, is it, that he is lying about Kamala's record.

He's mocking her name and her laugh.

Sounds familiar.

But we have him on the run now.

So No matter what the polls say, we can't let up.

We can't get.

Driven down crazy conspiracy rabbit holes.

We have to fight for the truth.

We have to fight for Kamala as she will fight for us because you know what.

It still takes a village to raise a family.

Where Hey needs Every one of us.

Our energy, our talents, our dreams.

We're not just Electing a president, we're uplifting our nation.

We're opening the promise of America wide enough.

For everyone.

Together we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling.

And tonight Tonight so close to breaking through once and for all.

I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks and why it matters for each and every one of us.

What do I see?

I see freedom.

I see.

The freedom to make our own decisions about our health, Our lives, our loves, our families.

The freedom to work.

With dignity and prosper.

To worship as we choose or not.

You speak our mind Freely and honestly.

I see freedom from fear and intimidation from violence and injustice from chaos and corruption.

I see the freedom to look our children in the eye and say, in America you can go as far as your hard work and talent will take you and mean it.

And you know what, On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris, raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our My friends When a barrier falls for one of us, it falls, it falls and clears the way for all of us.

So for the next 78 days we need to work harder than we ever have.

We need to beat back the dangers that Trump and his allies pose to the rule of law and our way of life.

Don't get distracted or complacent.

Talk to your friends and neighbors.

Volunteer, be proud champions for the truth and for the country that we all love.

want I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here at this moment that we were here and that we We're with us every step of the way.

This is our time, America.

This is when we stand up.

when we break through.

Future is here.

De I think it's fair to say.

That we all stand on the shoulders of Hillary Clinton.

So I'm just checking.

Are you ready to join this fight yet?

OK That's the answer I was looking for, so I want you to text join to 30,330 and get involved.

Now What does fighting for the people exactly look like?

Let's go back to 2011 when Kamala Harris was Attorney General of California.

The housing crisis had devastated American families and the big banks had forced Californians out of their homes.

Well, Kamala Harris stood up to those banks, and she secured a $20 billion settlement for California families.

That is fighting for the people.

And that is something that our next speaker knows all about.

Please welcome the fearless fighter from South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you and good evening.

Thank you South Carolina.

Thank you.

4 years ago.

Americans were experiencing high anxieties.

And great uncertainties.

A deadly virus ranged.

Schools closed.

Businesses shuddered.

Donald Trump mismanaged the crisis from day one.

Looking out for himself.

Instead of the country.

The American people responded to the crisis in leadership.

By electing new leaders.

Thanks to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we reopened our schools.

Brought back our businesses and restored our faith in the American can do spirit.

Thanks to you.

Kamala We reduced the price of prescription drugs.

Prepared rose and bridges and replaced lead pipes.

Thanks to Joe and Kamala.

We are honoring our heroes in uniform and expanded benefits to over 1 million veterans.

Thanks to Joe and Kamala.

Make it in America is no longer just a slogan but a movement that is bringing millions of manufacturing jobs back to America.

For President Biden's lifetime of achievement.

In service of his country.

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.

I often say.

That we are but the sum of our experiences.

In the introduction of my memoir.

I wrote Oh my experiences.

Have not been pleasant.

But I consider all of them.

To be blessings.

So has been the case.

With Kamala Her experiences have prepared her for this moment.

Kamala Harris, is it true?

Battle tested leader.

A district attorney.

Attorney General, Senator, and vice president who gets things done.

Well, Donald Trump has been bragging about how he overturned world.

Carma has been fiercely advocating for the restsation of reproduction freedoms.

While Trump has been looking out for himself.

And it's billionaire buddies.

Kamala has been fighting to lower costs for all Americans.

And while Trump fall asleep plead ignorance of Project 2025.

Which in my opinion is Jim Crow 2.0.

Kamala has been offering the American people enlightened proposals and visionary leadership.

Having grown up in a postage.

I often look to the good book.

For understanding and guidance.

As 2 Corinthians in forms.

We are troubled On every side.

Yet not distressed.

We are perplexed.

But not in despair.

Persecuted But not forsaken.

Cast down but not destroyed.

Our great democracy has been tested.

And so has the basic goodness.

Of the American people.

But I'll resolve.

To remain a great country.

With freedom And justice for all will not falter.

We will continue.

Our march toward a more perfect union.

United In our common purpose.

And emboldened by our resolve to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walsh as the next president and vice president of these United States of America.

Thank you and God speak.

That was South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn there taking the stage.

The man who we should recall most singlehandedly turned around the presidential campaign of Joe Biden back in 2020 now making the case for the woman he hopes will succeed Biden in the White House.

Kamala Harris.

We're here with live PBS news coverage.

We have analysis and more in-depth remarks coming up.

But first we want to go back down to the floor.

Lavaone Lopez on the convention floor with a delegate.

Who are you with, Laura?

Jeff, hi, I'm here with Alec Hughes, 20 year old, a University of Michigan student.

Uh some of our viewers might be familiar with him because I sat down with him in Michigan a few months ago when Joe Biden was still the candidate in this race and so Alec, I wanted to start by asking you how have things changed on the ground in Michigan?

Yeah, well, speaking from personal experience, I mean, since the, since the ticket kind of changed hands from President Biden to Vice President Harris.

I've had a Almost an overflow of students messaging me personally whether it's, you know, incoming freshmen at the University of Michigan are people who who are about to enter their senior year tell me, how can I get involved?

What can I, what can I do to help the campaign?

Can I, you know, knock doors, call phones, and I mean, frankly, as far as I know, I don't think I've ever seen people get, you know, this excited looking forward this much to the semester while it's still, you know, still kind of the middle of the summer, so getting a ton of enthusiasm.

And so before that you were telling me that you and other students who were trying to Organize voters.

We're actually having trouble getting young voters to sign up and volunteer, right?

Yeah, I mean, definitely it's, I think it's a, it's a fair assessment to say with President Biden as the presumptive nominee with the um with the age issue, especially, it was hard to get students motivated, but now, now that it's switched over to Harris, people are more fired up than at least I think I've seen in my conscious life.

Are any of the uh young people that are signing up, have they told you if it's, you know, the first time they're really getting involved, I mean, or they may not going to vote at first and now they're deciding they are going to vote, absolutely we've had, we've had many students.

I mean, we have plenty of first time voters coming to campus as well.

People people were turning 18 even.

Some I know days before election day.

They are very much they're very much excited.

They're very much enthusiastic to get into it.

And one of the elements in Michigan when it comes to some of the voters is also the uncommitted movement and some of them are warning that they think that Harris still hasn't done enough to win their vote.

What are you hearing from people your age about the Israel Hamas war and the issues there and what they want to hear from Harris.

Yes, I mean, I think, you know, dialogue is really the only solution.

There's You know, we, we have meetings on campus every week.

We've had meetings in the past semester before the summer about the Israel-Palestine conflict and we've invited students from all across the spectrum to the table to talk, to have big discussions and I think it's, I think it's really been productive, but of course at the same time I think we really have to remember that there are multiple issues at stake here in this election and especially with, you know, as big of a tent we have at the Democratic Party, there's, whether it's climate change, whether it's, you know, defending democracy we have Issues all across the spectrum that are motivating people.

Thank you, Alec.

Well, Jeff, you heard it that Alex said that previously it was a lot harder to get young voters to even volunteer and then now they're getting a lot of attention on their campus at University of Michigan.

Baron Lopez.

Laura, thanks so much.

Let's return to our panel and welcome in our very own Judy Woodruff.

It's great to see you this evening.

Thank you.

It's great to be here, quite a, quite a lot of noise happening in this place indeed, indeed, and we should say that Amy Walter is still here with us alongside David Brooks and John.

Kart.

So Judy, reflect on all that we've heard this evening.

Well, uh, you have a fired up a group of delegates, and I don't remember the total count, but we know there are more delegates to a Democratic convention and there are to a Republican convention and they were making a lot of noise in Milwaukee.

I think it's fair to say there's even more of it tonight.

Um, I think you are seeing, I mean, we know this is the night to say thank you to Joe Biden for the uh the gesture that he made to take himself out of running for re-election.

We're going to hear from him in a little bit, um.

I think you're, you are watching, uh, the, the, the launch of uh what's going to be a fired up campaign.

I mean, you're seeing what we, what we didn't show just now, but what the audience has seen a little bit of is these very negative videos uh of zeroing in on Donald Trump, you know, painting the picture of a president who has convicted felon, and the rest of it, even talking about his, uh, accusations about sexual abuse Uh, it's been tough, um, but, but a lot of it, and we just heard this from Hillary Clinton is is pointing a finger at uh at what Kamal Harris can represent, and by the way, the Hillary Clinton, the fact that she's even here 8 years after she beat Donald Trump in the popular vote by 2% points, a lot of history there, um, I think you're, you know, you're seeing a uh an energetic kickoff to this campaign.

Did you reflect on that moment when Hillary Clinton came out because we saw Vice President Harris come out earlier and the room absolutely erupted.

It was a sustained standing ovation for Hillary Clinton from everyone in this room and there was a clear connective tissue being drawn in her remarks there, which went back even earlier to the legacy of President Biden and what we're going to hear from him.

This went back to her campaign.

She went back to Geraldine Ferraro.

She went back to Shirley Chisholm.l on on those remarks for and how they went over here.

Well, it went over big.

I mean, I don't know what the gender breakdown here is, uh, but everybody in this arena, I think it's fair to say, was cheering the Hillary Clinton message that, um, yes, women have tried, uh, and they've tried, a woman ran in '72, as you said, Jerry Ferraro was the was the vice presidential nominee, uh, but, and Hillary Clinton herself eight years ago, but she said finally the future is now.

Now it's time.

Let's go fight.

Let's go win this.

Um, I think, you know, it's fair to say there's still a number of Americans who are conflicted about whether they're going to vote for a woman, uh, in 2024, but if anybody is making the case for it, it is Hillary Clinton, and we're going to hear it.

We're certainly going to hear it tonight from Joe Biden and from and from Kamala Harris herself, uh, in 3 nights.

It's an interesting point because it strikes me that the speaker lineup tonight in particular really reflects the generations of pioneers who have.

break down barriers gender and even in terms of race, we didn't see him in prime time, but Jesse Jackson opened this convention tonight.

he appeared, he has Parkinson's, he didn't speak, but he ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination back in 1984, um, your great point about Hillary Clinton.

What's interesting to me is that Kamala Harris doesn't really speak openly about her historic potential in many ways you could argue because she doesn't have to because there are so many other Democrats who will do that for her and have that experience.

And you all talked about this earlier tonight.

This is a convention where you're seeing the whole of the Democratic Party.

I mean, going back, you know, former President Clinton is going to speak.

Former President Obama is going to speak unlike the Republican convention where you didn't see, it was as if it was, and I think one of you said this is the party of Trump.

I think Amy said it's not the party, the Republican Party that we've come to see at a convention.

This is a convention celebrating what Democrats stand for.

It's bringing Democrats together.

They're celebrating.

The history of what the party stands for.

They're not turning away from it, which is what you saw in Milwaukee.

That was a convention turning away from everything that the Republican Party was from Ronald Reagan, from George HW Bush, George W. Bush, who's still alive and who didn't show up at that convention.

This is an embracing, maybe not of everything Democrats have ever stood for, but certainly for a lot of what Democrats stood for and are standing for today.

There's a unity here at this.

Invention you didn't see and Jonathan, that unity is clearly directed.

At the Republican ticket, right, there it is Democrats unified against a Republican opponent here in the Trump vans ticket.

It also strikes me that they featured a number of speakers tonight, some of whom, like Representative Ocasio Cortez, who were really standing by President Biden up until the final moments that he decided to end his re-election bid.

Grace Meng among them as well.

She had used phrasing like she thought that he was being bullied to leave his re-election bid.

I wonder what you make of that, whether there's some intentional messaging.

Behind that too to say even whatever problems we have within the party, those are now gone.

We're all moving forward in the same direction, right?

That's that's exactly it, um what's interesting.

About this convention, and I mentioned this in Milwaukee.

That I found it interesting after going to 6 Republican conventions.

It was the first time I'd been in a hall and not heard we Republicans believe, are we the Republican Party or the Republican Party stands for this and here in Chicago, uh, Mayor Karen Bass came out and said, you know, hello Democrats, um, you've had uh Secretary Clinton came out and talked about, you know, we Democrats it is this thing where it's not about anyone.

Person it is about the party and what the party believes and what the party stands for and on top of that it is then opening opening their arms out to anyone out there who wants what the Democrats stand for what the Democrats want to push for.

In Milwaukee, it was the complete opposite they didn't care if you wanted to join, join their cult if you were for Donald Trump, hey, that's fine, but we're good without you.

And the message here on this very first night is we are, thank you Joe Biden, you did a wonderful thing.

We are now rallying around Kamala Harris and Tim Walls and just about every speaker, just about every speaker has said, but this is not going to be easy.

We must Come together and we must elect them.

The fight is on.

David building on Jonathan's point, is that because the draw for Republicans.

It is centered on personality, whereas for Democrats, personality, yes, but also policy, policy and a unifying principle.

Yeah, I don't, I don't agree with Jonathan on this one.

You know, we've got a country, let me, let me, I, I'm not sure I disagree, but let me make that counter case.

We've got a country that hates the two parties.

People are fleeing from the two parties in droves.

The number of independence is going up.

People want something different.

59% say the country is heading in the wrong direction.

Maybe it's higher, 70, 80, 80, a huge number of heading in the wrong direction.

So you could say the opposite case would be the Republican Party said, we hear you.

And we are totally revamping our party.

We're going to be a working class party.

We're going to have union leaders here on our first night and JD Vance is going to sort of represent something new and that first night of the Republican convention in Milwaukee, it was interesting.

It was sort of new and the Democrats could be saying we're just fine.

Uh, and we're going to take all the Democrats you've ever heard of, and they're just going to line up and they're going to speak it all out.

And we love our party, of course they do at conventions, people love their parties.

But if it's in a country where people are souring on the two parties, then it's at least somewhat problematic.

Now let me make a counterargument to what I just said, just to quote.

So you can't come back to climb down that's one that people really want change but they don't want to see the same old lineup of politicians.

And the other thing, going up through the last couple of Biden years, Biden was running behind, but there was this creature called generic democrat.

Who was doing well.

And it could be what the Democrats have said.

Let's get back to generic Democrats.

And we had it in 2022, we had it in 2020 just generic Democrat, the the Democrat that everybody sort of agrees with, and that's our anti-Trump wall.

So that would be the case for doing what they're doing, but I could see the country in a radical move, maybe don't run up your whole 30 years, your last whole party.

I can see making that piece.

I see you scribbling.

We'll come back to you in a second while we get your thoughts together, but I do want Judy, I want to get your take on some of this because we spoke about this a little bit earlier as well and actually with Anita Dunn when she was here too, former senior.

Advisor to President Biden now running a pro-Harris super PAC, um, but we talked about, you know, the fact that this is essentially Kamala Harris now becoming the default leader of the Democratic Party.

What does that mean for President Biden?

What kind of role does he have moving forward in some ways this is a party moving away from, from him and moving away from his generation.

Kamala Harris is 59 years old.

She's chosen a running mate who I think is just a few months older than she.

and Tim Walls.

It's a new generation.

No, they're not 20 year olds, but 20 some years younger than President Biden.

It is a different generation and we don't know everything she wants to be or do as president.

I mean, she's really only begun to fill in just the outline of what she's gonna, what she wants to represent, what she wants to say and do as president.

That's what we're all going to be listening to hear, uh, on Thursday night, so.

He's got a, you know, a fair amount of filling in to do, and there's an interesting debate going on right now among strategists about how much she ought to say.

It may be in her interest to say as little as possible, um, and the question is how much are voters going to demand or expect of her, but I think you're definitely turning the page.

I mean, to David's point, um, it's the Democratic Party, but it's, it's going to be the party that where Kamala Harris and Tim Walls take it if they are elected and we don't know.

There's a big question mark behind that door.

When you talk about that generational shift, can we talk about Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is what?

30 years younger than 50 years younger than Joe Biden, um, but who the, the elevate her elevation in evolution, I think, has been so striking because she has found a way to blend populism and pragmatism and blend protest and power, and she got one of the most like raucous receptions when she took the stage tonight.

I mean, Jonathan, what do you think of her just elevation, her arc and just the time that she's been elected.

She is that that brand of.

Politician that I find fascinating.

In this regard she was someone who was out there on the barricades, you know, protesting, and she ran against a, a, an entrenched con congressional Democratic veteran that she got tired of it and decided to just go and run.

It, I think she said in her speech she was surprised she won and if there's a video of her finding out watching the video that she had won the race to her own surprise.

What I find fascinating is that she was then able to take that protesters's energy.

And then translated into legislative power.

And not everyone who goes from the streets to the halls of power make it.

You, you look at um outgoing Congressman Corey Bush, uh, outgoing Congressman Jamal Bowman.

They What you do on the barricades doesn't necessarily work once you get in the halls of power and Congresswoman uh Ocasio-Cortez was very smart.

She got in there.

She, she did the work the 1st 2 years it was all over the place.

She gets reelected and then you almost didn't see her again.

Because she would put her head down and she did the work and she found herself some mentors.

In in the Democratic caucus who were willing to work with her and she was willing to listen to them and what's happened is you are seeing what we saw tonight was an incredibly effective speaker, someone who's popular within the party, but also someone who has a legislative track record that she can say like this is what I've done this is this is how you do it.

For all the leaders we've seen who occupy more senior ranks among among the caucus, of course we saw Congressman Clyburn and and Raskin and of course Secretary Clinton.

We're also seeing Amy sort of these rising stars of the party.

Jasmine Crockett on the stage right now among them, the congresswoman from Texas who has been one of the more vocal backers of the Harris Was campaign a vocal backer, but a vocal opponent of Donald Trump and other Republicans in Congress.

She has many viral moments.

Thanks to her uh comments both on the floor and in committee, um, can I just go back to Hillary Clinton for a second because I, I thought what is really fascinating is we're having this conversation about forwards, backwards, the party changing, not changing, so the last time I was here for a convention, it's 1996, Hillary Clinton is here, of course, as the first lady, um, thinking through what the Clinton administration was boasting about as they went into that re-election.

Democrats can't talk about any of that now, right?

We had a crime bill.

That there was the um don't ask, don't tell, right, think thinking about all the issues welfare reform, none of those things could make Anyone in this room happy, right?

No one could, could promote that.

20 years later she goes and gets the nomination, distancing herself from much of that.

And now here she is, just 8 years later pushing another woman forward to the job that she came this close to getting, so she just, I find her just as a sort of a fascinating example of a party that has moved and changed now she has stayed with it.

Through those changes there are others as we know, who were Democrats who are now moving into Republicans, those people, especially in small town rural America who have now shifted over to republicanism, but it's also a party here that has a lot of members that don't remember anything about and weren't.

Particularly excited about Voting for or supporting Hillary Clinton because they saw her as not part of the sort of leading edge.

Which Kamala Harris is able to embody.

So I find all of this is just.

Something of a uh uh just a a fascinating story of the Democratic Party where it's come, where it's going through just the arc.

Of Hillary Clinton and her role at all these conventions.

The only thing I would add an excellent point is that seeing these women who've been so demonized by the Republican Party.

Hillary Clinton, an object of more than scorn.

I mean she was Satan, Nancy Pelosi, we haven't seen her yet.

We'll see her later this week.

Certainly, uh, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demonized and they're doing it now to Kamala Harris.

I mean, the language.

Former President Trump is using to describe her in the last few days it just gets by the day it gets.

It gets darker and darker, um, so I'm reminded of, of how women in particular have been, uh, frankly characterized in a, in a really ugly ugly way by the other party.

I think it's something to think about.

I mean, I think about Republican women who haven't, I mean, I think of Elizabeth Dole, who ran for president back in the 90s and other, I don't remember the, the opposite thing happening, that what you I stand corrected if one of you can Sarah Palin, no thank you, Sarah Palin, uh yeah.

Um, it is, it is, it does, it does raise an interesting point which you flicked out earlier and I think we were all sort of hovering around as well, which is Amy so eloquently navigated the arc of just Hillary Clinton's career over these last 20 odd years.

The question still remains in 2024 is America ready to elect a woman president.

Hillary Clinton would say, I did get the votes, popular votes.

It's just that that doesn't count in our electoral system, which is increasingly moving in the Republican direction.

Kamala Harris though benefit from this shortened campaign because it makes it harder to define her negatively when you only really have 80 days.

Left in less than 80 days left in the calendar and they are really that's what the Trump campaign has been doing pretty they've been kind of trying different things.

They haven't really zeroed in exactly uh found that perfect message, but they seem to be honing in on that, which is connect her as much as possible to Biden, make her just as responsible for what's happened on the economy, what's happened on the border as as Biden and then, you know, basically.

Call her just uh too liberal, much more liberal than Biden, so that she's going to take the country if she does take it in a different direction than Biden.

It's going to be.

Much more to the left, um, but as we've discussed over and over again.

Even though the messaging from the campaign has been Focused the ads go right at that.

The candidate himself.

Not as much.

I think what's also really important is that you know Trump is very well defined and so, and she's not so if indeed this election is about.

Trump and the things that people remember about Donald Trump that they don't like.

She has.

That uh.

Ability to win.

And we're at a point now in the program where I just want to note what's happening on the stage.

They're featuring everyday Americans who've been impacted by restrictions on abortion access in different parts of the country.

We'll dip into that in just a moment, but David, this is a great chance to bring you in on this because it does beg the question of how much of an issue this one issue will continue to be in this upcoming election.

We saw the impact that having abortion access on the ballot had in the midterms in 2022.

We know Democrats are working hard to get it on the ballot in a number of states and it is so in a number of key battleground states already, and Republicans don't really have a unified message around it, certainly not the presidential candidate in Donald Trump.

How much of an impact are our stories like this on stage right now and this issue going to have.

Yeah, there are very few elections that are provable vote getters, and this is a provable look cutter.

And so one of the things that's interesting to me about the party, I thought the two best speeches today so far were AOC and Sean Fay, the UAW leader, and they were pretty rip roaring left wing populist speeches are taking on corporate greed.

This is that party, Young Progressive unions, that's part of this party, but this is also a suburban well educated, affluent party.

Oh, I would say mostly a suburban, well educated, and the abortion.

It was an issue that really mobilizes people, I mean across, but especially in that demographic.

And so somehow you've got to be both those things, both those parts of the party, and I would say so far, Harris, it's probably correctly dovetailing to issues like abortion, uh, child care, family paid leave, because frankly, the AOC that wing as much as I find it very energizing.

Does it play in suburban Arizona, doesn't play in suburban Michigan.

I'm not quite sure.

I, I think.

She's safer to go with these core issues that are just proven winners for the Democrats.

There was that one line that we heard from the congresswoman where she said, Kamala Harris is for the middle class because she's from the middle class.

That could, that could resonate with those, with those voters that you're talking about.

It could, absolutely though I've probably heard that at every Democratic convention in my lifetime, so, um.

Jonathan weigh in on this issue for us the vice president is from the middle class.

I mean we've seen, we've seen the videos and I've seen the pushback on that.

It's like, but, you know, one parent was a Stanford professor and the other and was a cancer researcher.

Does that make someone automatically wealthy, not in the middle class?

No, it just means that they have a, a fancy job that, you know, does perhaps some important things, especially the cancer researcher, but I, I think.

That you know using that as a knock against her.

I just, I don't know if it's gonna work just like I don't think Republicans tired attack that oh they're liberals or oh they're socialists.

I'm not sure that's going to work and back to David something you said before, this is what I was scribbling before when David, you were saying that the generic Democrat, um, back in, in the midterms, well, maybe the generic Democrat was winning back then.

Because abortion was an issue then and abortion is an issue that we're seeing is is effective and effective issue across the political spectrum if Ruby Red Kansas can enshrine abortion rights in its constitution, then that should have been the signal right then and there to Republicans.

You've got a problem and instead.

They're continuing to drive this issue.

There's a reason why this is a ballot initiative um on I think it's 8 states now, as you said in key battleground states and we will see in November if Republicans, you know, what's the, what's the phrase reap the whirlwind or the whirlwind by getting rid of Roe v. Wade.

Well, former President Trump's trying to walk away from the issue, saying he doesn't.

Have a strong he doesn't isn't pushing a national ban, uh, uh, on abortion that he's happy to leave it up to the states.

He's trying to walk away from it, but, but, but his party and, you know, 99, I don't know what percent, but a big portion of the Republican Party, certainly what we heard at the Republican convention, um, is, you know, they are not happy with the, with even with the Dobbs decision, they want to go farther.

Yeah, one thing you know they say that, um, you know, oh no, no, no, don't worry, there won't be a national abortion ban.

There won't be a national abortion ban.

They can effectively put one in place without ever sending legislation to his desk by enforcing the Comstock Act from the 1800s, which is a bill that a law that no one's bothered to enforce, but if Donald Trump is elected, he's going to put in someone in the Justice Department who's going to suddenly decide, well, it's the law of the land, so we Must enforce it.

There is where you get your national abortion ban.

You know what's interesting too if you are uh looking at the down ballot races and what Republicans are advertising on right now in so many of these states, key battleground states.

Republicans are playing defense on abortion.

They're bringing their wives to camera.

They're talking about, well, I didn't really, I'm not really what you think I am.

I'm actually more moderate on this issue for the Carolina did that.

Well, Mark Robinson, who's been the most extreme on that issue, but we've seen it in Nevada.

We're seeing it in New Hampshire where it, you know, again, you know.

What the other parties, whatever party is thinking by watching what they're putting on TV and the fact that they are now talking defensively about abortion here in late August of an election year tells you that they still see that as a liability.

Now for Trump the benefit he does have, at least what we've seen in polling is that people don't necessarily see him as tied to the Extreme elements as some of these Senate candidates.

House candidates, so in that way, um, you know, it may be easier for Trump who has said, oh, I don't think abortion is a big issue in this election.

It's not going to be a big issue.

He may get something of a pass in a way that those other Republican down ballot candidates don't.

Let's return now to the convention stage because Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is set to speak.

He was on the vice presidential short list.

Here he is now.

Hadley Duvall is one of the bravest people I've ever met.

I'm amazed at the courage it takes to share her pain, to share her truth.

Yet Donald Trump brags about tearing a constitutional right away from Hadley and every other woman and girl in our country.

That's why we must tear away any chance he can ever be president ever again.

In 21 states Trump's actions have resulted in extreme bans on abortion in my state.

Even in cases of rape, incest, and non-viable pregnancies.

That leaves 12 year old girls like Hadley with no options.

That fails any test of humanity.

Any test of basic decency.

Any test of whether you have any underlying empathy.

Thankfully this extremism is being soundly rejected all over our country.

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 5% points.

This November we're going to beat them again.

El Kamala Harrison Tim Walsh and protect reproductive freedom.

Folks Donald Trump appointed the Supreme Court justices who got us into this mess.

His project 2025 goes even further.

Here's the thing, Trump and Vance simply don't believe in your freedom.

Trump says people are absolutely thrilled that women had their basic rights eliminated.

JD Vance says women should stay in violent marriages and that pregnancies resulting from rape.

are simply inconvenient.

Their policies give rapists more rights than their victims.

That's not inconvenient.

It's just plain wrong.

And a woman grieving, a non-viable pregnancy shouldn't be required to carry it to term just to listen to her child die.

Or to hear no sound at all.

All women should have the freedom to make their own decisions.

Freedom over their own bodies, freedom about whether to pursue IVF freedom about whether to have children at all.

How we treat people transcends party lines.

It goes right to the heart of who we are.

My faith teaches me the golden rule that I am to love my neighbor as myself in the parable of the Good Samaritan says we are all each other's neighbors.

So I want anyone watching tonight, Republican, independent, Democrat, to know that you are welcome here.

We believe in America where we live out our values and anger politics once and for all.

And move beyond this us versus them by remembering we are all Americans.

That's how Joe Biden and Kamala Harris lead.

They both called to ask how they could help Kentucky in recovering from natural disasters.

They helped us improve our roads, our bridges, and invested in our people.

They didn't ask me who Kentuckians voted for.

They asked me what Kentuckians needed and folks they delivered.

Kamala Harris gets it.

She knows we must move beyond anger, extremism, and division that everyone has dignity and deserves respect.

America We're going to win.

And we're going to win by staying true to our values of compassion, empathy, and doing right by our neighbors.

I'm so proud to be all in for the next president of the United States, Kamala Harris.

Thank you.

Vice President Harris they're watching on as Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky wrapped up his remarks here on the Democratic National Convention staged night one here in Chicago.

Our Laura Barone Lopez has been down on the convention floor talking to delegates, getting their reaction to the speakers all night.

Laura, give us a sense of the mood in the crowd now.

We've got a few more speakers to go and of course the headliner tonight, President Biden still to come.

That's right, Ana.

Look, some of the biggest applause lines tonight other than when Kamala Harris came out herself, which the room, the whole arena just lit up when she came out, but it was when Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, was speaking.

Dele delegates and everyone here in the arena really just got on their feet and were extremely excited to listen to Hillary Clinton and she delivered some of the biggest applause lines of the night, especially when she was talking more forward looking, saying that people that Kamala Harris.

Would move the country forward, specifically for people interested in protecting reproductive rights and after her then some of the biggest applause lines came during Alexandria Acasio-Cortez's speech, especially as she was talking about Kamala Harris fighting for the middle class and really trying to draw that contrast between Donald Trump and Harris when it comes to fighting for everyday Americans on the economy and pointing out that Harris is going to really try to hit you know.

More affordable whether it's housing or also other consumer goods.

What Laura, can I follow up on that in the moment when Secretary Clinton was speaking because she had a line in there about working towards something that we have worked towards and dreamed of for a long time.

The subtext there, of course, was that she was on the cusp of becoming the first female president of the United States.

Here Democrats are again trying to elect another woman and I just wonder for the women around you in the room there, how lines like that resonated.

Well, it really resonated with them, and one thing I've been asking people here tonight as well as in the lead up to this convention, specifically women, uh, delegates, women, uh, across the Democratic Party as well as women voters is whether or not they think that the country is ready for a woman president, let alone a woman who is black and South Asian, and a lot of them believe that the country is ready despite the fact that in 2016 Hillary Clinton lost and despite the fact that they are well aware of the fact that Donald Trump has made repeated attacks questioning Kamala Harris's black identity, talking about her appearance and her, her, her looks and talking about that a lot repeatedly on the campaign trail, Trump has done.

Despite all of that, the women that I talked to say that they think that it's time for a woman president and that they think that because of the issues that she is running on, be it reproductive health care, and abortion rights, as well as protecting democracy.

That they think that she could actually win this.

Laura, what does the, how is the Harris campaign viewing this because we were talking earlier and I made the point that Vice President Carris herself doesn't often speak publicly about her own historic potential being the first woman elected, the first black and South Asian woman elected, in large part because there are other Democrats who will tell that story for her.

How is the campaign thinking about approaching that?

Well, they're thinking about it a lot the way you just referred to it, Jeff, which is that it's self-evident.

You look at Kamala Harris and you see that she is black and she is South Asian and she is a woman, and so they really feel as though the people in the campaign that I talked to that it speaks for itself and that ultimately she should be talking about the issues, the ones that they think are the most salient with voters, the ones that they think will get voters out and prior to even being the nominee, as you all know, she was the campaign's main voice on abortion, and that's something.

She's leaned into even more than President Joe Biden did because of the fact that he wasn't as comfortable talking about abortion when he was president and even prior to becoming president and so they really view it as other people can talk about that.

And when I was talking to some voters here in Chicago, uh, Prior to the convention kicking off.

They also said some black women voters that I spoke to said that they don't think that Harris needs to address it directly that they see it in her and they also like the fact that just by seeing her running, they feel as though they're heard more and that there's someone now at the top of the ticket that, uh, truly embodies who they are and the types of experiences that they've had.

Laura, this is very much a convention to elect Kamala Harris, right?

This is why the Democrats have gathered here, but we know the focus for tonight.

We've heard from so many speakers as well say thank you to the current sitting president Joe Biden.

I'm curious among any of the delegates, folks down there on the floor that you've talked to, what are they saying about what they want to hear from President Biden tonight?

Well, they want President Biden to basically have his time in the spotlight and so that they want to hear President Biden talk about What he was able to do during his time in office and it may not have been as long as he wanted.

We know that even towards the end when uh when he was making this decision to drop out of the race that he was really thinking even up until the end that he could actually win in November, but that ultimately as people were coming to him across the party saying that they thought that he could hurt their down ballot chances, he decided it was time to step back, but they also want to hear him talk about why exactly.

Why he thinks Harris is a good person to hand this off to why he thinks she can win.

Who, who, uh, and the arguments that they're hoping that she will make to the American public.

Do we know Laura, how the campaign intends to sort of leverage President Biden as a surrogate in the weeks in the weeks to come.

I know after he speaks tonight he goes to a long planned family trip in California.

What comes after that?

Well, they do expect to have him out on the campaign trail, and we saw a little bit of this a week or so ago, Jeff, where our Harris went out onto the campaign trail with President Biden specifically to speak to some older voters in a swing state, and so they really could leverage him and they talk about doing this when speaking to senior voters, older voters, because of the fact that as a lot of the different voting blocks within the Democratic coalition, we're starting to pull away from Joe Biden.

Uh, Latino voters, young voters, one of the voting blocks that stuck with him were senior voters, and so that is especially an area where they think that they could utilize him as well as Republican voters.

There were a lot of Republican voters who were disenchanted with their party who were voting based on things like January 6th and their fears that Trump was going to terminate the Constitution, which Donald Trump had said that he thought should be done and that those voters were rallying behind Joe Biden this time around.

And one of the big questions is whether or not they would also rally around Kamala Harris, and so those are the kinds of voters also that Joe Biden could be used to speak to on the campaign trail.

That is our Laura Bro Lopez reporting live from the convention floor here in Chicago.

Laura, thank you folks for keeping an eye on the stage as well as Georgia Senator Rafael Warnock is speaking, but back up here in our booth, Amy, I'd love to bring you in on this point.

Laura was just touching on, which is to say you would expect the sitting current president to be able to go out and campaign for Vice President Harris when you look at the races at stake right now, where could President Biden make the most Difference.

Where could he have an impact that that helps Paris and also could help down ballot?

Pennsylvania I guess that's quite a challenging question to answer because He is Simply much more unpopular right now than Harris is in both the national.

Polling and in those different states.

Now there is something to be said about a Joe Biden going to Scranton.

And Joe Biden going home and making the case for Harris in those places where she's not as well known where he had, uh, you know, sort of a trusted brand.

At the same time, even in Pennsylvania, you know, you look at where he was polling a month ago, where she is now, he was 4 or 5 points down.

She's tied to a point or so ahead.

So again this is like this awkward dance we're gonna be talking about a lot of being close to President Biden.

Being uh supportive of the president.

He's still the sitting president.

And yet Making sure her her biggest asset right now, which she has to continue to lean into is I am turning the page.

I am a new generation.

How to do that is is complicated, which is hard to do in large part because if you look at the policy, she rolled out this past weekend, many of them build on Joe Biden's ideas and they were crafted by Biden advisors and her team is you can't be not.

Part of the administration.

I think she's trying to distance herself.

Let's be clear from the administration, she's not saying I am absolutely 180 degree difference from the person that I ran with and served as the vice president, but campaigning is a totally different story.

You are still governing together.

That doesn't mean that you're going to take him out on the trail in the same way you would bring some of these voices that are up right now.

Rahael Warnock to campaign with her in Georgia.

Probably going to be a better surrogate.

Then the current president, Judy, it's such a delicate tightrope to walk here, right?

I would venture to say without Hearing this directly from anybody that one thing that the Harris campaign would love is if President Biden would bring home a ceasefire in the Middle East right now between Gaza and Israel, and we know that Secretary of State Blinken is over there right now working with Netanyahu.

The reporting is that former President Trump is on the phone with the Prime Minister of Israel urging him not to cut a deal right now because that is, it's believing.

That would help the Harris campaign, so I don't know uh where, where that, I don't know, who knows whether that will come about or not.

But I have to think that um the Harris campaign would like for President Biden to do what presidents do, which is work on that one, and maybe there's some other domestic issues that, you know, they'd like to see come home.

David, there is this um this moment here, this tension where really the successes of President Biden can become the successes of Vice President Harris, but she has the ability to distance herself if she chooses to from the challenges or the perceived failures of this president as she runs her campaign moving forward.

I mean, vice presidents have a very mixed record running for the office to be president and President Mondale, President Gore, I think even Mike Pence ran an alleged campaign for president, which Go very far.

So it's, it is a tricky dance.

Hubert Humphrey really struggled with getting sucked into the Lyndon Johnson Vietnam War, and he never got out of it.

Uh, but one thing I think Donald Trump, I mean, Joe Biden can really help her.

Anita Dunn said something very interesting here, which was she used to decide which direction she wants to take America forward.

What exactly does that mean?

And if Anita Dunn doesn't know, well, none of the rest of us are going to know, but she has to fill that in and I think she has to fill it in with policies and one way Joe Biden can help, and of course it didn't help him defend himself, but I could say I brought you the chips out.

That micron plant you like, I helped bring that.

The Intel plant you like, I helped bring that the infrastructure bill.

I helped bring that, so he does bring a lot of policy chops, and he could say this is what the Democratic Party has been doing for you and maybe you didn't like it for me because I'm old, he's not gonna phrase it that way, maybe, but, but this is where we're headed as a party, and here are the next steps, and then Kamel Harris.

here 6 here is step 678, and 9 and 10.

And that's what moving forward looks like.

She still has to fill in that what is moving forward.

Jonathan, what do you think that would look like if she were to stake out her own ground on some, some issues where there is daylight between how she sees things and how the former or the current president uh does well I'm, I'm sort of curious to to know where that daylight is.

I mean, it's the Biden Harris administration, um, and in some ways, you know, they are.

on a whole hell of a lot, I think what we will see is a tonal difference and an emphasis difference we're seeing it in how they both go about excuse me, talking about the Israel Hamas war where You know, the vice president in all of her comments.

Policy wise they are in lockstep, but emphasis she always makes a point of talking about um the losses among the um the Palestinians in Gaza and the need for humanitarian aid and assistance, and I think that's where we will see changes um between her and him.

I mean, if you're the vice president of the United States, and you've got this economy, why would you run away from the president?

I mean On paper by the numbers by the stats.

It's an incredible economy that what we have seen her say on the campaign trail is things are great, but not everyone is feeling it, and that's what we have to take care of.

Let's go back to the convention stage as the Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock is wrapping up his speech here.

We expect Democratic Senator Chris Coons to speak next, one of President Biden's closest confidants confidants in the Senate, and that should put us on a glide path to President Biden himself later this evening.

Good evening folks.

Good evening America.

Good evening Chicago.

Are there any Democrats in the room tonight?

Folks, we are on the verge of making history.

We are on the verge of an historic election.

And I want to talk with you for just a few minutes.

About my dear friend, our president Joe Biden.

Joe Biden's mom had a saying.

You are defined by your courage.

And you are redeemed by your loyalty.

4 years ago I had the honor of helping introduce Joe Biden to our national convention.

I spoke about Joe's faith.

His love of family.

His determination to restore the soul of our nation.

Back in 2020.

America was nearly flat on our back.

From a deadly pandemic.

An economic collapse.

And then in January an assault on our democracy.

All of us.

All of this Because the drama and chaos of our former president had knocked us down.

But folks Joe Biden's courage.

Joe Biden's faith in us.

Joe Biden's determination to heal the soul of our nation gave us hope.

And gave us confidence.

Someone who has himself.

Be knocked down by life.

Time and again.

Joe Biden knows the grit and determination of the American people.

He believed in us.

And Joe Biden helped us get back up again.

Using the incredible skills he developed in many years in the US Senate.

Joe got passed and signed into law the most consequential legislation of any president in 60 years.

Helping our veterans.

Advancing gun safety.

Cutting prescription drug prices.

Fighting climate change.

Rebuilding bridges and broadband.

Bringing manufacturing back to America together Joe and Kamala helped rebuild our economy.

From the middle up From the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down.

And they made our families safer.

And our country stronger at home and abroad.

Today We are so much better off.

Because they believed in us.

In our democracy.

And our incredible first Lady Jill Biden.

are incredible first lady Jill Biden.

are incredible first lady Jill Biden.

Was at Joe's side every step of the way.

Fighting for education.

Advancing the cancer moonshot determined to improve women's health care, honoring military families.

Joe and Jill together, you have done so much for us.

And there's so much more you will do and we can do together.

Mr. President, Thank you Thank you For elevating a great leader in Kamala Harris.

Vice President Harris.

Thank you.

For choosing a great running mate with a heart for the middle class like yours.

In Sergeant.

Congressman, coach.

Governor Tim Walls.

I have hope Do you I have hope.

Do you?

How do you And It is in no small part.

Because of Joe Biden.

I have never known.

A more compassionate man.

Then Joe Biden.

I have never known a man who has taken from his own loss and his own faith and delivered so much for the future of so many others.

Mr. President.

Mr. President.

You were my senator as a Delawarean.

You are my president as an American.

And you will always be my friend.

On behalf of our nation, Joe.

For your courage in fighting for our democracy.

We thank you On behalf of our Democratic Party.

For your loyalty in fighting for our democratic values, we thank you.

And on behalf of Delaware, Thank you, Joe, and God bless you.

We love you.

We love Joe.

We love Joe.

We love Joe.

We love you.

Thank you all, we love Joe.

God bless you and thank you very much.

Hi, I'm Vivian Werewell, and I'm a 4th grade student at Kristen McAuliffe.

I've been bouncing around all week excited for this moment.

And last night I could barely sleep.

I remember the day that we heard that President Biden had won and the whole neighborhood started celebrating, so when I heard you were coming, I really wanted to meet you.

I adore you because you embrace change from my generation.

And the ones to come, I look up to you.

Now it is my honor to introduce our first lady, Doctor Jill Biden.

Please welcome First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden.

Thank you.

Thank you Thank you so much.

Love you too.

Joe and I have been together for almost 50 years.

And still There are moments when I fall in love with him all over again.

Like when I handed him our baby Ashley for the first time and saw this smile that lit up his face.

Or on nights after an exhausting day in working in the Senate when he would read one more bedtime story just because the kids asked.

When he stops on a rope line because he sees someone grieving, who needs to know that everything is going to be all right one day.

Or to encourage that child with a stutter to find the confidence she needs.

Those moments when I'm reminded of all he's accomplished in the name of something bigger than himself.

Receiving the Medal of Freedom with humility.

Placing his hand on our family Bible to take his oath of office.

And weeks ago when I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.

With faith and conviction, Joe knows that our nation's strength.

Doesn't come from Intimidation or cruelty.

It comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds from service to the communities that make us who we are.

From love of a country that shines with promise and renewal.

Kamala Harris knows that too.

Our son Vau first worked with Kamala when he was Attorney General of Delaware.

told me 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.

Kamala And Tim, you will win.

And Inspiring a new generation.

We are all part of something bigger than ourselves and we are stronger than we know.

The future of our country is in the hands of those in this room and all of you watching at home.

It's going to take all of and we can't afford to lose.

With faith in each other.

Hope for a brighter future and love for Our country, we will fight and we will win together.

You Please welcome first daughter Ashley Biden.

Good evening.

I have this memory.

It's the eve of my 8th birthday.

Dad is still in DC, tending to urgent matters in the Senate.

That night, as a surprise, mom told me, Beau and Hunter to get in the car.

I remember pulling up to the Wilmington Amtrak station, riding up the escalator to the platform.

The train stops.

Doors open and dad steps out.

As soon as I saw him, I run down that platform and jump into his arms.

Like magic, mom brought out a cake.

They sang Happy Birthday and I blew out the candles.

Dad hugged me and he said that he had to get back to work.

He crossed to the southbound train and off he went to DC.

That was a snapshot.

Of one moment.

Of one day On this extraordinary journey of being Joe Biden's daughter.

Joe Biden is the OG girl dad.

He told me I could be anything and I could do anything.

As a child, I would sit on the leather chair in his office doing my homework, and he would sit next to me doing his work.

Drafting the violence against Women Act.

And he wasn't just a girl dad.

I could see.

And he wasn't just a girl dad.

I could see that he valued and trusted women.

How he listened to his mother how he believed in his sister, and most of all, how he respected my mother's career.

Dad was always there doing everything he could to be a true partner to her.

Dad, you always tell us, but we don't tell you enough that you are the love of our lives and the life of our love.

I had my wedding reception in my parents' backyard.

At the time, my dad was vice president.

But he was also that dad who literally set up the entire reception.

He was riding around in his John Deere 4 wheeler fixing the place settings, arranging the plants, and by the way, he was very emotional.

I thought that I would be a mess, but he was the one crying.

And I was the one who had to comfort him.

Before he walked me down the aisle, he turned to me and said that he would always be my best friend.

All these years later, Dad, you are still my best friend.

His example in service inspired my career.

I'm a social worker in Philadelphia.

I support formally incarcerated women as they heal from past trauma and they reclaim their lives.

Dad always told me that I was no better than anybody else and nobody was better than me.

He taught me that everyone deserves a fair shot and that we shouldn't leave anyone behind.

That's what you learn from a fighter who has been underestimated his entire life.

When I look at Dad, I see grace, strength, and humility.

I see one of the most consequential leaders ever in history.

And I also know.

That he never stops thinking about you.

About your dreams about your dignity, about your opportunities about your family.

Dad knows that family is everything.

When Hunter and I lost our brother Beau to cancer in 2015.

The grief and the pain felt like it might never end.

Dad had the capacity to step out of his own pain and absorb ours.

And I know that Beau is here with us tonight as he is always with us.

After vote passed, I got this tattoo on my wrist.

It says courage, dear heart.

A reminder to myself to keep going, to get back up like my dad has always done.

He has taught me that a courageous heart is a miraculous thing.

A courageous heart can heal a family.

A courageous heart can heal a nation and maybe even the world.

And now this election requires the courageous hearts of all of us.

In 2020 my dad selected Kamala Harris to beat Donald Trump.

And he knows in 2024 she will beat Donald Trump again.

So tonight I am asking you if you stood with us in 2020, call upon your courageous heart.

Stand with us today.

Work harder than you have ever worked before in your life.

This is the fight of our lifetime, our freedom, our democracy, our reproductive rights.

All of this, all of it is on the ballot.

And I know together we can do this because my dad helped show us the way.

And now I would like to introduce my father you're 46th president of the United States.

Jo No Thank you Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Yeah Thank you.

Yeah Thank you, thank you, thank you.

That was my daughter.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for I'll tell you what, To my dearest.

Daughter Ashley.

God love you, you're incredible.

Thank you for the introduction.

And for me my courageous heart.

Along with Hunter and our entire family.

And especially our rock.

Jill, For those of you who know us.

She still leaves me both breathless and speechless.

Everybody knows her.

I love her more than she loves me.

He walks down the stairs and I still get that going boom boom boom boom.

Y'all will know me know I'm kidding.

Let's give a special round of applause to our First Lady Jill Biden.

My dad My dad used to have an expression for real.

He'd say, Joey.

Families to be getting.

The middle and the end.

And I love you all.

Oh And America I love you.

Wols Let me ask you.

Let me ask you.

are ready to vote for freedom?

Are ready to vote for democracy and for America.

Let me ask you, Are ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walsh.

My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans.

Nearly 4 years ago.

In winter On the steps of the Capitol on a cold January day.

I raised my right hand.

And I swore an oath.

To you and to God.

To preserve Protect And defend the Constitution.

And the faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States.

In front of me.

In front of me was a city surrounded.

By the National Guard.

Behind me, A capital.

There's 2 weeks before.

I've been overrun by a violent mob.

But I knew then.

From the bottom of my heart that I do now.

There is no place in America for political violence.

None.

You cannot Say you love your country only when you win.

In that moment I wasn't looking to the past.

I was looking to the future.

I spoke with the work at hand.

The moment we had to meet.

It was as I told you then.

A winter of peril and possibility.

Apparel And possibility We're in the grip Of a once in a century pandemic.

Historic joblessness.

A call for racial justice long overdue.

Where And present threats to our very democracy.

Thank you Yeah Now I believe then.

And I believe now.

The progress was and is possible.

Justice is achievable.

And our best days are not behind us.

They're before us.

Now it's summer.

The winner has passed.

And with a grateful heart.

I stand before you now.

On this August night to report.

That democracy has prevailed.

Democracy Democracy has delivered.

And now democracy must be preserved.

You've heard me say it before.

We're facing an inflection point.

One of those rare moments in history.

When the decisions we make now.

will determine the fate of our nation and the world.

For decades to come.

That's not hyperbole.

I mean it literally.

We're in a battle for the very soul of America.

I ran for president in 2020.

Because of what I saw in Charlottesville.

In August of 2017.

Extremists Coming out of the woods.

Carrying torches.

The veins bulging.

From their necks Carrying Nazi swastikas.

And changing the same exact anti-Semitic bio.

That was heard in Germany in the early 30s.

Neo-Nazis.

White supremacists.

The Ku Klux Klan.

So emboldened by a president then in the White House.

that they saw as an ally.

They didn't even bother to wear their hoods.

Has on the march in America.

All ghosts And new garments.

Stirring up the oldest divisions.

Stoy, the oldest fears.

Give me oxygen.

the oldest forces.

That their long sought to tear apart America.

In the process, a young woman was killed.

I contacted the mother asked about What happened, she told me.

When the president was asked What he thought had happened, Donald Trump said, and I quote, There are very fine people on both sides, my God.

That's what he said.

That is what he said and what he meant.

That's when I realized.

had listened to the admonition of my dead son.

I could not stay on the sidelines.

So I ran.

Because I had no intention of running again.

I just lost part of my soul.

But I ran with a deep conviction.

In America.

I know and believe.

And an America where honesty Dignity Decency still matter.

And America Where everyone has a fair shot and hate has no safe harbor.

In America Well, the fundamental creed of this nation.

That all of us are created equal.

is still very much alive.

And a broad coalition of Americans joined with me.

81 million voters voted for us.

Time of history Because of all of you in this room and others, we came together in 2020 to save democracy.

As your president, I've been determined.

To keep America moving forward.

Not going back.

To stand against hate and violence in all its forms.

To be a nation.

Where we not only live with but thrive on diversity.

Demonizing no one.

Leaving no one behind.

And becoming a nation that we profess to be.

I also ran.

To rebuild the backbone of America.

The middle class.

I made a commitment to you.

That I be a president for all Americans.

Whether you voted for me or not.

We have done that.

Studies show.

The major bills we have passed actually delivered more to red states than blue.

Because the job of the president is delivered to all.

Of America Because of you.

And I'm not exaggerating because of you.

We've had one of the most extraordinary 4 years of progress ever.

area I say we, I mean come on me.

Let's think about it.

COVID no longer controls our lives.

We've gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the entire world.

16 million new jobs.

Record small business growth.

Record high stock market record high 401ks.

Wages up and inflation down way down and continuing to go down.

The smallest Racial wealth gap in 20 years.

And yes We both know we have more to do.

But we're moving in the right direction.

More Americans have peace of mind.

It comes from having health insurance.

More Americans.

have health insurers today than ever before in American history.

And after As a young senator beginning to fight.

You're got in a fight for 50 years to give Medicare.

The power to negotiate low prescription drug prices.

We finally beat big pharma.

And guess who cast the tiebreaking vote.

Vice president soon to be President Kamala Harris.

And now it's the law of the land.

Instead of paying $400 a month for insulin and seniors with diabetes will pay $35 a month.

The law we passed already includes started in January.

Every senior's total prescription cost can be capped at $2000 no matter how expensive the drugs they have.

And we don't focus on and our Republican friends don't seem to understand.

Our forums don't just save seniors' money.

They save the American taxpayers' money.

You know what we just passed saves.

It saved $1600 billion.

Over the next decade.

It's not hyperbole.

is because Medicare no longer has to pay those exorbitant prices.

To the Big Pharma.

Look Oh Thank you Carel too.

Look Fools How can we have the strongest economy in the world.

Without the best infrastructure in the world.

Donald Trump Promised infrastructure Week.

Every week for 4 years.

And he never built a damn thing.

But now because of common I've done.

Remember we were told we couldn't get it done.

Remember when we came into office, we couldn't get anything passed.

But right now we're giving America an infrastructure decade, not we.

We're modernizing.

Our roads, our bridges, our ports, our airports, our trains, our buses.

Removing every lead pipe from schools and homes, so every child could drink clean water.

We're ridding affordable high-speed internet.

For every American, no matter where they live, unlike, not unlike, but Roosevelt did with electricity.

And so much more.

We are united the country.

We're growing our economy.

We're improving our quality of life.

And we're building a better America.

Because that's who we are.

How can we be the strongest nation in the world.

Without leading the world in science and technology.

After years, 40 90% of our semiconductor chips from abroad.

Which America invented that those chips.

Our chips and Science Act.

And the private coming from around the world.

are now investing literally 10s of billions of dollars.

To build new chip factories right here in America.

And over that period they'll create tens of thousands of jobs.

And many of those jobs in the so-called fabs, the buildings that make the chips.

That's been constructed now.

And guess what?

The average salary in those fives.

Size of a football field.

will be over $100,000 a year and you don't need a college degree.

Because of you and so many electors out there.

American manufacturing is back.

Were he to say we wouldn't lead the world in manufacturing.

800,000 new manufacturing jobs.

Our Republican friends and others.

Made sure they go abroad to get the cheapest labor.

We used to import products and export jobs.

Now we export American products and great American jobs.

Yeah For jobs belong.

With every new job.

With every new factory.

Pride and hope.

is being brought back to communities.

Throughout the country that were left behind, you know you're from them, many of you.

You know what it's like when that factory closed or your mother, your father, your grandmother, grandfather worked.

And now you're back.

Providing once again proving Wall Street didn't build America.

The middle class build America and unions, unions built the middle class.

It's been my view since I came to the Senate.

That's why I'm proud.

They have been the first president to walk a picket line.

And belego.

Most pro-union president in history, and I accept it.

It's a fact Because the unions do well, we all do well.

You got it, man.

You got it.

I agree.

I'm proud Look Memory told we couldn't get anything done because of the We couldn't get anything done in the Congress, but with your support, We passed the most significant climate law in the history of mankind.

$370 billion.

Cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030.

Launching a climate corps.

Similar to Maricorps and Peace Corps, creating tens of thousands of jobs for young people in the future who are going to make sure this continues.

Creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in clean energy for American workers.

Included the IBW installing 500,000.

1000 charging stations.

Across America.

And in the process.

Reducing carbon emissions.

And we're seeing it We see to it that the first beneficiaries environmental initiatives.

Are those fence line communities that have been smothered by the legacy of pollution.

Louisiana and Delaware.

Road 9 All the factors, all those chemical factors are right next to the poorest neighborhoods.

They're the ones we're going to bring back.

And how How can we be the greatest nation in the world?

About the best education system in the world.

Donald Trump and a Republican friends, they not only can't think they can't read very well.

Seriously, think about it.

Look at their project 2025.

I want to do away with the Department of Education.

during the pandemic.

Common law helps states and cities get back their schools back open.

And we gave public school teachers a raise.

We created apprenticeships with business and the communities.

Put these students on a path of good paying job, whether or not they go to college.

And by the way, we're making college a hell of a lot more affordable.

Increasing Pell grants by $900.

Over $15 billion for HBCUs.

server Including Hispanic institutions and tribal colleges.

We kept our commitment.

Provide more student relief than ever by lifting the burden.

of helping millions of families so they can get married, start a family, buy a home, and begin to build family wealth and contribute to the community and grow our economy.

It's not costing us it's creating more wealth.

We fundamentally transferred our our transformed how our economy grows.

From the middle out And the bottom up.

You said as the top down.

You know, My dad, you say there wasn't a whole hell of a lot to drop down on my kitchen table at the end of the month.

I come from basic middle class family.

Three bedroom house, 4 kids, a grandpap living with us.

Decent neighborhood.

But never a penny to spare.

And look A top-down notion.

Never worked.

A lot of Democrats didn't think it was thought it worked, but it doesn't.

And when we did all that, What we've done Everybody can do well.

Everybody Donald Trump Calls America a failing nation.

I'm Think about this.

Think about this.

He publicly says to the whole world, I'm going to say something outrageous.

I know more foreign leaders by their first names and know them more than anybody live.

Just because I'm so damn old.

And I'm not joking.

They get the message he sends around the world.

When he talks about America being a fairly nation.

He says we're losing.

He's the loser.

He's dead wrong.

Many of you are very successful people who travel the world.

Name me a country in the world.

That doesn't think We're the leading nation in the world.

Without America, not a joke.

Think about it.

I'm being literal.

Who can lead the world other than the United States of America.

Well, guess what?

America's winning and the world's better off for it.

America is more prosperous.

And America is safer today than under Donald Trump.

Trump continues to lie about crime in America like everything else.

Guess what?

On his watch, The murder rate went up 30%, the biggest increase in history.

Meanwhile, We made the largest investment in public safety ever.

Now The murder rate is falling faster than any time in history.

Violent crime has dropped to the lowest level of more than 50 years.

And crime will keep coming down.

When we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.

folks Distinguished senator from the senator from California and I.

Passed the first ban on assault weapons.

And guess what, it worked.

If we care about public safety.

We need to prevent gun violence.

And what makes me ashamed when I travel the world, which I do.

More children in America.

are killed by a gunshot than any other cause in the United States.

More die.

From a bullet And cancer, accidents ready anything else.

In the United States of America.

My God.

That's why Kama and I are proud.

We beat the NRA when we passed the first major bipartisan gun safety around 30 years.

I'm serious That comes from here.

And now it's time to ban assault weapons again.

And demand universal background checks.

It's hard I never thought I'd stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a president as a liar so many times.

No, I'm not trying to be funny.

It's sad Trump continues to lie about the border.

Here's what he won't tell you.

Trump killed.

The strongest bipartisan border deal in the history of the United States.

That we negotiated with the Senate Republican.

It took 4 months, 4 weeks.

Once it passed and never acknowledged those expansive border change in American history.

He called Senators to say don't support the bipartisan bill.

he said it would help me politically and hurt him politically.

My God.

No, I'm serious.

Think about it, not a joke.

As even the press who doesn't like me, they'll tell you that's true.

Typically Trump Once again, Putting himself first and America last.

Then I had to take executive action.

The result of the executive action I took.

Border encounters have dropped over 50%.

In fact, there are fewer border crossings today than when Donald Trump left office.

And unlike Trump, We will not demonize immigrants.

Saying they're the poison of blood of America.

Poison the blood of our country.

Come and I are committed to strengthening legal immigration, including protecting dreamers and more.

And here's what else I believe in.

Protecting your freedom.

Your freedom to vote.

Your freedom of love who you love.

And your freedom to choose.

It's the decision overturning Roe v. Wade, did you heard earlier tonight?

The United States Supreme Court majority wrote the following.

quote Women are not without electrical, not allowed, not without electoral electoral.

Or political power.

No kidding.

Maggie republics found out the power of women in 2022.

And Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024.

Right Trump As mega Republican right wingers.

Seek to erase history.

We Democrats continue to write history and make more history.

I'm proud I'm proud to have kept my commitment to appoint the first black woman in the United States Supreme Court.

Foranji Brown Jackson.

A simple for every young woman in America.

That you can do anything.

I'm proud I've kept my commitment to an administration that looks like America.

And the taps in the talent of our nation.

Most diverse cabinet.

In history Including the first black woman of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.

And will soon serve as the 47th President of the United States.

He's good.

Look Thank you, Carla.

Folks I've long said.

We have many obligations as a nation.

Well, I got in trouble years ago for saying I'd make no apologies.

We have only one truly sacred obligation.

To prepare and equip those we send to war.

and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don't.

That's right.

I'm so proud they've written and signed the PAC Act.

Our most significant loss ever helping veterans and their families expose to toxic materials like burnt pits and Asian Orange.

I was around during the Vietnam War.

It's hard.

Nobody's able to prove that there's illness as a consequence of Agent Orange.

And no one was able to prove initially That because they lived in burn pits like my son lived next to in Iraq for a year.

That is the cause of the illness.

But because of the PACT Act.

A surviving spouse of two children is now eligible for a stipend about $3000 a month.

And those children.

We lost a parent are eligible for tuition benefits to go to college and to get job training.

It's already helping over 1 million veterans and their families just so far.

Well, I love them and I'm so proud of my son's service.

We get it But guess who doesn't get it?

And doesn't respect our veterans.

We know from his own chief of staff, a four-star General John Kelly.

That Trump win in Europe.

would not go to the grave sites in one of the France.

The brave Service members who gave their lives to this country.

He called them suckers and losers.

Who in the hell does he think he is?

Does he think he is?

There's no words.

For a person They are not the words of person.

Not worthy of being commander in chief, period, not then, not now and not ever.

I Now I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Jess is no commander in chief.

Should ever bow down to a dictator.

The way Trump bows down to Putin.

I never have, and I promise you.

Carl Harris will never do it.

We'll never bow down.

When Trump left office.

Europe and NATO was in tatters.

Not a joke.

America first doctrine.

Changed our whole image in the world.

Well, I spent they gave the hours about 190 hours sum total.

To my counterparts or heads of state in Europe.

To strengthen NATO.

We did We united Europe like it had been united for years, adding Finland and Sweden to NATO.

10 days before he died, Henry Kissinger called.

And said not since.

Not since Napoleon.

As Europe not looked over their shoulder at Russia with dread.

Until now.

Until now.

Well, guess what?

Putin thought he'd take Kei in 3 days, 3 years later, Ukraine is still free.

When I came to office.

The conventional wisdom was.

That China would inevitably surpass the United States.

They haven't noticed, no one's saying that now.

And we'll keep working.

To bring hostages home.

And end the war in Gaza.

And bring peace and security to the Middle East.

As you know, I wrote Peace treaty for Gaza.

A few days ago I put forward a proposal that brought us closer to doing.

That we've done since October 7th.

We're working around the clock, my Secretary of State.

Prevent a wider war and reunite hostages with their families.

And surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now.

Ben.

The civilian suffering of the Palestinian people.

And finally Finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.

Those trust those protesters out in the street, they have a point.

A lot of innocent people are being killed.

both sides Just as he worked around the clock to bring home wrongfully detained Americans and others from Russia.

In one of the most complicated swaps in history.

But they're home Come and I are gonna keep working.

I mean all Americans wrongly detained around the world, home.

I mean it.

Folks, I've got 5 months left in my presidency.

I've got a lot to do.

I intend to get it done.

I see, I spent the honor of my lifetime.

To serve as your president.

I love the job.

But I love my country more.

I love my country more.

And all this talk about how I man all those people who said I should step down.

That's not true.

I love my country more and we need to preserve our democracy.

In 2024.

We need you to vote.

We need you to keep the Senate.

need you to win back the House of Representatives.

And above all Oh We need you to beat Donald Trump.

Oh what?

Come on Tim.

President And Vice President of the United States of America.

Look They'll continue to lead America forward.

Creating more jobs, standing up for workers.

Growing economy.

Lower the cost of American families so they just have a little more breathing room.

We've made incredible progress.

We have more work to do.

And come on Tim.

will continue to take on corporate greed and bring down the cost of food.

They'll keep taking out big farm or making insulin, $35 a month, not just for seniors, but for everyone in America.

And Kay prescription drug costs a total of $2000 not just for seniors but for everyone.

And folks, That's going to save America again.

Tens of billions of dollars.

Folks They'll make housing more affordable.

Billing 3 million new homes.

Providing $25,000 down payment assistance for the first time home buyer.

More than the 10 we approved.

Donald Trump wants a new tax on imported goods.

Food, gas, clothing, and more.

You know what that would cost the average family according to the experts.

$30,900 a year in a tax.

No, it, it's a fact.

Carmel and Tim.

We make the child care tax rate a permanent.

Lifting millions of children out of poverty.

And helping millions of families get ahead.

But you know what Trump has.

He put the car, he created the largest debt any president had in 4 years.

With this $2 trillion tax cut for the wealthy.

Well, Trump has a new plan.

He wants to provide a $5 billion tax cut.

For corporations that are very wealthy.

What Great Put us further in debt.

And folks, You know we have 1000 trillion we have 1000 billionaires in America.

You know what their average tax rate they pay?

Hey 2%.

If we just increase our taxes, we proposed.

The 25%, which isn't the highest tax rate even.

It would raise $500 billion over 10 years.

They'd still be very wealthy.

Look, Kamala And Tim We're going to make them pay their fair share.

They'll protect Social Security and Medicare.

Trump wants to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Car and Tim will protect your freedom.

The protect your vote right, your right to vote.

The protect your civil rights.

And you know Trump will do everything.

To ban abortion nationwide.

Oh, he will.

You know, Carl and Tim will do everything.

They possibly can.

That's why you have to elect a Senate and the House.

To restore Roe v. Wade.

The ancient Greeks taught us.

The character is destiny.

Character is destiny.

For me and Jill.

We know Carl and Doug.

are people of character.

It's been our honor to serve alongside them.

And we know that Tim and Gwen Walsh.

are also people of great character.

Selecting Kamala.

It was the very first decision I made before I became when I became our nominee.

And it was the best decision I made my whole career.

We've not only gotten to know each other, we've become close friends.

She's tough She's experienced.

And she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity.

Her story represents the best.

American story.

And like many of our best presidents.

She was also vice president.

That's a go.

But she'll be a president.

Our children could look up to.

She'll be a president respected by world leaders because she already is.

She'll be a president we can all be proud of.

And she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America's future.

This will be the first presidential election since January 6.

On that day, We almost lost everything.

About who we are as a country.

And that threat This is not hyperbole.

That threat is still very much alive.

Donald Trump says he will refuse to accept the election result if he loses again.

Think about that.

He means it.

Think about that.

He's probably seen a bloodbath.

If he loses in his words.

And that he'll be a dictator on day one in his own words.

By the way, this sucker means it.

No, I'm not joking.

Think about it.

Anybody else said that in the past to you was crazy.

He is crazy, but you'd think it was an exaggeration, but he means it.

We can't let that happen.

Folks All of us Carry special obligation.

Independence Republicans, Democrats.

We saved democracy in 2020, and now we must save it again in 2024.

Lo was cast this year will determine whether democracy and freedom will prevail.

It's that simple.

It's that serious.

And the power is literally in your hands.

History is in your hands.

Not hyperbole.

It's in your hands.

America's future is in your hands.

And because of this.

Nowhere else in the world.

Could a kid with a stutter.

And modest beginnings in Scran, Pennsylvania and Claymont, Delaware.

Go up to sit behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office.

That That's because America is.

And always has been.

A nation of possibilities.

Possibilities.

We must never lose that.

Never Carmel and Tim understand.

That this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities.

Not just for the few of us, but for all of us.

Join me And promising your whole heart to this effort.

And my heart will be.

I promise I'll be the best volunteer.

Harrison Walsh says Camden I've ever seen.

Each of us As a part In the American story.

For me and my family.

There's a song that means a lot to us.

It captures the best of who we are as a nation.

The song is called American Anthem.

There's one verse that stands out.

And I can't sing with the damn, I'm not going to try.

I'll just quote it The work and prayers of centuries.

That brought us to this day.

What your our leg is our legacy be.

What will our children say?

Let me know in my heart.

When my days are through.

America, America.

I gave my best to you.

I me Made a lot of in my career.

But I gave my best to you.

For 50 years.

Like many of you, I give my heart and soul to our nation.

And I've been blessed 1 million times return.

The support of the American people.

I've really been Too young to be in the Senate because I wasn't 30 yet.

And too old to stay as president.

But I hope you know.

How grateful I am to all of you.

I can honestly say, and I mean this in the B, give me my word as a Biden.

I can honestly say I'm more optimistic about the future.

than I was when I was elected as a 29 year old United States senator.

I mean it.

Folks You just have to remember who we are.

We're the United States of America.

And there's nothing we cannot do when we do it together.

God bless you all and may God protect our troops.

President Joe Biden.

Speaking to the crowd here.

In Chicago on the first night of the Democratic National Convention joined now by his wife, the First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.

And perhaps what is One of the most consequential speeches of his entire political career speaking to his party's members.

Just a month after stepping down as a presumptive nominee and endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris to take over the top of the ticket.

Jeff, it strikes me there are a lot in there that looked back at the work that he has done on what is clearly a legacy being created in real time here, a lot of different topics covered.

An endorsement for this ticket.

led by Vice President Harris joining him now.

The two of them sharing a moment on stage.

This is a real pass the torch moment.

President Biden tonight making the case for electing Kamala Harris while also defending the entirety of his record these last 3.5 years and calling out Donald Trump is unfit.

To be re-elected.

The vice president joined there by first Pat, the 2nd gentleman, Doug M Hall, First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, the Biden family joining them on stage as we wrap up our coverage this evening.

When to get some reflections here from our panel.

We're joined as we have been all night by Judy Woodruff, Amy Walter, David Brooks, and Jonathan Capehart.

Start with you, Judy, your reflections on what we heard from the president this evening.

An extraordinary moment in America's life in American history, the first time we've seen a president step away at a moment at this late in a campaign, turn it over to his vice president.

There was a motion the room was shaking.

I think it was one of the longest, loudest ovations I've seen for anybody at a political convention.

uh, thanking Joe Biden for this gesture that Yes, he was pressed.

He was pressured, but he did, he did step aside.

He turned it over to his his vice president and this is a Democratic Party that's very grateful to him for doing that because most of the people in this room were worried that if he was on the ballot that they were going to go down to a loss.

And so You see that gratitude, um, and you hear it from this group and I think the line that we're going to remember I'll be the best volunteer.

Pamela and Tim ever had and the other line, let's put a prosecutor in the Oval Office rather than a convicted felon and Amy, we also heard him say that he harbors no ill will toward those Democrats who demanded he drop out of the race.

The president said, I love the job, but I love my country more, yeah, and listen, he spent a lot of time though talking about his accomplishments as a way again he wasn't saying I hold a grudge to them, but he's staying.

I'm going to use my.

time that I've been giving to remind all of those who were doubters of mine about the accomplishments that this administration has been able to put through under my leadership, and to me, you know, the, the, his ending here where he says America, I gave my best to you.

It's basically his way.

of saying.

As much as he can about This bittersweet moment in the arc of his career.

Jonathan, your thoughts as you heard the president speak there.

He got the rousing send off that he wanted and that he deserved.

Um, I can't remember who said it, maybe it was uh Judy or Amy that he was reminding people that it was Amy reminding people of all of his accomplishments and Given the way he was.

You know, Push to make the decision he made.

He deserved to have that time.

Brooks.

Yeah, I love Joe Biden.

Uh, this was a speech that reminded people why he should not be the nominee.

There's been a, we've had an indignant, angry and bitter decade.

There's been a shift in the culture brought along by Kamala Harris that wants a style of campaign that's upbeat, happy, evulent.

And Joe Biden just didn't get the cultural message and I think we, we've got a glimpse of what we would have seen just two angry guys not smiling at each other, uh, and, and I just think it's out of temper with the shift in culture that has happened over the last month.

And so I regretfully think that it reminds us why what Nancy Pelosi did was probably the right thing.

Well, the Democrats have 3 more nights to potentially turn things around, Jonathan.

Um, sure, look, this, this whole night was supposed to be about thank you, Joe Biden.

Now have a good evening and I think from here on out it is going to be the culture shift, the generational shift, um, that the party clearly wants the one thing I noted, the folks in this hall, Democrats love Joe Biden.

They don't hate him all this.

The anger that it wasn't anger about him being in the race.

It just wanted him to move on.

He has done that, and I think tomorrow.

This hall will will move on and look squarely to the future.

Yeah, we will be here for all of it, as will all of you.

Thank you so much to all of you for joining us tonight.

Jonathan Capehart, David Brooks, Judy Woodruff, Amy Walter, you'll be here all week.

Thank you for that meanwhile, that concludes our broadcast coverage of the very first night of the Democratic National Convention, and if you're watching on YouTube, don't go anywhere.

Our coverage will continue with Laura Barone Lopez and our own Dima Zain reviewing the highlights of the night.

Have a full analysis of the convention and the day's other news on tomorrow's PBS Newshour and we'll be back here tomorrow night for day two of the convention, as Ana said, where both former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to speak and with that I am Jeff Bennett and I'm on the Navaz for all of us here at PBS News.

Thank you for joining us.

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