we will be back at 7:45 eastern alongside my dear friends and colleagues for full coverage of the convention tonight right now our special

coverage continues. a political convention unlike any other. >> we did it, joe. >> the president of the united states passes the torch the democratic party takes the stage in chicago. >> we believe in the promise of america around a historic candidate. night one of the democratic national convention with prime time speeches from president biden and hillary clinton and an exclusive interview with the josh shapiro and full team coverage with lawrence o'donnell, stephanie ruhle ms

nbc in the democratic national convention begins now. >> welcome to msnbc special coverage , can we turn it down a little bit? >> this first night is going to be unusually historic and joy has more on that in a moments, a convention that is drastically different than what has been planned for really over a year, if politics is a roller coaster, today's brand- new new yorker magazine coverage shows republicans allegedly going downhill snapshot of the vibe in this new race, life does, you fast.

no party has seen a first-term president step aside in 50 years under these conditions. we can tell you the party back then was so divided that president johnson did not attend his own parties gathering. the times reported at the time how the president made it clear he has no plans to attend the convention. democratics are holding a hero's welcome for president biden a chance that vice president harris might finish what he started. trying to turn the corner for the country. this is also the parties first return to chicago since 1996 back when phones were something you used in your home back when hillary clinton was the first lady and as you can see on your

screen back when people actually did synchronize macarena dances in public. joy has a little bit more on what clinton and other big names are doing tonight. joy? >> yeah, secretary clinton, she will be speaking tonight along with leading figures representing the democratic coalition and labor leader to national leaders closely tied to biden's resilient career. congressman james clyburn all leading up to tonight's big keynote. the president of the united states, he arrived in chicago this afternoon along with the first lady who will also speak here tonight. conventions often aim to mix familiar faces with all of the politicians. the first woman vp on hbo, julia. while tonight's programming is emceed by the actor who played the president scannell --

scandal. what are you watching for? >> great to be with you as we do this tonight and every night. i think the biggest thing in politics as you and i know and discussed, you've got to touch it, you got to feel it and live it, for all of the reasons we remember the president of the united states announced that he was exiting him a letter that he submitted online., harris has been out doing her thing to great effect. i believe tonight what i'm watching for is the first time in a big political setting that the president will address politically what he didn't exactly do in the white house and talk about what we already know is his goal that, harris finished the job in the campaign and then finish the job as president, seeing him there in this setting is something where the headline is known, we know that the

president wants, harris to win and asking them to engage on that, joy. we're going to see him in this setting with the united party and they're going to get a view of whether the democrats have as much momentum as they say they do. >> it's really important to say , in addition to that what i'm going to be watching for just sitting in this room and this space it is such a joyful space tonight i'm expecting there to be also a lot of tears. this in many ways represents the end of one of the longest and most successful political careers of any politician in u.s. history. joe biden has been in politics since the 1970s. he was the youngest united states senator years old. he is now the oldest united states president and he has been through so many things the

pivotal senator during so many supreme court nominations including clarence thomas is he was the leading white united states senator who opposed apartheid, you go through the crime in the 1990s which was embraced at the time by the black community, and people who were in communities who needed help, the assault weapon span, the violence against women's act this man ran for president three times it was at the end of one of the most tumultuous and divisive presidencies of our lifetime and he anchors not just the first black president to whom he served as vice president, a big deal for a man of his generation to be willing to be second to a black president. this incredibly dramatic way to potentially the first woman president in the united states. joe biden stands at the fulcrum of united states politics and

away. his uncle joe, we are so used to him and he has become such a normal figure in our lives that we kind of forget that he is actually a big deal. he is a pretty big and important figure in american history. this is a swansong. i'm looking for this to be filled with a lot of love for joe biden and i think he is going to feel that love in a very big way. >> while it is not a political wake for the reasons that you say, it is a celebration as well. and that sort of celebration of what was past it's also what is on the line in november which we are going to be covering tonight and whether he can actually pull it off the transitional figure for something more in the future here we go, joy stays with us on the floor. alex, take away what are you saying?

>> i am seeing, i am feeling emotional confetti, does that make sense? you can't see it but you can feel the vibrations in this room a lot of democrats were going to show up to this thing but the mood is decidedly different. certainly the democrats that i talked to understand that the mood here is decidedly jubilant and everybody is really excited to hear joe biden give his valedictory remarks. not just for his presidency but because he has had such a long career in politics, what you are seeing are groups of democrats whose careers have intersected with joe biden's, that is a lot of democrats for a lot of decades having their own drum circles, if you will as they gather around and talk about their memories and where the party is at and i've got to say the general feeling about where the party is at is really positive. it's not to say, they feel good

about their ground game they feel good about the preparation they feel good about the candidate but they know this is going to be a really tight race and in fact this is kind of the last circling of the wagons the last gathering of the tribe before everybody fans out for the big push this fall i go back to emotional confetti, people are -- to paraphrase there fired up and ready to go. a lot of positivity in the room tonight it is not just the blue lighting that makes everybody look a little bit frisky. >> the frisky folks aside, you talk about pennsylvania and i wonder if you got to get a sense just walking the floor, which is the delegation that is the typist right now? i ran into some folks from the texas delegation, they are hyped

. is there a delegation that you are getting the sense, has got the most sort of confidence? this is a competent party all of the sudden, using special confidence for many of these delegations? >> listen i spent the most extensive time with the senator pennsylvania. the scranton joe connection both the democratic and the republican on the ticket. there is so much excitement there is an excitement and focus there ready to be the battleground again and they feel like they had, that 15 different offices in the state, they know what it was like in 2020, they have the personal connection to joe, there was a lot of talk about josh shapiro but they feel like all eyes are on them and they are ready for the focus. that would be my pick at least at this stage of the night.

>> if anybody asks you to do the macarena, resist, resist the urge to macarena. >> don't you worry about that. >> what are you looking for tonight? this is going to be a night where you were expecting more tears, more joy, more what? >> it is going to be about the remarkable journey that joe biden has been on through all of the great movements of our times, the civil rights movement and the women's movement in the environmental movement but it's going to be about the future it astonished people and some people like donald trump still can't even comprehend it, he can't

synthesize. >> he cannot compute that. joe biden can talk to us as his vice president as his partner in the executive branch. why she is poised to lead the value of democracy freedom and progress for everybody in the new century and that is going to be an extraordinary thing to hear them talk about her as well as talk about him. the emotional expectation is rising in this room. there are those of us who are just run up speakers to president biden and we can't wait to hear what he's got to say. >> we love talking to you is a

constitutional scholar. the role of the vice president is one of the most ambiguous to a lot of people. if they haven't read through the constitution people to know what vice presidents do. one of the things that is been so fascinating about watching their relationship between president biden and vice president, harris, similar to when president biden was vice president, he also got to see what vice presidents relationship was, his reliance on her, she was in the end the most hard-core with him to the bitter end. she was his fiercest defender after that debate, debacle, debate. he handed it off to her. here is what she has been doing with the -- me. this is why she is set up for success. what you make of the way that president biden has in some ways taught us what the vice president's job is. >> the major job of the vice

president is to vote only when there is a tie, there have been a lot of ties, shoes actually played an important role she has cast a significant percentage of all of the tie votes she has done a great job on that, they used to say to check on the presidents health they have this wonderful relationship there is no daylight between them the republicans don't understand what it means to be a real political party which listens to people where people come together can disagree but the unity, the focus the momentum at this convention is absolutely extraordinary how everybody is together on this one goal now they operate like a dictatorship over on their side but they still can't get over the fact that we have seen a passing of the baton. biden thereby teaches america and those of us to leadership

is creating space for new leadership bringing people in and nurturing them in coaching them and supporting them. >> if the ticket wins, i don't know when we've had a vice president the came from the house rather than the senate. >> it is a very big deal for us and it is well balanced in terms of senate and house representation as well as geographically in terms of life experiences, it is a ticket that really speaks to america in a profound way. >> i think they're spiking the ball just a little bit. now we are going to throw back to alex wagner. >> minnesota has these nice

blue seat covers. >> organize party psyched about tim walz being vice president. >> talk about what your expectations are we are going to see the passing of the torch, wednesday night is tim walz speech, everyone has started to be captivated by him and his unique way of addressing things from the dad video on how to fix a car to just his warmth, his love of our democracy in our country. i think people are going to really enjoy hearing his speech. >> one of the things that i'm

personally obsessed with is his use of the word weird to describe donald trump's behavior . >> i feel like this has spun out here because you ever split screens, you have donald trump spinning about bird cemeteries claiming he did the cap on insulin and just all in all, i think that somehow, there's nothing he gets more mad about is crowd size issues has been disproven by many reporters, i just think that somehow something has been triggered here and we have the wind in our sails, she is getting ahead in several swing states and i think you're going to hear today 28 days they did this she

has united the party and raised over $300 million, picked a vice president and is surging in the swing states. this is going to give us a moment to talk about the policies, it's also going to continue that momentum. >> all right, 28 days, can you believe it? feels like maybe longer than that. >> it is a wild transition, i want to thank the senator, this is our first segment of our special coverage we will be back with much more of this convention launching tonight, next. you can build new bone with evenity®. ask your doctor if you can do more than just slowing down bone loss with evenity®.

want stronger bones? then build new bone; evenity® can help in just 12 months. evenity® is proven to reduce spine fracture risk by 73%. evenity® can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from a cardiovascular problem. do not take evenity® if you have low blood calcium, or are allergic to it. serious allergic reactions and low blood calcium have occurred. tell your doctor about jaw bone problems, as they have been reported with evenity®. or about pain in your hip, groin, or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. don't let a break put you on a shelf. talk to your doctor about building new bone with evenity®! meet the jennifers. each planning their future through the chase mobile app. hellooo new apartment. one bank for now. for later. for life. chase. make more of what's yours. did you know that if you shave, 1/3rd of what you remove is skin? (♪♪)

new dove helps repair it. so, if you shave it? (♪♪) dove it new dove replenish your skin after every shave. centrum! it's scientifically formulated to help you take charge of your health. centrum gives every body a healthy foundation. supporting your - oops - energy, immunity and metabolism. and yours too! you did it! plus try centrum silver, now clinically proven to support memory in older adults. when we say it'll be on time, they expect it to be on time. turn shipping to your advantage. keep those expectations with reliable ground shipping. thanks brandon. with usps ground advantage®. ♪♪ i was stuck. unresolved depression symptoms were in my way. i needed more from my antidepressant. vraylar helped give it a lift. adding vraylar to an antidepressant is clinically proven to help relieve overall depression symptoms better than an antidepressant alone. and in vraylar clinical studies, most saw no substantial impact on weight.

elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. report unusual changes in behavior or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children and young adults. report fever, stiff muscles, or confusion, as these may be life-threatening, or uncontrolled muscle movements, which may be permanent. high blood sugar, which can lead to coma or death, weight gain, and high cholesterol may occur. movement dysfunction and restlessness are common side effects. stomach and sleep issues, dizziness, increased appetite, and fatigue are also common. side effects may not appear for several weeks. i didn't have to change my treatment. i just gave it a lift. ask about vraylar and learn how abbvie could help you save.

z's baking the house special. and learn how abbvie arisa's styling a new look. and steve's filling his biggest order ever. with the first ever comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee, these business owners get five years of value on gig speed internet and advanced security, all from the company with 99.9% network reliability. so now they can focus on doing what they do best for the next five years. that's a lot of bread. you got this. the comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee. switch today for a limited tim.

that is a dream we will put in reach of all of our people. >> we are joined by former senate claire.

>> they gather the party that's why we look down to the floor and your former colleagues were talking about where they were sitting in minnesota and they gather the party and the party stands to be more united than it was a month ago tonight. they also tell the story to the country. from other democrats want to talk about labor, choice, civil rights. what do you expect to see tonight? >> she wants to make sure that this is about the people and not about her. you got the message loud and clear from the fancy white chair he sat in, it was all

about donald trump, not about the people of this country, that need public policy that helps their lives. what you're going to see her issues brought up in this convention the remind people that the democratic party gets it, it's not about her, it's about them it is tricky because she also has introduced herself so people are more comfortable with her and understand and know her background better. >> how do you feel this convention compares to other once you have attended? >> i reminisced when you played that clip of the vice president in 2008, it really reminds me of denver in 2008 many ways i was on the podium in prime time in 2008 as an early endorser

barack obama and i remember that it helped -- felt historic and special. >> there are still people understandably that feel badly about what happened to joe biden but i think joe biden once again is going to do what's right for the country and tell everybody tonight be excited, get going. there is an election to win and it's very important and she is the one to do it. the rueful blowoff tonight for joe biden. >> it seeks again to the party coalition being strengthened and people feeling good about that, joy? >> people talk about democrats that was a thing in the 90s

there are biden democrats, people really love him. there are a lot of african american democrats you talk about that mix of sadness and also joy that you are seeing and feeling. how much has his blessing of kamala harris boosted her with bidenistas? >> absolutely essential joe biden knows that . he has immense power in his party. he deserves having immense power in this party and only because he was selfless and stepped aside to challenge

donald trump. the republican party there was a lot of people that didn't like donald trump, didn't think he could win and they all folded and became part of the trump colt. the one person who said that was joe biden. that is why his legacy will be legend among americans because of the selflessness here shown last month. senator barbara, we are just bringing all of the gals together let's talk about the littler this is a swan song for really great career for

president biden talk a little bit about kamala harris. >> what i want to say is this, when i decided to step away and retire from the senate, kamala harris stepped up and ran a great race and here she is now so i am super excited about all of that. it is pretty great. i also want to say, when history is written it will say all of those great things about president biden the things that he did, he brought us back from covid. he also endorsed, at a time

when a lot of people in my party were saying open convention and i would just like to say if it was an open convention it would've been passed so i think when history is written he feels toward her so close because she was close with his son when he passed away from cancer and i think he felt a connection so it is a warm everlasting relationship. it has been inclusive, we talked about the identity politics, it still matters a

lot, they did show mathematically more people voted for the woman and the man that year. coming out of clinton with whom he served, she speaks tonight and he is passing the torch to what could be if she wins the first woman president first woman of color president, where does that fit in for the speakers? >> first of all, a lot of people stepped aside for hillary when she ran and now he is embracing a woman of color as his vice president, i hope i can say this about the men who are listening to us, confident men will vote for kamala harris, stepped out there, show

that and i remember i didn't get the men's vote but, i got a lot of men's votes and i had a button that said real men vote for barbara, i think this is a test, join us, it's about you it's about your freedoms it's about your democracy it is about whether we have an economy that works for everyone not just the billionaires who trump just loves to kiss their feet and everything else. >> real men vote for boxer as you said and it's important to keep it real. joe and i try very hard to keep it real. i want to thank senator boxer relaunch msnbc day one th

e fatal, dehydration, urinary tract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. ♪ farxiga ♪

with bugs, the struggle-is-real. that's why you need zevo traps. zevo works 24/7 to attract and trap flying insects. for effortless protection. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. ♪ music ♪ ♪ unnecessary action hero! ♪ ♪ unnecessary. ♪ was that necessary? no. neither is missing your daughter's competition to do payroll. with paycom, employees do their own payroll so you don't have to miss your daughter's big day. time to shine.

get paycom and make the unnecessary unnecessary. (♪♪) (♪♪) bounce back fast from heartburn with tums gummy bites, and love food back. (♪♪) hi, i'm greg. i live in bloomington, illinois. i'm not an actor. i'm just a regular person. some people say, "why should i take prevagen? i don't have a problem with my memory." memory loss is, is not something that occurs overnight. i started noticing subtle lapses in memory. i want people to know that prevagen has worked for me. it's helped my memory. it's helped my cognitive qualities. give it a try. i want it to help you just like it has helped me. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription.

chicago is my kind of town. when any barrier falls in america, it clears the way for everyone. when there are no ceilings the sky is the limit. >> we are back covering the democratic national convention and joining us now is douglas

brinkley. wonderful historian and friend. thank you for being here. we just saw hillary clinton. this could be the person that did it. what you think if you look contextually, now with kamala harris on the same glass ceiling. >> when hillary clinton sees the nomination that will be forever in the history books. we can't forget that she has beat donald trump by millions of votes with popular vote, so that is going to be a story eleanor roosevelt, she talks about the entire run from susan deanthony and all of these women in women's history, the

bridge to barack obama. >> there glad to see her and getting her place in the main race. >> supporting the anc which not a lot of white guys do. he was supporting them and being there with barack obama and now it is interesting that the person has anointed is a successor it is all very circular super talent, giving

her that job and then to trust handing the torch, passing the torch which we are going to be hearing a lot about during the convention. and going to throw it to you, ari. we remind viewers that it was literally one month ago that the president announced he was exiting and president biden speaks tonight and the timing of getting this new nominee campaign, picking the running mate it is their job to get it right. everyone else is just watching. how different is this, what does history tell us about fitting many months of the campaign into a few weeks. >> it is about momentum and kamala harris has it right now and somehow they will have to dislodge it. we've been talking about 1968

chicago about humphrey being johnson and humphrey comes in and minnesota made a real play here in chicago in '68. the party was divided. the way that biden and harris have done it it's been seamless and the beneficiary of the way biden is asking on the came pan -- campaign chair i'll -- trail. everybody wanted to be here now because she is energized. it is an incredible moment in history in chicago was the place that we have the first speech of the president at a convention when fdr in 1932 did the new deals speech, 1960 had the new frontier, this time we had all of these, joe biden and

bill clinton and barack obama also talking plus michelle obama, it is just a lot of talent and history makers on the stage in a moment ago i saw joy taking a photo and i never knew that of jesse jackson. it was touching just to see him here thinking about his rave role running. he was a pioneer when he did that and gave an incredible address. >> by the way the rules change because he wants so many delegates. the democratic party changed its rules in such a way that they allowed barack obama to be president. the delegate accumulation roles were very different. >> it gets back, it is all one step at a time in the great

part about history we are looking back and suddenly people that have seen large maybe minor figures are actually large figures. people like john lewis, jesse jackson held a big event for him, everybody wanted to pay their respects to him. >> this is why i love history. you need each of these little pieces to happen just as they did for better or for worse and we're really seeing that here in a really incredible way. >> the word freedom of beyonce's song but also freedom in general we are going to hear a lot about that in the next few days. it is so great to have you here

with us as always, thank you so much. the 2024 democratic national convention a historic night ahead, keep it here. but e d with arexvy. arexvy is a vaccine used to prevent lower respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can be serious for those over 60, including those with asthma, diabetes, copd and certain other conditions. but i'm protected. arexvy is proven to be over 82% effective in preventing lower respiratory disease from rsv and over 94% effective in those with these health conditions. (♪♪) arexvy does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients. those with weakened immune systems may have a lower response to the vaccine. the most common side effects are

injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain. arexvy is number one in rsv vaccine shots. rsv? make it arexvy. in the wayborhood, every delivery is a treat. one pistachio for you, sir. one strawberry poof, please. oh. enjoy it. oh, poofect. bye waybor. something minty? of course, it's a large. [ gasps ] ♪ ♪ a double. lucky. ♪ wayfair. every style. every home. ♪ ( ♪ ♪ ) start your day with nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. to me, harlem is home.

but home is also your body. i asked myself, why doesn't pilates exist in harlem? so i started my own studio. getting a brick and mortar in new york is not easy. chase ink has supported us from studio one to studio three. when you start small, you need some big help. and chase ink was that for me. earn up to 5% cash back on business essentials with the chase ink business cash card from chase for business. make more of what's yours. you know that thing your family does? someone made it a thing, back in the day. but where did it come from? and how did it get aaaaall the way to you? see for yourself at ancestry. she grew up in a middle class home. she was the daughter of a working mom. and she worked at mcdonald's while she got her degree. kamala harris knows what it's like to be middle class. it's why she's determined to lower health care costs and make housing more affordable. donald trump has no plan

to help the middle class, just more tax cuts for billionaires. being president is about who you fight for. and she's fighting for people like you. i'm kamala harris and i approve this message. hi! need new glasses? buy one pair, get one free at visionworks! how can you see me squinting? i can't! i'm just telling everyone!...hey! buy one pair, get one free for back to school. visionworks. see the difference. at bombas we make the most comfortable sock in the history of feet so comfortable you'll wish you had more vist bombas.com and get 20% off your first order (reporters) over here. kev! kev! (reporter 1) any response to the trade rumors, we keep hearing about? (kev) we talkin' about moving? not the trade, not the trade, we talking about movin'. no thank you. (reporter 2) you could use opendoor. sell your house directly to them, it's easy. (kev) ... i guess we're movin'. which looks better — this? or this? seems clear to me.

if you love to save, check out the wise buys sales event going on right now at america's best — get two pairs of progressives for just $129.95. offer includes a comprehensive eye exam. book an exam online today. nothing makes a gathering great like eggland's best eggs. they're just so delicious. with better nutrition, too. for us, it's eggs any style. as long as they're the best. eggland's best. the current presidents cloaked american darkness for much too long.

too much anger, too much beer, too much division. here now i give you my word. if anyone trust me with the presidency, i will draw on the best of us not the worst. >> he gave his word. the quiet pandemic the last cycle now tonight the president speaks not in the format he would've expected even a month ago in this historic address i want to bring in now you. >> great to have you. >> big week. we're kicking off a big week. >> huge. huge. >> you look at the president there, when he was a candidate. and the speech he's giving tonight, he's had time to absorb it, as has the party and we moved into the momentum. yet i mentioned in the top of the program, tonight is the first time we will see him do this in a political setting.

>> yeah. >> there's nothing like the first time. in the weeks ahead, if he goes out and rallies with obama, harris, great. what is he going to do tonight in your view? >> that's a hard -- that's a hard moment for him. this is nowhere comparable, and please, folks, don't get it the wrong way. but i know when i stepped down from the rnc, what that was like. i gave a sort of, you know, once i was defeated, i gave farewell. >> you're saying you see yourself as a presidential level figure? >> i knew you were going to do that. >> if anyone is watching and able to go online, you heard the man. you heard him. >> the -- the idea stepping away from something that you know you have more work to do, that you want to do. >> and being real about it rather than spinning it. >> yeah, being real rather than spinning it, it's going to be emotional for him. i think people -- everybody is

talking about how they will feel about it. i think joe biden giving his arc of service and the history that he's made for this country, that moment is going to be a tough one because you make an important point. he gave the first time in a vacuum. no audience, no immediate emotional reaction from a crowd that's screaming his name or whatever. i think tonight for him is going to be a solemn moment for sure, poignant, and probably a bit sad. i'm curious as to whether or not you see any of that emotion come from him tonight. he tends to be a very emotional guy in that respect, very much sort of, you know, an ah schucks kind of guy in moments like this. but i just think it's going to be hard. i think it's going to be a lot harder than people may realize. >> this is the part that isn't programming. this is a made for tv event right down to how they plan it, what happens and when they do it

at night. that's true of both parties. yet what's not made for tv is what you alluded to. he made this very difficult choice, personal, political. we hear words like leadership, service, judgment. >> there's another aspect. >> there will be historians who interpret how he lived up to that in contrast to other politicians who always use those words but never do much evident sacrifice. >> the term bitter sweet is never more appropriate than in a moment like this. he's there from the bitter side of this. it was very clear there was rejection. and there was -- there were forces that wanted him moved on. and so he has to reconcile that in this moment in the comments he makes tonight, understanding that that is a thread that is intertwined with all the other good threads of his career. and that's what makes it that much harder of a speech to give. >> you mentioned the threads of

president biden's career. people who follow politics know this. others may not realize just how long a record of service there is. which again, as you say tonight, will be capped. we have a little bit of him from '08 and all the way back to '96. take a look. >> i lost my voice cheering for jesse jackson and mario cuomo. as a matter of fact, had jesse gone another 20 minutes, i would have made primetime. >> i accept your nomination to run and serve with barack obama, the next president of the united states of america. >> we know jesse jackson is in attendance. we know about obama, and as we are speaking here, i'll tell you and viewers we expect to hear in a matter of moments the chair of the democratic party. jamie harris.

but you look at that history, and now, joe biden has a big speech to give. and there may be other speeches obviously. he's the president of the united states. there's other events on the world spaj, but they may not be as big of a political audience as tonight. >> that's an important point and a very important distinction to make. this is, for the political speeches that he will have to give, the biggest he will give. it's a capstone on a political career. he is still the president of the united states, folks. so there will be other moments where he will have to talk to the nation. he will address big issues, maybe deal with something crazy that putin has done or something that's going on in israel, or even something more domestic. so the presidential duty will continue to call him until january 20th and there will be speeches around that. in terms of the political moment that this is, it is a capstone on that career that started in

'73. and here we are, all these years later, and you're sitting there thinking to yourself, how does he end this story for us? his involvement, his role in that story. and what does he say in handing over that mantle to kamala harris? when you think about the consequential nature of this one man in our american politics, we have gay marriage because of him. right? we have kamala harris because of him. we have a supreme court, an african american woman on the supreme court because of joe biden. and we now may have the first black female president. >> as promised, we're going to cut in to listen to dnc chair jamie harris. >> i started my journey to this stage in 1988. i was 12 years old. and my family was watching the democratic national convention. now, to be honest, i wanted to watch something else.

but we all knew when my grandfather sat in his chair, the tv was his. but folks, when reverend jesse jackson came on, i paid attention. a black man from south carolina, raised by a single mother. that was me. and as long as i live, i will never forget what he said. he challenged young people to hope and to dream. so that's exactly what i did. i dreamed big. i worked hard. and i never lost hope. when our power was cut off, when there was nothing in the fridge, when we lost our home to a conman, i never lost hope. and now, my friends, i'm standing on the same convention stage that inspired me, and i'm

the chair of the democratic party, the world's oldest political party. folks, only in america. and that's the beautiful thing about this country that i love so much. 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. so four years ago, my friends, we were a country divided by fear. and we were stuck under a man who preached bigotry and hatred. hope was lost. but my friend, we found hope in president biden and vice president harris. and the 80 million americans who stood by their side. and now, we are united.

we're united in our pursuit of progress, because my friends, they saw us. they fought for us. they heard us. and under their transformational leadership, we have forgiven billions in student loans. we have expanded access to health care, and we have strengthened the middle class. but the fight continues. and there is still more work to do. you know, i know that we, when we elect kamala harris and tim walz, they will build on our accomplishments and create a country that works for every american. they will invest in our dreams, in our futures, and hope will light our path forward. they will lead us in the fight for america and, believe me, when we fight -- >> we win. >> we win. and folks, we can never forget who we're fighting for. this election, this election is

about americans who are watching right now wondering who is going to finally pave that dirt road or make it easier to feed their family or get medical bills under control. this election is about those who believe anybody can achieve their dreams if they work hard and trust in the endless possibilities of america. this election is about communities who need to see that hope and joy will always overcome fear and chaos. this election is about every little boy inspired by a party chair who looks like him, and every little girl who will finally see a president who looks like her. my friends, we are paving a path for them. we're working toward a brighter future for them. and we need each and every one of you to join us. 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. so in the next 78 days, our motto can't be just while i breathe i hope. it must be, while i breathe, i vote. because that is how we make hope real for all of america. america, let's vote for democrats up and down the ticket. let's save our democracy, and let's vote for our mvp, kamala harris, and our coach, tim walz. thank you all so much for being here. and now, it is indeed my pleasure to introduce our next speaker who will be co-chair for tonight. this is a young woman who is the current lieutenant governor of the great state of minnesota.

and when tim walz becomes vice president, she will become the first native american governor in this great country. folks, let's welcome peggy flanagan. >> good evening. thank you, jaime. as we gather together on this historic night, we remember those who came before us. who fought and prayed this moment into existence. the suffragests and the abolitionists. the activists who fought for our rights. the leaders who paved the way for us all. their courage and conviction shaped the course of history. their memory reminds us that the fight for freedom always passes

from one generation to the next. we owe it to them and to ourselves to carry their legacy forward. tonight, we pay tribute to those who dared to dream of a country that truly stands for liberty and justice for all. next, we'll hear from one of those people, a lifelong advth for civil rights, maxine waters. >> wow.

hello, delegates. now, you know i have seen a lot in my lifetime. i was just 22 years old when fannie lou hamer made her presence known at another democratic convention. it was in 1964 in atlantic city. and she arrived with a group of black delegates from mississippi. and she simply asked, she simply asked that her delegates be seated in place of the state's all-white delegation. she told the people in the room about the violence she suffered at the hands of white police because she, a black woman, had

demanded her right to vote. when she finished, she asked the country a simple but profound question. is this america? she didn't get the outcome she was hoping for in atlantic city, but you can bet that when the official mississippi delegation was seated at the convention four years later, fannie lou hamer was sitting there with them. now, here we are. here we are 60 years later at another democratic convention, with kamala harris, kamala harris as our party's nominee. oh, so i know there is no better leader to marshal us into the

future. kamala has been a courtroom prosecutor, a district attorney, an attorney general, a united states senator, vice president of the united states. and when the dust settles in november, and americans of all stripes have elected her their president, i know she'll be thinking about fannie lou who i happen to know is one of kamala's heroes. in that moment, all of us, all of us from new york to pennsylvania to arizona to california, we can ask ourselves, is this america? and we will be able to say loudly and proudly, you're damn right it is.

>> when you're bringing down the house, we're going to keep it going. i'm going to bring in now the governor of this fair state, illinois governor jb pritzker, who was on kamala harris' vp list at one point as well. governor, it's so good to be in your state. >> great to be with you. >> i have to talk a little bit about what maxine waters just said. of course, fannie lou hamer was from the great state of mississippi, and that train that comes from jackson, mississippi, to chicago, illinois, is what a lot of the exit from the south looked like. >> yes. >> so many people in the city of chicago have roots in mississippi. >> the great migration. >> the story is a chicago story. what is so special about

illinois that it produces so much greatness. we're talking about jesse jackson, '84 and '88 ran for president. you're talking about, you know, obviously, the former first lady of the united states, hillary clinton, who has roots in illinois as well. you have barack obama. so much has come out of illinois. what is it about this state? >> i would add abraham lincoln, one of the great presidents, in fact, the greatest president. look, what i can say is that people as you know move north because they were escaping something. and building something new. and i want to add that chicago, you know, burned down in 1871. and so everything got rebuilt. it was renewed. people who wanted to make something of themselves back then and for many decades after that came to chicago because they knew that it was a land of opportunity. >> yeah. >> sonow, think about the people we produced. you mentioned some of them and some of the great democrats of all time.

and so i'm so proud, really, and now, of course, we want to claim kamala harris too because her father and mother lived in champaign, illinois, worked at the university of illinois for a while. so she's one of us too. >> i love that. listen, the university of chicago is also legendary for so many reasons. but let's talk about this choice, because you were on that list as vp choice as well potentially. what do you make of the tim walz pick and what it's done for this ticket? >> well, i know tim walz well. not only has he been chairman of the democratic governors association, but we went through covid together, we got elected at the same time. i supported him when he was running for election and re-election and helped him win the legislature in minneapolis. he's got a huge heart. he cares so deeply for public service. and for the people of minnesota. and it's come through in all the policies he's effectuated on the ground.

imagine if he's able to spread that across the country with kamala harris. i know he's going to tell people about that on the campaign trail, but i want people to know from someone who considers him a friend. he's a good, decent human being. >> yeah, governor pritzker, thank you very much. i'm going to throw it to ari melber to keep it going. >> thanks, joy. governor, great to be here with you as the convention gets under way. we have talked a bit about some of the key speeches tonight. of course, including president biden's. what do you see the democrats saying and the harris campaign saying in the spread of speeches tonight? hillary clinton, joe biden, james clyburn, aoc. this breadth of the democratic coalition? >> i think it's about imprinting across america what the values of the democratic party really are. we have some history here that really is history of greatness. that some of it is being presented on stage, but we're also in a convention hall here full of young people and people who are carrying this party into

the future, including kamala harris. it's a new generation. kamala harris and tim walz and taking over the party, i love it. i'm in that generation. so i love to see the change, and of course, the excitement around both of them. >> and as joy was discussing, the midwest, where that fits into all of this, what do you want americans who may have had busy summers who have kept up with some of the political headlines, boy, there have been a lot, but aren't obsessed over this, what do you want them to know about what your party is doing here in the heartland and how that relates to harris' pitch to the nation? >> well, we're the strongest fence posts, so to speak, in the blue wall here in illinois. but you know, wisconsin, michigan, minnesota, these are all hugely important, and if you include the broader rust belt, pennsylvania, this is the blue wall that we have to hold for us to win this election. and so now you're seeing us all pull together. we had tony evers in wisconsin,

and of course, tammy baldwin running for u.s. senate there for re-election. we have gretchen whitmer in michigan. and tim walz now on the national ticket. i collectively, democrats have retaken the blue wall, and we're going to hold it in this election and elect kamala harris and defeat donald trump, who has tried to make inroads for so many years. >> i mentioned the upcoming speeches which will be taken tonight. we can also mention to viewers there's a video currently playing spotlighting some of the civil rights legacy of the democratic party as well as figures from chicago. what does that mean to you, and why is that such an important part of what the democrats want to say, again, being as fair as possible, it's a contrast to some of the programming we had from the rnc. certainly wasn't as historically inclusive in that sense, at times quite blatantly about going back to earlier points in history. i wanted to give you the floor on that. >> well, we had some of the great black leaders in the

history from chicago. you mentioned jesse jackson, who i want to talk about in a second. but ida b. wells and so many others. i'm so proud of what we produced here, and then i think that all of us who live in chicago understand the meaning and importance of jesse jackson and what he's done for civil rights. and you know, of course, in my lifetime, i barely knew, i was 3 years old when martin luther king jr. was killed. and so jesse jackson, for me, is the carrying on of that tradition, and he's been around my entire life, and when he ran for president, for many of us who were young people, he inspired us because he showed anything is possible. that we can change as a country. and you know, his kind of mantra, i am somebody, you know, no matter who you are, if you have challenges in your life, if you grow up in a tough neighborhood, maybe you have a single parent or just you're challenged by poverty or other

restrictions on your life, i am somebody means something to you. and so just as a young person interested in politics and who wanted to see hope and prosperity for everybody, i am somebody, and jesse jackson saying it and succeeding as a candidate for quite some time in '84 and '88 meant something. >> joy. >> you know, it's funny. i think we're close to the same age. i'm only a wee bit younger, but for those of us who said our gen x folks, jesse jackson was our dr. king until, you know, rev sharpton was our dr. king, and we grew up, and of course, jesse jackson trained reverend sharpton and they came in that tradition, but i'm really glad you said that. i think for a lot of us, you know, the dream of a black president for us, we were a little too young for shirley chisholm, jesse jackson was a dream of a black president for us. >> that's right, and he paved

the way, so did shirley chisholm, but he waved the way for barack obama and collectively, all of them pave the way now for kamala harris. this idea, lyon, i remember four years ago, talking to a prominent black leader, a woman in chicago and asking -- >> we're going to stop right now. guess who is coming out on the stage? the reverend jesse jackson is being introduced on the stage. let's take a look. is he coming out? >> please welcome founder and president of the rainbow push coalition, reverend jesse jackson. >> here we go. here we go. [ cheers and applause ]

♪♪ ♪♪

[ chanting jesse ] >> don't hesitate, don't question it. >> it really was, and i have to say, even as he's aging, he's a legend. and for many of us here in chicago, you have to go talk to him and listen to him to really, you know, touch what i think is the core of the civil rights movement. even today, even as he's aging and there are younger people coming up underneath him. he's the person that i think at least in my generation that i think of as a face of all the progress that's been made. >> and to see him standing there

with our friend, the reverend al sharpton, who he brought into the movement to be standing there with marc morial, that was what the civil rights movement looks like, those connections between all of these civil rights organizations that had to work so hard just for there to be a kamala harris. for there to be a maxine waters. >> and for there -- without a jesse jackson, without an al sharpton, you wouldn't have had all the people standing on their shoulders. honestly, look at how much progress has been made, and it's because of the battles that they fought. it's not just that we don't have battles ahead. but this is a representation of how people are standing on each other's shoulders to get where we need to be again years to go, miles to go before we sleep. >> it's those pieces of the mosaic that built us toward a barack obama and could build us toward a first woman president. i will age myself by saying the first vote i ever took for president was jesse jackson in the primary in 1988.

i was very proud of it. we were so excited about him in a way people are excited and you're seeing that excitement for vice president harris. it's happened before, but he didn't get there. barack obama did. >> well, and i want to say there have been people who have helped move the movement along, like joe biden. and we're going to celebrate him later tonight. but joe biden asked kamala harris to be his running mate, it was joe biden that put the first black woman on the supreme court. so it's a collective of people who are advancing the cause. >> absolutely. governor jb pritzker, thank you for having us in your state. we're going to come back. we like it here. >> glad to have you in chicago. >> let me bring in ari melber because ari is going to toss it right back to our friend alex. >> thanks, you. and again, thanks to governor pritzker. alex wagner, we're under way. we had the opening prayer, as joy and the governor were discussing. we had that really big moment with jesse jackson, who is both

a barrier breaker in presidential politics and also a civil rights leader and also a local figure for a gathering that still has a lot of people who are in the city there. how did it all feel to you being on the floor? >> yeah, it felt big. i have to say it's an audience that is primed to celebrate political legaies tonight. joe biden will be the headliner on that, but the point that joy and governor pritzker were making about how this moment wouldn't have been possible without the work jesse jackson did in his storied career is the right one to make, i think. that there wouldn't be a barack obama and maybe not a kamala harris if she does become president, but even if she doesn't, without the work of those who are on stage, marc morial, al sharpton, and jesse jackson among them. i have to say, the energy in the crowd is -- it's big energy, but also there's a tinge of wistfulinal. it feels like a night where people want to honor the work and there are certainly a lot of

people that have done the hard lifting here. joe biden is, i think, the chief among them, but i think it's right and appropriate for someone like jesse jackson to be taking a turn on stage at a moment like this, as democrats think about their party history. >> alex, let's talk a little more about that if you will. my understanding is in addition to your hosting and coanchoring duties in general, you might become our chief vibes correspondent. not only tonight but across the convention floor. >> you know, i have been working towards it my whole career, ari. vibes are elusive, as you know, but i think at the ripe old age of 46, i'm finally ready to be promoted to chief vibes correspondent. >> it's unofficial, but vibes are easier felt -- >> can i get cirons? >> that's way above my pay grade, but i'll ask them. but alex, vibes are easier felt than explained. hard to anticipate. and yet when they roll in, they matter. and it is vibes, energy, and

momentum which are more traditional political terms that harris rode almost immediately in those first few days, we all lived through it. i'm curious as you alluded to, that people on the floor are political junkies. they are part of this in a participatory way, but they also know one of the big speeches is president biden tonight. what else are you feeling and picking up in what one of our guests called a bittersweet handoff tonight? >> vibes are a thing you can't fake. i would say in the spring and early summer, the democratic party vibes were driven more by fear than optimism, and that has changed dramatically. i have been talking to a lot of younger delegates, younger leaders, leaders of color whose votes have changed i think probably the most dramatically within the democratic party since the top of the ticket changed. and you know, there is true enthusiasm. and i will say happy warrior face, that is, you know, people

are not counting their chickens before they hatch, if you will. there's a real sense that the work is beginning and it is going to be -- not beginning, the work continues, that it will be a tight election, but there is an enthusiasm, a genuine joy, a pep in people's step that is palpable. and it's almost like, you ask people, do you feel good? and the answer is, oh, yeah. not even a question. it's almost a moment of like positive catharsis. at the same time, like i said, this is about legacy and this is about tonight is about gratitude. and i think that that is not something you would have had, the whole structure of this convention, the emotional, you know, structure of this convention has changed so dramatically, and you're going to see it progress like night one i think is about, to some degree, a little bit of catharsis and also gratitude and honor. then i think as the week progresses, we're going to see different emotional tenor characterize the spaces as we go on in the week.

>> it's super interesting, and i say this with all earnestness. it still comes back to people. this is a gathering of people about an election that matters to a lot of people, and you're reminding us of some of the human people emotional aspects to all this. alex is going to continue on the floor. joy, take it away. >> all right, thank you very much. we appreciate our chief vibes correspondent. i'll confer that title on alex myself. joining me now, however, is a rising star in the democratic party, pennsylvania state representative malcolm kenyatta. so good to see you. >> as i live and breathe. >> it's wonderful to be here. this could have been so different. you know, this has been, what, 24 days or something. it seems like -- >> who's counting? >> but this is not a brokered convention. this is not a contentious convention. there's no question as to who the nominee is going to be. just for you as someone who has experienced these last 24 days from pennsylvania where your

governor was in line to potentially be the running mate, how has this been for you? >> this is incredible. i think a part of what you're seeing from that incredible opening with the color guard and with the singing and the prayer. you're hearing people talk about love of country. democrats love this country. and we love it so much, we love the greatness of this country that we know that everybody has to benefit from the greatness of america. donald trump on the other hand, every time he gets a chance, he is crapping on america. he is talking down about its people. he's talking down about the future. and i think people are sick of it. people know we have challenges. but they want serious leaders who lay out thoughtful plans about how we meet those challenges, we're not trying to listen to some old man yell at the clouds anymore. we're listening to an incredible

leader in partnership and vice president harris and governor walz who are telling us that our neighbors aren't the cause of our problems. our neighbors are in fact the solutions to our problems. and in pennsylvania, the center of the political universe where i'm also running statewide, i'll tell you, i'm damn excited about what this is going to mean in november. >> the harris/walz campaign's unofficial slogan is we're not going back. and as i have watched that stage, you're talking about minyon moore, a black woman who is chairman of this entire convention. talking about jaime harrison, who is the chairman of the democratic national committee. you're talking about seeing reverend jesse jackson, an historic figure who ran for president himself in '84 and '88. changed the whole rules of the party so barack obama, he walked so barack obama could fly. this party, in such an incredible way, has embraced so many communities of color.

and has had this wild character arc from being the party of the klan and racists to being this. we're not going back. the embrace of all of these communities, what does that mean to you, and do you think that is a message that can take this party over the finish line? >> you know, today, i'll try not to get emotional. today is a special day for a bunch of different reasons. my mom would have been 65 today. in 2016, it was the honor of my life, i got to introduce secretary clinton at a rally, and my mom got to meet her after. it was the goal of her life to see a woman become president. on the start of this convention to be on her 65th birthday, lord, i wish she was here, to see how far we have come. to see a party that recognizes every single one of us, not only deserves a place but that america is better when we're all included. you see this joy because we're all included.

we're not saying, hey, there's not a spot for you because of what you look like, there's not a spot for you because of who you love, because of what region of the country you're in, because you're from a city or a rural community. there's a spot for everybody. when everybody is at the party, that's a damn good party. >> i tell you something, my mom took me when i was a toddler to go and see shirley chisholm when shirley chisholm came to denver. she wanted her to be president so badly, so i suspect my mama and your mama are partying up in the clouds right now saying look at god. malcolm kenyatta, thank you. let me throw it back to you, ari. >> thank you, again, thanks to malcolm kenyatta for joining us. michael steele is still with us. i want to double back. we have the time to do it. jesse jackson. we look at this passing of the proverbial korch, we talked about biden to harris. we saw jackson flanked by al sharpton who is a colleague of ours. other civil rights leaders, but

a very literal evolution toward the next generation. >> very much, i was watching the reverend come out, and i was thinking back to some of the battles that i have over the years been engaged in with the good reverend. even before his presidential bid in '84 and just kind of, you know, thinking about the historic nature of events that bring people into space and to engage with each other in our body politics. and it's very interesting, the point you're making because i think in some respects kamala represents a restoration to that. i mean, we have been in this space where we have not had the big discussions around policy and ideas about how we govern ourselves and how we move forward together. we have just had discussions about one man and his anti-democratic illiberal behavior, his disregard for women, his disregard for people

of color. and now, this represents a transition, and i think someone like reverend al, for sure, and definitely the other great names that we know, they kind of bring us across that bridge in a way to this moment with kamala harris, which is why you see so many people around the country, i think, responding the way they are. and jesse jackson is just such a pinnacle figure in all of this. >> i'll tell viewers as you continue, this was just moments ago. this is not happening this second. just for accuracy, we have this occurred moments ago and we're replaying it so you can see this moment because it was really special. the dnc wanted to make this point in chicago. >> it was a profound moment in many respects. and again, it was sort of a reminder of the individuals who helped us get to this point in time. and someone like, you know, like

i said, someone like reverend jackson, he and i have butted heads politically, but i never forget the times we would have together and just talk. and he would share some thoughts with me. i would tell him things about what i'm thinking about, everything from family to public policy. it talks about how a figure like him is such an integral part of our politics but also says a lot about humanity, too. because reverend jackson was always, you know, encouraging us and exhorting us to keep hope alive. and there was a lot of resonance for me as a young republican to this idea that reagan talked about, that city on the hill, the hope that comes from the shining light on the hill. those two figures, they do come together in remarkable ways. it's important for us not to forget that. >> let's build on that to what the democrats want to do this week, having made this big shift.

if they can rebuild the biden coalition of 2020, they win. they won by more than one state then. and that was a coalition where you had people who were in various ways challenging to democratic orthodoxies. you mentioned jesse jackson. he registered a lot of voters but he also gave democratic elites a hard time. bernie sanders is someone who has had his battles, and in '16, there was a lot more negative energy around that. he's been vocally for the biden/harris ticket. and so i'm curious what you think about that where the opposition can remain the opposition or it can be stitched together. >> that's such an important point because what's happened on my side of the aisle is that opposition leads to an exit. extradition, you're out, we're done. we don't want your opposition. all hail, you know, the infallible donald trump. bend the knee, agree or be discarded. what you have, what democrats

have learned, and look, i'll say very frankly, there may be some corners they turn down the road during the harris years where there could be turbulence with the progressive members of the party or other idealogical interests within the party, but they seemingly have a way to work through that. and it's not, well, if you don't agree with the mainstream thinking in the democratic party or the mainstream leadership or the head of our party, who is a kamala harris, then you're out. and that's an important difference in how politics survives those challenges. michael steele remains with me. the lieutenant governor is there speaking. we have another correspondent on the floor, jacob soboroff at the floor of the united center. good evening, jacob. >> mr. melber, good evening to you. i'm no vibes correspondent but i'll do my best. alex wagner does take the cake

in that category. i want to bring you to the minnesota delegation, home to governor tim walz. senator amy klobuchar, my mother, patty soboroff, who is not here, but she's from minnesota. i want to give you a taste of how people are feeling over here in minnesota. i'm so sorry to walk up to you unprompted and interrupting whatever you were doing. how does it feel to be from minnesota on a special night like this? >> it feels so awesome. >> have youench done anything like this before in. >> this is my first time at convention. >> what was your deciding factor that you wanted to show up? what's your name, first of all? >> yukoma. >> i'm jacob. i'm so sorry to surprise you with this. everybody in the minnesota great time.seems to be having a why did you want to come for your first convention? >> i want to support the dems. it's my first year voting. >> so what's it feel like to get to cast a vote for vice president harris and governor walz the first time you get to punch that ballot? >> i'm very emotional as a black

woman, but i'm very fortunate she's our top pick. >> so nice to meet you. thank you very much for talking to me. this is not how it always works at the conventions. somebody doesn't always put a microphone in your face. thank you, my minnesota friends. thank you very much. if alex wagner is the vibes correspondent, i'm the backwards walking correspondent. ari melber, back to you. >> jacob, i have to ask you since you're there and familiar with the slogans of our time. does this mean we are going back? >> don't do me like that, ari. don't do me like that. >> all right. stay walking whichever direction you choose, backwards or forwards or anywhere in between. jacob soboroff helping us out on the floor. joy reid is still with us. joy, you heard we're not going back, but he is. >> wait, we are not going back, ari. >> but he was physically momentarily. that's all i could say.

i'll say this -- >> i'm not conceding that point, but let's go forward. you're the lawyer, but i'm not conceding that point. >> we were mentioning earlier that we have some clues about what might happen. we certainly know some of the topics which include choice, civil rights, we saw from the main stage. also, covid, which is a contrast that people around the biden/harris team say they see as both important, but they also have an advantage on it, they think. >> i mean, i think it's important also just for the memory hole. i mean, it's been kind of remarkable to watch covid, which killed a million people in this country, kind of fade away as an issue. and people forget, for instance, why the stimmies existed. people talk about the stimmy, completely in absence of the reason why there was a stimulus at all. so i think for the democrats, one of the important things they do have to do is fill that hole with information. and remind people where we were four years ago. >> yeah. and also, the sort of the facts and science of it.

i think we have a video we're listening to what the delegates are saying. >> because of all we have done, the risk to the american people remains very low. view this the same as the flu. it's going to disappear. one day like a miracle, it will disappear. we all together have done a very good job. we think death will be at a low number. i see disinfectant. is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? >> hydroxy chloroquine, right now. you can test too much. you do know that. >> who says that? >> read the manuals, read the books. >> manuals, what manuals? >> i think it's under control. >> how, 1,000 americans are dying a day. >> they're dying. it's true. it is what it is. >> help is on the way. and it is long overdue. >> the $1.9 trillion covid relief bill to get stimulus aid directly to americans. >> our plan is about what we

need to do for a national strategy, for administration of the vaccine, and making sure that it will be free for all. >> tonight, the u.s. is nearing a major milestone in the fight against the coronavirus. the u.s. is about to deliver the 200th million covid shot since president biden took office, beating his target by about a week. >> millions of american students returned to school earlier this month after more than a year of remote learning. >> sports venues are filling up and concerts are getting scheduled. >> i'll feeling great. business is ramped up. >> i'm so thankful. >> to be able to serve our customers again after all this, it's a blessing. >> please welcome illinois representative lauren underwood.

>> covid was the worst public health crisis in a century. donald trump failed us. but joe biden and kamala harris got it under control. donald trump said it is what it is. joe biden and kamala harris said, help is on the way. democrats in congress tried to lower the cost of health care. donald trump tried to take our health care away. we tried to expand social security and medicare. donald trump tried to cut them year after year after year. he took the covid crisis and turned it into a catastrophe. we can never let him be our president again.

as a registered nurse, i care deeply about making health care more affordable. as someone with a pre-existing condition, i am determined to protect the people who are most at risk. and as the youngest black woman ever elected to congress, i am painfully aware that black women, especially pregnant women and new moms, are more likely to die from covid. i wrote the momnibus to protect those women and address the maternal health crisis. and that bill was introduced and championed by senator kamala harris. because she protects the people who are most vulnerable. she's done it for her whole

career. as vice president, she and president biden passed my legislation to make health care more affordable. and now, four out of five americans can get covered through the affordable care act for $10 or less per month. and understand the biden/harris administration, the number of uninsured americans hit an all-time low. 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. [ cheers and applause ] we have come so far these past four years, and we're not going

back. thank you. >> my name is rich. er i live in florida. until two years ago, i was a full flenled member of maga. i believed trump. >> oh, we're back. the big primetime speeches are back. our coming up soon at the democratic national convention. i'm literally just listening to what's happening. >> you're a good listener. what do you want? >> i was enraptured by what was happening on the screen. i want to say before we go to a break, lauren underwood is 37 years old. that is literally eight years older than joe biden was when he first ran for the united states senate. the thing i have to note for you and others have noted it's not an original thought, the diversity in this room is such a

stark contrast to the republican national convention where they did have some diversity on stage, but nothing like what we're seeing here. this is something. it's something to experience. but we're going to -- i don't know if you have a quick thought before we go to break. >> no, it was striking, we were talking going into that about the covid contrast, the science. sometimes the video evidence tells the story. it brought you right back to the panic and need. >> absolutely. maybe i'll take a quick nap so i can pay attention when i come back from break. more coverage of the democratic national convention in chicago on msnbc continues with the great rachel maddow and the whole gang next. stay right there. at universityf maryland global campus, getting a bachelor's degree doesn't have to mean starting from scratch. here you can earn up to 90 undergraduate credits for relevant experience. what will your next success be? with bugs, the struggle-is-real.

that's why you need zevo traps. zevo works 24/7 to attract and trap flying insects. for effortless protection. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. we're still going for that nice catch. we're still going for that perfect pizza.

and with higher stroke risk from afib not caused by a heart valve problem,... ...we're going for a better treatment than warfarin. eliquis. eliquis reduces stroke risk. and has less major bleeding. over 97% of eliquis patients did not experience a stroke. don't stop taking eliquis without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking, you may bruise more easily... ...or take longer for bleeding to stop. get help right away for unexpected bleeding or unusual bruising. it may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. the number one cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. ask your doctor about eliquis. ♪♪ with fastsigns, create striking custom visuals that inspire pride district-wide. ♪♪ fastsigns. make your statement. an alternative to pills, voltaren is a clinically proven

arthritis pain relief gel, which penetrates deep to target the source of pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine directly at the source. voltaren, the joy of movement.

ryan t. writes, "moving is stressful. voltaren, can you help me take one thing off of my to do list?” ugh, moving's the worst. with xfinity, you can transfer your internet in just a few taps. just a few easy moves. did somebody say “easy moves”? ♪ ♪ oh no. no, i was talking about moving your internet. this will move the internet. ♪ ♪ ooh, ooh. -let's keep it professional. professional dancers! -ok! stay connected during your move with the best in home wifi. easily transfer your services in the xfinity app. bring on the good stuff. i came to bayview hunter's point, where there was only one pediatrician to serve more than 10,000 children. daniel lurie said, i'm going to help. we opened a clinic for our most vulnerable children. i have worked shoulder to shoulder with him as we have brought solutions where people

thought the problem was unsolvable. daniel doesn't take excuses. he holds himself accountable. and i know that he can do it for the city of san francisco. good evening, and welcome to our special coverage of night one of the democratic national convention 2024. in the great city of chicago. i'm rachel maddow here at msnbc's mother ship in new york. with the people you most want alongside you on a night like this. lawrence o'donnell and jen psaki and nicolle wallace and chris hayes at the helm of our other mother ship, we have the great joy reid and alex wagner.

you guys are doing a fantastic job. so great to have you there. the dnc has officially been gavelled into session, proceedings are under way. and as much as this is a celebration of the democratic nominees kamala harris and tim walz, tonight is also really equally a celebration of president joe biden. plan a for president biden was of course he would be speaking on the final night of the convention, accepting his party's nomination for a second term on thursday night. but in a truly astonishing, once in a lifetime sacrifice that he did not have to make, that no one forced him to make, nor could anyone force him to make it, a sacrifice of his own ambitions for the good of the country, for the prospects of his country, president biden instead chose a plan b, that we will see manifest tonight as he keynotes night one of the democratic convention. a keynote address like none other in american history.

a sitting president voluntarily passing the torch, making himself as he has said, the bridge to the next generation of leadership. in contrast to a republican convention several weeks ago which included no former presidents or vice presidents, not even their nominee's own vice president from his one term in office who isn't even endorsing him, in contrast to that strange spectacle produced by a republican party to try to make it seem like they have never actually had any other leader before they had donald trump, this week in chicago, the dnc will hear from almostdonald this week, in chicago, the dnc will hear from almost every leader in the entire living history of the democratic party. before president biden takes the stage tonight, we will hear from a former secretary of state and democratic presidential nominee, hillary clinton that she will address the delegates in chicago. tonight, so will a group of high-profile democrats in congress including u.s. senator

rafael barnett, alexandra ocasio-cortez, also delivering remarks tonight, steve kerr, head coach of the golden state warriors, who just led the u.s. men's basketball team to a gold medal at the olympic. we also expect live performances tonight, from two great american songwriters, james taylor and jason is bill. joining us tonight, here, exclusively, will be the governor of perhaps the most important swing state in the country, pennsylvania governor josh appear a. this will be governorship heroes first televised interview since kamala harris selected her running mate in this election. we will also be speaking live tonight with the leader of the democrats and the house of representatives, hakeem jeffries. it is a big night, ahead of what is about to be a democratic convention like no other. and, we are just getting started. chris, let me go to you first. you have seen the headlines, that mcgrath thought they were

essentially going to a funeral, now i feel like they are going to a wedding. we have had five checks of every kind and every type from every angle, and they are all reading the same, which is, green all the way. democrats are very enthused about this, impossible as it was to imagine the decision that president biden made, as impossible as that was to imagine before he did it, once he did, he received approval ratings in the 90s from the american people. how do you think the democrats put that in a bottle for this week? >> is a great question. what is fascinating about this week, tonight and the week is that there is no precedent, here. it is a complete blank canvas but there are certain things, right? it is a convention, and certain stuff is going to happen, but, generally, this is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, from a communications standpoint, to be able to speak to the country after this enormous seismic shift and even tonight. i have been thinking a lot,

like, what kind of speech will i work on if i'm joe biden? he has been speaking in public for the vast majority of his adult life, his first dnc was in 1976, if i'm not mistaken. the pathos, and the intensity, and the political opportunity for this man who, i think is uniquely equipped to speak to his endorsement of the person that he step aside for. these are all things that we have not ever encountered before. you know, usually, conventions are fairly pro forma. some speeches are good, some are not. all the big stuff happening this week has not happened before. >> there has only been a handful of occasions on which a sitting president has spoken on behalf of his vice president and the nominee. it has really only happened a few times, and it has never happened in circumstances like this. this is not like lbj with

giving a hubert humphrey speech. >> he sure did not. i remember sitting in the venue in minneapolis in 2008, george w. bush was great, working on the screen, they didn't want him out there, so, this sort of set up is a very rare thing. there has never been anything exactly like this speech tonight. >> to that point, jen, i know that you have had conversations with people who have had a part in working on the speech? >> to your point, i think they have spent a lot of time reflecting on what this night should be, and i read back joe biden's speech from 2020 and you sometimes forget, that during this dark time through all the darkness and demagoguery, joe biden is actually optimistic about what the country can do, what the country can do together, what the government can do, what public servants can do, and, his speech, we should all expect, will reflect on that. has been possible over the last four years. is everything perfect? no it isn't. i think you will say that, but,

the country was in the middle of cobit four years ago. right? the country was in an economic downturn four years ago. the country was incredibly dark and divided, and people felt downtrodden by the guy sitting in the oval office but everything has not healed, but there has been a lot of progress. the other thing, i think you know, one of the big questions that i have had is, how is he going to reflect on the decision that he made. we will all be watching for that. >> one of the things that i understand we should expect, is that he will reflect on the fact that he made this decision for the good of the country, for the good of our democracy, and to call on people to do their own part, right? which is, yes, people in the room, but everybody in that room is going to be voting. it will be people at home watching. you know? i make the decision to step down, and i hope that all of you reflect on what your role is, this year. >> the idea of making a sacrifice for your country, to put aside your personal interest in the interest of something that is better for the country, better for our collective future is something that he has embodied in a way that we have -- we will just

never see anything like that again in my lifetime. >> what you want to take to the electorate, in the next eight days, he's counting, 77 days, is to break through. there is no better way to break through, and what joe biden, in covering the debate and the days afterwards, joe biden is beloved because he is joe biden, but also because he is the only guy who ever beat donald trump. and what joe biden will do again tonight, is, in his own way, help the democratic party do that thing again. beat donald trump. because, all of this is about how the selection isn't -- about conservative. judge litigant is so conservative, today, he endorsed vice president kamala harris, he wrote his endorsement without hesitation. she is leading in one

afternoon, by joe biden. >> just one moment, i want to check in on what is going on on the floor here, i think that we are about to hear from dick durbin, let's listen to him for a second. >> he lost millions of jobs in america. he promised to bring back manufacturing jobs, but he failed. he promised to deliver an infrastructure, but he failed. his record was defined by failure. to put it another way, donald trump is like a bad pause. you want time off to take care of your sick parents? asked donald trump, denied. if in donald trump america, there is no paid family leave. you want to have a child? you need ivf? too bad. that is shut down, to. you want a pay raise? too bad, the boss just gave

himself one, so there is nothing left for you. donald trump reminds us of the boss that we have all had. the guy who thinks he is a very stable genius, but is driving the company into the ground. now, get this. donald trump did make history. let's give him credit. he is one of only two presidents in the history of the united states to leave office with fewer americans working than when he started. now, he wants a chance to make america unemployed again. on the other hand, let's look at the record of joe biden and kamala harris. they recovered all those millions of jobs that trump let slip away. they have added over 6 million jobs. 16 million jobs in total. 16 million. today, more roads are getting

fixed, more factories are getting built, more americans are working construction. >> illinois democrat dick durbin, addressing the convention tonight, we are expecting remarks shortly, just in the next few minutes, from karen bass, the high-profile mayor of los angeles. we are expecting to hear from some of the lieutenant governors, the democratic party can boast from around the country. if tim walz is elected vice president of the united states, flenniken will assents to become the governor of minnesota, as well. lieutenant governors from wisconsin, and california, and some others, including -- we are expecting just in the next few minutes, a focus on product with 25 it has been a focus for democrat messaging thus far in the campaign. we are expecting to see some of that messaging premier,

tonight, on the first night of the convention, before continuing over the next three nights, as well. >> there is so much to be said about what will be joe biden's final prominent speech. i think, that he was not planning to give, 30 days ago. in the history of the most poignant political speeches, they have always been concession speeches. they have always been the eloquent speeches made by people who just lost an election. under very difficult circumstances, it is a small collection, but those are the gems but this is not a concession speech, but it is the closest thing to it. and, chris suggests that there has been absolutely no example of this in our history, and there has not. i am literally the last to reach for sports analogies. and so, after many years without ever coming close to one, this really is, you