now you can watch nbc's coverage of the rio olympic games live at home or on the go. hello, i'm wolf blitzer. it's 1:00 p.m. in philadelphia. wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us. we're just a few hours away from the gavel opening this, the final day of the democratic national convention. after a week of stars, both political and otherwise, it's down to the final pitch right now for hillary clinton. she'll accept the historic nomination as the first woman to lead a major political party

here in the united states as its presidential nominee. this was her last night, making her convention halladay bu with president obama. right now katy perry is reversing on the convention floor. she's the main performer tonight. let's listen in for a second as katy perry gets ready to perform for the convention and the nation later tonight. ♪ >> it's going to be one of the highlights of the night, katy perry performing. she's rehearsing right now. the hillary clinton speech tonight is expected to focus in on families and the future. she's also expected to harken back to her famous "it takes a village" narrative and how it plays today. she'll be introduced tonight by

her daughter chelsea who talked about the differences and similarities of her role tonight and the role ivanka trump played last week at the republican convention. >> i think it was clear last week when ivanka introduced her dad that she's so proud of him. i hope it will be at least as clear why i'm so proud of my mom when i introduce her here in philadelphia and yet clearly ivanka and i have very different views about who we think should be our president. >> a week ago was donald trump's turn. now it's hillary clinton's turn to try to fill in the blanks for the american people. jeff zeleny is here with me at the cnn grill here. joe johns is out there on the convention floor right now. how important, jeff, is hillary clinton's speech tonight? >> i think it's incredibly important. easily to say, the most important speech of her life so far here, her political life at least. what she wants to do, i'm told, is bring the themes together that we've been talking about

all week. but a couple things else, the stronger together theme is something that is going to be practiced as well. she's surrounded by so many democrats. president obama certainly gave her a big validation last night. she's going to continue that, but also she has to show why she would not be a third term of the obama administration. in a sense, she is, but she wants to show she's a change-maker. when she stands up on stage and says i accept your nomination to be president of the united states, that's a history making moment. there is change in that respect. but also i'm told and expect a tough speech as well about america's safety in this world, and she wants to continue the clinton campaign theme that donald trump is simply an unacceptable alternative. it's gone from risky to dangerous. >> we've seen the signs in the convention. change maker certainly one of the themes. jeff zeleny, we'll see you on the convention floor later tonight. thanks very much. joe johns is on the convention

floor right now. i know it's still early out there in the hall, but what's the feeling, the expectation, for example from the bernie sanders supporters, some of whom are still showing some disapproval? >> reporter: right, there were concerns especially after last night when the former dod secretary as well as the intelligence director was speaking, and there were chants of "no more war" over top of his speech, ruining an important part of this convention for leon panetta and for the campaign. so the question tonight, of course, is whether, when retired general john allen appears here at the podium, a former deputy director of central command in the united states, whether he's also going to get the same kind of treatment to leon panetta did. there's concern here on the floor about that, also concern about the fact that a number of bernie sanders supporters actually disrupted a breakfast this morning with the california

delegation. i've talked to people here on the floor who are expressing hope that those bernie sanders supporters who showed up will not show up tonight and ruin this most important moment for hillary clinton. i did reach out to the sanders people and michael briggs, the spokesman for bernie sanders said they've already made their views known on this issue, and he didn't answer the question essentially, as to whether bernie sanders is going to do anymore as he did a couple days ago to try to quell the dissent in order to give hillary clinton her big night. wolf, we're still watching katy perry out here on the floor and certainly looking for the democrats to put on a big show this evening. wolf. >> katy perry continuing to rehearse a little bit, get a feel for that huge stage at the democratic convention. joe johns, thanks very much.

let's discuss this and more. christina shocky, deputy communications director of the hillary for america campaign. katy perry getting ready. >> yes. she's a long-time supporter of hillary. she's been out on the campaign trail for her from the very beginning. this is going to be an incredible night where she'll come out and perform and show her support for hillary. >> i'm sure there's going to be a lot of viewer interest in that as well. how is the former secretary, democratic nominee been preparing for this speech tonight? >> she's been working on this for a long time. she's been thinking about it and writing it for weeks now. she spent a lot of time with her husband who knows her so well, an incredible speech writer on his own. she's actually working on it right now. >> what's her biggest challenge tonight? >> all week you heard people step forward and talk about the hillary they know. you heard from michelle obama talking about the important role

she's played fighting for children, to president obama talking about making tough calls with her in the situation room. the difference she's made in people's lives, from passing children's health insurance, health benefits for the 9/11 first responders. tonight you'll shear about that in her own words. she's going to talk about what she will do as president. hillary believes when you're running for president, you owe it to the american voter to talk about your real plans to make a difference. >> will she go after donald trump to might? >> she's certainly going to draw a contrast. we saw in his acceptance speech last week what he thinks of america right now and what his vision is for the future. the truth is, he talked about dividing americans and not standing with our allies. that's not america she knows and that's not the america she's going to lead. >> i know she snows she's got tough acts to follow, michelle

obama the first night, her husband, the president last night. these were all very, very powerful, well-received speeches. now on day four, she's got to follow those acts. >> she's had an incredible setup. you've had people out there vouching for her, talking about the work they've done with her, how they know her as a person, the real difference she's made in people's lives. she's had quite a setup. this is her moment, a historic moment tonight. she's the first woman to ever be a nominee for president, and she's going to give an incredible speech. >> i want to show you and our viewers some video. when president obama was finished speaking last night, there was a surprise to the 20,000 or so people who were inside, millions of people watching outside when all of a sudden hillary clinton showed up on the floor there. she is together with the president of the united states, his former secretary of state. she was beaming throughout that. for those of us who were watching, we can't help but notice and recall, he happens

been our first african-american president. she might be the first woman president in the united states. they give a big hug right there. she was thrilled. i'm sure the history is very, very much on her mind. >> you know, wolf, as your viewers know, these are two people who started out as rivals, became allies and become close friends. you saw how happy she was last night to stand with him. really, after such an enthusiastic powerful speech he gave on her behalf, it was a real moment. that's a real vision of the america that president obama has helped build for us and hillary will continue to lead. >> she's going to have a tough campaign. these polls show it's very close right now. we'll see what happens, if she gets much of a bump out of this campaign. >> we know it's going to be close. we mow the stakes are so high. that's what she's going to be talking about to nye. she's going to get out there and work her heart out to earn every vote. >> coming up, donald trump under fire for challenging russian

hackers to find hillary clinton's e-mails. some critics accusing him of endangering national security. we'll tell you what the obama administration may do about russia's hacks when we return. we're live at the democratic national convention in philadelphia. katy perry continuing to rehearse for tonight. this is the summer. the summer of this. the summer that summers from here on will be compared to. get out there. find hotels at up to 50% off and more ways to save at expedia.com/save50. the check they sent isn't enough to replace your totaled new car. the guy says they didn't make the mistake. you made the mistake. i beg your pardon? he says, you should have chosen full-car replacement. excuse me? let me be frank, he says. you picked the wrong insurance plan. no, i picked the wrong insurance company. with liberty mutual new car replacement™,

we'll replace the full value of your car plus depreciation. call and if you have more than one liberty mutual policy, you qualify for a multi-policy discount, saving you money on your car and home coverage. call liberty mutual for a free quote today at that's liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance. i found her wandering miles from home. when the phone rang at 5am, i knew it was about mom. i see how hard it's been on her at work and i want to help. for the 5 million americans living with alzheimer's, and millions more who feel its effects. let's walk together to make an even bigger impact and end alzheimer's for good.

find your walk near you at alz.org/walk.

from the hacking of dnc e-mails, to donald trump supposedly challenging russia to hack into hillary clinton's e-mails and the controversy over hillary clinton's private e-mail server, both political parties are pointing fingers suggesting neither candidate should have security briefings. barbara starr and elise labott joining us. barbara, will they receive security briefings following these conventions? >> the answer, wolf, is yes, the u.s. intelligence officer familiar with all this says as soon as hillary clinton formally become it is nominee tonight, they will then reach out to both

camps and offer what is expected which is classified intelligence briefings. those briefings could start as soon as next week, as soon as the arrangements are made, a secure government facility is identified that both candidates can go to and receive these briefings. this is standard practice. despite all the political rhetoric, the republicans saying clinton shouldn't get the briefings because of her e-mail situation. the democrats saying trump shouldn't get the briefings because of some of his statements, being too cozy with the russians. the director of national intelligence james clapper will follow past practice. what will the briefings include? they will be classified. they will talk the latest about worldwide threats, the challenges that the u.s. faces. they will not cover covert operations or sensitive sources and methods of gathering intelligence that. will be reserved for the president elect after election

day. wolf? >> so they'll get classified information, various degrees of classification, from confidential to secret, to top secret. they're going to get some level, but not going to be the top. >> let me clarify for everybody. you raised a great point, wolf. they will get classified information but, as you say, not the top. that sort of secure compartmentalized information, code word, access roo required to get into that information, not very likely to be offered. the idea here is that both camps will get exact parity. they will get the same information. even if they ask a followup question, that followup answer will be provided to both. look what's interesting, senator tim kaine already a member of the senate armed services committee, a member of the senate foreign relations committee.

of all four presidential and vice presidential candidates that get the briefings, it may be tim kaine who goes into that secure room already knowing the most about it. wolf? >> good point. thanks very much. i want to go to elise. u.s. officials have said russia is almost certainly behind the e-mail hacking of the democratic national committee. what will the u.s. response be? >> reporter: they're pretty sure russian intelligence is behind the hacking. but the motive, whether they were trying to interfere in the election is the open question. this started a year ago before donald trump was really the front-runner. so officials say, if you look at the timing, you connect the dots, it does appear to influence the election. i think the policy response is very tricky. they want to hold russia a accountable for the hacking, but they might do something symbolic, like sanction elements of the russian military intelligence that could have been responsible. a lot of what they do, i think,

will be covert in cyber areas, a lost things we don't know about. they want to be effective but don't want to limit their options. i think they're also going to be talking about dealing with the europeans, trying to get them on board. this is all in the context of what russia has been doing for russia-friendly parties across europe. they're supporting these kind of anti u.s., anti nato, anti eu parties. i think also they'll be looking at the connection between wikileaks and russia. everybody is focused on donald trump, but the connections between edward snowden, julian assange, the u.s. does feel that russia has crossed a line between hacking the information which everybody does and leaking it. i think that nexus between wi wikileaks and russia is something they'll be looking at

carefully. >> after donald trump learned of russia's possible involvement, he invited them to launch what he described as an attack against hillary clinton in an attempt to find deleted e-mails. that was the initial interpretation. trump's call was immediately slammed by both sides of the aisle. today donald trump was defending the statement saying he was never really serious about all that. >> when i'm being sarcastic. >> were you being sarcastic? >> of course i'm being sarcastic. you 33,000 e-mails deleted and the real problem is what was said on those e-mails from the democratic national committee, you take a look at what was said on those e-mails. it's disgraceful. >> i'll bring in david gregory to talk more about that, our cnn political analyst, host of the david gregory show podcast. now when he says he was being sarcastic. yesterday newt gingrich said he wasn't being serious. does he have a fair point? >> he has no fair point. what candidate for the

presidency would be sarcastic or joke about something like that. sn if he was being sarcastic, why did the campaign immediately release a statement by his running mate mike pence to clean up what trump had said, saying russia is dangerous and would face serious questions if they did this. i think this is a big moment. >> what kind of relationship does he, donald trump, have with vladimir putin? >> that's not totally clear to me. i think they've had some dealings or some business dealings that trump apparently had in russia, but it seems like they've had very limited exposure. i think what's telling is a political naivete, he's certain putin will support him. based on what? president bush said he looked into the soul of putin and knew he could trust him, only to be ex-employed by putin after 9/11. president obama and secretary clinton talking about a reset with russia when the russians

didn't make good on that. it's a dangerous game of thinking you can carve ourt a new relationship with russia based on asserting they'll respect you. >> we heard from former new york city mayor rudy guiliano. let's listen to that. >> donald trump's comment about russia, he corrected immediately, as soon as he realized that someone was taking it seriously, he corrected it. one time president obama said we had 57 states. he corrected immediately. the liberal media accepted it. didn't make a big deal out of it. hillary clinton has made similar mistakes. when liberal democrats make mistakes and correct it, the liberal media accepts it. >> you're shaking your head. honestly, that's pre pos rouse.

he went out of his way to say what he said. the transcript is clear. we've played the tape for people. if he wants to walk it back, that's one thing. if he wants to make a hit on clinton about what's in those e-mails, that's a fair political hit. we can have that debate. inviting russia to hack her private server and to assert he'll have a respectful relationship with putin because automatically he'd be respected by trump, reflects what he doesn't know about being on a world stage or a world leader or seeking the presidency. that's why some people felt he had to walk that back. >> david gregory, thanks very much. coming up, president obama and the night's other big speakers, they used the stage to swing hard at donald trump. were some attacks more effective than others? we'll break it all down with our panel when cnn's special kof rangs of the democratic national convention continues. you're looking at live pictures from inside the convention hall here in philadelphia. we'll be right back. your underwear cleaner. so clean... you could wear them a second day.

charmin ultra strong. it's 4 times stronger, and you can use up to 4 times less. enjoy the go with charmin.

the earth needed to find a new waytury, to keep up with the data from over 30 billion connected devices. just 30 billion? a bold group of researchers and computer scientists in silicon valley, had a breakthrough they called... the machine. it changed computing forever. and it's been part of every new technology for the last 250 years. everything? everything! this year, hewlett packard enterprise will preview the machine and accelerate the future. see star trek beyond.

welcome back to cnn's coverage of the democratic national convention here in philadelphia. tonight it's hillary clinton's big speech. last night this was the picture, political heavyweights, from the former mayor of new york city to president obama, they hit the stage to offer endorsement ps of hillary clinton while unleashing blistering attacks against donald trump. >> does anyone really believe that a guy who spent his 70 years on this earth showing no regard for working people is suddenly going to be your champion? >> it's going to be great. believe me. we're going to build a wall and

make mexico pay for it. believe me. we're going to destroy isis so fast. believe me. there's nothing suspicious in my tax returns. believe me. >> he's trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. give me a break. that's a bunch of malarkemalark. >> i'm a new yorker, and i know a con when i see one. >> joining us to talk about how effective the speeches last night were, cnn political analyst, host of the david gregory podcast, david gregory. washington bureau chief susan page and senior editor of "the atlantic" ron brownstein is with us as well. were they effective, in terms of going after trump and endorsing and defending hillary clinton? >> i thought they got the balance. what was interesting and clearly a choice is that they're really painting trump as uniquely

unqualified, but also an outlier, decoupling him from the republican party. >> the big difference, and you were there in cleveland, all of us were in cleveland, obama was optimistic saying america has got great things, it already is great. last week at the republican convention, trump was very gloomy about what's going on in the country right now. that's a significant difference. >> it's like they were from different planets, to look at their portrayal of the state of the country and what ought to be done. we know the more optimistic candidate has an advantage. a little bit of a calculated risk on donald trump's part to portray things as dark as he did. >> listen to how the president spoke about hillary clinton last night, ron. >> i can say with confidence there has never been a man or a

woman, not me, not bill, nobody more qualified than hillary clinton to serve as president of the united states of america. >> there you see the former president standing up and applauding. >> it goes to your first question. by the way, thomas jefferson. i keep thinking, thomas jefferson. there might be one or two. >> pretty qualified. >> he was pretty qualified. i thought last night was the single most effective night i've seen in a convention for either party since bill clinton's acceptance speech in 1992. the reason is not only because the quality of the speeches were so high, it was because the message discipline was so precise. each time they identified a weakness they said was there in donald trump, they identified an offsetting strength in hillary clinton. they described him as pessimistic, her as optimistic. him as looking out for himself, her as looking out for other people. him as unqualified, her as prepared. you go down the list. the book end of that remark was all of the commentary that trump

simply was uniquely unqualified to be president. they really i think presented a very powerful thing. the one thing that was missing and has been missing throughout this convention is a clear economic message, particularly the blue collar voters who feel they're being left behind both economically and culturally. i think that may be the biggest single piece hillary clintons that to fill in tonight. >> susan, will we hear that from hillary clinton tonight? >> she's struggled with doing that. there's a calculated risk with democrats being quite so sunny. we know a majority of the americans think the country is headed into a wrong direction. the degree to which they don't seem to acknowledge the anxiety a lot of americans feel, that also can be a problem. >> he described america not as a city on a hill, but a work in progress, a more perfect union. very much what i think they've done well is identify the democratic party over these first few nights with the changing face of america,

celebrating the diversity of america. what they haven't done is connected with the economic struggles many are feeling. >> lots at stake for hillary clinton tonight. thanks very much. coming up, crashing the party. the libertarians descend on philadelphia telling democrats there is another option. how gary johnson and bill wells are courting voters. there they are, the libertarian nominees. they'll join us live when we come back. 's why you drink ensu. with 9 grams of protein and 26 vitamins and minerals. for the strength and energy to get back to doing... ...what you love. ensure. always be you. the check they sent isn't enough to replace your totaled new car. the guy says they didn't make the mistake. you made the mistake. i beg your pardon? he says, you should have chosen full-car replacement. excuse me? let me be frank, he says. you picked the wrong insurance plan.

no, i picked the wrong insurance company. with liberty mutual new car replacement™, we'll replace the full value of your car plus depreciation. call and if you have more than one liberty mutual policy, you qualify for a multi-policy discount, saving you money on your car and home coverage. call liberty mutual for a free quote today at that's liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance. donald trump: i could stand in the middle of 5th avenue i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message. and shoot somebody and i wouldn't lose any voters, okay? and you can tell them to go f--- themselves! you know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes,

blood coming out of her wherever... you gotta see this guy. ahh, i don't know what i said, ahh. "i don't remember." he's going like "i don't remember!"

. hillary clinton takes the stage tonight to accept her party's nomination. she's looking to make her case, among others, to the bernie sanders holdouts and

independents, like former new york city mayor michael bloomberg who threw his support behind hillary clinton last night. >> tonight, as an independent, i am asking you to join with me, not out of party loyalty, but out of love of country, and together, and together lets elect a sane, competent person with international experience, a unifier who is mature enough to reach out for advice, to build consensus and to recognize that we all have something to contribute. >> joining us now is the libertarian party ticket, the presidential candidate, the former new mexico governor gary johnson and vice presidential candidate, former massachusetts governor william weld.

thanks for joining us. michael bloomberg seems to be reaching out not only to independents but libertarians. what do is your reaction? >> he could be make that same speech for bill weld or gary johnson. good speech. that's what we're looking to reach out to, also. >> michael bloomberg says the country needs a sane, competent person, suggesting donald trump is not sane or competent. do you agree with him on that? >> well, i certainly have my differences with donald trump. let me just put this scenario out there. either trump or clinton get elected, republicans are not going to get along with democrats. democrats are not going to get along with republicans. it's going to be more polarized than ever. how about a couple of guys in the middle, the big six-lane highway down the middle reaching out to both sides telling them to come together and let's address the problems this country is facing. >> governor weld, do you think

donald trump is sane. >> i understand what bloomberg is saying. i don't think he was describing donald trump. further, to what gary was saying, we represent a mix of policy views that neither party stands for. we're fiscally responsible. we can prove that. we both cut budgets and tamed the budgets in our states and balanced them. we're about as inclusive and tolerant and open minded socially as i think you can be. i don't think that describes the republican party these days. we awful -- >> do you think it's realistic the two of you will be elected president and vice president? >> yes. >> neither of us would be doing it if that opportunity didn't exist. of course, that's getting to 15% in the polls. we have a campaign starting, 15 percent by the 15th. >> the 15% is critically important because, in order to appear in those three presidential debates, one vice presidential debate, you have to

be at 15% in a series of five polls going into their decision. is that right? >> that's right. i saw last week where they're projecting an audience bigger for the first presidential debate than the super bowl. no way that you have a chance of winning without being in that super bowl. >> that 15% figure has been historically true, wolf. gary has been calling 12% and 13%, so we're not far away. i would say there's a national interest in having us in the debates because we represent a point of view that neither major party do. my villain this year s&p the duopolg. the republicans and democrats seem to exist for the primary purpose of killing each other. >> you agree if you don't get into those debates, chances are slim? >> slim. >> that is critical right now. >> critical. >> you've got to get to that 15% f. you get to the 15%, is it realistic to think -- you think you can win, but get 270

electoral college votes in november? >> it becomes possible. it becomes possible. anything can happen if that is the case. bill stated these policy position. third leg of the school would be the military interventions this country has been embarked on that we're going to argue have had the unintended consequence of making things worse, not betterment we're not isolationist. donald trump is isolationist. we're not non-interventionalist. >> you support the transpacific partnership? >> we support tpp. we support nafta. >> you just alienated potentially a lot of bernie sanders supporters. >> i understand that. i remember working on nafta with president clinton and speaker gingrich. >> you like nafta? >> i do, i do. i like free trade. >> my pledge to new mexico as governor was, look, i'm going to sign on to anything that makes these things better. none of these trade agreements are exactly like you'd want to

see them, but do they make things better in the case of the transpacific partnership? yeah. it's more toward free trade. another miss untd stood conception is that free trade is on the other end of crony capitalism. we've come to associate crony capitalism and free trade as a needlepointing in the same direction when they're genuinely opposite. >> i had an exchange with mitt romney on june 10th out in utah. we spoke about the two of you. let me play the clip and then we'll discuss. >> this third party libertarian candidate, former new mexico governor gary johnson, would you consider supporting him? >> i'm going to look at what he has to say. his running mate bill weld is someone i respect enormously. >> former republican governor of massachusetts. >> exactly. he was a fine governor, fine friend. a supporter of mine both in 2008 and 2012. if bill weld were at the top of the ticket, it would be very easy for me to vote for bill weld for president. i'll get to know gary johnson

better and see if he's someone i could end up voting for. that's something i'll evaluate over the coming weeks and month. >> not ruling out that possibili possibility. >> i'm not ruling that out. >> has he reached out to you, governor johnson? >> we have a mutual admiration society when it comes to bill weld. >> but have you spoken to mitt romney since he made those widely publicized remarks? >> yes, we have. >> how did that conversation go? >> i think he's considering the possibility of doing this. >> considering the possibility of doing what? >> actually endorsing the two of us. >> really? >> yeah. >> you know him a lot better. you were governor of massachusetts. >> he's thinking about it, wolf. i don't want to press the point unless and until we get to 15% because then i think the case for it is overwhelming. a couple of the bushes have already come out in support of us. we're very hopeful that governor jeb bush might see his way clear to supporting the ticket. but whether or not they do, we're creeping up on that figure

that will get us in the debates and i can almost guarantee you, if we get to 15, we're going to get to 20%. at that point we're extremely dangerous as a ticket. nobody can say we didn't change our states. we succeeded democratic governors and cleaned up the fiscal mess. >> who are the two bushes that have endorsed you? >> marvin bush yesterday and jonathan bush of boston is supporting us financially. >> so you're encouraged -- >> he's all in he says. >> you think you realistically have a chance. >> yes. >> you're not just a spoiler. >> that might be kind of fun, but that's not my idea -- >> if you don't get into the debates and don't have a chance, who would you prefer, hillary clinton or donald trump? >> well, since 1971 there's always been a libertarian candidate, so i'd have to go with the libertarian candidate, whoever that was. >> that's you, you're the nominee, and you ear the nominee. governor and governor, thanks very much for joining us.

>> thank you. she grew up in the spotlight. tonight she'll be center stage once again. chelsea clinton previews her mom's speech tonight. plus, what she had to say about ivanka trump and her father's personal attacks on her mother. live pictures coming in from the democratic convention here in philadelphia. much more right after this. [ brakes screech ] when your pain reliever stops working, your whole day stops. excuse me, try this. but just one aleve can last 12 hours. tylenol and advil can quit after 6. [ cheering ] so live your whole day, not part... with 12 hour aleve. approaching medicare eligibility? you may think you can put off checking out your medicare options until you're sixty-five,

but now is a good time to get the ball rolling. keep in mind, medicare only covers about eighty percent of part b medical costs. the rest is up to you. that's where aarp medicare supplement insurance plans insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company come in. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they could help pay some of what medicare doesn't, saving you in out-of-pocket medical costs. you've learned that taking informed steps along the way really makes a difference later. that's what it means to go long™. call now and request this free decision guide. it's full of information on medicare and the range of aarp medicare supplement plans to choose from based on your needs and budget. all plans like these let you choose any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients, and there are no network restrictions.

unitedhealthcare insurance company has over thirty years experience and the commitment to roll along with you, keeping you on course. so call now and discover how an aarp medicare supplement plan could go long™ for you. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. plus, nine out of ten plan members surveyed say they would recommend their plan to a friend. remember, medicare doesn't cover everything. the rest is up to you. call now, request your free decision guide and start gathering the information you need to help you keep rolling with confidence. go long™. ♪

welcome back. we're here in philadelphia looking at live pictures from inside the democratic national convention. tonight chelsea clinton will take the stage and introduce her mother, cnn's sunlen serfaty, she's come a long way since her dad was in the white house. >> reporter: from a shy teenager growing up in the glare of the political spotlight, to hesitant campaigner in 2008, chelsea clinton is now fully embracing

better grand ploer for than my mom. but i couldn't imagine a better president than my mother. >> reporter: the 36-year-old mother of two will play a starring role tonight introducing her mother moments before she officially accepted the nomination. >> well, i hope to convey even just a small sense of why i am so proud and grateful to be her daughter. >> reporter: aides to chelsea tell cnn she's taking this speech more seriously than any speech she's given before, spending weeks writing it with her mother's speech writer and rehearsing it for her husband. >> i'm going to talk as her daughter. i'm an only child so it is a unique position that i have. i just hope that people understand even a little more when i'm done than when i started about why i love her so much and aide midmire her so mu. >> reporter: tonight's speech the latest sign chelsea's taking on a more visible role in the campaign. >> i think this is the most important presidential election of my lifetime. >> reporter: having crisscrossed

the country during the primary. >> what matters most to me now as a mom myself is that my mom has been fighting for, making progress on issues that really matter to me. >> reporter: as she makes the case for her mother, she's also gone on the offensive. >> i think it is important that all of us who don't feel like mr. trump's rhetoric of sexism and racism, islamophobia and anti-immigrant hatred and stance has no place in our country. >> reporter: challenging her friend, ivanka trump, to defend her father's positions. >> he will fight for equal pay for equal work. >> how would your father do that? given it's not something he's spoken about. there are no policies on any of those fronts that you just mentioned on his website. not last week, not this week. >> reporter: even as she stays focused on her mother's campaign, questions persist about her own potential political future. >> i understand why people ask me that question. my last name's clinton. my dad was president, as you

remember. my mom is running to be president. >> reporter: not shutting the door on that possibility. >> i then would have to think, could i make a real difference here, is this something that i should do. . but for now, i'm well represented and i love what i do. >> reporter: sunlen serfaty, cnn, philadelphia. joining us now, cnn commentator and hillary clinton supporter, bakari sellers. lot of pressure on chelsea clinton tonight to deliver. you know her. what do you anticipate? >> i had the opportunity to campaign with chelsea in hartford, connecticut a few months ago. she had so much of her dad in her, the way that she moved around the crowd, the way that she spoke to every single person in the room. she's giving the biggest speech of her life followed by her mother giving the biggest speech of her life. i think chelsea's going to be emotional and i think that emotion is going to play out. we know she's grown up in the public eye, grown into sujust a

unbelievable person. a mother, daughter. i know a lot of that will be on display tonight. >> there, a lot of comparisons between her speech tonight and ivanka trump's speech last week. ivanka trump was impressive as well. >> ivan ka truka trump hit a ho last week. ivanka trump had a goal in mind. when she went out there. her father does extremely, extremely poorly with women. that's not the case with hillary clinton and chelsea clinton. i think chelsea can just go out and simply tell people who hillary is as a mother and grandmother. i think they'll be just fine and at the end of the day will both have hit home runs. >> a lot of people were talking about that moment last night when president obama finished speaking and the surprise of the night, when hillary clinton actually walked out. you're smiling right now. when you saw that picture, she was beaming. she was -- >> that hug. >> -- so excited. >> that hug that they gave. when they embraced, it was like she took a sigh. when you compare that to the

chemistry we did or didn't see between mike pence and donald trump. what you may not know about hillary clinton and in '08 i remember how visceral sometimes the disagreements could be between the two camps. but they generally have a respect and admiration for each other around dare i say a love for each other. i think this whole convention is coming together and rshillary clinton is going to bat clean-up. it is time to bring these runners home. >> people saw the first african-american president of the united states, maybe the first woman president of the united states. i'm sure you were thinking about that. >> i was thinking about that. it's amazing. i was saying yesterday, i'm only 31 years old and i have the opportunity to see the first african-american president and possibly the first female president in my lifetime. that shows you as a country we have made a lot of progress. even if you take away the politics from it, if you're democrat or republican or gary johnson, you have to be able to say, that is what america is and be proud of it. >> you're going to be speaking from the convention floor later

today as well. how did that happen, what are you going to say? >> well, the secretary reached out to me and asked me to play a role in the convention. i of course jumped at the opportunity. i'm going to be speaking tonight to more people that are in my hometown. my goal is just to make my parents proud. it should be fun. make you proud, wolf, of being a colleague. >> what's your message? because you have to give very quickly one sentence. >> from protest to progress. showing our democratic party is rooted in so much protest, civil rights protest, harvey milk. now we have an opportunity to build on that and the successes we've seen based on those struggles in the past. >> good luck tonight. we'll be watching. >> nervous? >> not yet. >> okay. thanks very much, bakari sellers. that's it for me. i'll be back at 5:00 p.m. from "the situation room" and all night from the democratic national convention. our coverage continues right after a quick break.

let's take a live look outside. pretty pictures of philadelphia. though i got to say, little ominous out there on this thursday afternoon. could see some rain. that's why we are inside the cnn grill on this fourth day of the democratic national convention here. live pictures inside the wells fargo center. you can see the podium. the stage is set. here we are in philadelphia, our nation's first capital. will live up to its legacy tonight as the first fe