The baton has formally been handed: Democrats bid a fond farewell Monday to President Joseph Biden, who in a late-night speech that closed the primary day of the Democratic National Convention ticked off his political and coverage victories and gave an unqualified endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to develop into the nation’s forty seventh president.
Throughout the roughly 50-minute speech, Biden denied any anger in regards to the stress he acquired from fellow Democrats to drop out of the race following his debacle of a debate towards former President Donald Trump. And he insisted he would full unfinished enterprise within the remaining 5 months of his presidency. He additionally leaned closely in endorsing Harris.
“She’s robust, she’s skilled, and she or he has huge integrity. Her story represents the perfect American story, and like lots of our greatest presidents, she was additionally vice chairman,” Biden, a former vice chairman himself, stated of Harris as he cracked a smile. “She’ll be a president our youngsters can look as much as … revered by world leaders, as a result of she already is… and she or he shall be a historic president who places her stamp on America’s future.”
After an introduction from his daughter Ashley Biden, Biden hustled a couple of steps on the stage, hugged his daughter and appeared to dry his eyes. Biden waited 4 minutes earlier than beginning his speech as a result of a standing ovation from the capability crowd that alternatively chanted “We love Joe” and “Thanks Joe!”
“It’s been the consideration of my lifetime to function your President. I really like the job, however I really like my nation extra,” he stated. “America, I gave my finest to you.”
The Tribune’s Rick Pearson has a look at the first day’s proceedings.
Harris made a shock look on the United Heart stage shortly after 8 p.m. to welcome and rile up delegates. Shortly after a promotional video set to Beyoncé’s “Freedom” wrapped, Harris strode on stage and thanked Biden for his “lifetime of service to our nation.”
“Guided by our love of nation, figuring out all of us have a lot extra in widespread than what separates us, allow us to battle for the beliefs we maintain pricey and allow us to at all times keep in mind: Once we battle, we win.”
The social gathering continues barreling towards Harris’ official coronation as day two of the Democratic Nationwide Conference kicks off.
Right here’s what occurred Monday
Gov. JB Pritzker spent a whirlwind Monday showing in entrance of state delegations earlier than greeting President Joe Biden at Soldier Area. All that politicking and speechifying served as a warm-up to the principle occasion, when the governor will face a nationwide viewers on the United Heart stage Tuesday.
The Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner and Olivia Olander trailed Pritzker Monday as he addressed a number of teams of Democrats on the town from throughout the nation, dodging a key query about his political future as he went: “I’m not desirous about every other phrases aside from the one I’m serving in,” he stated when requested if he would run for a 3rd time period main the state.
A smaller-than-expected crowd rallied and marched close to the United Heart Monday afternoon, decrying the Biden administration’s assist for Israeli army motion in Gaza. Whereas organizers hoped for as much as 20,000, only some thousand turned up, the Tribune’s protest team reported. It’s unsure what that may imply for the remainder of the week. Some protesters did breach a bit of fencing two blocks north of the United Heart meant to forestall individuals with out credentials from getting near the conference.
“At no level was the interior perimeter breached, and there was no menace to any protectees,” based on an announcement from the DNC Joint Info Heart.
[]Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson — who has not shied away from his assist for these protesters — reiterated his name for a cease-fire in Gaza early Monday whereas taking questions on security preparations. He didn’t straight tackle questions on his statements earlier within the week, when he described the struggle as “genocidal,” the Tribune’s Alice Yin reported.
Donning a metropolis flag pin, Johnson took his second within the nationwide highlight Monday night, utilizing his temporary allotted minutes on the United Heart stage to kick off the first night of proceedings. He praised Chicago because the organizing house of Ida B. Wells and Jane Addams, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and former President Barack Obama. Harris, he stated, has what it takes “to defend our basic rights and freedoms.”
The mayor even managed to slide in his trademark line, describing Chicago as “the best freakin’ metropolis on the planet.”
The night featured a cavalcade of Illinoisans: Among the many most outstanding was Hillary Clinton, born in Chicago and raised in Park Ridge. Her speech — delayed by a number of rounds of applause when she first took the stage — highlighted “a brand new chapter” in America’s battle for girls’s suffrage and political illustration whereas getting in a couple of punches at Trump (at one level, the group chanted “Lock him up!”).
“On the opposite facet of that tumbler ceiling is Kamala Harris elevating her hand and taking the oath of workplace as our forty seventh President of the US,” stated Clinton, the nation’s first feminine presidential nominee. “When a barrier falls for one in every of us, it falls. It falls and clears the best way for all of us.”
Cardinal Blase Cupich delivered the invocation, Rev. Jackson’s civil rights legacy was honored in a video montage. He was joined on stage by his sons Jonathan and Yusef Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton. U.S. Sen Dick Durbin gave a short speech centered on the financial system, and U.S. Rep Lauren Underwood blasted former President Donald Trump’s pandemic response.
A number of celebrities additionally took the stage: actor Tony Goldwyn hosted primetime proceedings. Former Chicago Bull and present Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr garnered a number of the greatest cheers of the night time when he took the stage for a short tackle. Chants of “U-S-A!” broke out, a nod to his gold-medal-winning flip as coach of the American males’s basketball workforce on the Paris Olympics this 12 months.
Nation stars Jason Isbell and Mickey Guyton additionally carried out.
Different must-reads from Monday
- Gun management introduced 20-year-old activist Sam Schwartz throughout 11 states on a mission to get Democrats elected to Congress. Karina Atkins spoke with Gen-Z Dems in regards to the points that animate them, and Molly Morrow checked in with gun management advocates.
- A number of blocks from the DNC, Deliberate Parenthood is providing free medicine abortions and vasectomies at its cell well being clinic, Angie Leventis Lourgos reports, to display “what is feasible when insurance policies actually assist accessible reproductive well being care.”
Right here’s who’s talking tonight
- Pritzker, as soon as on the brief listing as Harris’ vice chairman, has up to now been relishing his function as dutiful host. The circumstances surrounding his speech tonight are removed from what the bold however loyal Democrat doubtless anticipated final 12 months when Chicago received the DNC bid. The Tribune’s Dan Petrella has a sweeping profile of Pritzker’s climb to nationwide prominence.
- Former President Barack Obama, whose political profession launched in Chicago and who shot to nationwide fame on the 2004 DNC 20 years in the past, additionally takes the stage on the United Heart Tuesday night time. Former First Woman Michelle Obama — who coined the slogan “after they go low, we go excessive” on the 2016 conference and stays probably the most fashionable Democrats within the nation — can be anticipated to talk. Every has come to Chicago in latest months: Barack Obama capped off his presidential center’s museum constructing earlier this summer season, and both returned for the funeral of Michelle Obama’s mom, Marion Robinson.
- Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who was just in town last week fundraising for Harris, may even converse Tuesday. He’s scheduled to seem at 9:30 p.m. however Monday night time’s occasions had been delayed by greater than half-hour. If Harris succeeds in November, Emhoff would develop into the nation’s first First Gentleman.
Right here’s what else is occurring at present
- Harris will maintain a rally at Fiserv Discussion board in Milwaukee — her seventh go to to Wisconsin this 12 months. Doorways open at 4 p.m. Trump accepted the Republican nomination on that stage final month. His marketing campaign’s counterprogramming at Trump Tower Tuesday will contact on crime and security and can characteristic U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida.
- At 9:30 a.m., Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Everytown for Gun Security’s Motion Fund and Deliberate Parenthood will host an occasion, “The Energy of Reproductive Rights and Gun Security on the Poll” at Revel Motor Row at twenty fourth Road and Michigan Avenue.
- At midday, nationwide care advocacy teams will be part of a number of elected officers to “level the best way ahead on making care insurance policies — corresponding to paid household medical depart and reasonably priced youngster care.”
- At 3:30 p.m., Pritzker is predicted to be interviewed by Politico’s Jonathan Martin on the CNN Politico Grill (United Heart Lot C). Others on the Grill Tuesday: Former Biden Senior Advisor Anita Dunn, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. Members of the general public can RSVP here.
- Additionally at 3:30 p.m., Illinois Legal professional Basic Kwame Raoul and Nevada Legal professional Basic Aaron Ford will sit down at The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant as a part of a Metropolis Membership of Chicago sequence throughout the DNC.
- Johnson will tackle the Mississippi and Wisconsin delegations beginning at 7:45 and provides remarks at a luncheon co-hosted by the Enterprise Management Council and GoChiLife. Each teams are tied to Johnson’s fundamental enterprise liaison.
- At 4 p.m., Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a number of LGBTQ+ native elected officers, actors Zachary Quinto and Wilson Cruz, comic Dana Goldberg will be part of an LGBTQ+ Victory Institute “for a celebration of LGBTQ+ illustration inside all ranges of presidency” on the rooftop of The Wit. Registration is here.
- At 4:15 p.m., Durbin, Johnson, U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois, Illinois Home Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and others will be part of the American Enterprise Immigration Coalition at Moe’s Cantina to induce “swift and beneficiant” implementation of Biden’s latest government order increasing work permits and authorized standing to long-term immigrants.
- The teams Behind Enemy Strains, Palestine Motion US, and Samidoun plan to protest exterior the Israeli Consulate Tuesday night time, based on posts on their Instagram pages. The aim is to point out “that the DNC is a genocide conference, and that folks in Chicago and past stand with Palestine and towards US imperialism.” Native Jewish organizations had warned these teams had beforehand “promoted and celebrated” dangerous protests. A spokesperson for Behind Enemy Strains told WBEZ final week it might not name for violence however stated its protests would possibly “transcend enterprise as traditional.”
Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Sheridan contributed.
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