kennedy has been able to draw headlines, good and bad, mostly bizarre over the last few months. i think there's definitely a risk of more unexpected surprises coming up. but i think from the trump administration's perspective, or the trump campaign's perspective, sorry, he poses a great -- kennedy seems to draw a fair number of supporters from trump. there's overlap in potential voters. you can hear the rehearsals going on behind me. >> thank you so much for being with us. really appreciate it. we are listening in. >> those are just rehearsals for the national anthem later this evening. thank you for joining us on this busy thursday morning. >> thank you for the privilege of your time. andrea mitchell picks up with more coverage of the dnc from chicago right now.

right now on "andrea mitchell reports," live from the democratic national convention in chicago, where the chicks have been just rehearsing their rendition of the national anthem. tonight, kamala harris will deliver her acceptance speech, a month after replacing joe biden as the democratic standard bearer. having fired up the party faithful all week, her campaign now has to translate all that enthusiasm into votes. especially from those undecided voters in battleground states, not yet sold on whether she has the strength and experience to be president. harris' big speech tonight follows tim walz's wisely praised introduction to the nation last night, using his football coaching experience to pump up the crowd. >> we are on offense. we're driving down the field. boy, do we have the right team, kamala harris is tough, kamala

harris is experienced and kamala harris is ready. >> my guest this hour, nancy pelosi after her speech last night holding former president trump directly responsible for the attack on the capitol to overturn the election. >> let us not forget who assaulted democracy on january 6th. he did! but let us not forget who saved democracy that day. we did! >> and the trump team hoping for a campaign boost as sources say rfk junior could drop out and endorse the republican nominee as soon as tomorrow. ♪♪ good day, i'm andrea mitchell in chicago for the fourth and final day of what has

been an electric democratic convention. tonight, vice president harris delivering the biggest speech of her political career with the election just 75 days away. her running mate tim walz's powerful speech framing him as everyone's favorite teacher, favorite football coach and loving family man with his 17-year-old son gus stealing the show. >> hope, gus, and gwen, you are my entire world. and i love you. >> his son gus brought to tears, proudly shouting, that's my dad. in his 16-minute speech, short by convention standards, walz leaned into his small town roots. >> that family down the road, they may not think like you do, they may not pray like you do, they may not love like you do,

but they are your neighbors. and you look out for them. and they look out for you. we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make. and even if we wouldn't make those same choices for ourselves, we have a golden rule. mind your own damn business. >> the former coach celebrated by members of the high school team that he guided to the state championship back in 1999. the crowd erupting in cheers whether they took the stage, including the family. earlier in the evening, former president bill clinton passing the torch to the harris-walz campaign. he turns 78 on monday. he is using that milestone to take a dig at donald trump. >> the only personal vanity i want to assert is i am still younger than donald trump.

[ cheers and applause ] >> we begin with yamiche alcindor on the convention floor. harris has spent her career breaking barriers. tonight is her biggest yet. >> that's right. good afternoon from the convention floor. over my right shoulder is where the stage is. this is going to be where vice president harris delivers the biggest speech of her political career. it's where the chicks were rehearsing. there's a box where social media influencers non-traditional content creators will be standing and sitting. there's also the convention floor where all of the delegates are going to gather. they are not here. it's early in the morning. they will flood in with that energy and enthusiasm. the big, big question is, what is vice president harris going to say tonight in this huge speech? in talking to multiple sources, she has three big goals.

first is, she wants to talk about her background, her personal and professional background. she's going to talk about her mother who taught her, you might be the first but make sure you are not the last. she needs to help other people. she also wants to talk about her background as a prosecutor, the cases she took on and how that really impacted the way she sees the world. she's going to talk about wanting to contrast her view of america and what her vision for the future of this country is to that of her opponent, former president donald trump. talking about the fact that he is wrong for america. i expect to hear we won't go back, something she said on the campaign trail over and over again. there's also this idea that she wants to -- this third goal, root her vision in patrioism. she wants to be a president for all americans. she's in this history making role as the first black woman and first south asian woman to be at the top of a major party ticket. her team is cautious about race and gender. they want to mark the moment.

but they also want to lean in on the idea that she's qualified, that shearned this and has a vision rooted in her experience. i have been talking to people about how she's approaching this. she's eticulously going through every comment, every word making sure it reflects her and is authentic to her vision. >> yamiche, thank you so much for your great reporting on this campaign. here with me now is michael tyler, communications director for the harris-walz campaign. michael, thanks for being here. congratulations. by all accounts, this has been brilliantly produced, the roll call was a wow. >> particularly proud of my home state of georgia. >> the state of georgia was the best. >> absolutely. >> let's start on the messaging. it's clear this is historic in all of the ways we have recounted. for kamala harris, in a way

hillary clinton helped make it possible as did a lot of women who tried before her by being the first to try to be the first woman accepted by the american people as president. it's not that important for her to deal with that. it's implicit in her candidacy. michelle obama certainly took care of telling democrats, don't take anything for granted. it's going to be vicious. they are making racist attacks. barack and i got used to that. in a way that liberates kamala harris to talk about her resume and her experience and her qualifications. >> yeah. i think that's what you are going to see a lot of tonight. she understands she's running with the opportunity to be the first. but as she says, be the first but not the last about what you leave behind. as it relates to her life story, you will hear her talk about being the daughter of a working mom and how that influences the way she views the world and how she wants to fight for working people, for middle class families. her personal story is incredibly

important. it's one that millions of americans and families can relate to around this country. i think it does stand in contrast to our opponent in donald trump. somebody who is a billionaire who has only fought for people like himself. i think that contrast, that choice for the american people will be on full display tonight. it will be the contrast we lead with for the duration of the campaign. we are very excited about the vice president's speech tonight, her ability to tell her story, to lay out the contrast, talk about her vision where she wants to take the country. we are excited about the energy and enthusiasm you have seen throughout the week. we are equally excited about the work we get to do coming off of chicago, continuing to engage voters that are going to decide the pathway to 270 electoral votes. this is about channelling the energy and enthusiasm you see here into action over the last 75 days of the campaign. >> that means the volunteers, the money, building on the infrastructure that joe biden and kamala harris already built coming into this, before the swif. you have unified the party,

certainly the delegates. this is nothing like 2016 when there were a lot of unpleasant moments. that said, there's 30 uncommitted delegates in minnesota. they are upset. they tried to negotiate. they distinguished themselves from the protesters and some of the radical protesters, that small minority outside. i did an interview on the floor the other night. here is the way it was framed. >> a policy change. it's obvious arms embargo seem like a non-starter. as long as we send the bombs and the money and the fire, we won't see a cease-fire. we are nearly 800,000 people voted uncommitted. that's enough to win or lose in november. >> kamala harris was very tough

with netanyahu when they met in washington. was beyond empathy and emphasis, why not give these people a role, 30 delegates and bring everyone together? >> the uncommitted have had a role. we are proud of that. we have had panel conversations with the uncommitted throughout the convention, campaign -- >> not a speaker? >> campaign has met. the vice president in detroit met with leaders of the uncommitted movement. i think what they have seen, what the american people will continue to see is somebody in kamala harris who is focused on actually ending the violence, ending the war, getting to a permanent cease-fire, making sure that israel absolutely can live safely and securely and people of gaza can live and can thrive moving forward. that's the end result that she's committed for. >> the biden policy of continuing the arms flow. >> she's committed to ending violence. she's committed to making sure we have a just and lasting peace in the middle east. she's been abundantly clear about that. that stands in stark contrast to

our opponent, donald trump, who doesn't approach this issue or any other issue with what's in the best interests of national global security. he approaches these with what's in his own personal self-interest. the american people are going to see that choice as we move forward. >> are you concerned about -- we have confirmed is going to happen, which is rfk junior dropping out, probably tomorrow and likely endorsing donald trump and all the polling indicates it would help donald trump. >> listen, throughout this campaign, rfk has been propped up by maga donors. he don't think it would be any surprise if he were to endorse donald trump. i think our message isn't for rfk. it's for the voters who are looking for a place to go in this campaign. with him dropping out cements is this is a choice between vice president harris, between donald trump, who is fighting for himself. for the voters who understand the threat that is posed by

donald trump for the voters who are looking for a new way forward, somebody who will fight for more opportunity for them, for the voters who want government to get out of the way of their personal decisions, there's a home for you in kamala harris' campaign. that's going to be our message to the voters. >> big challenge but a successful convention by all accounts. >> we got a lot of work to do. >> thanks for being here. in 90 seconds, nancy pelosi and her pitch for kamala harris and tim walz. her expectations for this evening and her thoughts about joe biden. oprah snagging the spotlight in her signature fashion wednesday night. >> common sense tells you that kamala harris and tim walz can give us decency and respect. let us choose truth. let us choose honor. let us choose joy!

here's to getting better with age. here's to beating these two every thursday. help fuel today with boost high protein, complete nutrition you need, and the flavor you love. so, here's to now... now available: boost max!

donald trump is like an old boyfriend who you broke up with but he just won't go away. he has spent the last four years spinning the block, trying to

get back into a relationship with the american people. bro, we broke up with you for a reason. but there's no reason for us to ever get back together. been there, done that. we're not going back. >> house democratic leader hakeem jeffries, possibly the next speaker if democrats flip the house in november. with one of the standout lines here at the dnc last night. joining me now is nancy pelosi. you worked so hard for this. you only have to switch five seats. we lost one congressman from new jersey. >> that will be a democratic seat. rest his soul. >> they have to name that by next week. five seats. hakeem jeffries. the party unified. >> yes. >> you are getting a lot of the

props for having brought people together and recognize that that change had to be made. >> my motto is, just win, baby. we just have to win for the american people, for the children, for our democracy. everything is at stake. i feel very confident under hakeem's leadership, katherine clark, susan del benny. we have the plan and candidates for success to win the house. >> what are your expectations for kamala harris on her big night after the way tim walz brought it all home last night? >>wonderful? so proud of him. 12 years in the house. tonight, kamala will be wonderful. she has so much confidence. she will be herself. she will talk about the issues that are of concern to america's working families. it's wonderful that she's a woman and that she's a woman of

color, but people want to know what it means to them in their lives. if it's childcare, if it's family medical leave, home health care, if it's issues that relate to housing, our economy, lowering costs for america's working families. >> in your speech last night you thanked president biden for his extraordinary service, the legislative accomplishments. the accomplishments you were a key part of. you also said this in your interview. >> you think you will have your relation -- your relationship will be there? >> i hope so. i pray so. i cry so. >> you worry about it? >> i lose sleep on it. yeah. >> you think he is angry at you? >> i don't know. we haven't had a conversation. >> it's been very tough. i know this is a friendship that goes back 50 years.

he is on vacation. are there any plans for you to talk? >> i hope so. again, that was then. this is now. we have to go forward and use all of our energy not reviewing the past but going forward to win this election. this is not going to be easy. the other side will misrepresent, mischaracterize and the rest, as they do. they will try to nullify everything that is in place for the peaceful transfer of power. we just have said to all the speeches i've been making here to different groups, we have only just begun. this is one good day in front of another. own the ground and our mobilization, message with unity, not menace. have the money to get the job done. that's all coming in. i say to my colleagues all the time, our diversity is our strength. our unity is our power.

go forward with that unity, with the political skills to get the job done, but most importantly, with the policies that address the needs of america's working families with our ticket, kamala harris and tim walz. >> talking about donald trump in your speech last night, you laid the responsibility right at his feet for january 6th. >> yes. >> the assault on the capitol. you were one of the victims. we watched the incredible video of the rioters going down the corridor past your office. where is nancy? that said, i want your reaction to what donald trump had to say in north carolina yesterday about their focus on not getting out -- not getting vote out, but stopping democrats from cheating. >> our primary focus is not to

get out the vote, it's to make sure they don't cheat. we have all the votes you need. >> this narrative of his that it's the democrats who cheat -- >> you know, i've said this over and over again. donald trump is a master of projection. anything he says, he is talking about himself. we don't even think in terms of cheating. that's not who we are. we are democrats who believe in the system and republicans by and large had done that until he came along. he is saying, that's what i would do. so, therefore, i project and say they would. we organize. we just go out there and do our job. one thing i think would be helpful is to have a baker vote. >> this has been really well done. you have 30 uncommitted delegates in minnesota.

they haven't been protesting. they're not outside. they are not making a fuss. all they wanted was a meeting and to have a conversation about an arms embargo. should the harris campaign have given them something in order to smooth the way through tonight? >> i don't know that they haven't given them anything. when i was in michigan last wednesday at the invitation of the governor, some of the people told me that they had -- >> they have had contact. they wanted a role. >> i'm not second-guessing. this is -- we are here to talk to the american people. joe biden was the leading person to call for humanitarian assistance. what happened is terrible to children, the collateral damage of war should teach us that it's not a civilized way to resolve conflict. there has to be a two-state solution there so that the palestinians can live in a self-determined way and israelis safely and securely as well.

we have to defeat a person who is a threat to our democracy of the kind that we have not seen. at the beginning of our country, times have found us. declare war, establish a new nation. lincoln took up that charge to keep our country together years later, decades later. now the times have found us to save our democracy. that is what we are here to do. they will make their decision about the use of their time, resources and messaging. one of the things that's sad for me is the republicans said to me, we're not giving any aid to the -- humanitarian assistance to the palestinians. we were fighting for that. joe bide season fighting for that. hamas is a terrorist organization. they are not admitting that.

they are not asking for the release of the hostages. it's no use my litigating that debate here. this is kamala harris and tim walz' convention. they will make their presentation to the american people. this convention is not the end of any discussion. there will be plenty of time. >> i want to show you a picture that is firing up -- this is a flashback. this is you at age 17 with then president kennedy. >> he was running. >> with jfk. there you are with his grandson, caroline's son. here as one of the speakers. that shows the incredible life that you are leading. you were the daughter of the mayor? >> he was welcoming then senator kennedy to baltimore for a big

speech. my mother said, i know you want to go. i will say that i'm not feeling well so you can -- i sat next to him at the head table. can you imagine? >> no. and jack, what a great -- >> i love him. i love her so much, caroline. then her children. i met them at their home. i love to see him. he is a darling young man. >> she's our ambassador to australia. madam speaker, it's always an honor. thank you so much. >> my pleasure. thank you. next, the reaction to the powerful speech last night from the parents of an american israeli who has been held hostage by hamas for more than ten months. we will hear from a former cia director as well and michigan

congresswoman slotkin running for the senate. we are live at the democratic convention. we will be right back. convention we will be right back. ♪ that colonoscopy for getting screened ♪ ♪ is why i'm delaying ♪ ♪ i heard i had a choice ♪ ♪ i know the name, that's what i'm saying ♪ -cologuard®? -cologuard. cologuard! -screen for colon cancer. -at home, like you want. -you the man! -actually, he's a box.

cologuard is a one-of-a-kind way to screen for colon cancer that's effective and non-invasive. it's for people 45+ at average risk, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider for cologuard. ♪ i did it my way ♪ with schwab investing themes™, it's easy to invest in ideas you believe in. spot a trend in electric vehicles? have a passion for online gaming? or want to explore the space economy? choose from over 40 themes, each with up to 25 stocks identified by our unique algorithm. buy it as-is or customize to align with your goals. all at your fingertips. schwab investing themes. 40 customizable themes. up to 25 stocks in just a few clicks. ♪♪

let's get started. up to 25 stocks in just a few clicks. bill, where's your mask? i really tried sleeping with it, everybody. but i'm done struggling. now i sleep with inspire. inspire? inspire is a sleep apnea treatment that works inside my body with just the click of this button. a button? no mask? no hose? just sleep. yeah but you need the hose, you need the air, you need the whoooooosh... inspire. sleep apnea innovation. learn more, and view important safety information at inspiresleep.com my little miracle is beckett. ♪ ("a thousand years" by christina perri) ♪ ♪ i have died every day waiting for you ♪ we wouldn't be where we are without saint jude. and in turn, we wouldn't be where we are without those people that have donated. (♪♪)

the parents of a 23-year-old american israeli who is being held hostage by hamas in gaza pleading for his release last night at the democratic convention, on the 320th day of captivity. his parents mark it every day by wearing the number close to their hearts. [ crowd chanting "bring him home" ] she was brought to tears, emotional. >> this is a political convention. but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages home is not a political issue. [ cheers and applause ]

it is a humanitarian issue. >> if you can hear us, we love you. stay strong. survive. >> bring them home! >> joining me now, leon panetta, former cia director, former defense secretary in the obama administration, former white house chief of staff for president clinton and elissa slotkin who is running for the senate, who served at the pentagon under leon and at the cia before running for congress. welcome. i have gotten to know rachel and jonathan very well for the worst possible reasons over these ten months. it's heartbreaking.

they have advocated -- this is not a role they want. secretary panetta -- secretary blinken came home yesterday after the ninth shuttle since october 7th unable to seal the deal. >> yeah. i just met with the parents on the floor. i told them that my heart is breaking for them and what they're going through as the father of three sons. i can't imagine having a son be a hostage and particularly in a situation where right now it doesn't seem like it's moving in the right direction. that has to be very frustrating to those parents. >> do you think that benjamin netanyahu, who keeps throwing up obstacles, as does hamas, but in

this latest iteration, it was the assassination of the hamas negotiator, haniyeh, a terrorist, but someone who travels freely, lives in doha, negotiates, and since he was killed in tehran, there's the possibility of iranian retaliation, expanding the war. >> we have been saying this a lot. this is a very critical point at which if we are not able to finally get across the line and get a cease-fire and be able to release the hostages and be able to do what's needed in order to deal with the victims in the future of the area, i think the alternative is a wider war. because if iran does strike at israel and lives are lost, there's no mistake as to what's going to happen. israel, the united states will be in a wider war. >> how do you keep the focus --

as you run for the senate, congresswoman, how do you keep the focus on the economy, which is the issue most people care about? protesters are trailing the democrats on the campaign trail. >> i mean, people can have lots of interests. it's not hard to keep economy front and center, because everyone is talking to me about it. it's in all stages of life. young people trying to figure out if they can afford school and have a middle class life. middle-aged people who can't buy a home. older people who can't have medicare and social security going as far as it used to. it's not hard to keep it on the front burner. we are a party of a big tent. we have a lot of voices. if there's anything this convention has shown us is that we have a lot of diversity of experience in this party. i think to me, you gotta meet people where they are. we have a very large arab and muslim american population in michigan. they want to be heard. i don't think the two things are

contradictory. >> is there -- let's put it this way. is there a way to translate economic concerns and get that across? kamala harris still trails donald trump on -- in all the polls on who would handle the economy better, despite all the achievements of the biden administration, biden-harris administration and the decline in inflation. >> we know inflation is a real thing. you can't say it's not a real thing. it's affecting people. if i have one more harvard economist tell me everything is great, i'm going to have to depart the room. really. talk to the people on the ground and how paychecks aren't going as far as they used to. the idea that donald trump is going to fire some magic bullet and we will have sunshine and rainbows and a perfect economy is a lot of smoke. i think it's about each -- both harris and trump have to lay out specifically what you are going to do.

tell the american people. be transparent. donald trump was in my district while i've been here. he is not talking about the economy. he is talking about an imaginary massive spike in crime that we are not seeing in my state. i want them to lay out what they're going to do and be practical. reason with people. that's what people want, reasonable leaders. >> leon, donald trump is saying that vladimir putin thinks that kamala harris is a joke. what kind of foreign policy experience does she have beyond being on the senate intelligence committee and being vice president for almost four years? what kind of leader do you think she would be, commander in chief? >> i think when you are vice president and you have been a partner to joe biden, she knows the world. she's visited with 150 world leaders. she's gone abroad. she's helped negotiate. she understands the issues. more importantly, she

appreciates the sacrifice of our military. to have donald trump call them losers and suckers, in my book, he doesn't deserve to be commander in chief if he feels that way about our veterans. kamala understands our veterans, she understands the issues related to our security. most importantly, she's going to be a lot tougher on putin than trump will ever be. >> what he said about the medal of honor? >> yeah. to have him -- he keeps denying he calls them suckers and losers. then he comes out and says, civilian medals are more important because the guys receiving military medals are shot up or dead. that's right. because they are sacrificing their life for our country. they are not losers. they are heroes. >> you are both going to speak tonight. we will be watching.

your former boss at the pentagon. >> the man who helped us find bin laden. i'm happy to sit next to him. it's my privilege. >> i'm happy to have both of you here. >> it's nice to be with you. next, senator bob casey from pennsylvania on how the shift to kamala harris at the top of the ticket is playing in pennsylvania. the dynamics of his re-election battle. you are watching "andrea mitchell reports." this is msnbc.

pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes is a must win for democrats. kamala harris and donald trump are campaigning in the keystone state along with michigan and wisconsin, make up the so-called blue wall. governor josh shapiro blasting donald trump at the dnc last night, seizing on the harris campaign's theme of freedom.

>> while he cloaks himself in the blanket of freedom, what he is offering isn't freedom at all. because hear me on this, it's not freedom to tell our children what books they are allowed to read. no, it's not. and it's not freedom to tell women who they can do with their bodies. and hear me on this, it sure as hell isn't freedom to say, you can go vote, but he gets to pick the winner. that's not freedom. >> joining me now is pennsylvania's democratic senator casey, bob casey, in a tight race for re-election against dave mccormick. it's great to have you here. >> thanks. >> donald trump last night slammed josh shapiro after that speech as the jewish governor.

which is -- i don't know if you want to react to that. >> it's more of the same. it's outrageous. i think we have a lot of momentum this week. people are focused on basic rights, whether it's voting rights, women's rights, workers' rights, this idea of enhancing people's freedomfreedoms. >> enhancing freedom is the theme -- was the theme last night. we see freedom every day. of course, it's with beyonce and the song. it's the play list for the campaign. how is the switch from joe biden, who considered himself the third senator from pennsylvania, frankly, with all due respect to you, how is that going with his strong support in pennsylvania to be replaced with kamala harris, especially among older white voters? >> i think kamala harris and tim walz are going to be a strong ticket in our state.

they are demonstrating that. they started their campaign together in philadelphia, as you know. they were in beaver county the other night -- the other day, i should say. beaver county used to be blue and now is at least tilting red on most elections. campaigning there making the case, the economic case on lowering costs, the costs people are paying at the grocery store, childcare, housing and education, so much else, going into those communities and making that case, the economic argument is going to be critically important. i think we are off to a good start but we have a long way to go. >> i was talking to elissa slotkin. despite the decline in inflation, people still give donald trump more credit on the economy than kamala harris. >> she's a new candidate. she's just starting. i think the more she can make that economic argument -- she not only has specifics to point

to, as i do as a candidate, where we have lowered costs when it comes to prescription drug cap, the child tax -- giving families more resources to pay their bills and to pay for the high cost of food, and now she's outlining what she wants to do as president. one of the best things that she could do to help the people of pennsylvania is to make sure that we get another version of the child tax credit in place so families raising kids have the resources to be able to pay higher costs. that's a big difference between us and them. >> how confident are you coming out of this convention about your own race against dave mccormick? >> we will have a close race, as will the presidential race in our state. i am confident about people's awareness of the contrast. i support the voting rights act, legislation that john lewis -- the john lewis legislation. i support the women's health protection act.

i support the right to organize a union. i think when it comes down to our report -- i was fighting against china and holding them accountable, he was making a lot of money as a hedge fund executive. that is important. >> when hillary clinton lost pennsylvania in 2016, she didn't get the suburban women's vote, the counties around philadelphia. and the black turnout was not as high as it needed to be to overcome the trump support in the west. >> in suburban communities, in philadelphia and other parts of the state, that vote has been growing over time. secretary clinton got a strong vote. president biden got a stronger vote. it's possible that kamala harris will get a higher margin. we have to make sure as we speak to suburban and urban voters on the issues of rights and costs and the economic argument that we are still -- as kamala and tim have started, we are going

to the rural communities, like beaver county. >> where tim walz might help you? >> no question. >> it's great to have you. >> great to be with you. thanks so much. next, california congresswoman barbara lee joining me on the historic and cultural impact of her friend kamala harris' high stakes speech tonight. exactly 60 years after fanny hamer's powerful speech in 1964 at the convention. this is "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. safe step's best offer, just got better! now, when you purchase your brand new safe step walk-in tub, you'll receive a free shower package. yes, a free shower package! and if you call today, you'll also receive 15% off your entire order. now you can enjoy the best of both worlds! the therapeutic benefits of a warm, soothing bath that can help

increase mobility, relieve pain, boost energy, and even improve sleep! or, if you prefer, you can take a refreshing shower. all-in-one product! call now to receive a free shower package plus 15% off your brand new safe step walk-in tub. philip: when your kid is hurting and there's nothing you can do about it, that's the worst feeling in the world. kristen: i don't think anybody ever expects to hear that their child has cancer. it's always one of those things that happens to somebody else, but it's definitely feels like your soul is sucked out of your body when they tell you that it's your baby.

and you would do anything to get them to the best place that they can be for their treatment. and i knew with everything in my soul that that was saint jude and that we had to get here. announcer: join the battle to save lives during childhood cancer awareness month by supporting saint jude children's research hospital. please call or go online right now and become a saint jude partner in hope for only $19 a month. hunter: my name is hunter. i'm at saint jude because i had osteosarcoma. osteosarcoma is a special cancer that's in the bone. so they had to amputate my leg. [music playing] you're looking at a hero it takes a fighter philip: good catch. (singing) you're looking at a hero in the fight kristen: my hero. philip: here at st. jude you don't ever have to worry about how much treatment costs.

you never get a bill ever for any of it. announcer: this september when you call or go online with your credit or debit card, you will receive this saint jude t-shirt you can wear to show your support to help saint jude save the lives of these children. kristen: without the donors. saint jude wouldn't be here. hunter: thank you so much. you have saved so many kids. announcer: let's cure childhood cancer together. kamala harris will make history tonight when she speaks to the democratic convention here in chicago. her speech coming 60 years to the day after fanny lou haimer and racially integrated free come democratic party were denied seats at the '64 democratic convention. she spoke that day of the inequality black americans have faced and the injustice she was

met with trying to register black americans to vote. her remarks set a change motion for the democratic party. eight years later, shirley chism would seek the democratic nomination for president. i covered her when she came to philadelphia. joining me now is another historic congress member, democratic congresswoman barbara lee of california, elected in the great year for democrats of 1968. >> '98. >> '98. i'm sorry, we -- i keep thinking about -- the great year of '98. misspeaking. >> it's fine. glad to be with you. >> an exciting time for you. a lot of history being made, and we wanted to talk to you because of fanny lee hamer. the whole track of history on the floor this week. i have noticed so much diversity among delegations elect d

leaders, delegates who are not elected officials. there's so much more diversity, people of color, so many more women here now. >> you know, i'm reminded of dr. king and what he reminded us of. the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice, and this is a huge bend. you know, andrea, i've been to every convention since 1972 and, in fact, i was there as a delegate for the shirley chisholm. that's how i got involved in politics and registered to vote. >> she was something else. >> she was unbelievable. we've had to fight, and she showed us we had to demand a seat at the table. fast forward to here we are 2024, because of shirley chisholm, because of myself and other women, we have paved the way and fought including vice president harris for this day to come. i endorsed her in 2019.

when she dropped out, i'll always forget, she called me and i was on the train going to new york and we talked about money and politics and all of the issues and challenges, and i told her, well, you know, you're going to be president one day anyway, so let's move forward, let's forge ahead, and here we are. so these are personal moments for me, bookends, 1972, 2024, she -- if we do our work, will be our next president. she's prepared. she's experienced. she's ready and she's going to be a phenomenal president. she's unified the party, and she's going to be working for the people. >> michelle obama made it clear to the delegates that democrats have to fight against the personal attacks, gender, race, the attacks that she and barack obama had to endure over many years. is she ready for that? >> she's been ready for that. i have seen her. i've known her over three decades. i've seen her through all of her campaigns. she has met the -- she's spoke

up, lifted up other people as she had to fight to meet the challenges that she faced. i remember being with her the night that she won the attorney general's race. it took a couple of weeks for the vote to be counted, and she won, and when people thought she had lost. and so she's had to face many challenges that every black woman and women of color face, but she's always met the challenges and dr. maya angelou said and still we rise, and she's rising and going to win if we do our work. >> and you've also got younger people coming up. latifa simon. >> i hope the world got to meet her last night. you know, it's important that as a woman, as a black woman, as a woman of color that i build a bench, like shirley chisholm did. there are phenomenal women in my district who i have mentored, they're unbelievable. they're ready for anything based on who calls them and what they

want them to do. she's doing a phenomenal job on the b.a.r.t. board. which is our transit board. she's also been a woman who's worked for kamala harris. she's ready, she's experienced. she's prepared. >> a lot of credit has to go to you as one of the mentors for many years, and our thanks to you for your service. >> it's been phenomenal. being the only black woman from northern california in the congress, being the only black woman in the california assembly, being the only and the first in the california senate, it's upon me and my duty and responsibility to pave the way and to make sure that other black women and women of color have these opportunities. >> that you have done. thank you. >> thank you, nice meeting with you. nice seeing you in person. >> in person. >> and that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports," and i will actually be back in washington tomorrow as we wrap up tonight's events here, and i want to thank everyone, this incredible nbc and msnbc team, everybody behind

the cameras that make it all possible. thanks to all of you. and you can rewatch the best parts of our show anytime on youtube. just go to msnbc.com/andrea. "chris jansing reports" starts here in chicago after a short break, and i'll be joining her there. i'll be joining her there. ♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ hello, i'm chris jansing, this is the final day of the democratic national convention in chicago. for kamala harris, it has all been leading up to this, from when she was first elected as district attorney in her home state of california, in 20 years onto that stage tonight. seizing the mantle as her party's presidential nominee after a 33-day political sprint that's re