John Jefferson
President Joe Biden will be the final speaker at the Democratic National Convention as it kicks off on Monday night.
Biden is set to deliver a unifying message after dropping out of the race last month and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Security has been ramped up as activists descend on Chicago to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. A small number of protesters managed to break through a fence at the outer perimeter of the convention area on Monday afternoon.
Delegates are gathering at the convention, which will see Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz formally nominated to be the party’s candidates in the 2024 presidential race to take on Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Harris has enjoyed an astonishing boom in popularity since Biden made his historic decision not to pursue another term in the White House a month ago in the wake of his disastrous debate performance against Trump in Atlanta on June 27.
With the party rallying around Harris, she has surged in the polls and cemented her appeal by adding Walz to the ticket, a sequence of events that has left Trump and Vance reeling, with seemingly little idea how best to respond to the new challenge they face.
In Pictures: Protesters attend ‘March on the DNC’
Gustaf Kilander20 August 2024 00:00
‘The America Democrats are fighting for’
DNC chair Jaime Harrison said on Monday night that “hope and hard work can take you anywhere.”
“You can go to college, you can start your own business, you can even win the Olympics. That’s the America Democrats believe in, and that’s the America Democrats are fighting for,” he added.
Gustaf Kilander19 August 2024 23:59
Chicago mayor praises Harris as DNC gets underway
Speaking at the beginning of the DNC, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson praised Kamala Harris.
“As the son of a family that worked to make ends meet, I know that Kamala Harris – the daughter of a mom who worked hard every single day – she is going to look out for the interest of everyday people,” he said.
“What will it take to defend our fundamental rights and our freedoms? It will take someone with leadership who would fight for us. And let me tell you, America – leadership, Kamala, she’s got it,” he added.
Gustaf Kilander19 August 2024 23:56
Iran behind hack of Trump campaign, intelligence agencies say
Gustaf Kilander19 August 2024 23:45
Former Democratic Majority Leader attends DNC after suffering ‘mild stroke’
Gustaf Kilander19 August 2024 23:30
VIDEO: Protesters break through fence at DNC
Gustaf Kilander19 August 2024 23:28
Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago – watch livestream
Democrats gathered for their national convention at United Center, home to Chicago’s basketball and hockey teams, while hundreds of protesters assembled at a nearby park to pressure the party to drop military support for Israel’s Gaza offensive.
President Biden’s appearance to start the four-day event will serve as a symbolic passing of the torch to his No. 2 after he quit the race under pressure from top Democrats worried that the 81-year-old incumbent was too old to win or serve another four years.
He will use his speech to portray Former President Trump as a threat to American democracy while touting the achievements of the Biden-Harris administration.
Vice President Harris will formally accept the Democratic nomination on Thursday night with a highly anticipated speech.
If elected on 5 November, she would make US history as the first female president.
Oliver Browning19 August 2024 23:22
Biden says Trump’s ‘stability is in question’
Gustaf Kilander19 August 2024 23:15
Jesse Watters claims ‘no one’ believes in polls showing Harris in the lead
Fox News’s Jesse Watters claimed on Monday that “no one believes these polls are real” showing Kamala Harris in the lead.
Gustaf Kilander19 August 2024 23:00
‘Don’t go to the orange side’: Mark Hamill takes jibe at Trump at DNC
Mark Hamill took a swipe at Donald Trump and told voters “don’t go to the orange side” as he made an appearance at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. The Star Wars actor, 72, made the joke as he stood alongside Jamie Harrison, chair of the DNC. “We’ve got an important election coming up in November, have you got a message for everybody out there,” Mr Harrison asked Mr Hamill. “In the movies, I fought against make-believe evil. But we’re at a time in history where we’re fighting against real evil,” he responded. “So I beg you, please don’t go to the orange side.”
Oliver O’Connell19 August 2024 22:45
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