US President Joe Biden delivers his keynote address on the first night 2024 Democratic National ConventionIndeed, that is enough for his running mate and party nominee Kamala Harris.
“Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and America? Let me ask you: Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as President and Vice President of the United States?” he said in the second gallery.
Citing music, he also spoke to the audience: “America, America, my best for you.”
His comments culminate in a star-studded opening night, with speakers ranging from NBA coach Steve Kerr to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Moreover, protests have become intense against Biden's foreign policy, as he continues to support Israel's war in Gaza, a conflict that has sparked reports of widespread human rights abuses.
But inside, we're looking at something different: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who will face Harris at the ballot box in the upcoming election on November 5.
Here are the main conclusions of the first day of the conference.
Protests pile up outside conference
At the start of the day, party leaders will attend briefings and discussion sessions. But outside the conference halls, there was a different event.
Thousands of people will gather in Union Park — a few blocks from the United Center, the convention's main venue — to protest the Democratic Party's failure to contain the flow of arms and aid to Israel.
The United States has long been a loyal ally of Israel, and Biden has continued to promise “steadfast” support, despite the mounting cost of Israel’s war in Gaza.
The Israeli military offensive state has killed more than 40 thousand PalestiniansWith human rights defenders expressing their concerns about violence and genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The second round protests were largely peaceful, despite tensions leading up to the event.
Municipal authorities and protest organizers will enter into a preliminary confrontation over the location of the event. Last week, organizers entered a preliminary phase after the city tried to ban the use of sleeping systems, boxes and portable paneros.
But the protests passed without incident, with demonstrators issuing messages that read: “Why give two American aids to Israel?”
“Are we for the mass murder of children or are we against?” said one protester, Rich Barnes. “To me, it’s a very simple equation.” Talk to Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Harb Breaks the protest.
At a certain height, a small group of protesters interrupted the main march and broke into the outer perimeter of the conference venue, but police officers quickly stormed the building to repel the intrusion.
Democrats celebrate bipartisan diversity
However, the main conference events began during one night.
An hourly line of speakers took the stage, hailing Harris' nomination on the Democratic platform, which was presented by unanimous vote.
The theme of the evening was “Stop the World,” a phrase immortalized in President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in 1863: “Esse Governoro do povo, pelo povo, para o povo, no perecerá da terra.”
Democrats will use the issue as a way to highlight their party's diversity — and criticize Republican nominee Trump.
For example, Derrick Johnson—the head of the NAACP, one of the most prominent civil rights organizations in the United States—came on stage shouting, “I’m here to do my black job.”
It was a reference to the much-criticized comments Trump made during or Junho Presidential DebateWarning that immigrants are “taking away black jobs.”
But as Trump has gone through countless farces, Democrats will focus more on celebrating what Harris's election to represent the United States could mean.
Harris would be the first woman, the first South Asian person and the first Black woman to hold Casa Branca if she wins in November.
“As a Black man raising a Black girl on the West Side of Chicago, I know that Braeden will not only see a reflection of herself in my life at Casa Branca, but she will also experience two American values on a deeper level,” said Chicago President Brandon Johnson.
Speakers criticize Trump's coronavirus record
Democrats will focus on several perceived weaknesses in the Republican establishment, including Project 2025, a policy document written by former Trump associates.
But an important theme emerged in his attacks on former President Trump: Your Dealing He does Covid-19 Pandemic.
About 1.2 million people in the United States have died from the coronavirus. Patram's Critics Trump for downplaying the crisis and discouraging social distancing policies to avoid transmission.
Several politicians took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention to share their stories of struggle during the pandemic, placing much of the blame on Trump.
“My brother Ron was the second person to die from COVID-19 in the state of Tennessee,” Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan said, her voice shaking.
“Our communities were suffering. Our economy was struggling. Donald Trump was playing games. Our country was pushed to the limit by its inability to respond. But the Biden-Harris Administration stepped in with swift and decisive action.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said he was recently working as a health care professional at the time.
“In the summer of 2020, my mom and dad died from the coronavirus pandemic. I feel like I miss them every day,” he said. “So when Donald Trump and his MAGA extremists, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, downplay the horror of the pandemic, it should make us all angry.”
AOC Rips Trump's Job Stance
In two of the most anticipated speeches of the night, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., took the stage to deliver a fiery speech that demolished the class politics of Trump’s candidacy.
“Six years ago, I was taking omelet orders as a waiter in New York City. You’re not safe in health. My family was fighting foreclosure. We were fighting like we did after my father died unexpectedly from cancer,” she explained.
“We are tired of cynical policies that seem blind to the reality of workers.”
Ocasio-Cortez was elected to the House of Representatives in 2019, during Trump’s presidency. Since then, she has become one of his most vocal critics, representing the progressive left.
“We know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar, which means packing your own bags and sharing them with your friends on Wall Street,” she said on the convention stage, to loud applause that night.
She continued to compare Trump to Harris, whom she described as a defender of the middle class.
“The European Union, for example, I’m tired of hearing how a union destroyer considers himself more of a patriot than a woman who fights every day to evict workers who live in the boots of profit that trample our way of life,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“The truth is, Don, you can't love this country unless it fights for the rich and the big corporations.”
Kamala makes surprise appearance to thank Biden
Part of the night is praising Biden's presidency that ends this election.
Biden Withdrawal decision A presidential election scheduled for July 21 would effectively give him a one-armed leader whose term ends in January.
Elitevis remained in the bullfight, and would be the last speaker at the convention, stepping into the box on the fifth show night. He was again scheduled to attend the second show night, after a number of attendees celebrated his legacy.
UAW President Shawn Fine praised Biden for bringing workers together. On the protest line In 2023, the first attack will be against the three major American automakers: Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors.
“I want to thank Joe Biden for making history and picketing with the UAW,” Fine said.
Harris herself made a surprise appearance at the box to thank Biden in person.
“Joe, congratulations on your historic leadership, your full life of service to our nation and all that you will continue to do. We will be forever grateful to you,” she said.
Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also extended her gratitude for Biden's expression of affection.
“Let’s go to Saud or President Biden. The subject or the defender of democracy, not the homeland and not abroad. Dignity, morality and competence in returning to Casa Branca. He added: “He showed what it means to be a true patriot.”
President Biden was introduced by his daughter Ashley and his wife Jill, who, like her husband, had to “dig deep into his soul” to decide to give up the fight.
“With faith and conviction, Joe knows that in the strength of our nation we see no intimidation or cruelty. Look at the small acts of kindness that heal the deepest wounds,” Jill Biden said at the convention box.
When Biden himself finally stepped into the box, he was greeted with a standing ovation and repeated shouts of “Obrigado, Joe.”
Biden's public appearances have been under intense scrutiny since his appearance. Disastrous appearance Junho's presidential debate, where he repeatedly lost his line of reasoning.
But the second exhibition appearance was a relatively strong showing for the 81-year-old president, who failed to lead the presidency after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“I knew then, in my heart, what I know now: There is no place in America for political violence. Ninhm,” Eli said.
He then attacked his Republican predecessor Trump, who falsely claimed he lost the election because of fraud. “You can’t say you love your country just when it wins.”
He used the events of January 6 as a metaphor for the pessimism of the past—the optimism that Harris offered.
“Now it is coming. Or winter is gone. With a grateful heart, I stand before you on this August night to tell you that democracy has prevailed. I have surrendered to democracy. Now democracy must be preserved.”
He concluded by praising Harris as a friend and colleague of “tremendous integrity.”
“Choosing Kamala was the first decision I made when it became our right choice, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire career,” he said, recalling his 2020 campaign.
“We saved democracy in 2020. Now we must save it again in 2024.”
