CHICAGO, Ill. –
U.S. vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz and former U.S. president Bill Clinton will headline the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, the third day of the party’s choreographed rollout of a new candidate, Kamala Harris, and her pitch to voters.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are also expected to address the convention.
Here’s the Latest:
Stevie Wonder performs during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo)
Stevie Wonder performs ‘Higher Ground’
Stevie Wonder used his keyboard as a podium on the stage of the Democratic convention, giving a brief speech before breaking into “Higher Ground.”
“We must choose courage over complacency, it is time to get UP! And go vote.”
He asked the audience, “Are y’all ready to reach a higher ground? Because you know we need Kamala Harris.”
The 74-year-old musical luminary then broke into his 1973 classic from the album “Innervisions,” accompanied by a DJ and dancers clad in white.
Wonder also sang at the 2008 convention in Denver that brought the nomination of Barack Obama.
New Jersey congressman recalls Jan. 6 riot
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., talked about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack where he spent the hours after the mob was cleared out by police cleaning up the trash and destruction that was left by the rioters.
“I did the only thing I could think to do: I grabbed a trash bag and started cleaning up,” Kim, who is running for Senate in New Jersey, said. “What I learned on Jan. 6 is that all of us, all of us, are caretakers of our great Republic.”
Maren Morris performs during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / AP Photo)
Singer Maren Morris performs
Singer Maren Morris brought her plea for progress “Better Than We Found It” to the convention.
The Grammy winner from Arlington, Texas, has been leaning more toward pop recently but struck a decidedly country tone on the stage at the United Center.
“God save us all from ourselves and the hell that we’ve built for our kids,” she sang. “America, America, We’re better than this.” The song was released in 2020 in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and was viewed as an implicit rejection of former President Trump’s rhetoric.
Morris has been a vocal supporter of liberal causes and has publicly sparred with other country music figures on issues including trans rights.
She’s also set to be among the performers at a 100th birthday celebration for former President Jimmy Carter next month.
‘To be a nation of immigrants is hard’
New York Rep. Tom Suozzi is implicitly contrasting Democrats’ stance on immigration with Republicans.
The Republican convention last month was dominated by calls to shut down the southern border and ratchet down admissions to the U.S. And though Republicans say they don’t oppose immigration — only those who enter the country illegally — Trump also tightly limited immigration during his presidency.
Souzzi pointed out that the U.S. has long been a nation of immigrants, including his own relatives who came from Italy.
“To be a nation of immigrants is hard,” he said. “You have to work for it.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis holds up a copy of Project 2025 as he speaks during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo)
The big book is back
Prop-politics is back as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is taking a page from an oversized printed copy of the conservative Project 2025, saying he wants to share it with undecided voters. Polis says the plan would jeopardize IVF and only values heterosexual couples where the man holds a job. Project 2025 was developed by Trump supporters but has been formally disavowed by the GOP nominee.
Democrats appeal to former Trump voters
There are more videos of former Trump supporters no longer backing the GOP nominee being played at the DNC.
It’s a theme to which convention programming has been returning throughout the week, perhaps aimed at other former Trump backers now looking for a new political home.
Harris’ campaign, and Biden’s before that, has been angling to attract Republican support heading into what’s anticipated to be a tight general election campaign.
Tonight’s special guests
Country music star Maren Morris and poet Amanda Gorman will be performing at the Democratic National Convention’s third night on Wednesday.
Comedian Kenan Thompson will be joined by “guests,” the convention said, as he discusses the conservative Project 2025 on stage during the program. Other famous faces include musician John Legend and actor Mindy Kaling.
Oprah Winfrey will make DNC appearance
Talk show legend Oprah Winfrey will appear at the DNC on Wednesday night, according to a person familiar with the schedule who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans.
Winfrey delivered a famous endorsement to then-Sen. Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign. It’s not yet clear whether she will endorse Harris, who is vying to become the first Black woman elected president.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus joins female Democratic governors
Gathered in Chicago for the DNC, the eight Democratic female governors discussed electing women in downballot races with comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Discussing female leadership up and down the ballot, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said, “We need women elected up and down the ballot.”
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said that downballot races lead female candidates to higher office, pointing to her own start in the statehouse and Harris’ beginnings as a district attorney.
“All the women listening, run, just run,” Louis-Dreyfus said to the audience.
The “Seinfeld” comedian has gained renewed attention for her famed role as Vice President Selina Meyers in HBO’s “Veep.” In the show, Meyers becomes the first female president when the sitting president resigns.
Louis-Dreyfus also asked the panelists how they work together with a common goal of expanding abortion access. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly spoke of a ballot measure’s success that protected reproductive rights in 2022.
“I think we set the stage for other states then to follow suit,” Kelly said.
Allegations of food contamination are being investigated
Chicago police and the FBI are investigating food that was reported to have been intentionally contaminated Wednesday morning at a DNC breakfast at a downtown hotel.
Multiple female suspects entered the Fairmont Chicago, which was hosting a breakfast for delegates at the DNC and began placing “unknown objects” onto tables with food before leaving the area at around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, police said.
One person who ingested the food was treated by medical personnel and released at the scene, according to Chicago police.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Asheboro, N.C., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Chuck Burton / AP Photo)
Trump wants to get personal
Speaking at a rally in North Carolina, Donald Trump blasted former president Barack Obama as “nasty” for comments his predecessor made about him at the Democratic National Convention.
“He was very nasty last night,” Trump said. “I try and be nice to people, you know. But it’s a little tough when they get personal.”
Trump said his advisers had urged him to stop personally attacking Harris and focus on issues like the economy, crime and immigration.
“You know, they always say, ‘Sir, please stick to policy. Don’t get personal.’ And yet they’re getting personal all night long, these people,” he said, asking: “Do I still have to stick to policy?”
Later, he polled the crowd: “Should I get personal or should I not get personal?” he asked. The crowd overwhelmingly chose the former.
Trump also mocked the convention, calling it a “charade.”
Gov. Tim Walz will introduce himself to the nation
During his DNC speech on Wednesday, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee’s campaign said Walz will talk about his time growing up in Nebraska, his service in the National Guard, his work as a teacher and football coach and his time in Congress before he was elected governor of Minnesota.
The campaign released a video narrated by his wife, Gwen, that will play during the convention. Ahead of Walz’s appearance on stage, John Legend will perform a Prince tribute, the campaign said.
Democrats get third-party hopeful knocked off Pennsylvania ballot
Pennsylvania Democrats have won legal challenges keeping the left-wing Party for Socialism and Liberation off the battleground state’s presidential ballot, at least for now, while a lawyer with deep Republican Party ties is working to help independent candidate Cornel West get on it.
The court cases are among a raft of partisan legal maneuvering around third-party candidates seeking to get on Pennsylvania’s ballot, including a pending challenge by Democrats to the filing in Pennsylvania by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
A Commonwealth Court judge agreed with two Democratic Party-aligned challenges Tuesday, ruling that the paperwork filed by the Party for Socialism and Liberation was fatally flawed and ordering the party’s presidential candidate, Claudia De la Cruz, off Pennsylvania’s Nov. 5 ballot.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation didn’t immediately say whether it planned to appeal.
Pop star Pink expected to perform at DNC
That’s according to a person familiar with the planning who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the lineup.
John Legend will perform Wednesday night before Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the vice-presidential nominee, speaks.
— Zeke Miller
California delegate Matthew J. Rothschild arrives at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (Brynn Anderson / AP Photo)
Harris administration ‘will look different’ from Biden’s
If Vice-President Kamala Harris is elected, American leadership “will look and sound different” from President Joe Biden’s time in office, according to top policy aides, though the two leaders have “shared values and principles.”
It’s the latest sign of how Harris is balancing how to meet voters who are anxious for policy changes with the record she’s attached to as Biden’s vice-president.
“She is her own leader, of course,” Brian Nelson, her senior campaign policy adviser, told reporters at a Bloomberg event at the Democratic National Convention. “But she’s a leader who has been a partner to President Biden for these last three and a half years.”
Harris has positioned her policy agenda as a continuation and expansion on Biden’s first term achievements.
But Rohini Kosoglu, Harris’ former Domestic Policy Adviser and now a campaign adviser, said of a Harris presidency, “But it will look and sound different, so it will be a change.”
Democrats prepare to pass the torch in Michigan
Michigan Democrats rose early Wednesday to honor retiring congressional leaders, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Dan Kildee, while also turning their focus toward the future, which will likely be shaped by the upcoming November election.
Stabenow, the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, is leaving the high chamber after more than two decades. Kildee has represented the Flint area in Congress since 2013, when he succeeded his uncle, Dale Kildee, who had served in Congress for 36 years.
Alongside top Michigan lawmakers, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also joined Michigan Democrats to pay their respects.
While the breakfast celebrated each lawmaker’s contributions in paving the way for others, many also emphasized the importance of looking toward the future and winning races up and down the ticket in Michigan. Stabenow and Kildee are leaving behind two of the most competitive seats in the nation.
“I don’t want to just talk about myself here. This is really about now and it’s about the future for all of us,” said Stabenow. “This is an incredible moment for us.”
Stabenow, who made history in 2000 by becoming the first woman to be elected senator in Michigan, reflected on the progress made since then and expressed confidence that the nation is now ready to elect a female president.
Protesters rally at a demonstration in Union Park during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (Noah Berger / AP Photo)
Members of pro-Palestinian movement held rally near DNC
At Wednesday’s rally, they reiterated longstanding calls for Democratic leaders to do more to end the war in Gaza. They questioned how many more Palestinian civilians have to die before U.S. leaders impose an arms embargo on Israel and demand a ceasefire.
“We supply these weapons, so if you really wanted a ceasefire, just stop sending the weapons,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota told a group of a few dozen supporters and members of the media. “It’s that simple.”
She said the movement is committed to helping the Democratic Party defeat Donald Trump, but they believe that will require a change of policy on Gaza.
The tone of the rally alternated between somber and exasperated. Speakers included doctors who’ve traveled to Gaza to treat injured Palestinians. They recounted witnessing horrific living conditions, rampant disease and hunger, children losing parents and parents losing children.
Vance criticizes Harris’ record in the White House
As Tim Walz, his Democratic rival for VP, prepares to take the stage Wednesday night at the DNC, Sen. JD Vance is in Asheboro, North Carolina, making his case for why Trump should be elected to improve “everything that this country has endured over the last four years of Kamala Harris’ broken leadership.”
Vance said Wednesday that, during her years as Biden’s vice-president, Harris has presided over what he characterized as failures in oversight at the U.S.-Mexico border and American economy.
Vance also hearkened back to some verbiage often utilized by his running mate’s predecessor in the White House.
“It’s important to recognize that we need hope in the United States of America,” Vance said, calling back to the overall “hope and change” messaging employed by Barack Obama in his campaigns, as well as in his own DNC speech Tuesday night.
Shapiro says he’s at peace with outcome of the running mate search
Shapiro says he’s at peace with how Vice-President Kamala Harris’s search for a running mate turned out, suggesting he didn’t believe he’d be the best person for the role as envisioned by Harris.
“This was a deeply personal decision for the vice-president, and we had a really good conversation and she laid out her vision,” said Shapiro, the top finalist alongside the eventual selection, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. “And in the end, it was a deeply personal decision for me as well.”
He continued: “Based on what she wants, Tim Walz is an outstanding pick,” adding that by remaining as Pennsylvania’s governor, “I get to chart my own course.”
Speaking at an event organized by Bloomberg, Shapiro wouldn’t say If he formally declined the role.
A look at who’s scheduled to speak at the DNC on Wednesday
Democrats have talked a big game about the depth of their bench of rising leaders — and in Wednesday’s DNC program, they’re coming with receipts.
In addition to headlining speeches from former president Bill Clinton and vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, the convention’s third night will include some of the party’s biggest names and anticipated future leaders.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York will speak. So will an all-star list of senators: Cory Booker of New Jersey, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Also addressing the convention will be Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a finalist to be Harris’ running mate. Both are seen as ascendant in Democratic politics.
To help articulate the evening’s theme around fighting for freedoms, Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of the nonprofit Reproductive Freedom for All will give remarks.
And Olivia Troye, who worked in the Trump administration as an aide to then-vice-president Mike Pence, will speak about why she’s supporting Harris.
How Walz and Vance compare in polling
Polling data shows Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had a smoother launch as Kamala Harris’ running mate than Sen. JD Vance did for Donald Trump.
About one-third of U.S. adults (36 per cent) have a favorable view of Walz, while about one-quarter (27 per cent) have a positive opinion of Vance, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Significantly more adults also have an unfavorable view of Vance than Walz, 44 per cent to 25 per cent.
Both are well-liked so far within their own parties. Independents are slightly more likely to have a positive view of Walz than Vance, but most don’t know enough about either one yet. About 4 in 10 Americans don’t know enough about Walz to have an opinion about him, the poll found.
