(NEW YORK) — More than 600 pounds of methamphetamine have been found concealed within a shipment of celery in California, officials said.
The incident occurred on the evening of Aug. 9 when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in California encountered a 34-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer who was seeking entry into the United States from Mexico, according to a statement on Monday issued by CBP.
“The driver, who held a valid border crossing card, was transporting a shipment declared as celery,” authorities said. “Following routine procedures, CBP officers directed the driver, the tractor-trailer, and its cargo to secondary inspection for a more thorough examination.”
During that inspection, a CBP K-9 unit alerted officers to the presence of narcotics and officials ended up intercepting 629 pounds of methamphetamine contained within 508 packages hidden among the celery with an estimated street value of approximately $755,000, officials said.
“Our officers’ vigilance and expertise once again thwarted an attempt to smuggle narcotics disguised as everyday produce,” said Rosa E. Hernandez, port director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa. “This discovery underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from the perils of drug trafficking.”
CBP officers subsequently seized the narcotics and the commercial tractor-trailer involved in the smuggling attempt and the currently unnamed driver was handed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.
CBP credits this seizure as a result of Operation Apollo, “a holistic counter-fentanyl effort that began on Oct. 26, 2023, in southern California, and expanded to Arizona on April 10, 2024,” authorities said. “Operation Apollo focuses on intelligence collection and partnerships, and utilizes local CBP field assets augmented by federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to boost resources, increase collaboration, and target the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States.”
Italian Coast Guard Command teams and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations with helicopters and ships to find missing people after after a yacht sank on Monday due to a storm 20 kilometers east of Palermo in southern Italy on August 19, 2024. (Alberto Lo Bianco/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Two Americans are among those still missing after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday, ABC News has confirmed.
Christopher and Neda Morvillo are among six people still unaccounted for who were aboard the U.K.-flagged Bayesian vessel which sank during a violent storm.
Christopher Morvillo is a partner at law firm Clifford Chance and represented the yacht’s owner — British tech tycoon Mike Lynch — in his recent fraud case brought by Hewlett Packard. He is a former assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The search resumed Tuesday morning for the six people missing from the Bayesian. Among the bodies that may be trapped inside the vessel are those of Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.
Some of the 15 people who were rescued are either still recovering or have now left the hospital.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(CHICAGO) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton electrified the crowd on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention as she portrayed Vice President Kamala Harris as someone who could break barriers and reach a pinnacle that eluded her throughout her own political career.
“Together, we’ve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton said in her rousing remarks after receiving a warm welcome from the crowd at the United Center in Chicago. “And tonight so close to breaking through once and for all.”
Harris will be the second woman in history to accept a major party’s nomination for president following Clinton, whose monumental 2016 run made history but ended with a general election loss to Donald Trump.
Clinton began her remarks by thanking President Joe Biden for his leadership and for returning decency to the White House. But she quickly switched gears to lay out the historic progress that’s led to this moment, recalling Shirley Chisholm’s presidential run and Geraldine Ferraro being the first woman to be nominated as vice president.
“And then, there was 2016 when it was the honor of my life to accept our party’s nomination for president,” Clinton said of her own experience. “And nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no ceilings on our dreams. And afterwards, 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,” she said to cheers.
Clinton said she wished her mother and Harris’ mother could see them, and believed they would tell them to “keep going.” The audience then echoed back shouts of, “Keep going!”
Comparisons of Clinton and Harris’ campaigns have begun to emerge as Harris ramped up her operation in the weeks after Biden’s decision to step aside.
Several Democrats told ABC News they are feeling buoyed by Harris’ candidacy and how she’s reenergized the party, but are worried about being overconfident against Trump after what transpired with Clinton eight years ago.
Clinton, who first ran for president in 2008 but lost in the primary race to Barack Obama, was successful in 2016 in clinching the nomination after defeating independent Sen. Bernie Sanders.
A bitter, ugly general election contest ensued between Trump and Clinton. Trump took to calling Clinton “Crooked Hillary” and the “devil.” Clinton called half of Trump’s supporters a “basket of deplorables,” which critics called a mistake that alienated some voters.
A Trump fundraising email sent out Monday hours ahead of Clinton’s DNC remarks highlighted her past “deplorables” comment and claimed she was “about to unleash hell on MAGA.”
In her speech, Clinton took a shot at Trump for being convicted on 34 felony counts (a verdict he’s vowed to appeal) saying he “made his own kind of history” and “fell asleep at his own trial.”
After those comments, the crowd broke into chants of “Lock him up!” to which Clinton smiled and nodded her head. Trump called for Clinton to be imprisoned multiple times in the 2016 campaign, with “Lock her up!” calls frequently emerging at his rallies.
Polls in 2016 had shown Clinton ahead leading up to Election Day, but when results came in they showed Trump leading a stunning upset by grabbing several key battleground states. Clinton conceded the next morning.
Clinton referenced polls in her speech, noting that while Harris has been polling better against Trump than Biden, Democrats can’t take their foot of the gas.
“No matter what the polls say, we can’t let up,” she said. “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, heal a country and win a campaign.”
Clinton recounted her loss in greater detail and what went wrong with her campaign in her 2017 memoir What Happened. She wrote that she bore responsibility ultimately for the loss to Trump but described it being difficult to overcome stereotypes. She also directed some blame at former FBI director James Comey for reopening the investigation into her private email server 11 days before the election.
After the 2016 election, Clinton maintained a relatively low profile until 2020 when she campaigned for Biden after his success in the Democratic primaries.
Clinton spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, saying she wish Trump had been a “better president” and praised Biden’s character and his choice of Harris to be his running mate. She said they were a team who could “pull our nation back from the brink and build back better.”
More recently, she penned a New York Times op-ed offering Biden advice on how to debate Trump before the June CNN showdown. Clinton called Trump a bully who “stalked” her on the debate stage in 2016 and urged Biden to be “direct and forceful.”
After Biden dropped out of the race, in large part because his poor debate performance ignited Democratic fears about his age, Clinton wrote another Times op-ed offering a full-throated endorsement of Harris.
Clinton said that Harris can defeat Trump but warned she will face similar prejudices — a theme she continued in her DNC speech.
“On her first day in court, Kamala said five words that still guide her. Kamala Harris for the people,” Clinton said, referencing Harris’ record as a prosecutor.
“That is something that Donald Trump will never understand,” Clinton went on. “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.”
Describing Harris as someone who would “always have our backs,” Clinton praised the vice president for her work on reproductive rights, support for military service members and commitment to the rule of law.
At times, some in the crowd appeared emotional as she spoke.
“I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here at this moment, that we were here, and that we were with Kamala Harris every step of the way,” Clinton said. “This is our time, America. This is when we stand up. This is when we break through. The future is here. It’s in our grasp. Let’s go win it.”ble.”
(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, cease-fire discussions are occurring in the Middle East, with officials hoping to bring an end to the conflict.
The United States and its allies continue to plead for a cease-fire deal, with discussions set for this week.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Bodies of six hostages recovered from southern Gaza
The bodies of six Israeli hostages were recovered in an overnight operation inside the Gaza Strip.
The six men were found in a tunnel in the southern city of Khan Younis during a joint Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency — also known as Shin Bet — operation.
The hostages are Alex Dancyg, 75, Yagev Buchshtav, 35, Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, Nadav Popplewell, 51, and Avraham Munder, 78.
All had been declared dead before their bodies were recovered. The cause of their deaths has not been revealed. Funerals are expected for some of the dead later on Tuesday.
Senior Hamas official throws cold water on Blinken’s announcement
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s talk about approving an updated proposal means that the U.S. administration failed to convince Netanyahu of the previous deal that Hamas had already agreed to back on July 2.
Hamdan made the comments during an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday evening local time after Blinken’s meeting with Netanyahu in Israel and announcement that Netanyahu had voiced support for the U.S.-backed bridging proposal.
Hamdan said that all the U.S. side is doing is buying time for Israel to “continue its crimes of genocide.”
-ABC News’ Nasser Atta and Guy Davies
Wife of American-Israeli hostage and former hostage ‘happier and more optimistic’ after Blinken meeting
Freed Israeli hostage Aviva Siegel, whose husband Keith is still held captive, said she was feeling “happier and more optimistic than before” after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. After hearing from Blinken, Siegel said she wants to believe that her husband, an American-Israeli citizen, will be home soon.
Siegel said Blinken gave her the impression that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the deal that’s on the table, but cautioned that it sounds like hard work needs to be done to close the gaps with Hamas.
Outside of the building where families of the hostages met Blinken, crowds chanted “SOS USA” and waved American flags, with a message to Blinken that the U.S. government is their main lifeline to bring the hostages home.
Despite the optimism from the Biden administration, momentum appears to have slowed. Talks in Doha did not end with any major breakthrough, and a U.S.-presented “bridging proposal” has been dismissed by Hamas, who accuse Netanyahu of adding new conditions and obstacles, including the rejection of a permanent ceasefire.
Blinken travels to Egypt tomorrow, where he says he’ll get the latest from Egyptian and Qatari leaders on Hamas’ intentions.
-ABC News’ Britt Clennett, Guy Davies, Anna Burd and Tomer Slutzky
3:50 PM EDT 8 injured from Israeli strikes in Lebanon
At least eight people have been injured from Israeli strikes on the Beqaa Valley, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said Monday.
Among the wounded are six Lebanese citizens, a 5-year-old Syrian girl and a 15-year-old Syrian girl. All of them were treated in the emergency room at nearby hospitals, the Ministry of Public Health said.
There were seven Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Monday, according to Lebanese local media.
In two separate statements Monday, the IDF acknowledged conducting operations “in the area of Houla in southern Lebanon,” “in the area of Beqaa in Lebanon” and in “the area of Tayibe in southern Lebanon.”
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz
2:39 PM EDT Netanyahu would accept US cease-fire proposal, will send negotiators to new talks: Blinken
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday afternoon that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in their earlier meeting that he supports and would accept the U.S.-backed bridging proposal that emerged after meetings in the region last week, and that Israel would send negotiators.
“It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same,” Blinken told reporters on his ninth trip to the region since Oct. 7. “And then, the parties, with the help of the mediators — the United States, Egypt and Qatar — have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they’ll implement the commitments that they’ve made under this agreement. But the next important step is for Hamas to say yes.”
Blinken acknowledged the “complex issues” would still “require hard decisions by the leaders,” but said he still felt “a real sense of urgency, here, across the region, on the need to get this over the finish line and to do it as soon as possible.”
But given Hamas’ unwillingness to engage in the latest round of negotiations, the secretary was pressed on whether there was any real hope the militant group would sign on to the proposal.
“Tomorrow, when I see the leaders of both Egypt and Qatar, I’ll get the latest from them on what they are hearing,” he responded. “I can’t speculate on exactly what Hamas’ intentions are. We’ve seen public statements, but we’ve seen public statements before that don’t fully reflect where Hamas is.”
Blinken will then travel to Qatar after visiting Egypt on Tuesday, he said.
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston
12:15 PM EDT Hamas takes responsibility for attack in Tel Aviv that injured one
Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, took responsibility for an attack in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening that left one person injured and the bomber dead.
In a joint statement released Monday, Israeli Police and Shin Bet said the explosion had been a terror attack.
“It can now be confirmed that this was a terror attack involving the explosion of a powerful explosive,” the Israeli police and Shin Bet said. “As a result of the explosion, a passerby was moderately injured (according to medical sources) and was transported to receive medical treatment.”
11:58 AM EDT American Airlines suspends Tel Aviv flights through March 2025
American Airlines has extended their suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 29, 2025, the airline said Monday.
American Airlines said they would allow customers whose travel plans are impacted by the extension to rebook their flights without a fee or cancel and receive a refund.
“We will continue to work closely with our partner airlines to assist customers traveling between Israel and European cities with service to the U.S.,” the airline said in a statement.
11:38 AM EDT Colleagues mourn another journalist killed in Gaza
Journalist Ibrahim Muhareb was killed by an Israeli airstrike while on duty in the Khan Younis area on Sunday, his employer, the online newspaper BDN, said in a statement.
A video filmed by Muhareb’s friend and colleague, Abdallah Alattar, showed the moment the journalist’s body — his press vest laid on top of him — arrived at Nasser Hospital after being found in Hamad Town early on Monday morning.
Muhareb had been covering the events in western Khan Younis with other colleagues when they were targeted, BDN said.
“His traces were lost after occupation artillery targeted a group of journalists in the place yesterday,” BDN said in a statement, adding that Muhareb had been working regularly with them throughout the war while also freelancing for others.
As of Aug. 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ preliminary investigations showed at least 113 journalists and media workers have been killed since the war began, making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992. Of those killed, 108 were Palestinian, two were Israeli and three were Lebanese.
Palestinian journalists strongly protested what they say is the deliberate targeting of the media and the lack of support from international colleagues on July 31, following the killing of Al Jazeera’s Ismail Al-Ghoul and Rami Al Refee by an Israeli strike while they were working in Gaza City. Israel alleges that Al-Ghoul was a member of Hamas, an allegation that the network denied.
“Even before the start of the Israel-Gaza war, CPJ had documented Israel’s pattern of accusing journalists of being terrorists without producing credible evidence to substantiate their claims,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “Smear campaigns endanger journalists and erode public trust in the media. Israel must end this practice and allow independent international investigations into the journalists’ killings.”
-ABC News’ Camilla Alcini
11:58 AM EDT Blinken meets with Netanyahu and Herzog
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for three hours on Monday, Netanyahu’s press office said in a release.
The meeting was “positive and was held in a good atmosphere,” the release said.
“The meeting lasted approximately three hours. The Prime Minister reiterated Israel’s commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel’s security needs, which he strongly insists on,” the release said.
The meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary Antony Blinken has concluded; the meeting was positive and was held in a good atmosphere. pic.twitter.com/vVfnWvi9ih
Blinken also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday, according to the U.S. State Department.
“The Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region,” a spokesperson for the State Department said in a statement. “The Secretary reiterated the urgent need to finalize the ceasefire agreement that would release the hostages, allow a surge of humanitarian assistance, and create the conditions for broader regional stability.”
Blinken is expected to head to El Alamein, Egypt, on Tuesday for additional meetings.
3:37 AM EDT Blinken ‘intensely’ focused on hostages, cease-fire in Israel visit
Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Tel Aviv on Monday morning as President Joe Biden’s administration presses for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Blinken touched down in Israel on Sunday night, beginning his ninth visit to the Middle East since Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel sparked the current conflict.
“The focus of my visit is intensely on getting the hostages back, getting the cease-fire done,” Blinken said. “It is time for everyone to get to ‘yes’ and to not look for any excuses to say ‘no.'”
Blinken said that he was working to make sure there was “no escalation…no provocations…no actions that in any way could move us away from getting this deal over the line, or, for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity.”
Reaffirming support for Israel, Blinken said, “As you heard [Herzog] say, the United States has taken decisive action to deploy forces here to deter any attacks, and if necessary, to defend against any attacks.”
Herzog said that in the last 24 hours, they have witnessed “ongoing terror attacks by Palestinian terrorists.”
“This is the way we are living these days. We are surrounded by terror from four corners of the Earth, and we are fighting back as a resilient and strong nation,” Herzog said.
Herzog said that hostage negotiations have been held up by Hamas’ “adamant refusal to move forward,” but that Israel is “very hopeful” to continue working on a deal. The president then thanked the U.S., Egypt and Qatar for their role as mediators.
-ABC News’ Lauren Minore
6:35 PM EDT Hamas says there may still be ‘obstacles’ to cease-fire talks
As cease-fire talks are set to begin again in Cairo this week, Hamas said it fears Israel will put up more “obstacles” that could prevent them from reaching an agreement with Israel.
In a statement Sunday, Hamas leaders accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of putting “more conditions and obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement, in a way that serves his strategy to gain time and prolong the aggression.”
“We hold Netanyahu fully responsible for thwarting the mediators’ efforts, obstructing reaching an agreement, and fully responsible for the lives of his prisoners who are exposed to the same danger that our people are exposed to, as a result of his continued aggression and systematic targeting of all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said in the statement.
Bomb blast kills 1 in Tel Aviv
One person was killed in a bomb explosion in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday night, according to Israeli police.
The blast occurred around 8 p.m. local time on Lahi Street in southern Tel Aviv, police said.
It was not immediately clear who or what set off the explosive.
A second person received moderate injuries in the incident and was being treated in a hospital, police said.
The name of the person killed was not immediately released.
Police forces from the Ayalon Region and the Tel Aviv District quickly arrived at the scene and launched an investigation.
All investigative avenues are being explored, police said.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Blinken arrives in Israel ahead of new round of cease-fire talks
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday evening local time ahead of cease-fire talks that are scheduled to resume in Egypt this week.
Following discussions in Doha, Qatar, last week, senior officials are due to meet again this week in Egypt. Israel has said it will send a team to Cairo to continue talks, but Hamas has dismissed any hint of progress as an “illusion.”
While in Israel, Blinken is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials to press for a cease-fire agreement. Netanyahu has expressed “cautious optimism” about the talks, but said Sunday that “there are things we can’t be flexible about.”
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Netanyahu says Israel ‘can’t be flexible’ on some issues
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel “can’t be flexible” about certain things while cease-fire talks continue.
Netanyahu commented on the cease-fire talks during his weekly cabinet meeting and ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s scheduled arrival in Israel on Sunday evening local time.
“We are conducting very complex negotiations when on the other side is a murderous, uninhibited and recalcitrant terrorist organization,” Netanyahu said, referring to Hamas. “But I want to emphasize — we are conducting negotiations, not negotiation. There are things we can be flexible about, and there are things we can’t be flexible about — and we insist on them. We know very well how to differentiate between the two.”
Following discussions in Doha, Qatar, this week, senior officials are due to meet again next week in Egypt. Israel has said it will send a team to Cairo to continue talks, but Hamas has dismissed any hint of progress as an illusion.
“Therefore, besides the great efforts we are making to return our abductees, we stand firm on the principles we have established, which are essential for Israel’s security. These principles — I repeat — are consistent with the May 27 outline, which received American support,” Netanyahu said Sunday.
Netanyahu said Hamas has refused to negotiate, noting it did not send a representative to the talks in Doha.
“Therefore, the pressure should be directed at Hamas and Sinwar, and not at the Israeli government,” he said, referring to Yahya Sinwar, the newly named political leader of Hamas and one of the key architects of Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel. “The strong military pressure, and the strong political pressure, this is the way to achieve the release of our abductees.”
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Blinken heads to Tel Aviv as parties work on ‘specific details’ in cease-fire negotiations
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will land in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sunday evening as talks over a Gaza cease-fire hang in the balance.
Following discussions in Doha, Qatar, this week, senior officials are due to meet again next week in Egypt. Israel has said it will send a team to Cairo to continue talks, but Hamas has dismissed any hint of progress as an illusion.
Vedant Patel, the State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson, told reporters at a Thursday briefing that the parties are yet to settle “some specific details, some specific implementing factors,” but that there is “broad agreement on the contours” of a proposal set out by President Joe Biden in May.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed “cautious optimism” of progress, though one Israeli official said that “gaps” remain on sensitive topics, including whether or not Israeli forces will withdraw from key strategic areas within Gaza.
Meanwhile, the death toll continues to grow in the devastated strip. This weekend, more than 60 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Tom Soufi Burridge
Biden: ‘No one in the region should take actions to undermine’ cease-fire deal
With a cease-fire deal “now in sight,” President Joe Biden said in a statement Friday that “no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process.”
Biden said his teams will “report to me regularly” as they remain on the ground over the coming days. Senior officials “will convene again in Cairo before the end of the week,” he said.
The expectation is for a cease-fire to go into place soon after there is agreement between the parties, a source familiar with the talks told ABC News.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
First case of polio confirmed in 10-month-old Gazan baby
A 10-month-old baby has become the first confirmed case of polio in Gaza, as international aid organizations and the United Nations push for a temporary humanitarian cease-fire to administer polio vaccinations, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The baby, located in is in Deir al-Balah, had not received a polio vaccination.
“The continued brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has resulted in a health disaster, as attested by international organizations. The lack of basic hygiene needs, the lack of sanitation services, the accumulation of waste in the streets and around the places where displaced persons are sheltered, and the lack of safe drinking water have created an environment conducive to the spread and transmission of many epidemics, including waterborne diseases such as the vaccine-derived polio virus,” the ministry said in a statement.
Blinken to travel to Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel on Saturday amid reports Hamas and Israel are close to a cease-fire deal.
Blinken will head to Israel Saturday to “continue intensive diplomatic efforts to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire and release of hostages and detainees through the bridging proposal presented today by the United States, with support from Egypt and Qatar,” according to the state department.
Cease-fire talks ‘in the end game,’ senior US official says
Cease-fire negotiations are “now in the end game,” according to a senior U.S. official, who discussed what to expect over the next week as a deal is on the brink of finalizing.
The main elements of the proposal that President Joe Biden laid out on May 31 remain, but negotiators have taken the areas of disagreement and “bridged those in a way that we think basically is a deal that is now ready to close and implement and move forward.”
“There is still more work to do, and over the course of this week, there are working group engagements to talk about everything from the list of hostages and the sequence by which hostages would be released, the list of Palestinian prisoners, because ultimately, this is an exchange, similar to what you saw in the November cease-fire deal,” the official told reporters Friday.
Getting to this point has been “extremely complicated” and the portion of the deal focusing on the exchange of prisoners and hostages was a “large basis” of the talks in Doha, Qatar.
“There was some gaps there, and some trade space between the parties, which I think we’ve now gone a long way to bridge,” the official said.
With tensions remaining high as Iran weighs a retaliatory attack on Israel, the official said if Iran really does want to see a cease-fire deal reached, “now is an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and to basically work towards the conclusion of this.”
“It’s just ironic, it was Hamas, a proxy of Iran, started this war on Oct. 7, and it would be ironic if Iran were to do something to basically derail what we think is the best opportunity for the comprehensive cease-fire and hostage during these deal that we have had in many months.”
Biden says negotiations are ‘closer than we’ve ever been’
President Joe Biden says negotiators are “closer than we’ve ever been” on reaching a deal and “much, much closer” than they were three days ago.
3 Gazan children present symptoms of polio
Three children have presented with suspected acute flaccid paralysis, a common symptom of polio, weeks after poliovirus was detected in environmental samples from Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.
International aid groups are calling for temporary humanitarian pauses in order to launch polio vaccination campaigns across the Gaza Strip at the end of August and September to prevent the spread of the circulating variant type 2 poliovirus.
“During each round of the campaign, the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and partners, will provide two drops of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to more than 640 000 children under ten years of age,” the WHO and UNICEF said in a statement.
Hamas said it supports a humanitarian pause in order to vaccinate thousands of children against quadriplegia.
“At least 95% vaccination coverage during each round of the campaign is needed to prevent the spread of polio and reduce the risk of its re-emergence, given the severely disrupted health, water and sanitation systems in the Gaza Strip,” the aid groups said.
Qatar, Egypt, US say new proposal was given to Israel, Hamas
A new “bridge proposal” was presented to Israel and Hamas, according to a joint statement from Qatar, Egypt and the U.S.
Israeli sources told ABC News progress has been made in negotiations and some of the gaps have narrowed. But Hamas said that the Israeli side did not abide by what was agreed upon on July 2 and Netanyahu even backed down from what was stated in the Israeli paper on May 27.
More talks will be held in Cairo next week to bridge the gap and complete the deal, the three countries said.
“Working teams will continue technical work over the coming days on the details of implementation including arrangements to implement the agreement’s extensive humanitarian provisions as well as specifics relating to hostages and detainees,” Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. said.
“There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay,” the countries said.
IDF issues new evacuation orders, moves humanitarian zone in Khan Younis
Israel is calling on Palestinians sheltering in the humanitarian zone in northern Khan Yunis and eastern Deir al Balah to temporarily evacuate to the adjusted humanitarian area.
“The adjustment is being made following accurate intelligence information according to which the Hamas terrorist organization has established terrorist infrastructure in an area defined as a Humanitarian Area,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Hamas said forcing thousands of Palestinian civilians to repeatedly displace has led to their overcrowding in harsh conditions that threaten their lives and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
“Forcing our people in northern Khan Yunis and eastern Deir al-Balah by the criminal Zionist occupation army to flee to the so-called ‘humanitarian and safe areas’ is nothing but another means to deepen the collective punishment and genocide that our people have been subjected to for more than ten months. The occupation uses displacement as a weapon in its war against defenseless civilians, in an attempt to break their will and increase their human suffering,” Hamas political bureau member Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement.
Israel has continued to conduct strikes on humanitarian areas despite official designations that they are safe zones for civilians.
Hamas says Israeli evasion is obstacle to cease-fire agreement
As negotiations between Hamas and Israel continue in Qatar, Hamas said the obstacle to reaching a cease-fire in Gaza is continued Israel evasion.
Hamas said that any agreement must include a complete withdrawal from Gaza, the return of displaced people and the reconstruction, in addition to a prisoner exchange deal, according to Husam Badran, a member of the Hamas’ political bureau.
At least 1 dead, several injured after Israeli settlers raid West Bank village
At least one person was killed and several others were injured after Israeli settlers raided Jit, a village in the West Bank.
Dozens of Israeli citizens, some of them masked, entered the village of Jit in Samaria Thursday evening and set fire to vehicles and buildings in the village, threw stones and threw Molotov cocktails, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
IDF and Magav forces jumped into the village within minutes of receiving the report, dispersed demonstrations and shot into the air, and removed the Israeli citizens from the village.
Security forces arrested one Israeli citizen, who was handed over to the Israel Police for further treatment.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on the attack saying “those responsible for any criminal act will be caught and prosecuted.”
Benny Gantz, chairman of Israel’s National United Party, also said those who commited acts of violence on Thursday should be behind bars and said they are “harming the state of Israel.”
“They deserve unequivocal condemnation from all parts of society and from the entire leadership in Israel,” Gantz said in a statement.
IDF claims more than 17,000 militants ‘eliminated’ in Gaza
The Israeli Defense Forces claimed it has “eliminated over 17,000 terrorists” in Gaza on Thursday.
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Negotiations between Israel, Hamas have started, US says
Negotiations are “just starting there in Doha,” Qatar, despite Hamas saying it will not attend the talks, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters during a call Thursday.
“We’re at a point now where the framework is generally accepted and where the gaps are in the execution of the deal, the individual muscle movements that go with putting the deal in place,” Kirby said.
“In the past, it has worked very similar to how it’s working in Doha today, where mediators will sit and discuss work things out, and then those mediators will be in touch with Hamas, and then the Hamas leaders in Doha then communicate directly with Mr. Sinwar for final answers,” Kirby said.
Netanyahu, IDF chief at odds over withdrawing from Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Forces chief Herzi Halevi are at odds over a key provision amid cease-fire negotiations — IDF withdrawing from the Gaza Strip.
The IDF chief of staff said that holding on to any part of Gaza or the Philadelphi corridor are conditions Israel should not break a potential deal with Hamas over. The IDF can deal with being out of Gaza and giving up the control on Philadelphi, Halevi said.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu firmly stands by the principle that the IDF will remain physically on the Philadelphi axis, according to a source close to Netanyahu.
Cease-fire talks resume in Qatar
A U.S. delegation is in the Qatari capital of Doha for the resumption of cease-fire talks related to Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
CIA chief Bill Burns is part of the U.S. group, while the head of Mossad — David Barnea — is with the Israeli delegation. High level Egyptian officials are also in attendance.
The talks are being hosted by Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Discussions will take place over two days.
Hamas is not taking part in the negotiations. The group announced on Wednesday it would not send a representative in protest of what it said was Israel’s failure to commit to negotiating on the basis of a July 2 cease-fire proposal.
Grim milestone of 40,000 killed in Gaza, says Hamas-run Health Ministry
Israel’s war in Gaza has hit another grim milestone after the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the strip declared that the death toll had passed 40,000 since the start of the war on Oct. 8.
On Thursday, officials in Gaza said a total of 40,005 people had been killed in the conflict.
That figure does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. However, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said there were more than 11,000 women and more than 16,000 children among the dead.
The true death toll in Gaza, after more than 10 months of war, could be significantly higher than the Health Ministry’s figure because officials in Gaza estimate that an additional 10,000 people in Gaza are unaccounted for because of the war.
Latest on the state of play for high-stakes Gaza cease-fire talks
On the eve of what is supposed to be a critical, final push to seal the Gaza cease-fire/hostage release deal, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is working the phones with key mediators as the U.S. works to make sure negotiations will indeed press on.
In his conversations with his Qatari and Egyptian counterparts, Blinken discussed efforts to reach an agreement and stressed that “no party in the region should take actions that would undermine efforts to reach a deal,” according to readouts of the calls.
This comes as Hamas continues to assert that it will not participate in the talks in Doha, Qatar — accusing Israel of moving the goal posts and insisting it will only move forward with the version of the deal it agreed to in early July.
Qatar has assured the Biden administration that it will drum up some sort of Hamas representative to fill the group’s seat at the negotiating table, U.S. officials said. However, Qatar has made no promise about the quality of said representation. Getting messages to Hamas’ ultimate power and deciding vote, Yahya Sinwar, can take days or even weeks, so to be effective in the talks, the intermediary needs to have a good idea of what Sinwar might ultimately sign off on and what’s a nonstarter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insisting on maintaining operational control over the Philadelphi Corridor — a narrow strip of land separating Gaza from Egypt — through the duration of any cease-fire, as well as implementing additional procedures for Gazans that would be returning to their homes in the North, according to officials familiar with the matter.
As for Hamas, the group has called for more than two dozen changes to the framework that was rolled out in May, which U.S. officials have repeatedly insisted is “nearly identical” to a deal Hamas previously agreed to.
Regarding Iran, U.S. officials don’t have a crystal-clear view of Tehran’s position, but the administration does put stock into the idea that Iran doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize a peace deal and sees the looming talks as a potential reason there hasn’t yet been retaliation against Israel for the killing of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Two Hezbollah fighters killed, IDF and Hezbollah say
Israeli forces said they killed two Hezbollah members in Lebanon on Wednesday.
Hezbollah also confirmed the death of two of their fighters in statements released on Wednesday.
The IDF said an Israeli Air Force aircraft “eliminated two Hezbollah terrorists” in the area of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu gives negotiating team more flexibility: Israeli official
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expanded the mandate and positions of the Israeli negotiators, an Israeli official told ABC News, giving the team more flexibility ahead of the cease-fire talks in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday.
The development comes as he faces growing criticism to reach a cease-fire deal.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
White House expects cease-fire talks to ‘move forward as planned’
The White House expects Thursday’s cease-fire negotiations in Doha, Qatar, to “move forward as planned” and said the announcement of Hamas not sending a delegation is just “public posturing” in advance of those discussions.
“We expect these talks to move forward as planned. [CIA] Director [Bill] Burns and Brett McGurk, [White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa], will both travel to Qatar for these discussions. There’s always a lot of public posturing in advance. We’ve seen that before. It’s not new of these talks, and I’m not going to certainly weigh in on any of that, just like I’m not going to discuss the details of the negotiation,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday.
Israel closes humanitarian route through Rafah
Israeli forces “temporarily” closed the humanitarian route in the area of Rafah, in southern Gaza, on Tuesday, saying Hamas operatives “opened fire” toward the route.
This is the second time the IDF has closed this route in the past week.
The route is an 8-mile road going from the Kerem Shalom crossing, near Rafah, north near Khan Younis and the humanitarian zone.
Hamas not attending cease-fire negotiations in Qatar
Hamas said it will not be attending cease-fire negotiations in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday.
“The movement demands a clear commitment from the occupation to what was agreed upon on July 2, according to the clarifications conveyed by the mediators, and if that happens, the movement is ready to enter into the mechanisms for implementing the agreement,” Hamas Political Bureau Member Dr. Suhail al-Hindi told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed TV.
Israel to send delegation to Qatar to negotiate cease-fire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the sending of an Israeli delegation to Doha, Qatar, on Thursday to continue negotiations for a cease-fire agreement.
This comes as Netanyahu is receiving pushback internally and externally amid reports he changed the parameters of what he would agree to.
Biden expects Iran to hold off on retaliatory attack if a cease-fire deal is reached
President Joe Biden addressed the rising tensions in the Middle East Tuesday after U.S. officials warned Iran could launch a retaliatory attack on Israel as early as “this week.”
Biden told reporters he expects Iran to hold off on carrying out a retaliatory attack against Israel if a cease-fire deal with Hamas is reached.
“That’s my expectation, but we’ll see,” Biden said after arriving in New Orleans, LA.
Last week, Biden along with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar jointly called for Israel and Hamas to return to the negotiating table and reach an agreement that would free hostages and end the war in Gaza.
Hamas leaders declined the new set of cease-fire conditions on Sunday, asking for negotiations to resume around what was presented in July.
US approves $20 billion more in arms sales to Israel
The U.S. State Department has signed off on several large arms transfers to Israel, notifying Congress on Tuesday that it has approved the sale of more than $20 billion worth of weaponry and military equipment.
All of the sales surpass the value threshold that requires the State Department to formally notify Congress 15 days before initiating the transfer process. Congress can move to reject the transaction by adopting a joint resolution of disapproval within that timeframe.
Some of the items aren’t scheduled to arrive in Israel for years.
Israeli forces kill two Hezbollah fighters, IDF says
Israeli forces killed two Hezbollah fighters from its Southern Front on Tuesday, the Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement. Hezbollah has confirmed the death of two of their fighters on Tuesday.
These attacks come as Israel awaits a response from Hezbollah and Iran for killings in recent weeks.
CIA director, Biden aide to head to Middle East to salvage hostage talks
Several U.S. officials are headed to the Middle East this week in a bid to de-escalate regional tensions and try to salvage hostage negotiations, as the window for a deal appears to be closing.
CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to arrive in Doha, Qatar, this week, where he will lead a crucial meeting on the hostages, according to a U.S. official. It’s not clear, however, whether a representative of Hamas will attend.
Meanwhile, Brett McGurk, Biden’s top adviser on the Middle East at the White House, was expected to travel separately to Cairo, according to the U.S. official.
Axios first reported the travel plans for Burns and McGurk, noting that McGurk’s plan was to nail down a security plan for the Egypt-Gaza border.
The diplomatic trip also comes as the U.S. has been scrambling to revive a coalition of countries that helped to defend Israel last April during an attack by Iran.
Israel has been bracing for Iran to launch a retaliatory attack following the assassination of a senior Hamas official in Tehran.
The U.S. official acknowledged “there have been complications” with getting some of the Arab countries on board but added they’ve been “able to put in place preparations” to defend Israel successfully.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
Western leaders call on Iran to ‘stand down’
The leaders of the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Italy called on Iran to “stand down” and expressed their support for Israel’s defense “against Iranian aggression” during a call on Monday, according to a joint statement released by the White House.
“We called on Iran to stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel and discussed the serious consequences for regional security should such an attack take place,” the statement said.
The leaders also expressed their support for ongoing efforts to reach a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza, according to the statement.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Hostage deal talks expected to move forward: State Department
As the Middle East continues its uneasy wait for Iran’s response to the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, the State Department is pressing on with its high-stakes diplomatic campaign to constrain military action from Tehran amid fresh waves of uncertainty.
“We continue to work diplomatically to prevent any major escalation in this conflict,” deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters Monday. “We obviously don’t want to see any kind of attack or response happen in the first place.”
Multiple officials within the State Department said they are still cautiously optimistic that Iran will limit the scope of its retaliation, but that they increasingly expect the country will strike at Israel before Thursday — the date the Biden administration, along with Egypt and Qatar, set to relaunch hostage/cease-fire deal talks in hopes of bringing Israel and Hamas back to the table for a final push.
A joint statement issued by the mediators last week was designed not only to pressure the parties involved, but as a message to Iran that an agreement was in the offing meant to persuade the country against military action that could scuttle a deal, according to an official.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also publicly warned Monday that Iranian military action could impede progress at a critical point in the negotiations.
However, Hamas’ earlier announcement that it would not participate in the round of negotiations and public infighting among top Israeli officials have cast significant doubt over whether the Thursday meeting will even happen — undercutting the administration’s intended message to Tehran.
At the podium Monday, Patel said mediators “fully expect talks to move forward as they should” in order to “bring this deal to conclusion.”
He declined to say whether Hamas or Israel was the bigger impediment.
“I’m not going to color it one way or the other,” Patel said while noting that “the prime minister of Israel immediately welcomed this initiative and confirmed that the Israeli team will be there, and they’ll be prepared to finalize the details of implementing the deal.”
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston
Retaliatory attack on Israel could come ‘this week’: Kirby
A United States assessment shows a retaliatory attack by Iran and its proxies against Israel could be launched “this week,” the White House said Monday.
“We share the same concerns and expectations that our Israeli counterparts have with respect to potential timing here. Could be this week,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. “We’re continuing to watch it very, very closely.”
Kirby said it’s difficult to ascertain what a potential attack could look like at this time but that “we have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks.”
Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari told reporters on Monday that Israel remains “on high alert.”
“We take seriously the threats of our enemies and that is why we are on high alert offensively and defensively,” he said.
Hagari said the IDF will “work hard to give the public time to get organized.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Netanyahu accuses defense minister of ‘adopting anti-Israel narrative’
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant appeared to take a swing at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Knesset committee meeting about Israel’s response to ongoing cross-border tensions with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
“I hear all the heroes with the war drums, the ‘absolute victory’ and this gibberish,” Gallant reportedly said, alluding to Netanyahu’s slogan through the war, according to Israeli media.
Netanyahu’s office released a statement shortly after, saying Gallant too is bound by the policy of “absolute victory.”
“When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he hurts the chances of reaching a deal for the release of the abductees,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said. “He should have attacked [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar, who refuses to send a delegation to the negotiations, and who was and remains the only obstacle to the kidnapping deal.”
National Unity Party Chairman Benny Gantz warned about internal divisions in Israel during an address on Monday.
“If we don’t come to our senses, there will be a civil war here,” Gantz said.
He said there have been “heroes,” from soldiers to volunteers, in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack, but also “leadership that dissolves, networks that poison the well from which we live.”
“The patriotic Israeli majority should stop the hatred and make amends,” Gantz said.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Hezbollah says it is still determined to attack Israel
While the weekend passed with no direct retaliation from Hezbollah for the killings of several top leaders by Israeli strikes, the group said it still plans to strike.
“The response is coming and inevitable and there is no turning back from it,” Ali Damoush, the deputy chairman of the Executive Council of Hezbollah, said Monday.
The Hezbollah official saif America, Great Britain, Germany and everyone who supplies Israel with weapons is a partner in the Gaza massacres.
“Israel does not find any practical and serious response to its massacres, and this is what encourages it to continue committing crimes and massacres, and without effective pressure Netanyahu will not stop his crimes,” Damoush claimed.
Israeli Air Force bans travel abroad
Amid fears that an attack from Iran may be imminent, the commander of Israel’s Air Force, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, has issued an order barring servicemembers from traveling abroad. The directive applies to career officers and non-commissioned officers, not conscripts, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
US is ‘strengthening’ military force in Middle East over ‘escalating’ tensions
The U.S. is “strengthening” its capabilities in the Middle East by sending an additional guided missile submarine to the region “in light of escalating regional tensions,” according to a statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder issued on Sunday.
The update comes the same day Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
“Secretary Austin reiterated the United States’ commitment to take every possible step to defend Israel,” according to the statement.
Secretary Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the Middle East, which was previously expected to get there by the end of the month.
The Lincoln was already en route to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt, but will now add to the capabilities of the Roosevelt
Additionally, Austin has ordered the USS Georgia guided missile submarine to the Middle East.
The statement doesn’t say how soon the Lincoln or the USS Georgia will arrive in the region.
Israeli forces intercept ‘projectiles’ crossing from Lebanon, no injuries: IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted approximately 30 “projectiles” that were identified as crossing from Lebanon into northern Israel early Monday morning local time, the IDF said in a statement.
No injuries were reported from the attacks, the IDF said.
“The IDF is striking the sources of fire,” the IDF added.
(CHICAGO) —Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday unveiled her economic platform, her first major policy rollout since becoming the Democratic nominee.
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday held a press conference in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he said he’s “entitled” to insult his Democratic opponent because he doesn’t respect her and attacked her record on the economy.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Harris headed to Milwaukee rally tonight
Democratic candidate for president, Vice President Kamala Harris, is set to speak at a rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday, according to her campaign.
Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ vice presidential running mate, will be in attendance, the campaign confirmed. Also expected at the event are Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, members of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise, including Khris Middleton and President Peter Feigin, and labor leaders.
Harris and Waltz appeared at the DNC in Chicago on Monday night, where Harris surprised delegates by taking the stage early in the night for a brief speech.
Tuesday’s rally, which is being held at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, is aimed at energizing Wisconsin voters, the campaign said.
Iran denies involvement in attempts to hack Trump, Biden campaigns
Iran is denying reports it was involved in attempts to hack the presidential campaigns of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, the latter of which while he was still in the race.
In a statement, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, said that reports of attempted hacking, which came from Google and Microsoft, are “unsubstantiated.”
“Such allegations are unsubstantiated and devoid of any standing. As we have previously announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran harbors neither the intention nor the motive to interfere with the U.S. presidential election,” the statement read. “Should the U.S. government genuinely believe in the validity of its claims, it should furnish us with the pertinent evidence—if any—to which we will respond accordingly.”
-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas
7:32 AM EDT Bernie Sanders to speak at DNC on ‘lowering health care costs’
Lowering health care costs will be a central theme at the Democratic National Convention this week, campaign and convention officials said on Monday, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), confirmed as one notable program speaker set to focus upon the issue — specifically on “lowering Rx drug prices” and “taking on Big Pharma.”
Speakers throughout the week like Sanders, California Rep. Robert Garcia, Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will highlight the support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for strengthening the Affordable Care Act, convention officials shared first with ABC News.
In a Friday speech setting out a string of economic proposals, Harris pledged to “lower the cost of insulin and prescription drugs for everyone.” She also said she’d “demand transparency from the middlemen who operate between Big Pharma and the insurance companies, who use opaque practices to raise your drug prices and profit off your need for medicine.”
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and more to host DNC
Actors Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Mindy Kaling and commentator Ana Navarro will serve as hosts at the Democratic National Convention this week, convention officials confirmed to ABC News.
Each will host one night of the four-day convention, starting the programming with opening remarks and reappearing onstage throughout the night.
Goldwyn will host Monday night, Navarro on Tuesday and Kaling on Wednesday. Washington will host on Thursday, the night Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepts her nomination.
CNN first reported this news.
Harris and Walz debut new campaign buses and kick off tour ahead of DNC
Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz debuted their new campaign buses Sunday and kicked off a bus tour of southwestern Pennsylvania ahead of this week’s Democratic National Convention.
Upon their arrival on Air Force Two, a few hundred supporters greeted Harris, Walz and their spouses at a hangar where the new were buses parked.
Supporters told ABC News they were thrilled by Harris’ candidacy, with one saying she had not felt this excited about politics in years. Some said they had never volunteered for a campaign before signing up to work on Harris’.
“I was excited about Biden, but I am a million times more excited about Kamala,” Nicole Molinaro, a Pittsburgh-area mom, said. “I think that we need her leadership. We need her intelligence. We need her progressive, you know, stance. I think we need her experience. We need everything about Kamala.”
Another supporter, Edward Freel, said he was unsure about Harris at first, “but then, as I started listening better and following her, [I thought] this woman is going to be good for this country.”
Trump campaign releases counterprogramming schedule for DNC week
During the week of the DNC, Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance will be out on the campaign trail, holding events in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
Trump allies — including Sens. Ron Johnson and Rick Scott, and Rep. Byron Donalds — will travel to Chicago to host press conferences every day of the convention. The Trump team will also give a press conference on Thursday ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the Democratic party’s nomination.
“As they meet Americans where they are in battleground states across the country, President Trump and Senator Vance will remind voters that under their leadership, we can end inflation, protect our communities from violent criminals, secure the border, and Make America Great Again,” Trump Campaign Senior Advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soo Rin Kim and Kelsey Walsh
Michelle Obama to speak at DNC this week
Former first lady Michelle Obama will speak at the DNC in Chicago this week, ABC News has confirmed with her office.
Her appearance, first reported by Essence Magazine, will be among a lineup of prominent Democratic leaders who are rallying in support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Former President Barack Obama is also scheduled to speak at the DNC.
According to a source familiar with the planning, Michelle Obama will speak on Tuesday — the same day as the former president.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will help Trump prepare for presidential debate
Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will assist Trump in preparing for his first debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“[Trump] does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisors and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage,” Trump campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to ABC News, confirming a development first reported by The New York Times.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and a one-time Democratic presidential candidate during the 2020 election, gained brief momentum during her presidential run after challenging Harris on the debate stage on topics like criminal prosecutions.
Since leaving the Democratic Party, Gabbard has been gaining traction among Trump supporters, and more recently she has appeared on Fox and other conservative news outlets attacking Harris.
– ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Soo Rin Kim, Kelsey Walsh, and Lalee Ibssa
Election 2024 updates: ABC News Harris-Trump debate to be held in Philadelphia
The first debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump will be held by ABC News at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The Sept. 10 debate will be moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.
It will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET on the network and on its 24/7 streaming network ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
(CHICAGO) — In a presidential campaign like no other — and just four weeks after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race — Democrats are gathering in Chicago this week to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their candidate to take on former President Donald Trump.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Biden touts accomplishments, paints them as Harris’ wins too
Biden took time to tout his administration’s work on COVID, the economy and health care.
“Because of you, we’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period. And when I say ‘we,’ I mean Kamala and me,” Biden said.
Biden pointed to the recent agreement reached by the government and Medicare to lower the prices of 10 commonly used prescription drugs — a result of the Inflation Reduction Act.
“And guess who cast the tie breaking vote? Vice President, soon to be President Kamala Harris,” Biden said.
‘We came together in 2020 to save democracy’: Biden
Biden reiterated his reasons for running for president in 2020 citing the Unite the Right rally in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, as a turning point in the country.
“I ran with a deep conviction,” he said.
“Because of all of you in this room and others, we came together in 2020 to save democracy,” Biden added. “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,” Biden added.
‘Stop arming Israel’ sign spotted in crowd before lights cut
A protest flag was spotted in the crowd during Biden’s remarks, reading, “Stop arming Israel.”
Delegates appeared to be trying to cover it up, but the sign was briefly visible in the back of the lower bowl before the lights were turned off in that section.
Biden: ‘Are you ready to vote for freedom?’
Biden kicked off his remarks after a long standing ovation from the crowd peppered with cheers of “We love Joe!” and “Thank you, Joe!”
He thanked his daughter for her introduction and gave shout-outs to his family, especially their “rock” first lady Jill Biden.
“My dad used to have an expression for real. He’d say, ‘Joey, family is the beginning, the middle and the end.’ And I love you all. And America, I love you,” he said to loud applause.
“Let me ask you, are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?” Biden continued.
Teary eyed Biden takes the stage
President Joe Biden wiped away tears as he approached the DNC stage to a standing ovation.
He embraced his daughter Ashley and thanked the crowd.
“I love you, thank you,” he said.
Ashley Biden calls president the ‘O.G. girl dad’
Biden’s daughter, Ashley Biden, called the president the “O.G. girl dad” in her remarks introducing him.
“He wasn’t just a girl dad. I could see that he valued and trusted women,” she said. “How he listened to his mother, how he believed in his sister, and most of all, how he respected my mother’s career.”
She continued, “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.”
‘We will fight, and we will win together’: Jill Biden
First lady Jill Biden talked about her husband’s kindness and devotion to helping others during his years of service.
She noted that she she “saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.”
Jill Biden said that she and her family valued Harris for years, given the kinship the vice president had with Beau Biden.
“We have seen her courage, her determination and her leadership up close. Kamala and Tim, you will win, and you are inspiring a new generation,” she said.
“We will fight, and we will win together,” the first lady added.
Delaware Sen. Chris Coons leads crowd in ‘We love Joe!’ chant
Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a close Biden ally, spoke ahead of the president’s keynote speech.
He thanked Biden for his service, saying the president “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.”
He thanked Biden for “elevating a great leader in Kamala Harris” and led the crowd in a chant of “We love Joe!” at the end of his speech.
Sen. Warnock calls Trump a ‘plague on the American conscience’
Sen. Raphael Warnock, who made history as Georgia’s first Black senator, made clear the importance of his state in the 2020 election and what’s at stake this November.
“A vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and our children, and our prayers are stronger when we pray together,” Warnock said. “So together we flipped the Senate, held the House and we sent Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House.”
The pastor went on to rail against former President Donald Trump, who he said is “a plague on the American conscience.”
Warnock said he saw photos of Trump holding up the Bible and said, “He should try reading it.”
“It says, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ It says, ‘In as much as you’ve done it unto the least of these, you have done it all. So on to me,'” Warnock said.
“So here we are, America. Are you ready?” Warnock added. “Are you ready to stand up in this moral moment? Stand up for the best in the American covenant. Elections are about the character of a country, and we must decide, again, we are the latest generation of Americans who get to decide what kind of country we want to be.”
Women share personal stories of struggle, pain after Roe revoked
The convention turned its focus on the state of reproductive rights in the country following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overruled Roe v. Wade.
Following a video that featured clips of Trump touting his stance on removing Roe, three groups of people spoke about their personal stories dealing with the fallout from laws passed in states that banned abortions.
Josh and Amanda Zurawski of Texas talked about how she was forced to wait three days to get an abortion after she miscarried. Amanda was “shaking, disoriented and crashing,” before doctors were able to treat her, according to her husband.
“I was lucky. I lived. So, I’ll continue sharing our story, standing with women and families across the country,” she said.
Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana talked about how two emergency rooms turned her away after she miscarried because of the state’s abortion bans.
“I was in pain, bleeding so much my husband feared for my life. No woman should experience what I endured, but too many have,” she said. “Our daughters deserve better. America deserves better.”
Hadley Duvall discussed getting pregnant at 12 after being sexually abused by her stepfather.
Duvall, 22, said she was grateful she had options, but that is not a reality for many girls today “because of Trump’s abortion bans.”
“He calls it a beautiful thing. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent’s child?” she said.
“There are other survivors out there who have no options. And I want you to know that we see you. We hear you,” she added.
Beshear: ‘Trump and Vance simply don’t believe in your freedom’
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a one-time potential running mate for Harris, largely focused on reproductive rights during his remarks.
He called on voters to elect Harris and Walz to “protect reproductive freedom” and said that “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,” Beshear said. “Their policies give rapists more rights than their victims. That’s not inconvenient. It’s just plain wrong.”
He called on Americans to move beyond divisive politics “by remembering we are all Americans.”
“That’s how Joe Biden and Kamala Harris lead,” he said.
Walz’s kids give their dad bunny ears
It seems that even being Kamala Harris’ VP pick can’t spare you from your kids making fun of you.
During an interview on MSNBC, Walz’s daughter and son held up bunny ears behind their dad’s head.
The moment is getting a lot of attention on social media, including from Walz himself, who reposted the clip on X and wrote, “My kids keep me humble.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett tears up talking about Harris
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett teared up while recalling her first meeting with Harris after getting elected to Congress.
Crockett said she wasn’t sure she made the right decision running for office, referring to the “Chaos Caucus,” when she met Harris for an official photo.
“As I approached Vice President Harris for our official photo, she turned to me and asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ Mind you, we’d never met, but she saw right through me,” Crocket said. “She saw the distress. I immediately began crying.”
Crockett paused to wipe her tears, saying “It’s so hard for me to tell this story,” before continuing.
“She then said, among other things, ‘You are exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you. And so do I,'” Crockett said.
Crockett said that moment gave her her “legislative legs, and I’ve been running ever since.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin notes horrors of Jan. 6
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who was a member of the House’s Jan. 6 committee, warned about the “banana Republicans who have converted Lincoln’s party into a dangerous cult of personality.”
Raskin recalled the violence and destruction caused that day by Trump’s supporters and the former president’s push of election falsehoods.
“All of this after Trump was defeated by more than 7 million votes by the great Joe Biden,” he said.
Raskin also took note that the rioters chanted to hang former Vice President Mike Pence, who he noted is not supporting Trump this election.
“By the way, JD Vance, do you understand why there was a sudden job opening for running mate on the GOP ticket?” he said. “They tried to kill him because he would not follow Trump’s plan to destroy and nullify the votes of millions of Americans.”
Raskin also pointed out Trump’s comments about possibly pardoning the insurrectionists and pushed Americans to support Harris.
“Let’s make it a landslide so big that Donald Trump and his kangaroo court, Supreme Court justices, cannot even try to steal it,” he said.
‘Law and Order’ spoof video on Trump draws laughs
Attendees burst into laughter as the DNC started playing a video spooking the hit show “Law and Order,” starting with the familiar narration, “in the criminal justice system,” before delving into details of Trump’s 34 felony convictions.
The video was largely comedic — but also signaled an eagerness by Democrats to go on offense.
“I’m just glad we’re fighting back. I’m so tired of taking the high road,” one attendee said as the video played.
Clyburn calls Project 2025 ‘Jim Crow 2.0’
South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn called Project 2025 “Jim Crow 2.0” during his remarks while drawing a comparison between Trump and Harris.
“While Trump falsely pleads 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,” he said.
The DNC earlier took aim at the conservative policy blueprint, which has become a flashpoint in the 2024 election, in a video that aired earlier in the night and remarks by Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator.
Hillary Clinton gets standing ovation as she fires up crowd
The crowd at the United Center got on their feet when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took the stage where she supported Harris and applauded Biden.
“There is a lot of energy in this room — just like there is a lot of energy in this country,” she said.
Clinton saluted Biden, calling him “democracy’s champion,” and praising his years of service.
“He brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House,” she said.
Clinton talked about the long history of bringing women’s voices heard and the number of glass ceilings that were broken, including her 2016 presidential nomination.
“I wish my mother and Kamala’s mother could see us. They would say, ‘Keep going,'” she said.
The crowd chanted “Keep going,” in response.
She also took a jab a Trump, joking that he fell asleep during his own trial. The crowd shouted “lock him up,” turning the tables on the chant used at Trump rallies against Clinton.
Clinton smiled as the crowd chanted.
Clinton said that as president, Harris would be a fighter for all Americans, and cares about America.
“I know what it takes, and I can tell you, as commander in chief, Kamala won’t disrespect our military and our veterans,” she said.
Clinton told the crowd that they are still needed to fight for every vote and not just depend on the poll numbers.
“When a barrier falls for one of us, 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,” she said.
Crowd chants ‘lock him up’ during Hillary Clinton speech
The crowd erupted in chants of “lock him up” during Hillary Clinton’s speech after she highlighted the history that was made with his 34 felony convictions in New York.
After trying to continue her speech at the start of the chants, Clinton smiled and nodded before carrying on with her remarks.
Trump famously encouraged “lock her up” chants during his 2016 run against Clinton, accusing her of criminal wrongdoing though she never faced a single charge.
Harris family members, friends appear in video to discuss her background
Actor Tony Goldwyn kickstarted a segment about Harris’ story, which he said began in a middle-class, tight-knit neighborhood in the East Bay of California.
“These are the experiences that made her the leader she is today,” Goldwyn said.
A video then aired featuring testimonials of a young Harris from her sister Maya Harris, her friend Stacey Johnson-Batiste and her mother’s friend Lenore Pomerance.
Johnson-Batiste recalled a young Kamala Harris defending her 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 Kamala, 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,” Johnson-Batiste said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riles up crowd while going after Trump
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riled up the crowd when she went after Trump while urging voters to make history in electing Harris as president.
“Chicago, we have to help her win, because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said.
“And I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life,” she said to rapturous applause.
“The truth is, Don, you cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business. To love this country is to fight for its people,” she continued.
Ocasio-Cortez briefly mentioned the Israel-Hamas war, saying Harris is “working tirelessly” to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bring hostages home.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riles up crowd while going after Trump
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riled up the crowd when she went after Trump while urging voters to make history in electing Harris as president.
“Chicago, we have to help her win, because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said.
“And I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life,” she said to rapturous applause.
“The truth is, Don, you cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business. To love this country is to fight for its people,” she continued.
‘Trump’s a scab’: UAW president
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain took the stage and began by thanking President Joe Biden for joining the picket lines during their strikes against the major auto companies last year.
Fain praised Vice President Kamala Harris for her years of supporting the UAW and for fighting for workers’ rights.
“It’s real simple. Kamala Harris is one of us. She’s a fighter for the working class. And Donald Trump is a scab,” Fain said to the crowd who chanted “Trump is a scab.”
Fain revealed a shirt with that statement along with “Vote Harris” midway through his speech citing Nelly’s 2002 song “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,” he said.
Fain also called out Trump’s rhetoric blaming economic problems on several groups including immigrants and LGTBQ groups.
“Trump is pushing divide and conquer tactics of the rich. It’s the oldest trick in the book,” he said.
“They do that because they want working-class people to be divided into 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,” Fain added.
NBA coach Steve Kerr greeted with applause
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr got a standing ovation when he walked on stage, just over a week after he coached the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team won gold.
Chants of “USA” stretched across the convention floor as he started speaking.
“It was the proudest moment of my life,” he said, recounting the team’s victory in Paris earlier this month.
Protests expected inside convention hall during Biden’s remarks
Convention staff is preparing for possible disruptions over Gaza during President Joe Biden’s keynote speech.
ABC News has heard from staff and activists that they likely won’t come from uncommitted delegates on the convention floor, but are expected to come from activists who have passes into the arena who are in sections higher up.
-ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks and Isabella Murray
Actor Tony Goldwyn, tonight’s host, appears
Actor Tony Goldwyn, who famously played a president on TV in ABC’s “Scandal,” has arrived for the primetime hour of the DNC’s first night.
Goldwyn said the choice between Harris and Trump is between “two very different futures” for our middle class, reproductive rights, climate, security, schools and “the future of our very democracy.”
He said Harris has a message for America.
“It is a message that’s joyful, not mean-spirited, a message of public service, not self-service, a message of optimism and opportunity, not chaos and division. A message that has woken us up to who we are, to who we’ve always,” he said.
Harris gets raucous ovation in brief appearance
Harris sent the crowd into a frenzy when she walked onto the stage at the United Center, with attendees jumping to their feet in surprise.
“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,” she said to more applause.
Harris also gave Biden his flowers, sparking chants of “USA!”
“And I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight,” she said. “We are forever grateful to you.”
Harris walked off to her campaign anthem, Beyonce’s hit song “Freedom.”
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul slams Trump
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul made several jabs at former President Donald Trump during her speech at the convention.
Hochul cited Trump’s history of stiffing workers, sexually harassing women and his recent conviction in a Manhattan court.
“Donald Trump was born a New Yorker, but ended up a fraud, a philanderer and a felon,” she said.
“New Yorkers are sick of it. It’s no wonder he had to flee to Mar-A-Lago. Sorry about that, Florida,” Hochul added.
The governor touted Harris’ work in bringing new jobs to New York state and stressed Americans must vote to protect the middle class and abortion rights.
Jason Isbell 2nd performer of the night
Grammy-winning Americana singer-songwriter Jason Isbell performed his song “Something More Than Free,” about the struggle of blue-collar life, for the evening’s second performance.
DNC takes aim at Project 2025
A video just aired at the convention criticizing Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that has become a flashpoint in the 2024 election.
Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator, then walked on stage and slammed a giant book on the podium.
“You are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document,” McMorrow said of Project 2025. “Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.”
It includes expanding presidential power and eliminating the Department of Education and other federal agencies, McMorrow noted. She said that’s how it works in “dictatorships” and that Democrats believe in the separation of powers and the rule of law.
Read more about Project 2025 here. Trump has tried to distance himself from the blueprint, even though several of the former president’s current and former advisers and appointees have authored or supported it.
Mickey Guyton is first entertainer of the night
Mickey Guyton, a Black country music artist, is the first entertainer of the night.
Guyton is performing her song “All American” on stage.
Other performers to come this convention include Jason Isbell and James Taylor.
‘Union yes!’ chant breaks out
A chant of “Union yes!” broke out as AFSCME President Lee Saunders took to the podium while joined by other union leaders on the stage.
Sen. Dick Durbin lauds Democrats’ policies to help working class Americans Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin chastised former President Donald Trump’s economic policies citing what he said were the millions of jobs lost during his term.
Durbin touted the Biden-Harris administration’s work to bring back more manufacturing jobs to several parts of the country.
“These investments mean a strong economy, growing public schools and well-funded well-staffed first responders,” he said. “These investments mean hope. That’s what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for.”
Durbin talked about his parents and how they were helped by a union.
“We worked not just to get by, but to get ahead,” he said.
COVID-19 response continues to be talking point
Trump’s COVID-19 response continues to be a talking point throughout the night.
California Rep. Robert Garcia recounted how, as mayor of Long Beach at the start of the pandemic, he fought for more tests and to make masks more accessible.
“What we needed at that moment was national leadership. But instead, we got Donald Trump,” Garcia said. “While schools closed and dead bodies filled morgues, Donald Trump downplayed the virus. He told us to inject bleach into our bodies. He peddled conspiracy theories across the country. We lost hundreds of thousands of Americans, and our economy collapsed.”
Among those lost were Garcia’s mother and stepfather, who both died from COVID-19 in the summer of 2020, he said.
“I miss them every single day,” Garcia said, adding that when Trump and his MAGA extremists “downplayed the horror of the pandemic, it should make us all furious.”
In her remarks, Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood said Trump “took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe.”
“We can never let him be our president again,” she said.
By contrast, Underwood said Harris and Biden worked to make health care more affordable and that Harris “championed” the so-called Momnibus Act, which Underwood introduced to address maternal mortality disparities in the U.S.
“Because she protects the people who are most vulnerable,” Underwood said.
Former Trump supporter Rich Logis says he’s ‘all in’ for Harris
In a video message, former Trump supporter Rich Logis of Florida urged Republicans and Independents against voting for the former president.
“So this is my message to all the Republicans and Independents who are watching — people like me who voted for and believed in Trump: I made a brave mistake, but it’s never too late to change your mind. You don’t need to agree with everything you hear tonight to do what is right. We need to be able to trust our leaders. That’s why I’m all in for Kamala Harris.”
‘We’re not going back’ chants erupt at DNC
Rep. Lauren Underwood wrapped up her remarks about COVID and health care by praising the work of the Biden-Harris administration.
“Four years ago, it was not safe to hold a convention like this. But tonight, thousands have gathered in this arena in my home state of Illinois to make sure Kamala Harris is the next president of the United States,” Underwood said. “We have come so far these past four years and we’re not going back.”
The crowd immediately erupted in cheers of, “We’re not going back!”
The phrase has been a hallmark of Harris’ campaign so far, often arising when she is criticizing aspects of Trump’s record.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan touts Democrats’ fight against COVID
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, returned to the stage to tout Gov. Tim Walz after he was confirmed as the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
Flanagan, who would become the first Indigenous governor if Harris wins the election, talked about her upbringing as a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and how it shaped her values.
“The role of our clan is to ensure that we never leave anyone behind. That’s why I am supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to be the next president and vice president of the United States,” she said.
Flanagan got emotional when she talked about her late brother, who was one of the first Minnesota residents to die from COVID-19 in 2020.
She said former President Donald Trump “was playing games” during his COVID-19 response.
“Our country was brought to the brink by his failure to respond. But the Biden-Harris administration stepped in with quick and decisive action,” Flanagan said.
Walz confirmed as Democratic vice presidential nominee
Gov. Tim Walz was ceremonially confirmed as the Democratic vice presidential nominee during a voice vote.
“USA” chants broke out again in the stadium after the vote.
Walz will deliver his acceptance speech on Wednesday at the DNC.
Delegates adopt party platform, ‘USA’ chants break out
Democratic National Committee delegates passed the party’s 2024 platform in a voice vote.
A full, 92-page draft platform was unveiled by the party late on Sunday night. The document, which was written before President Joe Biden left the 2024 race, was voted upon by the DNC’s Rules Committee in July. It was not updated significantly since Harris replaced him at the top of the ticket.
“USA” chants broke out in the stadium after the platform was adopted.
Rep. Maxine Waters remembers Fannie Lou Hamer
During her remarks, California Rep. Maxine Waters reflected on a Democratic National Convention she attended when she was 22, when civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer “made her presence known” as vice-chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
“It was in 1964, in Atlantic City, and she arrived with a group of Black delegates from Mississippi,” Waters said of Hamer. “She simply asked that her delegates be seated in place of the state’s all-white delegation.”
Waters said that Hamer, after talking about the “violence she suffered at the hands of white police because she, a Black woman, had demanded her right to vote,” then asked the country a “simple but profound question: Is this America?”
Decades later, with Harris as the party’s nominee, Waters said she will be thinking about Hamer in November after Americans elect Harris as their president.
“We can ask ourselves, ‘Is this America?’ And we will be able to say loudly and proudly, ‘You’re damn right it is!'” Waters said.
NAACP president: ‘I’m here to do my Black job’
Before paying tribute to Black political trailblazers, NAACP President Derrick Johnson took an apparent jab at former President Donald Trump.
Johnson introduced himself saying, “Good evening, I’m Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, and I’m here to do my Black job.”
“We must all understand Black history is American history, and in this historic moment, we will write the next chapter together,” he said.
(Trump, while speaking at the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention in July, again tried to claim that migrants are taking “Black jobs” — comments he has faced backlash over.)
The Rev. Jesse Jackson gets a standing ovation
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate, received a standing ovation when he was wheeled on stage, right after a video on the civil rights movement ended.
Jackson was joined by other civil rights icons, including the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate, received a standing ovation when he was wheeled on stage.
Minnesota’s Peggy Flanagan, Walz’s possible successor, introduces Maxine Waters
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, introduced Rep. Maxine Waters to speak at the DNC. Waters received a standing ovation before speaking.
Flanagan is poised to serve as Minnesota’s next governor if Gov. Tim Walz steps down to serve as vice president.
As a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Flanagan would be the first Native American female governor.
‘The fight continues, and there is still more work to do’: DNC chair
DNC Chair Jamie Harrison took the stage to tout the Democrats’ work over the last four years and the goals of a Harris-Walz administration.
“The fight continues, and there is still more work to do,” he said.
“I know that when we elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, they will build on our accomplishments and they will create a country that works for every American,” he added.
Harrison encouraged voters to be active in the coming weeks for all races down the ticket.
“In my beloved home state of South Carolina, our motto is, ‘While I breathe, I hope.’ Folks, I believe in the power of hope, but it’s going to take more than hope to win this election,” he said.
Crowd is amped up as convention kicks off
Delegates and other attendees here in the United Center are amped up — and have been paying attention.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson got a rousing applause when he said his daughter will be able to see herself in Harris. And when Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison started off with one of Harris’ marquee remarks, the crowd quickly finished it with him.
“When we fight…” Harrison said.
“We win!” the crowd erupted.
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
3 vulnerable Senate Democrats won’t be at the DNC this week
Three vulnerable Senate Democrats will sit out the DNC this week: Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
A spokesperson from Rosen’s campaign said she’s choosing to focus on her own reelection this week and will meet with Nevada voters instead. She did, however, join Harris and Walz at a campaign event in Las Vegas earlier this month.
“Senator Rosen supports the Harris-Walz ticket and was glad to join them on the campaign trail in Las Vegas this past weekend,” a spokesperson for her campaign said.
A spokesperson for the Tester campaign similarly confirmed he won’t be in attendance this week.
Notably, he’ll be attending a Pearl Jam concert in Montana this week, with an associated fundraiser for his campaign with the band’s bassist the day before. He’ll spend the rest of his August farming and meeting with voters face to face, per his campaign.
A spokesperson for Brown also confirmed he won’t be in attendance at the convention. A campaign spokesperson did not respond to multiple emails asking for further information about where the senator will be this week.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomes crowd
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson helped kick off the first night of the DNC, welcoming the delegates to the city.
He told the crowd that Chicago is where former President Barack Obama “rose to the White House, reminding us that, yes, we can.”
“This city of hard work and caring people is where Democrats will celebrate President Joe Biden and nominate Kamala Harris for president of the United States of America,” he said.
Johnson spoke about what a Harris presidency would mean for his family.
“As a Black man raising a little Black girl on the West Side of Chicago, I know that my daughter, Braedyn, will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House, but she will experience the deepest part of American values,” he said to applause.
Some ‘uncommitted’ delegates say they have ‘hope’ with Harris as nominee Several “uncommitted” delegates say they are not planning to disrupt the speeches tonight at the DNC.
Violet Olds from Kentucky and Mohamad Khatib from Florida say they want Harris to win, but their goal is to send her a strong message.
“I’m sure we’re all going to fall in line when it comes to November, but as for now, we are here to speak as Americans, supporting our Palestinian American brothers and sisters to send a message,” Olds said.
Khatib said Harris is a welcome change to the top of the ticket.
“When Harris came in and became the designated nominee, she made statements that are showing her understanding and appreciation of the suffering of the Palestinian people. She made the point that she’s not going to stay silent.”
But Khatib said words aren’t enough: “What our communities are saying is that we want Kamala Harris to take actions to support these statements that she started making.”
Olds said that now, under Harris, she feels “hopeful” about the future.
“That’s one of the messages that the whole of the DNC is trying to conjure: hope, joy, and that we want those abroad to have that same hope and joy that we have,” Olds said.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang, Tia Humphries and Mitchell Alva
1st night of the DNC kicks off
The first night of the DNC is underway in Chicago, with the convention officially called to order.
Tonight’s theme is “For the people” and the evening is being hosted by actor Tony Goldwyn — who famously played a president on TV in the ABC series “Scandal.”
4 arrested after some protesters breach security fence: Police
Four people were arrested after several protesters broke through an outer security fence outside the United Center during the pro-Palestinian rally “March on the DNC,” police said.
There is a heavy police presence outside the venue, where the DNC will soon kick off.
The inner perimeter fence was not breached, police said.
Biden touts accomplishments in video prominently featuring Harris ahead of DNC speech President Joe Biden posted a video on social media touting his accomplishments and prominently features Vice President Kamala Harris just ahead of his speech at the DNC on Monday evening.
“Thank you, America, for keeping the faith,” Biden wrote in a post on X.
Throughout the video, images of Harris flash on the screen, including of her meeting with Parkland shooting victims’ parents, meeting with world leaders and sharing a moment with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
The history of political conventions in Chicago
Greetings from the Windy City — or, as Chicago should be called, the City of Conventions. Chicago has hosted more political conventions than any other city in America. Before the 26th major-party political convention in Chicago history kicks off, watch this video my colleagues and I made this morning to familiarize yourself with the history of the other 25.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Rep. Suozzi says he’s happy with how Harris has handled immigration
Rep. Tom Suozzi, a moderate Democrat who flipped a New York district held by ousted Rep. George Santos, campaigned heavily on immigration and messaging that the Democrats should be tougher on the issue.
But Suozzi told ABC News on Monday he’s happy with how Vice President Kamala Harris has handled the key 2024 issue so far.
“She came out early in this campaign and continues to talk about how she would have supported the bipartisan Senate deal to secure the border. Now, I think we’re going to hear more and more details about securing the border, fixing the asylum system and helping those people that have been here for decades, that have played by the rules to try and lift them up,” Suozzi said.
When asked if he’s spoken with Harris since she began her presidential bid, Suozzi said he has not but has spoken with her team. Suozzi is also set to speak at the convention this week.
On the ticket as a whole, Suozzi told ABC News: “I feel great. I’m so excited about this ticket. I’m excited by the enthusiasm I see from the voters, not only in my district, but throughout the country.”
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim
Biden says he’s ready to pass the torch during DNC walk-through
During a walk-through at the United Center ahead of his speech tonight, President Joe Biden said he was ready to pass the torch.
“Are you ready to pass the torch, sir?” a reporter asked from the floor while Biden did his stage check.
“I am,” Biden answered from the podium, where he’ll speak later tonight.
In response to questions about his message, he said: “You’ll hear it tonight.”
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Rep. Phillips reflects on his early call for Biden to exit 2024 race
Rep. Dean Phillips, a former 2024 Democratic presidential candidate who was the first congressional Democrat to question Biden’s candidacy, appeared on ABC News Live to discuss the state of the election since Biden dropped out of the race.
ABC News’ Kyra Phillips asked the Minnesota congressman if he felt like he deserved an apology for being the first to say Biden should leave this race.
“Just walking into this room today … that’s the only apology I needed,” he replied, adding: “It’s the energy, the excitement. I was just begging for a party to listen. … I don’t need an apology. What I need is for us to win, and it feels pretty darn good here today.”
Rep. Phillips said this convention “is a passing of the torch to the new generation. I think people want to leave here feeling something.”
The Minnesota lawmaker didn’t receive much praise for calling on President Joe Biden to end his re-election campaign. He joins the show to discuss what’s occurred since Biden dropped out of the race.
-ABC News’ Isabella Meneses
Biden does stage check ahead of his keynote speech
President Joe Biden was seen doing a stage check Monday afternoon at the United Center in preparation for his opening night speech.
4:36 PM EDT March on the DNC starts
A march organized in support of Palestinians in Gaza during the DNC has started, hours before its first night of programming kicks off.
Organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC, which represents more than 200 activist organizations, said about 15,000 people were present for a rally held in Union Park, near the convention site, ahead of the march.
4:29 PM EDT Biden continues to ‘fine tune’ speech and is in ‘great spirits’ on way to DNC
Biden continues to “fine tune” his speech after working on it over the weekend and is in “great spirits” as he heads to the convention, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“Yeah, look, the president is certainly going to continue to fine tune the speech, if you will. He had an opportunity to work on it this past weekend with Mike Donilon and Vinay Reddy, and so he’s very much looking forward to this moment. As I just said, it is a fulfilling moment for him, and he’s excited. He’s excited,” Jean-Pierre said.
“It’s a big night. He’s looking forward to it. He’s looking forward to addressing the Democratic Party and and obviously the nation. It’s a big night,” she added
Jean-Pierre said Biden was in a good mood on the plane ride over.
“He’s in great spirits and I think what you’ll see is a president who has put his kind of his personal agenda aside and putting the country first, and that’s who he’s always been throughout his career, more than 50 years,” Jean-Pierre said.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
4:21 PM EDT Protesters speak out ahead of 1st mass rally during the DNC
The first mass rally during convention week in Chicago kicked off Monday afternoon in Union Park, located about four blocks east of the United Center, where the Democratic National Convention is being held.
Organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC, which represents more than 200 activist organizations that gathered Monday in support of Palestinians in Gaza, said about 15,000 people were present.
ABC News spoke with several protesters ahead of the event. Many were native Chicagoans like Ken Justus, 68, who rode his bicycle, brandishing a “Swing Left” sign and sleigh bells. He said he still plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I want to make sure we still have a government,” he said. His motto: “Vote blue no matter who.”
Nearby, a coalition of nearly two dozen women from Indiana held banners to represent their organization, Jewish Voices for Peace. Their aim, said national board member Malkah Bird, 45, was to put pressure on the White House “no matter who is in office.”
“We want our money reinvested in the U.S. to help our communities and not used to bomb Palestinians,” Bird said.
One man, who asked ABC News not to use his name, said this was the first protest he had ever attended in his life. What motivated him, he said, was the “hypocrisy” of the administration’s support of Ukraine while sending arms to Israel.
“If we want to be the leader of the free world, we need to exercise the responsibility of being the leader of the free world,” he said.
Joshua Hansom, 52, traveled from Asheville, North Carolina, hoping to encourage people of all political stripes to come together through soccer. He passed cards to passersby encouraging them to join him to play soccer for two scheduled matches near Buckingham Fountain along the city’s lakefront.
What will come out of it?
“Hopefully some solutions,” he said. “At least some unity.”
-ABC News’ Mark Guarino
2:31 PM EDT Biden en route to Chicago
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden boarded Air Force One just after 2 p.m. ET to depart for Chicago.
They were followed by Peter Neal, the husband of Biden’s granddaughter Naomi Biden.
Traveling with the president are key members of his staff, including chief of staff Jeff Zients and senior advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle with reporters during the flight.
2:02 PM EDT Ashley Biden to introduce her father at DNC tonight
Ashley Biden will introduce her father, President Joe Biden, tonight ahead of his remarks to the DNC, according to the schedule.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
1:07 PM EDT More Monday DNC convention speakers confirmed
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fein, Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas and everyday Americans — such as women who have been “subjected to cruel and dangerous abortion bans” — will speak at the DNC Monday night, said Harris Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks at the committee’s daily press briefing.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also announced in a post on X that she will be speaking at 9 p.m. ET.
A full rundown of the Monday’s DNC convention speakers is still imminent, but several other names have been confirmed including President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
11:37 AM EDT 2024 Democratic platform to be voted on Monday at convention
Democratic National Committee delegates will vote on the party’s 2024 platform at its convention on Monday evening, according to officials.
A full, 92-page draft platform was unveiled by the party late on Sunday night. The document, which was written before President Joe Biden left the 2024 race, was voted upon by the DNC’s Rules Committee in July. It was not updated significantly since Harris replaced him at the top of the ticket.
Biden is mentioned 287 times in the platform, while Harris is mentioned 32 times.
“It makes a strong statement about the historic work that President Biden and Vice President Harris have accomplished hand-in-hand,” according to a release from the DNC, “and offers a vision for a progressive agenda that we can build on as a nation and as a Party as we head into the next four years.”
The draft platform emphasizes Biden’s support for brokering an “immediate and lasting ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. The document also says that Biden has “made real progress on a way forward that will free the hostages” and “establish a durable ceasefire” as well as “meaningful progress and a political horizon for the Palestinian people.”
It does not, however, say that the party supports an arms embargo on Israel — something that progressives have been pushing for. It highlights Biden’s support for combating antisemitism.
Several delegates who have spoken with ABC News expect the draft to pass without significant objection.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
10:40 AM EDT Walz on Biden’s DNC speech: ‘We get an opportunity tonight to say a thank you’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made an unannounced appearance at Pennsylvania’s delegation breakfast in Chicago Monday morning and spoke glowingly about President Joe Biden ahead of the president’s DNC speech Monday night.
“We get an opportunity tonight to say a thank you to the best president of my lifetime that I’ve been able to witness, to someone who’s delivered time and time again, someone who made the selfless act of handing that torch to an incredible leader,” Walz said.
His speech was sandwiched between the state’s Gov. Josh Shapiro and other high profile governors: JB Pritzker of Illinois and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
The Harris campaign said that Walz also made a surprise appearance at the Wisconsin delegate breakfast earlier on Monday, which featured Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie and Isabella Murray
10:34 AM EDT FLOTUS will focus on Biden’s strength, character and support for Harris in remarks: Source
First lady Jill Biden is expected to speak Monday night at the DNC and, according to a source familiar with her remarks, will focus on the president’s strength and character, as well as make clear her support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The first lady will call on Americans to come together “with faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country,” the source said.
She will be introduced by a video highlighting key moments from her time in this role, and the issues she has focused on in her public life, according to a source familiar. The video will include Vivian Wierwille from New Hampshire, who gave a memorable introduction of Dr. Biden in March 2021 at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School during the First Lady’s tour to highlight safely reopening schools after the pandemic.
While these remarks may be her last big address in her role as first lady, her office says she plant to continue to focus on her work in the next six months.
“Over the next six months, the First Lady will continue to champion the causes that have defined her public life: supporting military families, advocating for increased educational opportunities, working to end cancer as we know it, and advancing women’s health research,” Elizabeth Alexander, the First lady’s communications director said in a statement.
The source says that the first lady will “of course” be out on the trail for Harris this fall.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
10:15 AM EDT DNC kicks off with celebration of President Joe Biden’s legacy
The Democratic National Convention kicks off this morning in Chicago. According to party officials, 50,000 total visitors are expected throughout the week, including roughly 5,000 delegates and alternates and 15,000 members of the news media.
The DNC has not released a full rundown of the evening schedule but the marquee speech during convetnion programming (5:30 – 10:00 pm local time, 6:30-11:00 p.m. ET) is President Joe Biden. First lady Jill Biden and former Secretary of State – and 2016 candidate – Hillary Rodham Clinton are also set to speak tonight. Additional speakers will be announced today.
Monday’s theme is “For the People.” Officials say tonight’s programing will highlight “the accomplishments and results President Biden delivered for people” – “with [Harris] by his side.”
Delegates are also set to vote on the 2024 Democratic Party platform this evening.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
(CHICAGO) — In a presidential campaign like no other — and just four weeks after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race — Democrats are gathering in Chicago this week to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their candidate to take on former President Donald Trump.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Women share personal stories of struggle, pain after Roe revoked
The convention turned its focus on the state of reproductive rights in the country following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overruled Roe v. Wade.
Following a video that featured clips of Trump touting his stance on removing Roe, three groups of people spoke about their personal stories dealing with the fallout from laws passed in states that banned abortions.
Josh and Amanda Zurawski of Texas talked about how she was forced to wait three days to get an abortion after she miscarried. Amanda was “shaking, disoriented and crashing,” before doctors were able to treat her, according to her husband.
“I was lucky. I lived. So, I’ll continue sharing our story, standing with women and families across the country,” she said.
Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana talked about how two emergency rooms turned her away after she miscarried because of the state’s abortion bans.
“I was in pain, bleeding so much my husband feared for my life. No woman should experience what I endured, but too many have,” she said. “Our daughters deserve better. America deserves better.”
Hadley Duvall discussed getting pregnant at 12 after being sexually abused by her stepfather.
Duvall, 22, said she was grateful she had options, but that is not a reality for many girls today “because of Trump’s abortion bans.”
“He calls it a beautiful thing. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent’s child?” she said.
“There are other survivors out there who have no options. And I want you to know that we see you. We hear you,” she added.
Beshear: ‘Trump and Vance simply don’t believe in your freedom’
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a one-time potential running mate for Harris, largely focused on reproductive rights during his remarks.
He called on voters to elect Harris and Walz to “protect reproductive freedom” and said that “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,” Beshear said. “Their policies give rapists more rights than their victims. That’s not inconvenient. It’s just plain wrong.”
He called on Americans to move beyond divisive politics “by remembering we are all Americans.”
“That’s how Joe Biden and Kamala Harris lead,” he said.
Walz’s kids give their dad bunny ears
It seems that even being Kamala Harris’ VP pick can’t spare you from your kids making fun of you.
During an interview on MSNBC, Walz’s daughter and son held up bunny ears behind their dad’s head.
The moment is getting a lot of attention on social media, including from Walz himself, who reposted the clip on X and wrote, “My kids keep me humble.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett tears up talking about Harris
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett teared up while recalling her first meeting with Harris after getting elected to Congress.
Crockett said she wasn’t sure she made the right decision running for office, referring to the “Chaos Caucus,” when she met Harris for an official photo.
“As I approached Vice President Harris for our official photo, she turned to me and asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ Mind you, we’d never met, but she saw right through me,” Crocket said. “She saw the distress. I immediately began crying.”
Crockett paused to wipe her tears, saying “It’s so hard for me to tell this story,” before continuing.
“She then said, among other things, ‘You are exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you. And so do I,'” Crockett said.
Crockett said that moment gave her her “legislative legs, and I’ve been running ever since.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin notes horrors of Jan. 6
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who was a member of the House’s Jan. 6 committee, warned about the “banana Republicans who have converted Lincoln’s party into a dangerous cult of personality.”
Raskin recalled the violence and destruction caused that day by Trump’s supporters and the former president’s push of election falsehoods.
“All of this after Trump was defeated by more than 7 million votes by the great Joe Biden,” he said.
Raskin also took note that the rioters chanted to hang former Vice President Mike Pence, who he noted is not supporting Trump this election.
“By the way, JD Vance, do you understand why there was a sudden job opening for running mate on the GOP ticket?” he said. “They tried to kill him because he would not follow Trump’s plan to destroy and nullify the votes of millions of Americans.”
Raskin also pointed out Trump’s comments about possibly pardoning the insurrectionists and pushed Americans to support Harris.
“Let’s make it a landslide so big that Donald Trump and his kangaroo court, Supreme Court justices, cannot even try to steal it,” he said.
‘Law and Order’ spoof video on Trump draws laughs
Attendees burst into laughter as the DNC started playing a video spooking the hit show “Law and Order,” starting with the familiar narration, “in the criminal justice system,” before delving into details of Trump’s 34 felony convictions.
The video was largely comedic — but also signaled an eagerness by Democrats to go on offense.
“I’m just glad we’re fighting back. I’m so tired of taking the high road,” one attendee said as the video played.
Clyburn calls Project 2025 ‘Jim Crow 2.0’
South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn called Project 2025 “Jim Crow 2.0” during his remarks while drawing a comparison between Trump and Harris.
“While Trump falsely pleads 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,” he said.
The DNC earlier took aim at the conservative policy blueprint, which has become a flashpoint in the 2024 election, in a video that aired earlier in the night and remarks by Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator.
Hillary Clinton gets standing ovation as she fires up crowd
The crowd at the United Center got on their feet when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took the stage where she supported Harris and applauded Biden.
“There is a lot of energy in this room — just like there is a lot of energy in this country,” she said.
Clinton saluted Biden, calling him “democracy’s champion,” and praising his years of service.
“He brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House,” she said.
Clinton talked about the long history of bringing women’s voices heard and the number of glass ceilings that were broken, including her 2016 presidential nomination.
“I wish my mother and Kamala’s mother could see us. They would say, ‘Keep going,'” she said.
The crowd chanted “Keep going,” in response.
She also took a jab a Trump, joking that he fell asleep during his own trial. The crowd shouted “lock him up,” turning the tables on the chant used at Trump rallies against Clinton.
Clinton smiled as the crowd chanted.
Clinton said that as president, Harris would be a fighter for all Americans, and cares about America.
“I know what it takes, and I can tell you, as commander in chief, Kamala won’t disrespect our military and our veterans,” she said.
Clinton told the crowd that they are still needed to fight for every vote and not just depend on the poll numbers.
“When a barrier falls for one of us, 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,” she said.
Crowd chants ‘lock him up’ during Hillary Clinton speech
The crowd erupted in chants of “lock him up” during Hillary Clinton’s speech after she highlighted the history that was made with his 34 felony convictions in New York.
After trying to continue her speech at the start of the chants, Clinton smiled and nodded before carrying on with her remarks.
Trump famously encouraged “lock her up” chants during his 2016 run against Clinton, accusing her of criminal wrongdoing though she never faced a single charge.
Harris family members, friends appear in video to discuss her background
Actor Tony Goldwyn kickstarted a segment about Harris’ story, which he said began in a middle-class, tight-knit neighborhood in the East Bay of California.
“These are the experiences that made her the leader she is today,” Goldwyn said.
A video then aired featuring testimonials of a young Harris from her sister Maya Harris, her friend Stacey Johnson-Batiste and her mother’s friend Lenore Pomerance.
Johnson-Batiste recalled a young Kamala Harris defending her 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 Kamala, 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,” Johnson-Batiste said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riles up crowd while going after Trump
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riled up the crowd when she went after Trump while urging voters to make history in electing Harris as president.
“Chicago, we have to help her win, because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said.
“And I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life,” she said to rapturous applause.
“The truth is, Don, you cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business. To love this country is to fight for its people,” she continued.
Ocasio-Cortez briefly mentioned the Israel-Hamas war, saying Harris is “working tirelessly” to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bring hostages home.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riles up crowd while going after Trump
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riled up the crowd when she went after Trump while urging voters to make history in electing Harris as president.
“Chicago, we have to help her win, because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said.
“And I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life,” she said to rapturous applause.
“The truth is, Don, you cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business. To love this country is to fight for its people,” she continued.
‘Trump’s a scab’: UAW president
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain took the stage and began by thanking President Joe Biden for joining the picket lines during their strikes against the major auto companies last year.
Fain praised Vice President Kamala Harris for her years of supporting the UAW and for fighting for workers’ rights.
“It’s real simple. Kamala Harris is one of us. She’s a fighter for the working class. And Donald Trump is a scab,” Fain said to the crowd who chanted “Trump is a scab.”
Fain revealed a shirt with that statement along with “Vote Harris” midway through his speech citing Nelly’s 2002 song “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,” he said.
Fain also called out Trump’s rhetoric blaming economic problems on several groups including immigrants and LGTBQ groups.
“Trump is pushing divide and conquer tactics of the rich. It’s the oldest trick in the book,” he said.
“They do that because they want working-class people to be divided into 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,” Fain added.
NBA coach Steve Kerr greeted with applause
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr got a standing ovation when he walked on stage, just over a week after he coached the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team won gold.
Chants of “USA” stretched across the convention floor as he started speaking.
“It was the proudest moment of my life,” he said, recounting the team’s victory in Paris earlier this month.
Protests expected inside convention hall during Biden’s remarks
Convention staff is preparing for possible disruptions over Gaza during President Joe Biden’s keynote speech.
ABC News has heard from staff and activists that they likely won’t come from uncommitted delegates on the convention floor, but are expected to come from activists who have passes into the arena who are in sections higher up.
-ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks and Isabella Murray
Actor Tony Goldwyn, tonight’s host, appears
Actor Tony Goldwyn, who famously played a president on TV in ABC’s “Scandal,” has arrived for the primetime hour of the DNC’s first night.
Goldwyn said the choice between Harris and Trump is between “two very different futures” for our middle class, reproductive rights, climate, security, schools and “the future of our very democracy.”
He said Harris has a message for America.
“It is a message that’s joyful, not mean-spirited, a message of public service, not self-service, a message of optimism and opportunity, not chaos and division. A message that has woken us up to who we are, to who we’ve always,” he said.
Harris gets raucous ovation in brief appearance
Harris sent the crowd into a frenzy when she walked onto the stage at the United Center, with attendees jumping to their feet in surprise.
“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,” she said to more applause.
Harris also gave Biden his flowers, sparking chants of “USA!”
“And I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight,” she said. “We are forever grateful to you.”
Harris walked off to her campaign anthem, Beyonce’s hit song “Freedom.”
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul slams Trump
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul made several jabs at former President Donald Trump during her speech at the convention.
Hochul cited Trump’s history of stiffing workers, sexually harassing women and his recent conviction in a Manhattan court.
“Donald Trump was born a New Yorker, but ended up a fraud, a philanderer and a felon,” she said.
“New Yorkers are sick of it. It’s no wonder he had to flee to Mar-A-Lago. Sorry about that, Florida,” Hochul added.
The governor touted Harris’ work in bringing new jobs to New York state and stressed Americans must vote to protect the middle class and abortion rights.
Jason Isbell 2nd performer of the night
Grammy-winning Americana singer-songwriter Jason Isbell performed his song “Something More Than Free,” about the struggle of blue-collar life, for the evening’s second performance.
DNC takes aim at Project 2025
A video just aired at the convention criticizing Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that has become a flashpoint in the 2024 election.
Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator, then walked on stage and slammed a giant book on the podium.
“You are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document,” McMorrow said of Project 2025. “Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.”
It includes expanding presidential power and eliminating the Department of Education and other federal agencies, McMorrow noted. She said that’s how it works in “dictatorships” and that Democrats believe in the separation of powers and the rule of law.
Read more about Project 2025 here. Trump has tried to distance himself from the blueprint, even though several of the former president’s current and former advisers and appointees have authored or supported it.
Mickey Guyton is first entertainer of the night
Mickey Guyton, a Black country music artist, is the first entertainer of the night.
Guyton is performing her song “All American” on stage.
Other performers to come this convention include Jason Isbell and James Taylor.
‘Union yes!’ chant breaks out
A chant of “Union yes!” broke out as AFSCME President Lee Saunders took to the podium while joined by other union leaders on the stage.
Sen. Dick Durbin lauds Democrats’ policies to help working class Americans Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin chastised former President Donald Trump’s economic policies citing what he said were the millions of jobs lost during his term.
Durbin touted the Biden-Harris administration’s work to bring back more manufacturing jobs to several parts of the country.
“These investments mean a strong economy, growing public schools and well-funded well-staffed first responders,” he said. “These investments mean hope. That’s what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for.”
Durbin talked about his parents and how they were helped by a union.
“We worked not just to get by, but to get ahead,” he said.
COVID-19 response continues to be talking point
Trump’s COVID-19 response continues to be a talking point throughout the night.
California Rep. Robert Garcia recounted how, as mayor of Long Beach at the start of the pandemic, he fought for more tests and to make masks more accessible.
“What we needed at that moment was national leadership. But instead, we got Donald Trump,” Garcia said. “While schools closed and dead bodies filled morgues, Donald Trump downplayed the virus. He told us to inject bleach into our bodies. He peddled conspiracy theories across the country. We lost hundreds of thousands of Americans, and our economy collapsed.”
Among those lost were Garcia’s mother and stepfather, who both died from COVID-19 in the summer of 2020, he said.
“I miss them every single day,” Garcia said, adding that when Trump and his MAGA extremists “downplayed the horror of the pandemic, it should make us all furious.”
In her remarks, Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood said Trump “took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe.”
“We can never let him be our president again,” she said.
By contrast, Underwood said Harris and Biden worked to make health care more affordable and that Harris “championed” the so-called Momnibus Act, which Underwood introduced to address maternal mortality disparities in the U.S.
“Because she protects the people who are most vulnerable,” Underwood said.
Former Trump supporter Rich Logis says he’s ‘all in’ for Harris
In a video message, former Trump supporter Rich Logis of Florida urged Republicans and Independents against voting for the former president.
“So this is my message to all the Republicans and Independents who are watching — people like me who voted for and believed in Trump: I made a brave mistake, but it’s never too late to change your mind. You don’t need to agree with everything you hear tonight to do what is right. We need to be able to trust our leaders. That’s why I’m all in for Kamala Harris.”
‘We’re not going back’ chants erupt at DNC
Rep. Lauren Underwood wrapped up her remarks about COVID and health care by praising the work of the Biden-Harris administration.
“Four years ago, it was not safe to hold a convention like this. But tonight, thousands have gathered in this arena in my home state of Illinois to make sure Kamala Harris is the next president of the United States,” Underwood said. “We have come so far these past four years and we’re not going back.”
The crowd immediately erupted in cheers of, “We’re not going back!”
The phrase has been a hallmark of Harris’ campaign so far, often arising when she is criticizing aspects of Trump’s record.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan touts Democrats’ fight against COVID
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, returned to the stage to tout Gov. Tim Walz after he was confirmed as the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
Flanagan, who would become the first Indigenous governor if Harris wins the election, talked about her upbringing as a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and how it shaped her values.
“The role of our clan is to ensure that we never leave anyone behind. That’s why I am supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to be the next president and vice president of the United States,” she said.
Flanagan got emotional when she talked about her late brother, who was one of the first Minnesota residents to die from COVID-19 in 2020.
She said former President Donald Trump “was playing games” during his COVID-19 response.
“Our country was brought to the brink by his failure to respond. But the Biden-Harris administration stepped in with quick and decisive action,” Flanagan said.
Walz confirmed as Democratic vice presidential nominee
Gov. Tim Walz was ceremonially confirmed as the Democratic vice presidential nominee during a voice vote.
“USA” chants broke out again in the stadium after the vote.
Walz will deliver his acceptance speech on Wednesday at the DNC.
Delegates adopt party platform, ‘USA’ chants break out
Democratic National Committee delegates passed the party’s 2024 platform in a voice vote.
A full, 92-page draft platform was unveiled by the party late on Sunday night. The document, which was written before President Joe Biden left the 2024 race, was voted upon by the DNC’s Rules Committee in July. It was not updated significantly since Harris replaced him at the top of the ticket.
“USA” chants broke out in the stadium after the platform was adopted.
Rep. Maxine Waters remembers Fannie Lou Hamer
During her remarks, California Rep. Maxine Waters reflected on a Democratic National Convention she attended when she was 22, when civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer “made her presence known” as vice-chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
“It was in 1964, in Atlantic City, and she arrived with a group of Black delegates from Mississippi,” Waters said of Hamer. “She simply asked that her delegates be seated in place of the state’s all-white delegation.”
Waters said that Hamer, after talking about the “violence she suffered at the hands of white police because she, a Black woman, had demanded her right to vote,” then asked the country a “simple but profound question: Is this America?”
Decades later, with Harris as the party’s nominee, Waters said she will be thinking about Hamer in November after Americans elect Harris as their president.
“We can ask ourselves, ‘Is this America?’ And we will be able to say loudly and proudly, ‘You’re damn right it is!'” Waters said.
NAACP president: ‘I’m here to do my Black job’
Before paying tribute to Black political trailblazers, NAACP President Derrick Johnson took an apparent jab at former President Donald Trump.
Johnson introduced himself saying, “Good evening, I’m Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, and I’m here to do my Black job.”
“We must all understand Black history is American history, and in this historic moment, we will write the next chapter together,” he said.
(Trump, while speaking at the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention in July, again tried to claim that migrants are taking “Black jobs” — comments he has faced backlash over.)
The Rev. Jesse Jackson gets a standing ovation
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate, received a standing ovation when he was wheeled on stage, right after a video on the civil rights movement ended.
Jackson was joined by other civil rights icons, including the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate, received a standing ovation when he was wheeled on stage.
Minnesota’s Peggy Flanagan, Walz’s possible successor, introduces Maxine Waters
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, introduced Rep. Maxine Waters to speak at the DNC. Waters received a standing ovation before speaking.
Flanagan is poised to serve as Minnesota’s next governor if Gov. Tim Walz steps down to serve as vice president.
As a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Flanagan would be the first Native American female governor.
‘The fight continues, and there is still more work to do’: DNC chair
DNC Chair Jamie Harrison took the stage to tout the Democrats’ work over the last four years and the goals of a Harris-Walz administration.
“The fight continues, and there is still more work to do,” he said.
“I know that when we elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, they will build on our accomplishments and they will create a country that works for every American,” he added.
Harrison encouraged voters to be active in the coming weeks for all races down the ticket.
“In my beloved home state of South Carolina, our motto is, ‘While I breathe, I hope.’ Folks, I believe in the power of hope, but it’s going to take more than hope to win this election,” he said.
Crowd is amped up as convention kicks off
Delegates and other attendees here in the United Center are amped up — and have been paying attention.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson got a rousing applause when he said his daughter will be able to see herself in Harris. And when Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison started off with one of Harris’ marquee remarks, the crowd quickly finished it with him.
“When we fight…” Harrison said.
“We win!” the crowd erupted.
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
3 vulnerable Senate Democrats won’t be at the DNC this week
Three vulnerable Senate Democrats will sit out the DNC this week: Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
A spokesperson from Rosen’s campaign said she’s choosing to focus on her own reelection this week and will meet with Nevada voters instead. She did, however, join Harris and Walz at a campaign event in Las Vegas earlier this month.
“Senator Rosen supports the Harris-Walz ticket and was glad to join them on the campaign trail in Las Vegas this past weekend,” a spokesperson for her campaign said.
A spokesperson for the Tester campaign similarly confirmed he won’t be in attendance this week.
Notably, he’ll be attending a Pearl Jam concert in Montana this week, with an associated fundraiser for his campaign with the band’s bassist the day before. He’ll spend the rest of his August farming and meeting with voters face to face, per his campaign.
A spokesperson for Brown also confirmed he won’t be in attendance at the convention. A campaign spokesperson did not respond to multiple emails asking for further information about where the senator will be this week.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomes crowd
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson helped kick off the first night of the DNC, welcoming the delegates to the city.
He told the crowd that Chicago is where former President Barack Obama “rose to the White House, reminding us that, yes, we can.”
“This city of hard work and caring people is where Democrats will celebrate President Joe Biden and nominate Kamala Harris for president of the United States of America,” he said.
Johnson spoke about what a Harris presidency would mean for his family.
“As a Black man raising a little Black girl on the West Side of Chicago, I know that my daughter, Braedyn, will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House, but she will experience the deepest part of American values,” he said to applause.
Some ‘uncommitted’ delegates say they have ‘hope’ with Harris as nominee Several “uncommitted” delegates say they are not planning to disrupt the speeches tonight at the DNC.
Violet Olds from Kentucky and Mohamad Khatib from Florida say they want Harris to win, but their goal is to send her a strong message.
“I’m sure we’re all going to fall in line when it comes to November, but as for now, we are here to speak as Americans, supporting our Palestinian American brothers and sisters to send a message,” Olds said.
Khatib said Harris is a welcome change to the top of the ticket.
“When Harris came in and became the designated nominee, she made statements that are showing her understanding and appreciation of the suffering of the Palestinian people. She made the point that she’s not going to stay silent.”
But Khatib said words aren’t enough: “What our communities are saying is that we want Kamala Harris to take actions to support these statements that she started making.”
Olds said that now, under Harris, she feels “hopeful” about the future.
“That’s one of the messages that the whole of the DNC is trying to conjure: hope, joy, and that we want those abroad to have that same hope and joy that we have,” Olds said.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang, Tia Humphries and Mitchell Alva
1st night of the DNC kicks off
The first night of the DNC is underway in Chicago, with the convention officially called to order.
Tonight’s theme is “For the people” and the evening is being hosted by actor Tony Goldwyn — who famously played a president on TV in the ABC series “Scandal.”
4 arrested after some protesters breach security fence: Police
Four people were arrested after several protesters broke through an outer security fence outside the United Center during the pro-Palestinian rally “March on the DNC,” police said.
There is a heavy police presence outside the venue, where the DNC will soon kick off.
The inner perimeter fence was not breached, police said.
Biden touts accomplishments in video prominently featuring Harris ahead of DNC speech President Joe Biden posted a video on social media touting his accomplishments and prominently features Vice President Kamala Harris just ahead of his speech at the DNC on Monday evening.
“Thank you, America, for keeping the faith,” Biden wrote in a post on X.
Throughout the video, images of Harris flash on the screen, including of her meeting with Parkland shooting victims’ parents, meeting with world leaders and sharing a moment with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
The history of political conventions in Chicago
Greetings from the Windy City — or, as Chicago should be called, the City of Conventions. Chicago has hosted more political conventions than any other city in America. Before the 26th major-party political convention in Chicago history kicks off, watch this video my colleagues and I made this morning to familiarize yourself with the history of the other 25.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Rep. Suozzi says he’s happy with how Harris has handled immigration
Rep. Tom Suozzi, a moderate Democrat who flipped a New York district held by ousted Rep. George Santos, campaigned heavily on immigration and messaging that the Democrats should be tougher on the issue.
But Suozzi told ABC News on Monday he’s happy with how Vice President Kamala Harris has handled the key 2024 issue so far.
“She came out early in this campaign and continues to talk about how she would have supported the bipartisan Senate deal to secure the border. Now, I think we’re going to hear more and more details about securing the border, fixing the asylum system and helping those people that have been here for decades, that have played by the rules to try and lift them up,” Suozzi said.
When asked if he’s spoken with Harris since she began her presidential bid, Suozzi said he has not but has spoken with her team. Suozzi is also set to speak at the convention this week.
On the ticket as a whole, Suozzi told ABC News: “I feel great. I’m so excited about this ticket. I’m excited by the enthusiasm I see from the voters, not only in my district, but throughout the country.”
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim
Biden says he’s ready to pass the torch during DNC walk-through
During a walk-through at the United Center ahead of his speech tonight, President Joe Biden said he was ready to pass the torch.
“Are you ready to pass the torch, sir?” a reporter asked from the floor while Biden did his stage check.
“I am,” Biden answered from the podium, where he’ll speak later tonight.
In response to questions about his message, he said: “You’ll hear it tonight.”
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Rep. Phillips reflects on his early call for Biden to exit 2024 race
Rep. Dean Phillips, a former 2024 Democratic presidential candidate who was the first congressional Democrat to question Biden’s candidacy, appeared on ABC News Live to discuss the state of the election since Biden dropped out of the race.
ABC News’ Kyra Phillips asked the Minnesota congressman if he felt like he deserved an apology for being the first to say Biden should leave this race.
“Just walking into this room today … that’s the only apology I needed,” he replied, adding: “It’s the energy, the excitement. I was just begging for a party to listen. … I don’t need an apology. What I need is for us to win, and it feels pretty darn good here today.”
Rep. Phillips said this convention “is a passing of the torch to the new generation. I think people want to leave here feeling something.”
The Minnesota lawmaker didn’t receive much praise for calling on President Joe Biden to end his re-election campaign. He joins the show to discuss what’s occurred since Biden dropped out of the race.
-ABC News’ Isabella Meneses
Biden does stage check ahead of his keynote speech
President Joe Biden was seen doing a stage check Monday afternoon at the United Center in preparation for his opening night speech.
4:36 PM EDT March on the DNC starts
A march organized in support of Palestinians in Gaza during the DNC has started, hours before its first night of programming kicks off.
Organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC, which represents more than 200 activist organizations, said about 15,000 people were present for a rally held in Union Park, near the convention site, ahead of the march.
4:29 PM EDT Biden continues to ‘fine tune’ speech and is in ‘great spirits’ on way to DNC
Biden continues to “fine tune” his speech after working on it over the weekend and is in “great spirits” as he heads to the convention, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“Yeah, look, the president is certainly going to continue to fine tune the speech, if you will. He had an opportunity to work on it this past weekend with Mike Donilon and Vinay Reddy, and so he’s very much looking forward to this moment. As I just said, it is a fulfilling moment for him, and he’s excited. He’s excited,” Jean-Pierre said.
“It’s a big night. He’s looking forward to it. He’s looking forward to addressing the Democratic Party and and obviously the nation. It’s a big night,” she added
Jean-Pierre said Biden was in a good mood on the plane ride over.
“He’s in great spirits and I think what you’ll see is a president who has put his kind of his personal agenda aside and putting the country first, and that’s who he’s always been throughout his career, more than 50 years,” Jean-Pierre said.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
4:21 PM EDT Protesters speak out ahead of 1st mass rally during the DNC
The first mass rally during convention week in Chicago kicked off Monday afternoon in Union Park, located about four blocks east of the United Center, where the Democratic National Convention is being held.
Organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC, which represents more than 200 activist organizations that gathered Monday in support of Palestinians in Gaza, said about 15,000 people were present.
ABC News spoke with several protesters ahead of the event. Many were native Chicagoans like Ken Justus, 68, who rode his bicycle, brandishing a “Swing Left” sign and sleigh bells. He said he still plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I want to make sure we still have a government,” he said. His motto: “Vote blue no matter who.”
Nearby, a coalition of nearly two dozen women from Indiana held banners to represent their organization, Jewish Voices for Peace. Their aim, said national board member Malkah Bird, 45, was to put pressure on the White House “no matter who is in office.”
“We want our money reinvested in the U.S. to help our communities and not used to bomb Palestinians,” Bird said.
One man, who asked ABC News not to use his name, said this was the first protest he had ever attended in his life. What motivated him, he said, was the “hypocrisy” of the administration’s support of Ukraine while sending arms to Israel.
“If we want to be the leader of the free world, we need to exercise the responsibility of being the leader of the free world,” he said.
Joshua Hansom, 52, traveled from Asheville, North Carolina, hoping to encourage people of all political stripes to come together through soccer. He passed cards to passersby encouraging them to join him to play soccer for two scheduled matches near Buckingham Fountain along the city’s lakefront.
What will come out of it?
“Hopefully some solutions,” he said. “At least some unity.”
-ABC News’ Mark Guarino
2:31 PM EDT Biden en route to Chicago
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden boarded Air Force One just after 2 p.m. ET to depart for Chicago.
They were followed by Peter Neal, the husband of Biden’s granddaughter Naomi Biden.
Traveling with the president are key members of his staff, including chief of staff Jeff Zients and senior advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle with reporters during the flight.
2:02 PM EDT Ashley Biden to introduce her father at DNC tonight
Ashley Biden will introduce her father, President Joe Biden, tonight ahead of his remarks to the DNC, according to the schedule.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
1:07 PM EDT More Monday DNC convention speakers confirmed
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fein, Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas and everyday Americans — such as women who have been “subjected to cruel and dangerous abortion bans” — will speak at the DNC Monday night, said Harris Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks at the committee’s daily press briefing.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also announced in a post on X that she will be speaking at 9 p.m. ET.
A full rundown of the Monday’s DNC convention speakers is still imminent, but several other names have been confirmed including President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
11:37 AM EDT 2024 Democratic platform to be voted on Monday at convention
Democratic National Committee delegates will vote on the party’s 2024 platform at its convention on Monday evening, according to officials.
A full, 92-page draft platform was unveiled by the party late on Sunday night. The document, which was written before President Joe Biden left the 2024 race, was voted upon by the DNC’s Rules Committee in July. It was not updated significantly since Harris replaced him at the top of the ticket.
Biden is mentioned 287 times in the platform, while Harris is mentioned 32 times.
“It makes a strong statement about the historic work that President Biden and Vice President Harris have accomplished hand-in-hand,” according to a release from the DNC, “and offers a vision for a progressive agenda that we can build on as a nation and as a Party as we head into the next four years.”
The draft platform emphasizes Biden’s support for brokering an “immediate and lasting ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. The document also says that Biden has “made real progress on a way forward that will free the hostages” and “establish a durable ceasefire” as well as “meaningful progress and a political horizon for the Palestinian people.”
It does not, however, say that the party supports an arms embargo on Israel — something that progressives have been pushing for. It highlights Biden’s support for combating antisemitism.
Several delegates who have spoken with ABC News expect the draft to pass without significant objection.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
10:40 AM EDT Walz on Biden’s DNC speech: ‘We get an opportunity tonight to say a thank you’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made an unannounced appearance at Pennsylvania’s delegation breakfast in Chicago Monday morning and spoke glowingly about President Joe Biden ahead of the president’s DNC speech Monday night.
“We get an opportunity tonight to say a thank you to the best president of my lifetime that I’ve been able to witness, to someone who’s delivered time and time again, someone who made the selfless act of handing that torch to an incredible leader,” Walz said.
His speech was sandwiched between the state’s Gov. Josh Shapiro and other high profile governors: JB Pritzker of Illinois and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
The Harris campaign said that Walz also made a surprise appearance at the Wisconsin delegate breakfast earlier on Monday, which featured Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie and Isabella Murray
10:34 AM EDT FLOTUS will focus on Biden’s strength, character and support for Harris in remarks: Source
First lady Jill Biden is expected to speak Monday night at the DNC and, according to a source familiar with her remarks, will focus on the president’s strength and character, as well as make clear her support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The first lady will call on Americans to come together “with faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country,” the source said.
She will be introduced by a video highlighting key moments from her time in this role, and the issues she has focused on in her public life, according to a source familiar. The video will include Vivian Wierwille from New Hampshire, who gave a memorable introduction of Dr. Biden in March 2021 at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School during the First Lady’s tour to highlight safely reopening schools after the pandemic.
While these remarks may be her last big address in her role as first lady, her office says she plant to continue to focus on her work in the next six months.
“Over the next six months, the First Lady will continue to champion the causes that have defined her public life: supporting military families, advocating for increased educational opportunities, working to end cancer as we know it, and advancing women’s health research,” Elizabeth Alexander, the First lady’s communications director said in a statement.
The source says that the first lady will “of course” be out on the trail for Harris this fall.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
10:15 AM EDT DNC kicks off with celebration of President Joe Biden’s legacy
The Democratic National Convention kicks off this morning in Chicago. According to party officials, 50,000 total visitors are expected throughout the week, including roughly 5,000 delegates and alternates and 15,000 members of the news media.
The DNC has not released a full rundown of the evening schedule but the marquee speech during convetnion programming (5:30 – 10:00 pm local time, 6:30-11:00 p.m. ET) is President Joe Biden. First lady Jill Biden and former Secretary of State – and 2016 candidate – Hillary Rodham Clinton are also set to speak tonight. Additional speakers will be announced today.
Monday’s theme is “For the People.” Officials say tonight’s programing will highlight “the accomplishments and results President Biden delivered for people” – “with [Harris] by his side.”
Delegates are also set to vote on the 2024 Democratic Party platform this evening.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
In a presidential campaign like no other — and just four weeks after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race — Democrats are gathering in Chicago this week to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their candidate to take on former President Donald Trump.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riles up crowd while going after Trump
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riled up the crowd when she went after Trump while urging voters to make history in electing Harris as president.
“Chicago, we have to help her win, because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said.
“And I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life,” she said to rapturous applause.
“The truth is, Don, you cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business. To love this country is to fight for its people,” she continued.
Ocasio-Cortez briefly mentioned the Israel-Hamas war, saying Harris is “working tirelessly” to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bring hostages home.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riles up crowd while going after Trump
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez riled up the crowd when she went after Trump while urging voters to make history in electing Harris as president.
“Chicago, we have to help her win, because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said.
“And I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life,” she said to rapturous applause.
“The truth is, Don, you cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business. To love this country is to fight for its people,” she continued.
‘Trump’s a scab’: UAW president
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain took the stage and began by thanking President Joe Biden for joining the picket lines during their strikes against the major auto companies last year.
Fain praised Vice President Kamala Harris for her years of supporting the UAW and for fighting for workers’ rights.
“It’s real simple. Kamala Harris is one of us. She’s a fighter for the working class. And Donald Trump is a scab,” Fain said to the crowd who chanted “Trump is a scab.”
Fain revealed a shirt with that statement along with “Vote Harris” midway through his speech citing Nelly’s 2002 song “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,” he said.
Fain also called out Trump’s rhetoric blaming economic problems on several groups including immigrants and LGTBQ groups.
“Trump is pushing divide and conquer tactics of the rich. It’s the oldest trick in the book,” he said.
“They do that because they want working-class people to be divided into 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,” Fain added.
NBA coach Steve Kerr greeted with applause
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr got a standing ovation when he walked on stage, just over a week after he coached the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team won gold.
Chants of “USA” stretched across the convention floor as he started speaking.
“It was the proudest moment of my life,” he said, recounting the team’s victory in Paris earlier this month.
Protests expected inside convention hall during Biden’s remarks
Convention staff is preparing for possible disruptions over Gaza during President Joe Biden’s keynote speech.
ABC News has heard from staff and activists that they likely won’t come from uncommitted delegates on the convention floor, but are expected to come from activists who have passes into the arena who are in sections higher up.
-ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks and Isabella Murray
Actor Tony Goldwyn, tonight’s host, appears
Actor Tony Goldwyn, who famously played a president on TV in ABC’s “Scandal,” has arrived for the primetime hour of the DNC’s first night.
Goldwyn said the choice between Harris and Trump is between “two very different futures” for our middle class, reproductive rights, climate, security, schools and “the future of our very democracy.”
He said Harris has a message for America.
“It is a message that’s joyful, not mean-spirited, a message of public service, not self-service, a message of optimism and opportunity, not chaos and division. A message that has woken us up to who we are, to who we’ve always,” he said.
Harris gets raucous ovation in brief appearance
Harris sent the crowd into a frenzy when she walked onto the stage at the United Center, with attendees jumping to their feet in surprise.
“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,” she said to more applause.
Harris also gave Biden his flowers, sparking chants of “USA!”
“And I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight,” she said. “We are forever grateful to you.”
Harris walked off to her campaign anthem, Beyonce’s hit song “Freedom.”
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul slams Trump
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul made several jabs at former President Donald Trump during her speech at the convention.
Hochul cited Trump’s history of stiffing workers, sexually harassing women and his recent conviction in a Manhattan court.
“Donald Trump was born a New Yorker, but ended up a fraud, a philanderer and a felon,” she said.
“New Yorkers are sick of it. It’s no wonder he had to flee to Mar-A-Lago. Sorry about that, Florida,” Hochul added.
The governor touted Harris’ work in bringing new jobs to New York state and stressed Americans must vote to protect the middle class and abortion rights.
Jason Isbell 2nd performer of the night
Grammy-winning Americana singer-songwriter Jason Isbell performed his song “Something More Than Free,” about the struggle of blue-collar life, for the evening’s second performance.
DNC takes aim at Project 2025
A video just aired at the convention criticizing Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that has become a flashpoint in the 2024 election.
Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator, then walked on stage and slammed a giant book on the podium.
“You are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document,” McMorrow said of Project 2025. “Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.”
It includes expanding presidential power and eliminating the Department of Education and other federal agencies, McMorrow noted. She said that’s how it works in “dictatorships” and that Democrats believe in the separation of powers and the rule of law.
Read more about Project 2025 here. Trump has tried to distance himself from the blueprint, even though several of the former president’s current and former advisers and appointees have authored or supported it.
Mickey Guyton is first entertainer of the night
Mickey Guyton, a Black country music artist, is the first entertainer of the night.
Guyton is performing her song “All American” on stage.
Other performers to come this convention include Jason Isbell and James Taylor.
‘Union yes!’ chant breaks out
A chant of “Union yes!” broke out as AFSCME President Lee Saunders took to the podium while joined by other union leaders on the stage.
Sen. Dick Durbin lauds Democrats’ policies to help working class Americans Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin chastised former President Donald Trump’s economic policies citing what he said were the millions of jobs lost during his term.
Durbin touted the Biden-Harris administration’s work to bring back more manufacturing jobs to several parts of the country.
“These investments mean a strong economy, growing public schools and well-funded well-staffed first responders,” he said. “These investments mean hope. That’s what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for.”
Durbin talked about his parents and how they were helped by a union.
“We worked not just to get by, but to get ahead,” he said.
COVID-19 response continues to be talking point
Trump’s COVID-19 response continues to be a talking point throughout the night.
California Rep. Robert Garcia recounted how, as mayor of Long Beach at the start of the pandemic, he fought for more tests and to make masks more accessible.
“What we needed at that moment was national leadership. But instead, we got Donald Trump,” Garcia said. “While schools closed and dead bodies filled morgues, Donald Trump downplayed the virus. He told us to inject bleach into our bodies. He peddled conspiracy theories across the country. We lost hundreds of thousands of Americans, and our economy collapsed.”
Among those lost were Garcia’s mother and stepfather, who both died from COVID-19 in the summer of 2020, he said.
“I miss them every single day,” Garcia said, adding that when Trump and his MAGA extremists “downplayed the horror of the pandemic, it should make us all furious.”
In her remarks, Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood said Trump “took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe.”
“We can never let him be our president again,” she said.
By contrast, Underwood said Harris and Biden worked to make health care more affordable and that Harris “championed” the so-called Momnibus Act, which Underwood introduced to address maternal mortality disparities in the U.S.
“Because she protects the people who are most vulnerable,” Underwood said.
Former Trump supporter Rich Logis says he’s ‘all in’ for Harris
In a video message, former Trump supporter Rich Logis of Florida urged Republicans and Independents against voting for the former president.
“So this is my message to all the Republicans and Independents who are watching — people like me who voted for and believed in Trump: I made a brave mistake, but it’s never too late to change your mind. You don’t need to agree with everything you hear tonight to do what is right. We need to be able to trust our leaders. That’s why I’m all in for Kamala Harris.”
‘We’re not going back’ chants erupt at DNC
Rep. Lauren Underwood wrapped up her remarks about COVID and health care by praising the work of the Biden-Harris administration.
“Four years ago, it was not safe to hold a convention like this. But tonight, thousands have gathered in this arena in my home state of Illinois to make sure Kamala Harris is the next president of the United States,” Underwood said. “We have come so far these past four years and we’re not going back.”
The crowd immediately erupted in cheers of, “We’re not going back!”
The phrase has been a hallmark of Harris’ campaign so far, often arising when she is criticizing aspects of Trump’s record.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan touts Democrats’ fight against COVID
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, returned to the stage to tout Gov. Tim Walz after he was confirmed as the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
Flanagan, who would become the first Indigenous governor if Harris wins the election, talked about her upbringing as a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and how it shaped her values.
“The role of our clan is to ensure that we never leave anyone behind. That’s why I am supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to be the next president and vice president of the United States,” she said.
Flanagan got emotional when she talked about her late brother, who was one of the first Minnesota residents to die from COVID-19 in 2020.
She said former President Donald Trump “was playing games” during his COVID-19 response.
“Our country was brought to the brink by his failure to respond. But the Biden-Harris administration stepped in with quick and decisive action,” Flanagan said.
Walz confirmed as Democratic vice presidential nominee
Gov. Tim Walz was ceremonially confirmed as the Democratic vice presidential nominee during a voice vote.
“USA” chants broke out again in the stadium after the vote.
Walz will deliver his acceptance speech on Wednesday at the DNC.
Delegates adopt party platform, ‘USA’ chants break out
Democratic National Committee delegates passed the party’s 2024 platform in a voice vote.
A full, 92-page draft platform was unveiled by the party late on Sunday night. The document, which was written before President Joe Biden left the 2024 race, was voted upon by the DNC’s Rules Committee in July. It was not updated significantly since Harris replaced him at the top of the ticket.
“USA” chants broke out in the stadium after the platform was adopted.
Rep. Maxine Waters remembers Fannie Lou Hamer
During her remarks, California Rep. Maxine Waters reflected on a Democratic National Convention she attended when she was 22, when civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer “made her presence known” as vice-chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
“It was in 1964, in Atlantic City, and she arrived with a group of Black delegates from Mississippi,” Waters said of Hamer. “She simply asked that her delegates be seated in place of the state’s all-white delegation.”
Waters said that Hamer, after talking about the “violence she suffered at the hands of white police because she, a Black woman, had demanded her right to vote,” then asked the country a “simple but profound question: Is this America?”
Decades later, with Harris as the party’s nominee, Waters said she will be thinking about Hamer in November after Americans elect Harris as their president.
“We can ask ourselves, ‘Is this America?’ And we will be able to say loudly and proudly, ‘You’re damn right it is!'” Waters said.
NAACP president: ‘I’m here to do my Black job’
Before paying tribute to Black political trailblazers, NAACP President Derrick Johnson took an apparent jab at former President Donald Trump.
Johnson introduced himself saying, “Good evening, I’m Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, and I’m here to do my Black job.”
“We must all understand Black history is American history, and in this historic moment, we will write the next chapter together,” he said.
(Trump, while speaking at the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention in July, again tried to claim that migrants are taking “Black jobs” — comments he has faced backlash over.)
The Rev. Jesse Jackson gets a standing ovation
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate, received a standing ovation when he was wheeled on stage, right after a video on the civil rights movement ended.
Jackson was joined by other civil rights icons, including the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate, received a standing ovation when he was wheeled on stage.
Minnesota’s Peggy Flanagan, Walz’s possible successor, introduces Maxine Waters
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, introduced Rep. Maxine Waters to speak at the DNC. Waters received a standing ovation before speaking.
Flanagan is poised to serve as Minnesota’s next governor if Gov. Tim Walz steps down to serve as vice president.
As a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Flanagan would be the first Native American female governor.
‘The fight continues, and there is still more work to do’: DNC chair
DNC Chair Jamie Harrison took the stage to tout the Democrats’ work over the last four years and the goals of a Harris-Walz administration.
“The fight continues, and there is still more work to do,” he said.
“I know that when we elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, they will build on our accomplishments and they will create a country that works for every American,” he added.
Harrison encouraged voters to be active in the coming weeks for all races down the ticket.
“In my beloved home state of South Carolina, our motto is, ‘While I breathe, I hope.’ Folks, I believe in the power of hope, but it’s going to take more than hope to win this election,” he said.
Crowd is amped up as convention kicks off
Delegates and other attendees here in the United Center are amped up — and have been paying attention.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson got a rousing applause when he said his daughter will be able to see herself in Harris. And when Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison started off with one of Harris’ marquee remarks, the crowd quickly finished it with him.
“When we fight…” Harrison said.
“We win!” the crowd erupted.
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
3 vulnerable Senate Democrats won’t be at the DNC this week
Three vulnerable Senate Democrats will sit out the DNC this week: Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
A spokesperson from Rosen’s campaign said she’s choosing to focus on her own reelection this week and will meet with Nevada voters instead. She did, however, join Harris and Walz at a campaign event in Las Vegas earlier this month.
“Senator Rosen supports the Harris-Walz ticket and was glad to join them on the campaign trail in Las Vegas this past weekend,” a spokesperson for her campaign said.
A spokesperson for the Tester campaign similarly confirmed he won’t be in attendance this week.
Notably, he’ll be attending a Pearl Jam concert in Montana this week, with an associated fundraiser for his campaign with the band’s bassist the day before. He’ll spend the rest of his August farming and meeting with voters face to face, per his campaign.
A spokesperson for Brown also confirmed he won’t be in attendance at the convention. A campaign spokesperson did not respond to multiple emails asking for further information about where the senator will be this week.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomes crowd
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson helped kick off the first night of the DNC, welcoming the delegates to the city.
He told the crowd that Chicago is where former President Barack Obama “rose to the White House, reminding us that, yes, we can.”
“This city of hard work and caring people is where Democrats will celebrate President Joe Biden and nominate Kamala Harris for president of the United States of America,” he said.
Johnson spoke about what a Harris presidency would mean for his family.
“As a Black man raising a little Black girl on the West Side of Chicago, I know that my daughter, Braedyn, will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House, but she will experience the deepest part of American values,” he said to applause.
Some ‘uncommitted’ delegates say they have ‘hope’ with Harris as nominee Several “uncommitted” delegates say they are not planning to disrupt the speeches tonight at the DNC.
Violet Olds from Kentucky and Mohamad Khatib from Florida say they want Harris to win, but their goal is to send her a strong message.
“I’m sure we’re all going to fall in line when it comes to November, but as for now, we are here to speak as Americans, supporting our Palestinian American brothers and sisters to send a message,” Olds said.
Khatib said Harris is a welcome change to the top of the ticket.
“When Harris came in and became the designated nominee, she made statements that are showing her understanding and appreciation of the suffering of the Palestinian people. She made the point that she’s not going to stay silent.”
But Khatib said words aren’t enough: “What our communities are saying is that we want Kamala Harris to take actions to support these statements that she started making.”
Olds said that now, under Harris, she feels “hopeful” about the future.
“That’s one of the messages that the whole of the DNC is trying to conjure: hope, joy, and that we want those abroad to have that same hope and joy that we have,” Olds said.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang, Tia Humphries and Mitchell Alva
1st night of the DNC kicks off
The first night of the DNC is underway in Chicago, with the convention officially called to order.
Tonight’s theme is “For the people” and the evening is being hosted by actor Tony Goldwyn — who famously played a president on TV in the ABC series “Scandal.”
4 arrested after some protesters breach security fence: Police
Four people were arrested after several protesters broke through an outer security fence outside the United Center during the pro-Palestinian rally “March on the DNC,” police said.
There is a heavy police presence outside the venue, where the DNC will soon kick off.
The inner perimeter fence was not breached, police said.
Biden touts accomplishments in video prominently featuring Harris ahead of DNC speech President Joe Biden posted a video on social media touting his accomplishments and prominently features Vice President Kamala Harris just ahead of his speech at the DNC on Monday evening.
“Thank you, America, for keeping the faith,” Biden wrote in a post on X.
Throughout the video, images of Harris flash on the screen, including of her meeting with Parkland shooting victims’ parents, meeting with world leaders and sharing a moment with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
The history of political conventions in Chicago
Greetings from the Windy City — or, as Chicago should be called, the City of Conventions. Chicago has hosted more political conventions than any other city in America. Before the 26th major-party political convention in Chicago history kicks off, watch this video my colleagues and I made this morning to familiarize yourself with the history of the other 25.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Rep. Suozzi says he’s happy with how Harris has handled immigration
Rep. Tom Suozzi, a moderate Democrat who flipped a New York district held by ousted Rep. George Santos, campaigned heavily on immigration and messaging that the Democrats should be tougher on the issue.
But Suozzi told ABC News on Monday he’s happy with how Vice President Kamala Harris has handled the key 2024 issue so far.
“She came out early in this campaign and continues to talk about how she would have supported the bipartisan Senate deal to secure the border. Now, I think we’re going to hear more and more details about securing the border, fixing the asylum system and helping those people that have been here for decades, that have played by the rules to try and lift them up,” Suozzi said.
When asked if he’s spoken with Harris since she began her presidential bid, Suozzi said he has not but has spoken with her team. Suozzi is also set to speak at the convention this week.
On the ticket as a whole, Suozzi told ABC News: “I feel great. I’m so excited about this ticket. I’m excited by the enthusiasm I see from the voters, not only in my district, but throughout the country.”
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim
Biden says he’s ready to pass the torch during DNC walk-through
During a walk-through at the United Center ahead of his speech tonight, President Joe Biden said he was ready to pass the torch.
“Are you ready to pass the torch, sir?” a reporter asked from the floor while Biden did his stage check.
“I am,” Biden answered from the podium, where he’ll speak later tonight.
In response to questions about his message, he said: “You’ll hear it tonight.”
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Rep. Phillips reflects on his early call for Biden to exit 2024 race
Rep. Dean Phillips, a former 2024 Democratic presidential candidate who was the first congressional Democrat to question Biden’s candidacy, appeared on ABC News Live to discuss the state of the election since Biden dropped out of the race.
ABC News’ Kyra Phillips asked the Minnesota congressman if he felt like he deserved an apology for being the first to say Biden should leave this race.
“Just walking into this room today … that’s the only apology I needed,” he replied, adding: “It’s the energy, the excitement. I was just begging for a party to listen. … I don’t need an apology. What I need is for us to win, and it feels pretty darn good here today.”
Rep. Phillips said this convention “is a passing of the torch to the new generation. I think people want to leave here feeling something.”
The Minnesota lawmaker didn’t receive much praise for calling on President Joe Biden to end his re-election campaign. He joins the show to discuss what’s occurred since Biden dropped out of the race.
-ABC News’ Isabella Meneses
Biden does stage check ahead of his keynote speech
President Joe Biden was seen doing a stage check Monday afternoon at the United Center in preparation for his opening night speech.
4:36 PM EDT March on the DNC starts
A march organized in support of Palestinians in Gaza during the DNC has started, hours before its first night of programming kicks off.
Organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC, which represents more than 200 activist organizations, said about 15,000 people were present for a rally held in Union Park, near the convention site, ahead of the march.
4:29 PM EDT Biden continues to ‘fine tune’ speech and is in ‘great spirits’ on way to DNC
Biden continues to “fine tune” his speech after working on it over the weekend and is in “great spirits” as he heads to the convention, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“Yeah, look, the president is certainly going to continue to fine tune the speech, if you will. He had an opportunity to work on it this past weekend with Mike Donilon and Vinay Reddy, and so he’s very much looking forward to this moment. As I just said, it is a fulfilling moment for him, and he’s excited. He’s excited,” Jean-Pierre said.
“It’s a big night. He’s looking forward to it. He’s looking forward to addressing the Democratic Party and and obviously the nation. It’s a big night,” she added
Jean-Pierre said Biden was in a good mood on the plane ride over.
“He’s in great spirits and I think what you’ll see is a president who has put his kind of his personal agenda aside and putting the country first, and that’s who he’s always been throughout his career, more than 50 years,” Jean-Pierre said.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
4:21 PM EDT Protesters speak out ahead of 1st mass rally during the DNC
The first mass rally during convention week in Chicago kicked off Monday afternoon in Union Park, located about four blocks east of the United Center, where the Democratic National Convention is being held.
Organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC, which represents more than 200 activist organizations that gathered Monday in support of Palestinians in Gaza, said about 15,000 people were present.
ABC News spoke with several protesters ahead of the event. Many were native Chicagoans like Ken Justus, 68, who rode his bicycle, brandishing a “Swing Left” sign and sleigh bells. He said he still plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I want to make sure we still have a government,” he said. His motto: “Vote blue no matter who.”
Nearby, a coalition of nearly two dozen women from Indiana held banners to represent their organization, Jewish Voices for Peace. Their aim, said national board member Malkah Bird, 45, was to put pressure on the White House “no matter who is in office.”
“We want our money reinvested in the U.S. to help our communities and not used to bomb Palestinians,” Bird said.
One man, who asked ABC News not to use his name, said this was the first protest he had ever attended in his life. What motivated him, he said, was the “hypocrisy” of the administration’s support of Ukraine while sending arms to Israel.
“If we want to be the leader of the free world, we need to exercise the responsibility of being the leader of the free world,” he said.
Joshua Hansom, 52, traveled from Asheville, North Carolina, hoping to encourage people of all political stripes to come together through soccer. He passed cards to passersby encouraging them to join him to play soccer for two scheduled matches near Buckingham Fountain along the city’s lakefront.
What will come out of it?
“Hopefully some solutions,” he said. “At least some unity.”
-ABC News’ Mark Guarino
2:31 PM EDT Biden en route to Chicago
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden boarded Air Force One just after 2 p.m. ET to depart for Chicago.
They were followed by Peter Neal, the husband of Biden’s granddaughter Naomi Biden.
Traveling with the president are key members of his staff, including chief of staff Jeff Zients and senior advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle with reporters during the flight.
2:02 PM EDT Ashley Biden to introduce her father at DNC tonight
Ashley Biden will introduce her father, President Joe Biden, tonight ahead of his remarks to the DNC, according to the schedule.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
1:07 PM EDT More Monday DNC convention speakers confirmed
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fein, Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas and everyday Americans — such as women who have been “subjected to cruel and dangerous abortion bans” — will speak at the DNC Monday night, said Harris Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks at the committee’s daily press briefing.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also announced in a post on X that she will be speaking at 9 p.m. ET.
A full rundown of the Monday’s DNC convention speakers is still imminent, but several other names have been confirmed including President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
11:37 AM EDT 2024 Democratic platform to be voted on Monday at convention
Democratic National Committee delegates will vote on the party’s 2024 platform at its convention on Monday evening, according to officials.
A full, 92-page draft platform was unveiled by the party late on Sunday night. The document, which was written before President Joe Biden left the 2024 race, was voted upon by the DNC’s Rules Committee in July. It was not updated significantly since Harris replaced him at the top of the ticket.
Biden is mentioned 287 times in the platform, while Harris is mentioned 32 times.
“It makes a strong statement about the historic work that President Biden and Vice President Harris have accomplished hand-in-hand,” according to a release from the DNC, “and offers a vision for a progressive agenda that we can build on as a nation and as a Party as we head into the next four years.”
The draft platform emphasizes Biden’s support for brokering an “immediate and lasting ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. The document also says that Biden has “made real progress on a way forward that will free the hostages” and “establish a durable ceasefire” as well as “meaningful progress and a political horizon for the Palestinian people.”
It does not, however, say that the party supports an arms embargo on Israel — something that progressives have been pushing for. It highlights Biden’s support for combating antisemitism.
Several delegates who have spoken with ABC News expect the draft to pass without significant objection.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
10:40 AM EDT Walz on Biden’s DNC speech: ‘We get an opportunity tonight to say a thank you’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made an unannounced appearance at Pennsylvania’s delegation breakfast in Chicago Monday morning and spoke glowingly about President Joe Biden ahead of the president’s DNC speech Monday night.
“We get an opportunity tonight to say a thank you to the best president of my lifetime that I’ve been able to witness, to someone who’s delivered time and time again, someone who made the selfless act of handing that torch to an incredible leader,” Walz said.
His speech was sandwiched between the state’s Gov. Josh Shapiro and other high profile governors: JB Pritzker of Illinois and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
The Harris campaign said that Walz also made a surprise appearance at the Wisconsin delegate breakfast earlier on Monday, which featured Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie and Isabella Murray
10:34 AM EDT FLOTUS will focus on Biden’s strength, character and support for Harris in remarks: Source
First lady Jill Biden is expected to speak Monday night at the DNC and, according to a source familiar with her remarks, will focus on the president’s strength and character, as well as make clear her support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The first lady will call on Americans to come together “with faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country,” the source said.
She will be introduced by a video highlighting key moments from her time in this role, and the issues she has focused on in her public life, according to a source familiar. The video will include Vivian Wierwille from New Hampshire, who gave a memorable introduction of Dr. Biden in March 2021 at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School during the First Lady’s tour to highlight safely reopening schools after the pandemic.
While these remarks may be her last big address in her role as first lady, her office says she plant to continue to focus on her work in the next six months.
“Over the next six months, the First Lady will continue to champion the causes that have defined her public life: supporting military families, advocating for increased educational opportunities, working to end cancer as we know it, and advancing women’s health research,” Elizabeth Alexander, the First lady’s communications director said in a statement.
The source says that the first lady will “of course” be out on the trail for Harris this fall.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
10:15 AM EDT DNC kicks off with celebration of President Joe Biden’s legacy
The Democratic National Convention kicks off this morning in Chicago. According to party officials, 50,000 total visitors are expected throughout the week, including roughly 5,000 delegates and alternates and 15,000 members of the news media.
The DNC has not released a full rundown of the evening schedule but the marquee speech during convetnion programming (5:30 – 10:00 pm local time, 6:30-11:00 p.m. ET) is President Joe Biden. First lady Jill Biden and former Secretary of State – and 2016 candidate – Hillary Rodham Clinton are also set to speak tonight. Additional speakers will be announced today.
Monday’s theme is “For the People.” Officials say tonight’s programing will highlight “the accomplishments and results President Biden delivered for people” – “with [Harris] by his side.”
Delegates are also set to vote on the 2024 Democratic Party platform this evening.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
(CHICAGO) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will speak Monday on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where later this week Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the party’s nomination for president.
Harris will be the second woman in history to do so following Clinton, whose monumental 2016 run made her the first woman to clinch a major party’s nomination, though she went on to lose the general election to Donald Trump — Clinton famously conceding she had failed to shatter the “hardest glass ceiling.”
In her remarks, Clinton will draw on her own experience and speak on the stakes of this 2024 race.
“The 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,” Clinton will say, according to released excerpts of her speech. “There is always a choice. Do we push forward or pull back? Come together as ‘We The People’ or split into us versus them? That’s the choice we face in this election.”
Clinton endorsed Harris the same day President Joe Biden announced he was leaving the 2024 race and backing his vice president to take his place atop the ticket. In a joint statement with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, Clinton said she was “honored” to endorse Harris and would “do whatever we can to support her.”
“We’ve lived through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term … Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her. America’s future depends on it,” their statement read.
Comparisons of Clinton and Harris’ campaigns have begun to emerge as Harris ramped up her operation in the weeks after Biden’s decision to step aside.
Several Democrats told ABC News they are feeling buoyed by Harris’ candidacy and how she’s reenergized the party, but are worried about being overconfident against Trump after what transpired with Clinton eight years ago.
Clinton, who first ran for president in 2008 but lost in the primary race to Barack Obama, was successful in 2016 in clinching the nomination after defeating independent Sen. Bernie Sanders.
A bitter, ugly general election contest ensued between Trump and Clinton. Trump took to calling Clinton “Crooked Hillary” and the “devil.” Clinton called half of Trump’s supporters a “basket of deplorables,” which critics called a mistake that alienated some voters.
A Trump fundraising email sent out Monday hours ahead of Clinton’s DNC remarks highlighted her past “deplorables” comment and claimed she was “about to unleash hell on MAGA.”
Polls in 2016 had shown Clinton ahead leading up to Election Day, but when results came in they showed Trump leading a stunning upset by grabbing several key battleground states. Clinton conceded the next morning.
“I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now,” Clinton said in her concession speech.
Clinton later recounted her experiences in greater detail and what went wrong with her campaign in her 2017 memoir “What Happened.” She wrote that she bore responsibility ultimately for the loss to Trump but described it being difficult to overcome stereotypes.
“A lot of people said they just didn’t like me. I write that matter-of-factly, but believe me, it’s devastating,” Clinton wrote. “But I think there’s another explanation for the skepticism I’ve faced in public life. I think it’s partly because I’m a woman.”
She also directed some blame at former FBI director James Comey for reopening the investigation into her private email server 11 days before the election.
After the 2016 election, Clinton maintained a relatively low profile until 2020 when she campaigned for Biden after his success in the Democratic primaries.
Clinton spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, saying she wish Trump had been a “better president” and praised Biden’s character and his choice of Harris to be his running mate. She said they were a team who could “pull our nation back from the brink and build back better.”
More recently, she penned a New York Times op-ed offering Biden advice on how to debate Trump before the June CNN showdown. Clinton called Trump a bully who “stalked” her on the debate stage in 2016 and urged Biden to be “direct and forceful.”
After Biden dropped out of the race, in large part because his poor debate performance ignited Democratic fears about his age, Clinton wrote another Times op-ed offering a full-throated endorsement of Harris.
Clinton said that Harris can defeat Trump but warned she will face similar prejudices.
“I know a thing or two about how hard it can be for strong women candidates to fight through the sexism and double standards of American politics. I’ve been called a witch, a ‘nasty woman’ and much worse. I was even burned in effigy,” Clinton wrote.
Clinton added, “Ms. Harris will face unique additional challenges as the first Black and South Asian woman to be at the top of a major party’s ticket. That’s real, but we shouldn’t be afraid. It is a trap to believe that progress is impossible.”
(CHICAGO) —Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday unveiled her economic platform, her first major policy rollout since becoming the Democratic nominee.
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday held a press conference in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he said he’s “entitled” to insult his Democratic opponent because he doesn’t respect her and attacked her record on the economy.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Iran denies involvement in attempts to hack Trump, Biden campaigns
Iran is denying reports it was involved in attempts to hack the presidential campaigns of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, the latter of which while he was still in the race.
In a statement, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, said that reports of attempted hacking, which came from Google and Microsoft, are “unsubstantiated.”
“Such allegations are unsubstantiated and devoid of any standing. As we have previously announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran harbors neither the intention nor the motive to interfere with the U.S. presidential election,” the statement read. “Should the U.S. government genuinely believe in the validity of its claims, it should furnish us with the pertinent evidence—if any—to which we will respond accordingly.”
-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas
7:32 AM EDT Bernie Sanders to speak at DNC on ‘lowering health care costs’
Lowering health care costs will be a central theme at the Democratic National Convention this week, campaign and convention officials said on Monday, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), confirmed as one notable program speaker set to focus upon the issue — specifically on “lowering Rx drug prices” and “taking on Big Pharma.”
Speakers throughout the week like Sanders, California Rep. Robert Garcia, Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will highlight the support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for strengthening the Affordable Care Act, convention officials shared first with ABC News.
In a Friday speech setting out a string of economic proposals, Harris pledged to “lower the cost of insulin and prescription drugs for everyone.” She also said she’d “demand transparency from the middlemen who operate between Big Pharma and the insurance companies, who use opaque practices to raise your drug prices and profit off your need for medicine.”
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and more to host DNC
Actors Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Mindy Kaling and commentator Ana Navarro will serve as hosts at the Democratic National Convention this week, convention officials confirmed to ABC News.
Each will host one night of the four-day convention, starting the programming with opening remarks and reappearing onstage throughout the night.
Goldwyn will host Monday night, Navarro on Tuesday and Kaling on Wednesday. Washington will host on Thursday, the night Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepts her nomination.
CNN first reported this news.
Harris and Walz debut new campaign buses and kick off tour ahead of DNC
Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz debuted their new campaign buses Sunday and kicked off a bus tour of southwestern Pennsylvania ahead of this week’s Democratic National Convention.
Upon their arrival on Air Force Two, a few hundred supporters greeted Harris, Walz and their spouses at a hangar where the new were buses parked.
Supporters told ABC News they were thrilled by Harris’ candidacy, with one saying she had not felt this excited about politics in years. Some said they had never volunteered for a campaign before signing up to work on Harris’.
“I was excited about Biden, but I am a million times more excited about Kamala,” Nicole Molinaro, a Pittsburgh-area mom, said. “I think that we need her leadership. We need her intelligence. We need her progressive, you know, stance. I think we need her experience. We need everything about Kamala.”
Another supporter, Edward Freel, said he was unsure about Harris at first, “but then, as I started listening better and following her, [I thought] this woman is going to be good for this country.”
Trump campaign releases counterprogramming schedule for DNC week
During the week of the DNC, Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance will be out on the campaign trail, holding events in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
Trump allies — including Sens. Ron Johnson and Rick Scott, and Rep. Byron Donalds — will travel to Chicago to host press conferences every day of the convention. The Trump team will also give a press conference on Thursday ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the Democratic party’s nomination.
“As they meet Americans where they are in battleground states across the country, President Trump and Senator Vance will remind voters that under their leadership, we can end inflation, protect our communities from violent criminals, secure the border, and Make America Great Again,” Trump Campaign Senior Advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soo Rin Kim and Kelsey Walsh
Michelle Obama to speak at DNC this week
Former first lady Michelle Obama will speak at the DNC in Chicago this week, ABC News has confirmed with her office.
Her appearance, first reported by Essence Magazine, will be among a lineup of prominent Democratic leaders who are rallying in support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Former President Barack Obama is also scheduled to speak at the DNC.
According to a source familiar with the planning, Michelle Obama will speak on Tuesday — the same day as the former president.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will help Trump prepare for presidential debate
Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will assist Trump in preparing for his first debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“[Trump] does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisors and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage,” Trump campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to ABC News, confirming a development first reported by The New York Times.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and a one-time Democratic presidential candidate during the 2020 election, gained brief momentum during her presidential run after challenging Harris on the debate stage on topics like criminal prosecutions.
Since leaving the Democratic Party, Gabbard has been gaining traction among Trump supporters, and more recently she has appeared on Fox and other conservative news outlets attacking Harris.
– ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Soo Rin Kim, Kelsey Walsh, and Lalee Ibssa
Election 2024 updates: ABC News Harris-Trump debate to be held in Philadelphia
The first debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump will be held by ABC News at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The Sept. 10 debate will be moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.
It will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET on the network and on its 24/7 streaming network ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
