>> so we must be committed, no matter how the supreme court tries to roll back on civil rights, no matter what the amount of money they have. we are here because of those fought and suffered for us, and we vowed tonight, we won't >> this november we will go forward to fulfill the promise of a just and fair nation. let me say as we transition, i'm a preacher. in psalms it says we've been made, the joy comes in the morning. we have endured january 6. we've endured

conspiracy theories, we have endured lies and darkness, but if we stay together, black, white, latino, asian, indian american, if we stay together joy! joy ! joy coming in the morning. [ cheering and applause ] i want to now, since i was a teenager i was meant toward by reverend jesse jackson. reverend jackson taught us to fight for what is right. now i want to bring out some young men that i thought for. i referred to them . then they were known as the central park five. now they are the exonerated five . raymond

santana, kevin richardson, yusef salaam, korey wise the exonerated five. [ cheering and applause ] >> we won't go back ! >> good evening, people. my name is korey wise, 35 years ago my friends and i were in

present for a crime we did not commit. we use what is stolen from us every day as we walked into the courtroom people screamed at us, threatened us because of donald trump . he spent $85,000 on a full-page ad in the new york times calling for our execution . we were innocent kids , but we served a total of 41 years in prison . reverend al sharpton stood with us . now i am proud to stand with him today . vice president

kamala harris has also worked to make things fairer. i know she will do the same as president and i approve that message. i love these guys. these are my brothers. these are my brothers. yes, indeed. america, i'm yusef salaam . >> a new york city councilman representing my hometown of harlem . that's right. [

cheering and applause ] representing my hometown of harlem, usa. listen, as my friend korey wise just said, 45 wanted us on a life . he wanted us dead . today we are exonerated because the actual perpetrator confessed and dna proved it . that guy says he still stands by the original guilty verdict . he dismisses the scientific evidence rather than admit he was wrong . he has never changed and he never will . that man thinks that

hate is the animating force in america. it is not. we have the constitutional right to vote . in fact, it is a human right. so let us use it . i want you to walk with us. i want you to march with us. i want you to vote with us. [ cheering and applause ] together , and let me tell you this is going to be so beautiful, and together on november 5 we will usher in kamala harris and tim walz into the white house. [ cheering and applause ] i want to do this .

when i say when they i want you to say cs. when they -- >> see us . >> when they . >> see us. >> when they see us america was finally say goodbye to that hateful man. we will say what i have said after seven long years of wrongful incarceration . free at last , free at last , thank god almighty we are free at last . god bless you and god bless the united states of america . [ cheering and applause ] >> if you are just joining us

this is cnn continuing live coverage of the final night of the democratic national convention. anderson cooper here with van jones. i grew up in new york at the time that the central park five were accused and arrested and went on trial enter prison. >> what a moment. what a redemptive moment. this has been an open wound in the black community, what happened to those boys and the fact that donald trump wanted them killed and has never apologized is still an open wound. it's one of the first things that comes up when you talk to black people . it is every black parents nightmare that their kid is going to be railroaded for something they did not do and they will be helpless to help them. for those young men to come through that experience. for yusef salaam to be one of the great leaders of the city is a redemptive moment. this is an open wound . donald trump needs to apologize

to those young men. >> let's go back to the program. >> i am amy resner. i was a colleague in the courtroom when my friend kamala tried one of her first cases and made the prosecutor promise for the people . for kamala, practicing law was always about protecting the vulnerable and giving the victims of voice. women who were sexually assaulted, children who were mistreated and sexually abused, she help them navigate their nightmares and demand justice for their injuries. she did it all with grit and grace , intelligence and heart . she was a

remarkable prosecutor. she will be a remarkable president. >> survivors of sexual assault struggle to be heard over the cacophony of voices demeaning, discrediting, and vilifying them. when powerful offenders are allowed to manipulate public opinion by attacking their victim's credibility, all victims suffer. those words are from the 2021 amicus brief filed by rainn , the nation's largest sexual violence organization in the case of e jean carroll versus donald trump. i urge all of us to stand together to support survivors, believe them, and hold perpetrators accountable. >> i am lisa madigan, former

attorney general of illinois. i worked with kamala harris during the great recession to protect homeowners from foreclosure. as attorney general of california, kamala met thousands of people on the verge of losing their homes and their faith in the american dream. she demanded big banks provide mortgage relief to allow families to stay in their homes. she stood her ground and together we prevailed . for as long as i have known her, kamala harris has always taken principled positions and never wavered. thanks to kamala's determination, countless acute -- americans have a home they can call their own. >> i am mark morreale, civil

rights leader and former mayor of new orleans. in the 1970s donald trump was sued for refusing to rent his apartments to african americans. his employees were told, put those applications in a drawer and leave them there. it was straight up housing discrimination . it was racism and civil rights advocacy put an end to it. kamala harris has a plan to build more housing, keep rent prices fair, and help more people own homes. donald trump, you denied black people the american dream and kamala harris is creating a future where every family, yes every family has a place to call home . >> i'm nathan hornes. in 2010

i went to college in california to pursue my dreams. i ended up with a nightmare. corinthian colleges was a predatory, for-profit chain. they departed more than half 1 million students and burdened us with loans we could never repay. then, kamala harris stepped in. as attorney general of california , she stuck up for students. she prosecuted corinthian and as vice president she stuck with us . as we thought and organized for debt relief, the biden-harris administration came in, canceled all corinthian student debt, and gave us back our futures. >> my name is tristan snell. i prosecuted trump university. [ cheering and applause ] i

interviewed over 100 victims of trump's fraud . a retired police sergeant, an iraq veteran with pts the -- ptsd, a mother caring for her son with special needs. they trusted trump. they believed he would teach them his secrets and make their american dreams come true. all they got was credit card debt and the fate diploma. some lost their life savings. some lost their homes. donald trump rip off his biggest fans and made $5 million in profit . kamala harris thought scammers like him and as president she will continue to fight for you, for us, for the people. [ cheering and applause ]

>> please welcome massachusetts governor maura healey . >> for the people . those three words define the role of the prosecutor. to serve not only our clients in the courtroom but our community and our country. to give people a sense of security and safeguard the principles that hold our nation together. to stand up to abusers and police and stand up for the voiceless and the vulnerable. in other words,

exactly what kamala harris has done her whole life . when she was da, mothers of children who had been murdered, whose cases had gone cold would come to her office saying, i will only speak to kamala. they knew she would listen. they knew she would help them find justice. and she did. that is the kamala harris i know . a few weeks ago in massachusetts i watched a little girl meet the vice president. her eyes were so wide, as open as the future. kamala asked her about the summer, her basketball camp, and what position she likes to play. the little girl said to her, anything but defense.

kamala put her hand on her shoulder and replied, me too. i love offense. that's what it means to be for the people. kamala harris fights for all americans. she stays on offense and she wins. i know she will fight with the same passion, the same determination as president of the united states. i can't wait to see her prosecute the case against donald trump on the debate stage in september. we face a stark choice in the selection. a felon and conman or a dedicated prosecutor . the contrast between donald trump and kamala harris is clear. he

obstructs justice, she upholds it. he swindles people, she serves them. he thinks he is above the law, she actually understands the law . that is what this election comes down to. one candidate who is out for himself or kamala harris for the people. it is a battle of the future of the nation. tonight, we will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that kamala harris should be, she must be the next president of the united states. thank you. [ cheering and applause ] coming up, more from the dnc in chicago. pennsylvania governor josh shapiro joins us as we await some of the biggest speakers and biggest stars of the night. america's choice 2024. the

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>> thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. >> [ speaking in a non-english language ] >> greeting friends and family. my name is chris turquoise and i'm from the turquoise clan. 35 generations ago my ancestors built lives in the high desert of new mexico. i am on this stage tonight because of them . while fishing with my dad and

running through the desert with my cousins, i learned that we have a responsibility to take care of our planet . donald trump never learned that lesson. he called the climate crisis a hoax . he made it easier for big companies to poison our air and water . an american president must lead the world in tackling climate change. we need a president who understands that assignment. that is, harris. . i know her record . she held polluters accountable for spilling oil into the san francisco bay .

she defended president obama's clean power plan in court. as vice president, she casts the tie-breaking vote for the most ambitious climate action plan in our nations history. kamala harris and tim walz will fight for a future where we all have clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. let me go back to the lesson i learned in the desert southwest. we all have a role in protecting our earth for future generations. let's all be fierce and let's make kamala harris the next

president of the united states. thank you all so much. thank you. thank you. >> secretary of the interior deb haaland speaking there. we are in the united center sitting with josh shapiro, governor of the great commonwealth of pennsylvania who spoke last night. governor, what do you want to hear from kamala harris tonight, and how are things looking for democrats in pennsylvania? i know about two months ago it was not looking great. >> on monday night president biden eloquently passed the baton to kamala harris. over the next several nights we've been laying out the case. tonight she gets the opportunity to lay out the case. to talk about her background, her view and vision for leadership and the kinds of things she wants to do for this country and the direction she wants to take it. i'm sure she will hit a home run tonight. as

for what has transpired of the last 30 or so days since joe biden dropped out, i think what you have seen is the race effectively tied . maybe up one or down one here or there, but she has marched 49 yards down the field. you know pennsylvania really well. the last yard and a half to get to the other side is a hard yard and a half. the good news is this campaign is showing incredible nimbleness and skill to be able to go out and grab the yard and a half. i think every day kamala harris is on the stump she is earning more and more votes. i will share with you anecdotally , when i'm out in rural communities and the areas of pennsylvania were a voter voted for obama and then trump and then moved to biden and shifted around they are really curious about kamala harris. they will say to me, what you think of her? what do you think she will do on this that or the other thing? i think that means they are open to casting a vote for kamala

harris and i will make the case as she and her campaign will going forward. >> what does she need to do to move that curiosity it to a vote particularly among those swing voters in the philly suburbs and pittsburgh suburbs? >> what she needs to do is what she did right before she came to this convention on monday. she was pennsylvania. importantly she was not in philly or pittsburgh. i love them and they are important. she went to rural beaver county in the southwestern corner of the state to talk about the economy. she went there to talk about cutting costs. things that are on people's minds. the message that she shared will be appropriate here on the stage tonight. >> the southwestern corner of your commonwealth, just to be precise. >> that is right. >> donald trump when after you on social media. he called you the highly overrated jewish governor and when after you for saying that he is better for

israel than anybody else ever and i assume that includes moses. i've never heard him to describe the senator as a christian senator or governor . what do you make of that? >> it is not new to see donald trump engaging in these anti-semitic tropes, these efforts to divide us and single someone out and remove them from others. this is an affront to jews everywhere. i don't care what he says about me but i know how it makes people feel. american jews care about a lot of things. some care about israel. some care about safety and economic opportunity and protecting our fundamental freedoms . i talked about how

donald trump would inject chaos and division into this country exactly like what you did with that ridiculous tweet last night. i think there is something deeper here than just the anti-semitism he spews and the bigotry he spews. what a presidential race is really all about, it's about leadership. who do we want to lead us? who will show compassion and look at all of us no matter what we look like , who we pray to, who we love and say we belong here. donald trump doesn't think i belong , donald trump doesn't think people who don't look like him or think like him and worship like him belong. that is dangerous. we want to lift up this country and he wants to drag us down. >> he did not win in 2020. he did win with similar messages in 2016. how do we bring that back? >> she won pennsylvania with 44,000 votes. since then he

lost in 2020 and every one of his political offspring including doug ness triano , who i walked in the election, every single time he has endorsed one of his offspring they have lost. even people on the school board. >> it is not the offspring. it's him this time. >> he has lost in 2020 and more divisive rhetoric will only make it tougher for him. >> it is always good to have you on. we are about to go to the youngest member of congress maxwell frost from florida is about to come out. the youth vote is very important. that's why we only saw that video. we can talk to about gen x getting pushed out. here is congressman frost. >> i anne maxwell alejandra frost and i'm proud to be the

first member of my generation in congress. i'm also proud to represent central florida . you might expect me to talk about how climate change will impact our future. as a floridian, as a florida man i'm here to tell you that the climate crisis isn't some far off threat. it is here. donald trump and j.d. vance think they can divide us by saying this crisis is sometime of folks -- some kind of hoax. i walked the streets of communities that have been forced to rebuild after hurricane flooding destroyed their homes pick up are the stories of immigrant farmworkers made to work in horrid conditions exacerbated by this crisis. i have felt the scorching record heat and know that climate change can sometimes feel like an unstoppable force. with our movement and with organizing and an administration that cares, we are making progress.

kamala harris and joe biden have proven that tackling this crisis creates jobs. that investing in clean energy protects our health. investing in mass public transit builds strong communities. we must always remember that piece is essential to our climate and war destroys our environment. this election is about every drop of water that we consume and every breath we breathe . fighting the climate crisis is patriotic . unlike donald trump, our patriotism is more than some dam slogan on a hat . it's about actually giving a dam about the people that live in this country. when you love somebody you want them to have clean air. when you love somebody you want them to have

safe drinking water. when you love somebody you want them to have a dignified job. so, america, it is simple . let's get to work and elect kamala harris and tim walz for our planet, for our future, for our president and for our people. god bless. [ cheering and applause ] >> maxwell frost. it is almost prime time in chicago. stay with cnn for the grand finale with kamala harris accepting the nomination for president. we will be right back.

>> what's up, everybody? steph curry here. what a great honor it was to represent team usa at the olympics this summer. that unity on and off the court reminded us all that together we can do all things and continue to inspire the world. that's why i believe that camelot as president can bring that unity back and continue to move the country forward. this is about preserving hope and

belief in our country making sure families can be taken care of during the most precious times. i got to visit kamala with my team at the white house last year. i can tell you one thing i knew then and definitely no now, the oval office suits are well. in the words of michelle obama, do something. let's show out in november like never before . it has been an honor for me to represent our country . it's an honor to support kamala . god bless. >> steph curry speaking to the crowd here . david axelrod, obviously this is the final night. what do you expect, what does kamala harris need to do? >> this has been a good week for democrats. there's been a lot of great speeches. they have positioned the party and positioned her in the

mainstream, the middle class in ways that are very helpful. now she has to carry the ball . this is her convention and there's so much americans still want to learn about her. they want to hear her tell it in the framework of her own experience and from the depths of her own experience. i think that is what we will hear tonight. it's a big moment for her. i think how she delivers this speech and how it is received will ultimately put a coda on the convention or put a damper on it. i think she is going to do well. >> when you look at the republican convention there was so much lead up to donald trump's speech and when he spoke it sort of deflated a lot of what they had tried to do all week. >> first of all, donald trump had to tell his story of an assassination attempt so a very different atmosphere. >> now let's listen to colin allred .

>> hey, everybody. i'm colin allred. i'm a congressman from dallas. i have two perfect little boys. this november i'm going to beat ted cruz. [ cheering and applause ] i am so proud to be here to support our next president, kamala harris. like kamala, i was raised by a single mom. my mom was a public school teacher who often worked two jobs to make ends meet. when we talk about lowering cost, i think about the time we went to the grocery store when i was growing up and swiped the debit card and said a little prayer. my mom and my community in texas gave me a chance to chase my version of the american dream. i played football at baylor and in the nfl before coming a civil rights lawyer and representing my hometown in congress. now i

am the guy that is going to turn the texas senate seat blue. [ cheering and applause ] you know, in the nfl we had a term for guys like donald trump and my opponent ted cruz, me guys. you know the type. talk a big game, only care about themselves, but you don't want to be stuck with them at a barbecue. the truth is america has never been about me. as president obama said, the single most powerful word in our democracy is the word we . we the people, we shall overcome, yes we can . we've got a message for the me guys. we is more powerful than me . we will protect and restore reproductive freedom. we will secure the border. we will protect medicare and social security. we will turn the page

and write a new chapter for this country. we will elect kamala present -- president and beat ted cruz. god bless you and god bless texas. [ cheering and applause ] >> i'm and you cook. this is -- anya cook. this is my husband derek and our daughter. two years ago a miscarriage almost killed me. at 16 weeks my doctors told me to prepare

for stillbirth . i needed care. my state abortion restrictions kept it from me. i miscarried in a bathroom. i will never forget my husband's face as he tried to stop the bleeding, trying to do what doctors should have been doing . when i reached the hospital, i had lost nearly half the blood in my body. i can't change the past, but i can, we can choose a different future. >> i am craig sicknick. this is my mother gladys. my brother was a u.s. capitol police officer, brian sicknick, who died a hero after defending our country on january 6. [

cheering and applause ] my family knows how dangerous trump is. he incited the crowd while my brother and his fellow officers were putting their lives at risk . we need a real leader, not an autocrat who is stuck in the past. brian, we miss you every day. >> i am gail devore. ipad type i diabetes since i was 11. stressing about insulin cost has been a constant in my life. president biden and vice president harris have moved mountains to help . medicare can finally negotiate prescription drug prices.

insulin is capped at $35 for medicare recipients. and when elected, kamala harris plans to extend that cap to the rest of us . that is the future i want. that's the future i am voting for . [ cheering and applause ] >> i am juanny romero , owner and ceo of mothership coffee in las vegas. i put in work to open my own business. when covid hit this in -- administration work to keep us together. we have doubled in size since the pandemic and it is just not us. over the past four years, 19 million new

business applications have been filed. like trump, i grew up in queens. unlike him i built my business with grit. that is my story, that's the american story. let's turn the page on trump. >> i am eric fitts. these are my sons christian ann carter . i always try to set an example for my boys, to teach them compassion , accountability, and resilience. i want those values to be reflected in our leaders. i don't want to have to turn off the tv because the president is lobbing insult or telling lies. i'm tired of all the hate. it's time to move forward together and build a

country our kids can be proud of. [ cheering and applause ] >> please welcome the bulls

official drum line , chicago's own pack drum line. ♪ ♪

♪

still ahead, speeches by michigan governor gretchen whitmer and arizona senator mark kelly. and the country band the chicks get ready to perform the national anthem. we will be right back.

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>> if you have been with me all four days, let me see you make some noise. the fourth and final night of the democratic national convention . i will go to the floor and see caitlin collins. a lot of energy out there tonight. >> i am down here on the floor, in the middle of the california delegation. you can see they handed out american flags and everybody is waiving one. i'm watching to see who will be next on stage. the energy is so different than it has been every night of this convention. obviously, it's been quite an electric convention. you've seen how festive the crowd has been. tonight supersedes all of

that. i can tell you, it's very hard to get on the floor right now. we were able to with our press passes, but for a lot of the delegates, there so many of them here that have shown up that a lot of them are having trouble getting into their seats. every seat is packed. it is standing room only . the california delegation has been the most excited to see their home state vice president get up there and speak in just a few hours addressing the convention. >> sara sidner is also on the convention floor. what are you hearing? >> this is wild. there's so much patriotism coming out of people's pores. every single person has a flag in their hand, they are singing the music , they are dancing. it does not matter your age, color, creed, who you love, everyone is standing up and enjoying themselves. they are already to hear the keynote speaker, of course, kamala harris. but there's a lot of

rumors going around. some people really want a certain someone to show up but even if she doesn't everyone is energized. there is one thing we have learned from this democratic national convention, it is that people feel incredibly energized and they are all telling me one after the other that they are going to leave here and they are going to go to work to elect kamala harris and tim walz. >> we just saw tim walz in the stands with his family his son gus and his daughter by his side. the energy is quite intense. it has been building. >> last night you had a lot of speakers come to the floor and say like oprah did, i'm an independent. i'm talking to you. republicans have spoken. tonight i see some effort to turn on some of the base people thought she was vulnerable with, particularly black men.

there's d.l. hughley, colin allred, maxwell frost, and the central park five with the very moving moment. it's the idea of the unity that people thought is she soft with them or not? her saying, i see you and i see the different generations of you and giving them a nod tonight. >> it is pretty loud in here right now. may be the loudest we have seen it during the convention. i think there's more people here. the american flags were startling me. normally they are hurling them but tonight they are waving them. just kidding. to me, the speech tonight by harris is the true beginning of the campaign for her. it has been weird because of the way she got into the race but now it is on . the words and excerpts we have seen that she's going to stress are realistic, practical, and

common sense. from this day forward that is the race. if she can get in that zone she is definitely viable. if trump turns it into something radical and dangerous than she will be ready to win. >> last night oprah said common sense versus nonsense. i just want to say something else. we saw the vice presidential nominee with his son gus who -- he was clearly disarming last night with his joy. he also came under attack from really tasteless people because he somebody that has some developmental disabilities. what is going on on that for right now is a celebration of a big, generous acceptance of people . that is the greatness of america and gus is part of it.

>> let's go to sara sidner down in the crowd. >> born in the usa. come on! i am here with the maryland delegation, and they all have their flags in hand. patriotism is on the top of the ticket tonight. tell me how you are feeling about being here. how does it feel ? people outside do not know. >> the energy is so tremendous. this is what america is all about, our shared values. we are all in this together. we couldn't be more excited. >> you have the coolest name, january. what has it been like being here today? >> it is so amazing, extremely electrifying night. i'm just hearing from everyone about how we are all connected. the vice president and the governor, and

why we are supporting them to be our next president and vice president. it's just an amazing experience. >> january, thank you so much. i appreciate it. i will toss it back to you, jake. >> thanks so much. i have to say, abby, despite the logistical challenges that existed, especially the first night, and people were having a tough time getting into the arena tonight, this is one of the best produced events, in terms of a political event that i have ever attended. right now, the energy is palpable. american flags all over the entire arena. it's pretty remarkable. >> they have gotten together, big-time, and they are dealing with now, too many people that want to be part of this event. we were all at the rnc. the rnc was an electrifying environment for many of those nights, but this is different, tonight, i think. it feels to me like there is an enormous amount of

energy and happiness in this room, which is a bit of a contrast from what we saw about four weeks ago at the rnc, which was more solomon times, and the anticipation here for all kinds of surprises tonight. i think it's really overwhelming. all i will say is, the dj played beyoncé and this place went wild for five seconds. >> it sure day. >> they thought something was happening. >> you can see it on the screen, in person, to see the sea of american flags that were given out to all of the delegates, patriotism is definitely here tonight. it is not an accident that this is what they are leaning into. this is the same , one of the main themes of kamala harris's discussion and what they say they are trying to reclaim from republicans. >> here are the chicks, formerly known as the dixie chicks, which are going to

sing the national anthem. ♪ o say, can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof

through the night that our flag was still there oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. ♪

[ crowd chanting ] >> please welcome , kerry washington . >> welcome to the final night of the democratic national convention ! the last three nights have been extraordinary and tonight , we hear from our next president, kamala harris ! now, as i stand here, i know that there are folks on social media already saying , go back to your tv show. shut up and act, but i am not here tonight

as an actor. i am here as a mother , as a daughter, as a proud union member . i am here as the granddaughter of immigrants , as a black woman descended from enslaved people. i am here tonight because i am an american and because i am a voter. and, because we the people are stronger when all our voices are heard. look, i know that i am the one standing on the stage, but i am not the lead character in the story. you are. all of you. you are the messengers. you are the fixers. dare i say it, you are the olivia popes . you are the superheroes saving this

democracy. it is you, not me, who has the greatest power to convince your loved ones to vote, so just like michelle obama told us, let's do something. let's make a video . everybody take out your phones. everybody take out your phones, we are going to make a moment. can somebody bring me my phone? i want to capture this historic moment and share it with the people that we love. oh, hi. you can take this video, guys. we are going to post it to social media. tag your friends, send this message out into the world. when i say, when we

fight, you are going to say -- >> we win! >> we are recording. when we fight, we were in! >> when we fight, we win ! are you ready for kamala harris to win ? good, because when kamala wins, america wins . we did it! we did it, joe . thank you, tony. no, you've got to go. >> by, everybody. >> tony goldwin, ladies and gentlemen. okay. so listen. it has come to my attention that there are some folks, who struggle or pretend to struggle with the proper pronunciation of our future presidents name.

so, hear me out. confusion is understandable. disrespect is not. so, tonight, we are going to help everyone get it right. here to help me are some very special guests. thank you, ladies. can you tell us your names? >> hello, everybody, my name is amara . >> my name is leela. >> how do you pronounce it? >> first, you say kamala, like a common sentence. >> then you say a -- put it together, it is kamala.

>> everybody over here, say kamala ! >> everybody over here say love . >> together! >> kamala, kamala, kamala . [ crowd chanting ] >> please welcome meena harris,

ella emhoff, and helena hudlin . >> hi, i am meena. i grew up in oakland, california, in a house full of extraordinary women. my mom, my grandma, and my auntie, who showed me the meaning of service. helping her sister, a 17-year-old single mom, fighting for justice for the american people, and still cooking sunday family dinner. she guided me. now, she is guiding my own children, and i know that she will guide our country forward. >> kamala came into my life when i was 14. famously, a very

easy time for a teenager . like a lot of young people, i didn't always understand what i was feeling, but no matter what, kamala was there for me. she was patient mccarron, and always took me seriously. she has never stopped listening to me and she will not stop listening to all of us. >> kamala harris is my godmother. to me, her advice means everything. whether it is pursuing my passions, making an impact, or finding hope with the world doesn't feel so hopeful. she taught me that making a difference means giving your whole heart and taking action. >> she is fighting for economic opportunity, lgbtq+ equality , and reproductive freedom, because we are not going back. >> she is fighting for social

justice, health justice, environmental justice, and she isn't alone. we are all in this fight together. >> so, let's keep up the fight. let's keep up the joy. >> and, let's elected this extraordinary woman as our next president! >> please welcome, actor and comedian, d.l. hughley. >> hey now, hey chicago! how are you all doing? what's happening, california? wait.

where are the aka's? where are they at? you know what? in three months, there ain't going to be no living with you all. i can tell you this, i don't blame donald trump. i have been married to a black woman for 40 years and i haven't won one debate. i am 0-93,000. of course, trump is saying that kamala is not black. i guarantee you this, kamala has been black a lot longer than trump has been a republican. and , if he keeps sliding in the polls the way he is, the only thing that can keep kamala out of the white house is if he buys it and refuses to rent it to her. of course, kamala is getting broad

support. they have black men for kamala. white men for kamala. latinos and asians for kamala. they even have republicans for kamala . republicans for kamala i guess donald trump will finally know what it's like when you get left for a younger woman. but, seriously, kamala knows the truth about the american dream. that hard work is not enough alone to succeed. you need access and information and opportunity, and she knows that some folks are often denied those very things. as president, she will give each and every one of us a fair shot in life. but, i have to admit,

i didn't always believe that. if you told me that 50-year-old me would be on stage supporting a prosecutor and a teacher -- there is no way that i would have believed you, but because of that i made assumptions about kamala's record, and i often repeated them to a lot of people. then, one day, kamala invited me to her house, she put her hand on my shoulder and asked me to do some research, something i had never done. something a lot of people i know had never done before. imagine attacking someone's character without a single google search. so i did what i should have done in the first place. i learned that she had done for us exactly what she promised to. i believe that your apology should be as loud as your accusation, and i am here apologizing in front of the whole world. i was wrong

and i am so very glad i was wrong, because kamala, you give me hope for the future, where my grandchildren have the freedom to control their own bodies, where they have the opportunity to go as far as their wits and talents will take them to that future, ladies and gentlemen, is possible, but only if we elect kamala harris as the 47th president of the united states of america. i will say this to you , the best piece of advice i have ever gotten in my life is, you don't have to know what you will do. just know what you want, and we won't go back. >> the energy in this room is electric , and you can feel it

everywhere, all over the country. in the coming weeks, i want us to find ways to maintain this energy and this joy and this commitment , because there will be days when the work ahead seems impossible , and when that happens, i know what i do. i get involved. i get engaged. i ask myself, how can i be of service to my community , because community is why we do this, am i right? yes! we do this for our children, our parents, our teachers and care workers, who treat our loved ones like their own. we do this for working families, who make this country thrive. we do this for the planet and for each other. we do this for justice and for peace and democracy, and as we are about to hear, we do this for the safety of our

communities. >> please welcome, michigan sheriff chris swanson. >> my job is to protect people , all people. in 2020 , righteous anger spilled over into the streets of flint, michigan. one bad decision from either side and there would have been bloodshed, but that didn't happen . we lay down our riot gear and we embraced the community , and instead of hate , we chose hope . on january 6th, the opposite

occurred. that day was paved with division , deceit and denigration. police officers were attacked that day. it could have been stopped. we need a leader, who will embody what is affixed to all three sides of my share of patrol cars, protect, serve and unify. kamala harris is that leader. as a prosecutor, kamala harris protected us by putting violent criminals and sex offenders behind bars. if i was in a courtroom, she is exactly the tough prosecutor that i would want to see. as vice president, she served america by keeping us safer , and i can testify

firsthand, where i come from , crime is down and police funding is up. as president, kamala harris will unify our country. she will bring us together. because our country needs a leader, who will go toe to toe with drug cartels and bullies. one, who has already taken the oath, raised her right hand to advocate for the people. i can tell you in 2020 , we were able to turn a protest into a peaceful movement by walking together , one city , one community, and one country . america, let's walk! let's walk. let's walk

together and let's elect kamala harris and turn hate into hope yet again. thank you! >> we were contemplating adopting, and then, out of nowhere, i got pregnant. jordan was so much fun as a child. >> when all of a sudden -- >> someone is shooting. >> three of those rounds were aimed at jordan. jordan didn't deserve to die that way. >> reports of an active shooter at a high school. >> these students have now lived through so many of these shootings, since they were born, almost. >> we were crying. i don't know how we are live. >> an active shooter at an elementary school in uvalde, texas. multiple children have been killed. >> most of the bodies were so

mutilated that only dna tests or grain converse could identify them. >> trump did nothing on guns and was proud of it. >> there was great pressure on me. we did nothing. >> after a mass shooting in iowa, trump said -- >> you have to get over it. >> you never get over it. kamala harris and joe biden refuse to get over it. as district attorney, she got illegal guns off the street. as attorney general, she took on transnational crime rings and stopped gun trafficking. as vice president, she helped pass the most sweeping gun violence legislation in three decades. keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. expanding background checks. closing loopholes. >> we will finally pass red flag laws, universal background checks, and an assault weapons ban. >> kamala understands the fight

we are in. >> the power is with the people. >> it gives people like me, survivors like me hope. [ cheers and applause ] >> please welcome georgia representative, lucy mcbath. >> when i worked for every town for gun safety, and mom's demand action for gun sense in america, i saw firsthand the power of telling our stories . you have just heard mine, but there are many more to tell. on december 14th , 2012, i walked

into sandy hook school. i stopped at the office , chatted with my principal and started my day with my second graders. suddenly , a loud crash , like metal folding chairs falling. 154 gunshots blaring . hiding in the coats , trying to sing with my students, trying to read to them, trying to drown out the sounds . terror , crying , running , i carried that horrific day with me . 20 beautiful first-grade children and six of my beautiful colleagues were killed. they should still be here . [

applause ] >> it is 10:30 a.m. at robb elementary in uvalde. the school is recognizing my 10-year-old daughter, lexi, for receiving all a's. she receives a good citizen award and we posed for photos. she wears a st. marys sweatshirt and a smile that lights up the room. 30 minutes later, a gunman murders her. 18 class meets and two teachers. we were taken to a private room, where police tell us she isn't coming home. uvalde is national news.

parents everywhere reach for their children. i reached out for the daughter i would never hold again. [ applause ] >> my niece, sandy patrice, was 22. she drove to myrtle beach for sun and fun and motorcycle parades. hours later, my phone rang. a shooting on the beach. no one can find sandy. i stayed calm. you see, my mother, patricia and, had been shot and killed by an abusive partner. i

was calm then too. i got to handling business. i called relatives. the police. hospitals, and i kept calling , voice steady, heartbeat pulsing, and then i was connected to the coroner. 10 years of waiting , and sandy's murder is still unsolved. i will keep calling and i will keep fighting. [ applause ] >> i was in high school when my classmate got shot. it changed my story. instead of worrying about taking a test, i started worrying about living to take another test. they say schools are for learning. i did learn a

lot that day. i learned how to run, how to hide and drop. that what happens in the news can happen to me, but i learned something else too. that we can write a new story and we choose to . [ cheers and applause ] >> our stories of loss , make no mistake, our losses do not weaken us. they strengthen our resolve . we will secure safer futures that we all deserve . we will organize . we will

advocate . we will run for office ! [ cheers and applause ] and, we will join with americans from small towns and big cities to keep our communities safe. [ cheers and applause ] and, we will elect leaders like kamala harris , who won't just empathize, but will act . [ cheers and applause ]

>> please welcome, former arizona representative, gabby giffords. >> hello, fellow americans! i

am gabby giffords. i was born in the great state of arizona . i was born with grit. i grew up racing motorcycles and exploring the beautiful desert. i fell for an astronaut. for five years, i served in congress from a swing district. everybody called me a rising star . then, on january 8th, 2011, a man tried to assassinate me. he shot 19 people, killed six. terrible, terrible day. i almost died, but i fought for my life and i survived! [ cheers and applause

] i learned to walk again one step at a time. i learned to talk again one word at a time. so many people helped me as i worked hard to recover, including a decent man from delaware, who always checked in. he still does! thank you, joe biden. thank you for everything . joe is a great president. my friend kamala will be a great president could she is tough. she has grit . kamala can beat the gun lobby. she can fight gun trafficking . kamala stood up to wall street and the drug companies. she

will protect abortion access. she will defend our freedom. she saved lives. join me in voting for kamala harris ! thank you . >> former congresswoman , gabby giffords, and her husband, senator mark kelly. it is really remarkable, the progress she has made since the horrible shooting in 2011 , dana, where she was previously injured and six others were killed. >> i remember seeing her within the year after, and interviewing her after she was shot, and to think about that versus what we just saw here , and to hear her say, i was a rising star. that was stolen from her. to say, i was almost

killed , and to have her standing there with her husband, who is never going to be a politician, but stepped in and ran and became a senator from his adopted home state of arizona, because she was no longer a rising star . because she was shot in the head. >> that whole segment was so incredibly moving , on gun violence, to see those mothers, the teachers, the students , who were all there , and we were covering so many of those events. i remember many of those days like they were yesterday. it was silent in here, reverent in here, incredibly searing. >> we are about to hear from philadelphia 's pride and joy, p!nk, who will be singing the song, what about us? let's listen. ♪ la-da-da-da-da,

la-da-da-da-da da-da-da ♪ ♪ we are searchlights, we can see in the dark we are rockets, pointed up at the stars ♪ ♪ we are billions of beautiful hearts and you sold us down the river too far ♪ what about us? what about all the times you said you had the answers? ♪ ♪ what about us? what about all the broken happy-ever-afters? ♪ ♪ what about us? what about all the plans that ended in

disaster? ♪ ♪ what about love? what about trust? what about us? ♪ ♪ we are problems that want to be solved we are children that need to be loved ♪ ♪ we were willing, we came when you called but man, you fooled us, enough is enough, oh ♪ ♪ what about us? what about all the times you said you had the answers? ♪ ♪ what about us? what about all the broken

happy-ever-afters? ♪ ♪ oh, what about us? what about all the plans that ended in disaster? ♪ ♪ oh, what about love? what about trust? what about us? ♪ ♪ sticks and stones they may break these bones but then i'll be ready, are you ready? ♪ ♪ i don't want control, i want to let go are you ready? i'll be ready ♪ ♪ 'cause now it's time to let them know we are ready ♪ ♪ what about... what about us? ♪ ♪ what about all the times you said you had the answers? so what about us? ♪ ♪ what

about all the broken happy-ever-afters? oh, what about us? ♪ ♪ what about all the plans that ended in disaster? oh, what about love? what about trust? ♪ ♪ what about us? what about us? ♪ ♪ what about us? what about us? ♪ ♪ what about us? [ cheers and applause ] >> that was p!nk performing with her daughter, willow. we hear the word freedom so much this week. >> we hear freedom from, rather than freedom to do something. it is this turn of language where you have democrats saying there is a kind of encroachment

on various freedoms and saying, look, we can be free from gun violence. we can be free from a variety of things, and it is an interesting parallel to this long-running conversation, even about abortion. >> i agree. for me, this whole thing has been so beautiful , and there are just too many funerals. there are too many funerals in america. there is so much pain, and to have it spoken to in this way, and to believe that there is somebody that understands, because she has been on the front lines. kamala harris has gone to those funerals and held the hands of the victims. >> the things about these stories, they really aren't republican stories. they are democratic stories. rural or urban, they crossed so many lines, and they have a common humanity. >> coming up right now is senator mark kelly.

>> hello, chicago! hello, democrats . so, president obama had to follow michelle. i had to follow gabby and p!nk. gabby amazes me every single day. she was able to walk out and address you tonight because she is a fighter . and, thanks to a team of doctors, nurses and

especially, her speech therapist. we all need a team. i have flown into space four times . i have flown into combat , nearly 40 times . not once did i do that by myself. it took a team to accomplish a mission. it always does. i flew in the navy during the first gulf war . america rallied our allies to kick out a tyrant , who invaded a neighbor . today, vladimir putin is testing whether we are still that strong. iran , north korea ,

and especially china watch closely . what is trump's answer? he invited russia to do -- and these are his words, not mine -- whatever the hell they want. vice president harris has always championed america's support for nato , for ukraine . and, for the ukrainian people. on the senate intelligence committee, she investigated russian interference in our election. she defends free and fair elections everywhere. you already know how trump feels about those. donald trump

skipped his intelligence briefings. he was too busy sucking up to dictators and dreaming of becoming one himself . trump thinks that americans , who have made the ultimate sacrifice , are suckers and losers. if we fall for that again and make him the commander in chief, the only suckers would be us. kamala harris knows that standing with our allies means standing up for americans . she will keep modernizing our military to support our troops and to support our veterans,

like our next vice president, tim walz. the world laughs at trump, literally . but folks, it is not funny. when he was president , that meant the world was laughing at us . the threats we faced are too serious. the sacrifices our servicemembers make are too sacred . the alliances we have spent decades building are too critical. that is what is at stake now. and, the choice , the choice isn't even close, but in arizona and nationwide, this election will be. we will in in the same way we launched

rockets into space and landed fighter jets on an aircraft carrier, as one team on one mission. state by state . voter by voter coming together. no country , no country is better than ours at solving big problems, so on november 5th, let's prove that america is still the leader the world needs today , by electing the leader we need right now, kamala harris ! thank you, everybody. thank you. >> please welcome former secretary of defense, leon panetta .

>> my fellow americans, i'm proud to have served in the army , the congress , the white house , chief of staff , cia director, and secretary of defense. i have looked into the eyes of our warriors and deployed them into battle . i gave the order directing our special operations forces to fly two helicopters , 150 miles at night, and by the time the sun rose, osama bin laden was dead.

because nobody attacks our country and gets away with it. nobody. [ cheers and applause ] that is what our warriors do. our warriors need a tough, coolheaded commander in chief to defend our democracy from tyrants and terrorists . we need kamala harris behind the resolute desk . she knows a tyrant when she sees one and, our allies know a leader when they see one. on the senate

intelligence committee and as vice president, she worked with more than 150 world leaders . she has looked our allies in the eyes and said, america has your back . trump would abandon our allies and isolate america . we tried that in the 1930s. it was foolish and dangerous then and it is foolish and dangerous now . [ cheers and applause ] listen to president reagan. president reagan, isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments. never . trump tells tyrants like putin they

can do whatever the hell they want. kamala harris tells tyrants, the hell you can, not on my watch. she has worked with president zelenskyy to fight back against russia. she knows that protecting their democracy protects our democracy as well . look, donald trump does not understand the world . and, he does not understand the service and sacrifice of our military . our fallen veterans are not suckers. they are not losers. they are our heroes! [ cheers

and applause ] kamala harris will honor our veterans and in tim walz name, we will have a vice president, who has served in uniform honorably for 24 years. kamala harris understands this moment . it is a moment of danger and a moment of opportunity. she will keep america's military the strongest in the world , the strongest ever known , and she understands what our military is for. the role of our military is to defend us from foreign enemies. it is not to threaten americans, and it sure

as hell isn't to put immigrants in camps. [ cheers and applause ] every president , every president since world war ii , republican and democrat has shared the belief that america must protect democracy in the world. every president has honored our veterans and their sacrifices , every president but one . but one. so, we face a critical choice. to vote for someone who stands with our military and stands up for democracy , or someone who will disrespect our heroes and undermine our democracy. my fellow americans

, there is only one choice. one choice. and, let me tell you something. when she takes her oath of office as she will this january , our allies will cheer , our enemies will fear, and we will have a commander-in-chief that we can trust. god bless our veterans and god bless our country. [ cheers and applause ] >> please welcome arizona representative, ruben gallego.

>> i'm a dad, husband , congressman , and the proudest arizonan you will ever meet , but i am even prouder to be a marine . my mom raised us alone on a secretary's salary . i slept on the floor. i worked every job i could , meat-packing, construction, making pizzas. i made it to harvard with no money or connections. other kids were happy because they were at harvard. i was happy because i finally had a mattress. then, i enlisted . i fought alongside my brothers with lima 325 in iraq. they called us lucky lima , but our luck ran out. we saw

some of the heaviest combat of the war, and when we got home, the government failed to help us readjust. we have a duty to care for our patriots, who serve our nation. for the vietnam veteran in buckeye that relies on the va for his medication, for the afghan veteran in pittsburgh, who finally got treatment for his ptsd. for the marine in milwaukee that relies on the benefits she earned. for my navajo brothers and sisters that served in the marines with me, i remember you too. kamala harris and tim walz are fighting for them. kamala harris has delivered more benefits to more veterans than ever before, and has achieved the lowest veterans unemployment rate in history. vice president harris has stood up for us and our families,

always . tim walz served for 24 years. his passion for veterans earned him respect on both sides of the aisle, and he stands with us too. in fact, let me introduce you to some of the many democrats, who understand what service means, because we put country over politics . we were proud to wear the uniform , and we are proud serving our country in city halls, state capitals, the u.s. house and the senate . these veterans represent the best of our country. we stand united as veterans , democrats and patriots to fight for

everyone who serves. [ cheers and applause ] but, politicians, like donald trump , they don't stand with us. they call patriots like senator mccain, losers . john mccain was an american hero . show some respect! trump's project 2025 will/ slash veteran benefits and cause va hospitals to close across the nation. show some respect . so, for the 18-year-old, who decides to enlist, for the families like mine, who pray every night that their loved one would come home, for our troops stationed thousands of miles away, for my marines of lima company, let's elect kamala harris and tim

walz, who don't just respect our service, but revere it. because, if veterans who defended this country are just the reason we can sleep at night. they are the reason we can dream. and, together , together we will fight for our veterans and everyone who served our country. thank you! [ crowd chanting ]

>> we see members of congress there who are all united states veterans, mikey cheryl there in the white. and here is the governor of michigan, gretchen whitmer. >> i am governor gretchen whitmer. in lansing, they call

me governor. but in detroit, they call me big gretch. donald trump called me that woman from michigan. as an insult. being a woman from michigan is a badge of honor. like women a crossed america, we just gsd. get stuff done. at 29, i joined the sandwich generation. sandwiched between working and raising a newborn and caring for my mom. who was dying from brain cancer. it was hard. but not extraordinary. it's life.

those nights reminded me who i was fighting for. people just trying to make it. kamala harris knows who she is fighting for two. she took care of her mom. who also battled cancer. as president, she will fight to lower the cost of healthcare and elder care for every family. she has lived a life like ours. she knows us. donald trump doesn't know you. at all. you think he understands that when your car breaks down, you can't get to work. no. his first word was probably chauffeur. you think he has ever had to take items out of the cart before checking

out? do you think he's ever been to a grocery store? that's what the show for is for. but kamala harris, she gets us. she sees us. she is us.

>> please welcome, actress and eva longoria. >> hello chicago. yes. i am so

excited to be here tonight. what an honor to be part of this historic moment and y'all are part of it. look, i have known kamala harris for more than a decade. and, she comes from a family a lot like mine and i'm sure a lot like yours. we were both raised knowing that no one was going to hand as anything. especially as women. that we were going to have to touch every rung of the ladder to get ahead, we were going to have to work really hard now, she worked at mcdonald's but i worked at wendy's. and look at us now. you see, kamala and i were able to see beyond the horizon because our families supported

our big dreams. well, guess what, as americans, we are all part of one big family. and as family we have to have each other's back. we have to support each other's dreams because kamala's success is our success. and she supports us to dream big two. so let me tell you, in the latino community and our community, we have a saying. which means yes we can. but tonight, i am here to tell you, yes she can so we are going to say , if someone asks you if she is ready to leave this country forward we will say. if somebody says if she is qualified for the job. and when somebody asks is she going to be the first female

president of the united states, we are going to say . our voices, our vote, we will decide this election. and let me tell you, the energy tonight is not just here in chicago, it's all across the country , people are gathered at watch parties everywhere to celebrate kamala harris. say hello. yes. all right. we know how to work, so let's get to work. let's turn all of this enthusiasm and joy into action between now and november fifth, let's go.

>> please welcome, former illinois republican representative, adam kinzinger. ♪ >> hey, good evening. good evening. thank you. thank you, thank you. i am adam kinzinger and i am proud to be in the trenches with you. as part of this sometimes awkward alliance that we have, to defend the truth. defend democracy. and decency. i was just a kid, when i was drawn to the party of ronald reagan. to his vision of a strong america, the shining city on a hill, i was a republican for 12 years in congress and i still hold onto the label. i never thought it would be here but listen, you

never thought you would see me here, did you? but, i've learned something about the democratic party. and i want to let my fellow republicans in on the secret. the democrats are as patriotic as us. yes, they love this country just as much as we do. and they and they are as eager to defend american values at home and abroad as we conservatives have ever been. i

was relieved to discover that because, i have learned something about my party too. something i couldn't ignore. the republican party is no longer conservative. it has switched its allegiance. from the principles that gave it purpose, to a man whose only purpose is himself. donald trump is a weak man , pretending to be strong. he is a small man pretending to be big. he is a faithless man, pretending to be righteous. he is a perpetrator who cannot stop playing the vic them. he puts on , he puts on quite a show but there is no real strength there. as a conservative and a veteran, i believe true strength lies in

defending the vulnerable. it is in protecting your family. it's in standing up for our constitution and our democracy. that, that is the soul of being a conservative. it used to be the soul of being a republican. but donald trump has suffocated the soul of the republican party. his fundamental weakness has coursed through my party like an illness. sapping our strength, softening our spine. whipping us into a fever that is untethered us from our values. our democracy was frayed by the events of january 6. as donald trump's deceit and dishonor led to a siege on the united states capital. that day, i stood witness to a profound sorrow. the desecration of our sacred tradition of peaceful transition of power. tarnished by a man to fragile , too vain

and two-week to accept defeat. how can a party claim to be patriotic if it idolizes a man who tried to overthrow free and fair election? how can a party claim to stand for liberty if it sees a fight for freedom in ukraine. an attack bidding tyranny against democracy, a challenge to everything our nation claims to be. and it retreats. it equivocates. it nominates a man who is weirdly obsessed with putin. and his running mate, his running mate who said quote i don't care what happens in ukraine. and he wants to be vice president. yeah. how can a party claim to be conservative when it tarnishes the gifts that our forebears fought for. men like my grandfather. who served in

world war ii. who believed in a cause bigger than himself and he risked his life for its behind enemy lines. to preserve american democracy, his generation found the courage to face down armies. listen, all we are asked to do is to summon the courage to stand up to one week man. some , some have questioned , some have questioned why i have taken the stand i have. and the answer is really simple ladies and gentlemen. we must put country first. and tonight, and tonight is a republican speaking for you, i am putting our country first. because the fact is, i do belong here. i know kamala

harris shares my allegiance to the rule of law, the constitution and democracy. and she is dedicated to upholding all three in service to our country. whatever policies we disagree on, pale in comparison with those of fundamental matters of principle. of decency. and a fidelity to this nation. listen, to my fellow republicans. if you still pledge allegiance to those principles, i suspect you belong here too. because, because democracy knows no party. it is a living, breathing ideal that defines us as a nation. it's the bedrock that separates us from tyranny and when that foundation is

fractured, we must all stand together united to strengthen it. if you think those principles are worth defending, then i urge you, make the right choice. vote for our bedrock values. and vote for kamala harris. god bless you. >> please welcome, lawyer, policy advocate and sister of the vice president, maya harris. >> hello chicago. in 1958, a

19-year-old from india left the only country she had ever known to chart her own path in america. she came here to pursue an education. but she stayed here to build a life. her name was >> but we called her mom. she was so many things to so many people, a civil rights activist, a scientist, a devoted mother to her two little girls. but most of all mommy was a trailblazer who decide and defy the odds and defined herself. and when it came to kamala and me, mommy had great expectations for us but she had even greater expectations of us. she raised us to believe that we could be

and do anything. and we believed her. you see, mommy understood the power and the possibility that come with knowing and showing who you truly are. she knew we could be the authors of our own stories. just as she had been the author of her own. mommy's journey and the opportunity that she wanted for kamala and me , that is a distinctly american story. we may all have different histories. different struggles. or different perspectives, but what binds us together is the fervent desire to be free , to fulfill our god-given potential. kamala's entire

life has been about fighting for each of us. to have that freedom. and like so many americans, kamala knows what it's like to be underestimated. and to be counted out. she knows what it's like to be the underdog. and yet still beat the odds. and now, she has created so much electricity. so much optimism. so much joy throughout the nation and it is why we need her leadership in this historic moment. we are living in a time when some are trying to divide us. to separate us. in ways that make it difficult for us to come together. well look, my sister rejects that view. where others push darkness, kamala sees

promise. where others feel detachment, kamala fosters connection. where others , want to drag us back to the past. my sister says, hold up now. we are not going back. >> because kamala understands we have so much more in common than what separates us. she knows the measure of our success. is not just winning an election. it's about who we bring along and lift up in the process. and so as i look out at all of you today , and take in this incredible moment. i so

wish, that mommy could be here tonight. i can just see her smiling , saying how proud she is of kamala. and then, without missing a beat, she would say that is enough, you got work to do. she would tell all of us, to roll up our sleeves and get to work. to elect a leader who sees the potential in each of us. a leader who cares up for all of us. a leader who fights for every one of us. our democratic nominee , my big sister, the next president of the united states, kamala harris.

>> please welcome, north carolina governor, roy cooper. >> hello america. i am roy cooper. the last guy standing between you and the moment we are all waiting for. so, so i'm going to get right to it. all week, you've heard stories about my friend kamala, i will take you behind the scenes of one of them. 2011 was a rough time for american homeowners. hundreds of thousands were losing their homes to illegal foreclosure. i was attorney

general in north carolina. while kamala had just become california's. all of the ag's were close to a settlement with the big banks. and it was a pretty good deal. would have meant $4 billion for california families that had been ripped off. i know that sounds like a lot. but kamala said hang on a minute. i have met these families. i know what they have been through. and they deserve more. she went to to toe with some of the world's most powerful executives. and she refused to give in. let me tell you. this was a huge risk. but she knew it was a risk worth taking. that is kamala. and we all know what happens , the banks caved. that 4 billion for

california families became 20 billion. that was the first time i witnessed kamala in action. and what i saw was a leader. who does exactly what she says she's going to do. who never will settle for less. america, we got a lot of big fights ahead of us. and we've got one fighter to take them on. i know that. i know that. because i know her. and tonight, i want the american people to know, even if you don't agree with her on everything . kamala harris will fight for you until the very end. for families who need better healthcare. or safer places to live. kamala will fight for you. for parents, who

want better schools for their kids. for workers, worried about a secure retirement for themselves. kamala will fight for you. for anyone of our allies. anywhere in the world. wondering if america still has your back. remember this. kamala will fight for you. and when she fights. we win. kamala is ready. kamala is ready, the question is, are we? are we going to stand up and fight for kamala? like she will stand up and fight for us? all right. if you are ready. my home state of north carolina, stand up. stand up pennsylvania. stand up michigan. stand up wisconsin.

stand up georgia. stand up nevada. stand up arizona. stand up america. are we going to stand up? are we going to fight? are we going to vote? are we going to win? you bet we are. let's go get them. [ cheers and applause ] >> she grew up in a tightknit neighborhood, the kind of place where your neighbor would look afteter you whenen school wowout out. whehen you firsrst great teteacher woululd show up atat law school graduation. that's what kamala harris learned to

be what it is to be middle class, making every paycheck count. she was raised by a working mom. who taught her about standing up for what's right and protecting the people you love. >> kamala carries the lessons of our mother , the fighting spirit of our mother. the compassion. >> she was all of five feet tall, if you met her you would've thought she was seven feet tall. and if i ever came home complaining about something, she would inhabit the, the first thing she would say is just stop the complaining and tell me what you are going to do about it. >> since she was a young girl, kamala hararris has been f fighg for r families l like the onone grgrew up in. . > that is k kamala, s she c' help hererself from m standing for peoplele and standnding up what she t thinks is right. she has been that way our whole life. being a protector. is what led her to become a prosecutor. looking back now. i would say it was her calling. >> is a courtroom prosecutor

she went after predators that targeted women and children. and d fraudstersrs who rippeped woworking famimilies. and d put dangerouous gang memembers and human trtraffickers s behind ba >> we didn't have partnerships with doj or fbi, or dea or any of those law-enforcement agencies. now, we all work collaboratively. she was the person who built the foundation and how we do criminal justice in america. >> as attorney general of california, she held the big wall street banks accountable for fraud. winning $20 billion for california families. she tookok on one ofof the largeges for-profitit colleges s in the stanandard s students. i in the sesenate she f fought for r the consnstituents w with a determinatation. standing g up reproductitive freedomom. >> canan you thinknk of any y l ththat give the e government th power to make decisions about the male body? >> i'm not thinking of any right t now. >> she fought to keeeep our r

childrdren safe in terror r of viololence. >> h how many ofof you g guys h have a d drill where y you lear how you u need to hihide in a closet o or crouch i in a cornen the e event thatat thehere i is massssive shooteter? look at th lolook at thatat. > the intelelligence cocommi she defefended our n nation agat foreign n adversarieies. and in 202020 she made e history. a as first wowoman to be e elected v prpresident ofof the united sts. she e cast thehe tie-breakaking to d deliver urgrgent reliefef e amamerican peoeople duringng th papandemic. shshe beat big phar to lowerer prescriptption drug cocosts and kekept the cosost o ininsulin. led the fight to restore rereproductiveve rights after roroe v wade w was overturneded. >> we haveve worked totoo hard fougught too lonong toto s see daughters s grow up p in a worl with fewewer rights s than our mothers.s. >> becauause she hasas never be

afraid to o stand up t to power intereststs. >> sometetimes peoplple will op the dodoor for youou and leavev opopen and sometimes they won't. and then you need to kick ththa dooror down. excxcuse my lanang >> nowow, she is runningng for presesident, stitill fightining families l like the onone she g up in. >> o our campaign n is about s g we trurust the people and sayin we just t want faiairness. we w dignitity for all peoplele. and are a a work in prprogress, wew hahaven't t yet quite e reached ofof those idedeals, but we e w die trtrying bececause we love country. w we believe e in our country.y. we arare not fallingr thesese folks whwho are trying divivide us. tryrying to pulull apapart. we knknow what wewe st fofor and we statand foror the peopople. and wewe s stand for dignity y of work. a and we sta for freeeedom. w we stand d for jujustice, we e stand for r equ, and d so we willll fight foror f it. >> that's who kamala harris is and d that's who she e believes

and thatat's whwhat she wilill t for evevery day. >> ♪ won''t let my f freedom ro , i willll keeeep rurunning beca winner don't quit on themselves. ♪ >> please welcome, the democratic nominee for president. vice president of the united states of america, kamala harris. >> ♪ freedom, freedom. where are you. because i need freedom too. i break the chains, don't let my freedom rot. hey, i will keep running because a winner

don't quit on themselves. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> good evening. [ cheers and applause ]

[ cheers and applause ] >> good evening everyone. good evening. good evening. oh, my goodness. good evening everyone, good evening. good evening. thank you. thank you. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] >> good evening. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you everyone. thank

you. thank you. thank you. thank you, >> usa! usa! usa! >> thank you all, okay, we have to get us in business. okay, thank you all. okay. thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. thank you, thank you, please, thank you. please, thank you so very much. thank you everyone. thank you everyone. thank you, okay, let's get to business. let's get to business, all right. so, let me start by thanking my most incredible husband doug. for being an incredible partner to me and an incredible father to cole and ella and happy

anniversary doug. i love you so very much. to our president, joe biden. when i think about the path that we have traveled together, joe, i am thrilled and filled with gratitude, your record is extraordinary as history will show, and your character is inspiring and doug and i love you and jill and are forever thankful to you both. and to coach tim walz. you are going to be an incredible vice president. and to the delegates

and everyone who has put your faith in our campaign. your support is humbling. so, america , the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected. but i am no stranger to unlikely journeys. so, my mother, our mother, shyamala gopalan harris had one of her own and i miss her every day and especially right now. and i know she is looking down smiling. i know that. so my mother, was 19 when she crossed the world alone. traveling from india to california with an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer. when she finished school, she was supposed to return home to a traditional

arranged marriage. but as fate would have it, she met my father, donald harris, a student from jamaica. they fell in love, and got married, and that act of self-determination made my sister maia and me. growing up, we moved a lot. i will always remember that big mayflower truck packed with all our belongings, ready to go. to illinois. to wisconsin. and wherever our parents jobs took us. my early memories of our parents together are very joyful ones. a home filled with laughter. and music. aretha, coltrane and miles at the park. my mother would say, stay close

but my father would say, as he smiled, run the kamala, run, don't be afraid. don't let anything stop you. from my earliest years, he taught me to be fearless. but the homemade between my parents did not last, when i was in elementary school, they split up and it was mostly my mother who raised us. before she could finally afford to buy a home, she rented a small apartment in the east bay. in the bay, in the bay, you either live in the hills or the flatlands. we lived in the flats. a beautiful, working-class neighborhood of firefighters, nurses and construction workers. all who attended their

lawns with pride. my mother, she worked long hours and like many working parents, she leaned on a trusted circle to help raise us. mrs. shelton who ran the dare care below us and became a second mother. uncle sherman, aunt mary, uncle freddie, auntie chris. none of them, family by blood. and all of them family by love. family who taught us how to make gumbo. how to play chess. and sometimes even let us win. family who loved us , believed in us and told us we could be anything and do anything. they

instilled in us the values they personified , community. faith. and the importance of treating others as you would want to be treated. with kindness. respect. and compassion. my mother was a brilliant five foot tall , brown woman with an accent. and as the eldest child , as the eldest child, i saw how the world would sometimes treat her. but my mother never lost her cool. she was tough. courageous. a trailblazer in the fight for women's health. and she taught maya and me a lesson that michelle mentioned the other night. she taught us to never complain about injustice. but do something about it. do something about

it. that was my mother. and she taught us and she always , she also taught us , she also taught us and never do anything half-assed and that is a direct quote. i grew up immersed in the ideals of the civil rights movement. my parents had met at a civil rights gathering. and they made sure that we learned about civil rights leaders including the lawyers, like thurgood marshall and constance baker motley. those who battled in the courtroom to make real promise of america. so, at a young age, i decided i wanted to do that work. i wanted to be a lawyer. and when it came time to choose the type of law i

would pursue, i reflected on a pivotal moment in my life. you see, when i was in high school, i started to notice something about my best friend wanda. she was sad at school. and there were times she did not want to go home. so one day, i asked if everything was all right. and she confided in me that she was being sexually abused by her stepfather. and i immediately told her she had to come stay with us. and she did. this is one of the reasons i became a prosecutor. to protect people like wanda because i believe everyone has a right to safety, to dignity, and to justice. as a prosecutor, when i had a case. i charged it not in the name of the vic them. but in

the name of the people. for a simple reason. in our system of justice. a harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us. and i would often explain this to console survivors of crime , to remind them no one should be made to fight alone. we are all in this together. and every daday, in the courtroom, i stood proudly before a judge and i said five words. kamala harris for the people. and to be clear , and

to be clear, my entire career, i have only had one client , the people. and so, on behalf of the people, on behalf of every american , regardless of party. race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks. on behalf of my mother. and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey. on behalf of americans like the people i grew up with, people who work hard , chase their dreams and look out for one another. on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth. i accept your

nomination to be president of the united states of america. [ cheers and applause ] and with the selection , and with this election. our nation , our nation with this election , has a precious fleeting , opportunity to move past the bitterness , cynicism and divisive battles of the past. a chance to chart a new way forward. not as members of any

one party or faction, but as americans. and let me say, i know there are people of various political views watching tonight. and i want you to know, i promise to be a president for all americans , you can always trust me to put country above party and self. to hold sacred americas fundamental principles from the rule of law. to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power. [ cheers and applause ] i will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations. a president who leads and listens. who is realistic ,

practical and has common sense. and always fights for the american people. from the courthouse , to the white house, that has been my life's work. as a young, courtroom prosecutor in oakland, california. i stood up, for women and children against predators who abuse them. as attorney general of california, i took on the big banks. delivered $20 billion for middle-class families who faced foreclosure and helped pass a homeowner bill of rights one of the first of its kind in the nation. i stood up for veterans and students being scammed by big for-profit colleges. for

workers who were being cheated out of their wages, the wages they were due. for seniors facing elder abuse. i fought against the cartels who traffic in guns and drugs and human beings. who threaten the sip purity of our border and the safety of our community. and i will tell you, these fights were not easy. and neither were the elections that put me in those offices. we were underestimated at practically every turn. but we never gave up. so , because the future is always worth fighting for. and that is the fight we are in right now. a fight for america's future. fellow

americans, this election is not only the most important of our lives. it is one of the most important in the life of our nation. in many ways, donald trump is an unserious man. but the consequences , but the consequences of putting donald trump back in the white house are extremely serious. consider consider, not only the chaos and calamity when he was in office but also, the gravity of what has happened since he lost the last election. donald trump

tried to throw away your votes. when he failed, he sent an armed mob to the united states capital where they assaulted law enforcement officers. when politicians in his own party, begged him to call off the mob, and send to help , he did the opposite , he fanned the flames. and now, for an entirely different set of crimes, he was found guilty of a fraud by a jury of everyday americans and separately , and separately found liable for committing sexual abuse. and consider , consider what he intends to do. if we give him power again. consider, his explicit intent to set free

violent extremists who assaulted those law-enforcement officers at the capital. his explicit intent to jail journalists, political opponents and anyone he sees as the enemy. his explicit intent to deploy our active duty military against our own citizens. consider , consider the power he will have especially after the united states supreme court just ruled that he would be immune from criminal prosecution. just imagine donald trump with no guardrails. and how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the united

states. not to improve your life. not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had. himself. and we know, and we know what a second trump term would look like, it's all laid out in projects 2025, written by his closest advisors. and in sum total is to pull our country back to the past. but america , we are not going back. we are not going back. we are not going back. we are not going back. to when donald trump tried to cut social security and medicare.

we are not going back to when he tried to get rid of the affordable care act. when insurance companies could deny people with pre-existing conditions. we are not going back and going to let him eliminate the department of education that funds our public schools. we are not going to let him end programs like headstart that provide preschool and childcare for our children. america, we are not going back. >> and we are charting and we are charting a new way forward. forward. to a future with a strong and growing middle class because we know , a strong middle class has always been

critical to america's success. and building that middle-class will be a defining goal of my presidency. and i will tell you, this is personal for me. the middle class is where i'm from. my mother kept a strict budget. we lived within our means. yet, we wanted for little. and she expected us to make the most of the opportunities that were available to us. and to be grateful for them. because, as she taught us , opportunity is not available to everyone. that's why we will create what i call an opportunity economy and an opportunity economy where everyone has the chance to compete and a chance to succeed. whether you live in a

rural area, small town or big city. and as president, i will bring together labor and workers and the small business owners and entrepreneurs and american companies to create jobs , to grow our economy, and to lower the cost of every day needs like healthcare and housing and groceries. we will provide access to capital for small business owners, and entrepreneurs and founders. and we will end america's housing shortage, and protect social security and medicare. now compare that to donald trump. because i think everyone here knows he doesn't actually fight for the middle class, he

doesn't actually fight for the middle class, instead he fights for himself and his billionaire friends. and he will give them another round of tax breaks. that will add up to $5 trillion to the national debt. and all the while, he intends to enact what in effect is a national sales tax call it a trump tax that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4000 a year. well, instead of a trump tax hike, we will pass on middle-class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million americans. friends, i believe america cannot truly be prosperous unless americans are fully able to make their own

decisions. about their own lives especially on matters of heart and home. but tonight, in america, too many women are not able to make those decisions. and let's be clear about how we got here. donald trump hand-picked members of the united states supreme court to take away reproductive freedom. and now he brags about it. in his words, quote i did it and i'm proud to have done it. end quote. well, i will tell you over the past two years, i have traveled across our country. and women have told me their stories, husbands and fathers have shared theirs. stories of miscarrying in a parking lot,

developing sepsis, losing the ability to ever again have children all because doctors are afraid they may go to jail for caring for their patients. couples just trying to grow their family. cut off in the middle of ivf treatments. children who have survived sexual assault. potentially being forced to carry a pregnancy to term. this is what is happening in our country. because of donald trump. and understand, he is not done. as a part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control. bad medication abortion. and enact a nationwide abortion ban with or without congress. and get this, get this, he plans to

create a national antiabortion coordinator. and force states to report on women's miscarriages and abortions. simply put, they are out of their minds. and one must ask, one must ask , why exactly is it that they don't trust women? well we trust women. we trust women. and when congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom as president of the united states , i will proudly sign it into law.

>> in this election, many other fundamental freedoms are at stake. the freedom to live safe from gun violence in our schools, communities and places of worship. the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride. the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis. and the freedom that unlocks all the others, the freedom to vote. with this election we finally have the opportunity to pass the john lewis voting rights act and the freedom to vote act.

and let me be clear. and let me be clear. after decades in law enforcement, i know the importance of safety and security especially at our border. last year, joe and i brought together democrats and republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades. but donald trump believed a border deal would hurt his campaign. so he ordered his allies in congress to kill the deal. well, i refused to play politics with our security, and here is my pledge to you. as president, i will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and i will sign it into law. i know -- i know we can

live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system. we can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border. [ applause ] and, america, we must also be steadfast in advancing our security and values abroad. as vice president, i have confronted threats to our security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened our alliances, and engaged with our brave troops overseas. as commander-in-chief, i will ensure america always has the strongest, most lethal fighting

force in the world. [ applause ] and i will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families. and i will always honor, and never disparage their service and their sacrifice. [ applause ] >> usa! usa! usa! >> i will make sure that we lead the world into the future on space and artificial intelligence, that america, not china, wins the competition for the 21st century, and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership. trump, on the other hand, threatened to abandon nato. he encouraged

putin to invade our allies, said russia could, quote, "do whatever the hell they want." five days before russia attacked ukraine, i met with president zelenskyy to warn him about russia's plan to invade. i helped mobilize a global response, over 50 countries, to defend against putin's aggression. and as president i will stand strong with ukraine and our nato allies. [ cheering and applause ] with respect to the war in gaza, president biden and i are working around the clock. because now is a time to get a hostage deal and

a cease-fire deal done. [ applause ] and let me be clear. and let me be clear. i will always stand up for israel's right to defend itself and i will always ensure israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called hamas caused on october 7th. including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of jung people at a music festival. at the same time, what has happened in gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. [ applause ] so many innocent lives lost.

desperate, hungry people, fleeing for safety, over and over again. the scale of suffering is heartbreaking. president biden and i are working to end this war, such that israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in gaza ends. and the palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination. [ cheering and applause ] and know this. i will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against iran and iran-backed terrorists. i will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators, like kim jong-un,

who are rooting for trump. who are rooting for trump. because you know, they know -- they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. they know trump won't hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself. and as president, i will never waiver in defense of america's security and ideals, because in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, i know where i stand, and i know where the united states belongs! [ cheering and applause ] so fellow americans. fellow americans. i -- i love

our country, with all my heart. everywhere i go. everywhere i go, and everyone i meet. i see a nation that is ready to move forward. ready for the next step in the incredible journey that is america. i see an america, where we hold fast to the fearless belief that built our nation and inspired the world. that here, in this country, anything is possible that nothing is out of reach. an america where we care for one another. look out for one another, and recognize that we have so much more in common than what separates us. [ applause ] that none of us,

none of us has to fail, for all of us to succeed. [ applause ] and that in unity, there is strength. you know, our opponents in this race are out there every day, denigrating america, talking about how terrible everything is. well my mother had another lesson she used to teach. never let anyone tell you who you are. you show them who you are! [ applause ] america, let us show each other and the world who we are. and

what we stand for. freedom, opportunity, compassion. dignity, fairness, and endless possibilities. [ cheering and applause ] we are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world. and on behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment. it is now our turn to do what generations before us have done. guided by optimism and

faith, to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish, and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on earth, the privilege and pride of being an american! [ cheering and applause ] so let's get out there, let's fight for it, let's get out there, let's vote for it, and together, let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told! thank you, god bless, and may glad bless the united states of america. thank you.

♪[ music ]♪ ♪ [ music ]♪ come watch . guiding truth. i'm gonna rain. i'm telling these

tears, go fall away. fall away. may the last one burn into flames. freedom ♪ freedom ♪ i can't move freedom, cut me loose, freedom, where are you? because i need freedom, too. i break chains all by myself, won't let my freedom rot in hell ♪ hey, i'ma keep running' cause a winner don't quit on themselves ♪ >> vice president kamala harris, age 59, daughter of oakland, accepting her party's

nomination. it was a speech that four weeks and five days ago, she was not preparing to make. but as she said, she is no stranger to unlikely journeys. she shared with us her origin story as a prosecutor, with her childhood friend, wanda kagan, who is here tonight. being molested by her upon stepfather. she talked about representing the people. she discussed how she would be a president for everyone. and wanting to perform an opportunity, economy for the middle class. it was a speech of progressive politics and unifying rhetoric. a speech with many, many shots across the bough, at donald trump, her opponent. and patriotic, firm,

confident and credible. she discussed israel and palestine. she discussed ukraine. she discussed the threat from iran. it was a remarkable address, one that i've never seen her give quite like this before, a very, very powerful speech. you gotta go back, i think, to barack obama in 2008 for a democratic speech like this, perhaps even a speech like this at all. dana? >> jake, the hallmark of her vice presidency, until, frankly, the dobbs decision, was that she was dismissed, underestimated. and even now, some biden aides are saying they didn't treat her the way they should have. and the theme of the speech was that she is an underdog. the theme of the speech was don't underestimate america, don't underestimate all of us. and that is her story. that is her story in the

brief four years that we have seen her hit by president biden. and in the four weeks since she has been a candidate for president in her own right. and i will just say, it was striking, on the substance of this, how much policy there was. how much populous policy there was on economics. and how forceful she was on the foreign policy of it all. very, very hawkish. >> i think if there is one thing that we know about kamala harris is that voters don't feel like they fully understand her. she has not actually been in the public eye in elected office on the political side for quite that long. so she's relatively new to this. and i felt like this speech was really filling out some of the contours of who she is as a

person. and i do think she's been misunderstood for quite sometime. in 2020, she had to run to the left. i covered her then. and i talked to a lot of people who covered her in the senate race. and they view her in a very different way, as a pretty pragmatic person. she said she would be a president who is realistic, practical, and has common sense. and i think if there is anything in this speech that she wanted to convey, that would cut against the narrative written about her by republicans, is that she is interested in solving problems. she is interested in not just doing what the left or the right says you should be on, in

terms of the ideological sides. but what she thinks is the right thing to do. and that was an important message for her to deliver tonight. and i think she has to do that. from this point forward, it's to explain to people, not just what does she believe, how does she think about the decisions she makes? >> and it's always an important contest. this is her introduction, as you put so well, abby, to filling out the contours of who she is, and what she's going to do. she treats donald trump as a threat. as a threat to democracy, as a threat to the word "freedom," she uses over and over again. other opponents, whether it's been in his primaries? or, you know, running against him in a general election, have treated him a little bit more of a joke. and she has said -- she said in this speech, that he's not a serious man. but you have to take it seriously. and that,

clearly, is going to frame the next seven days. >> the speech was infused with patriotism from the beginning to the end. she also noted, quote, i know there are people of various views. and i want you to know, i promise to be a president for all americans. you can always trust me to put country above party and self. to hold sacred america's fundamentals to freedom of law. to the peaceful transfer of power. she was attempting to demonstrate that her patriotism is quite a contrast from that of her opponent. >> she was at times, muscular. talked about being a prosecutor, tempered with commander-in-chief. saying a harm against any of us is a harm against all of us. she

went to say we are all in this together. she said her mother said, never let anyone tell you who you are. you show them who you are. tonight, she wanted to show america who she believes she is. on this stage tonight. david axelrod? >> yeah. i mean, that was a great speech. i think it was a great speech. >> she met the moment. she told her own story compellingly. she told it in sort of -- in the context of a larger american story, in the way that everyone could relate to. she spoke to the struggles of middle class people, and her desire to do things to help, which i think will resonate a lot with folks in the country, where that is continuing to be a concern. she -- she hit the right theme on national security. and personal security. you know, i think that she -- and the biggest

thing is, think back four weeks to the speech we heard in milwaukee, and how discordant and negative and divisive it was. and this was a unifying speech. this was a speech in which she asserted but also demonstrated desire to be president of the entire country. >> it would be fascinating to play those speeches, side by side. >> it really would. >> it would be devastating, i would think. >> you would think so. but if nothing else, the choice is very, very clear here, between a unifying candidate, who positioned herself, i think, in the mainstream of american thought and value, and donald trump. and i think that was the goal and they succeeded. >> audie? >> i think that, you know, she's been saying that people have been talking to her as the joyful warrior. we heard more "warrior." it was really about projecting strength all the way through. even her personal story. and growing up. they

were framed in almost opening arguments, right? referring to the public as their clients, saying that donald trump's client was himself. it actually helped for once -- not for once, it helped that she used her biography, to the fullest extent. because that was the thing she was perceived to have struggled with in the past. and here she was, presenting that with the foot forward. and i think that just shows a very interesting sign of growth. >> in 2020, there was criticism by some on the left, saying kamala is a cop. there were moments tonight, where she stepped vanish much into that. >> this is the kamala harris that we know as a -- you have to ask the question. how does the kid from the bay area, who is multiracial, and all of these different things, climb to the top of american politics? because she is that

tough and she is that smart. who would think it would take a woman from a multi racial family. could you see her as commander in chief. that's what she had to prove. you could see her facing down putin. if you're a dictator now, you should be very nervous that this woman is going to be in the white house. she ising go to is going to be a tough defender of freedom. >> what were her points. trump polls better. let's get housing, let's get jobs. let's talk workers. republicans will push her. how are you going to pay for it in all of that. she made an affirmative case on making immigration grow. she said i'll sign the beal, but also go back to what a nation of immigrants with stronger security. again, she'll have to defend this in

the 75 days to come. and try to address in a forceful way, her two weaknesses on policy. bigger, was the contrast we have now. a biden trump race was erased between two older men that america didn't want. you have a very clear choice after this speech tonight. especially after hearing donald trump in milwaukee. optimistic, american dream, american journey. let's come together. a unifying speech. her charge tonight was to prove she could be a incredible center-left president. a lot of them think with this speech, she did just what she had to do. >> scott? >> let me start with a couple of things that i think she did absolutely right or are improving. first of all, i think the podium presence was really good. i didn't think much of her presence before. but since she's gotten in this race, she's only been behind the podium and she did well. for what you expect to see as president, she did that. >> and even during the biden

years. she's not been that steady on her feet. but behind the podium, off a prompter, in a big speech, she obviously can do it. number 2. as image matters. she looks young. looks coherent. she seemed calm. so she's the anti-biden. i mean, that's what was the problem with the democratic campaign. he was none of those three things. now she puts that on. no, the republican pushback, and i think there is some truth to this. some of this is substanceless tabloid. that there's no specificity. and they think they're going to be able to fire her as the incumbent. and i think that's the question we'll be asking the next couple of months, how far can she run from joe biden to prevent republicans from portraying her as the incumbent and then firing her as the incumbent. they still have economic anxiety. can she shake off those vibes and replace

them with sort of the esoteric unity vibe? >> i think when you said last night, you were on very solid ground. i don't think you're on solid ground. this was substartive ground. policy on foreign, immigration, on policy. this was not all sizzle. this was sizzle, plus steak. i think the way she dealt with israel and gaza, tough defense of israel. but also, there's sizzle and steak tonight. >> agree with you on israel. i thought that paragraph was good. the issue you didn't list in your bullets. the economy and inflation. i still think at the end of the day, people are so upset with biden and harris on the economy. if the people tie her to it, all the other stuff falls away. >> let's check in with kaitlan

on the floor. >> i'm here, where everyone was watching the speech. a lot of people had tears in their eyes as the vice president was speaking. i was just about 20 feet away from her entire family. they were seated right there, in the front row. her sister, her nieces. doug emhoff, second gentlemen, their kids, they were all there as well. her nieces were actually holding up hand-drawn signs. as she was giving that speech. that had butterflies and hearts on them. but this delegation right here. before she could even get the sentence out of her mouth, and she was accepting their nomination as the democratic nominee for president of the united states. they shot up out of their seats. they were up, essentially, every few lines, as she was delivering that speech. not only talking about her personal story. referencing her sister as they grew up. her sister had just given a deeply personal story. talking about her mother, and how they wished her mom could be this. she also talked about the issues that

scott just talked about. the ones she seems most vulnerable on. the economy, immigration, war in gaza. talking about all of those things head-on in this speech tonight. and of course, really the mood here. to see these californians, with governor gavin newsom and former house speaker nancy pelosi, seated in the front row, watching that speech very closely,a she was delivering, anderson. we talk the to a lot of delegates. we have been around them the last three hours or so. and obviously a sense of pride as they were watching her. now, the balloons, of course, are everywhere. confetti falling, as all of these delegates here were watching their home state, californian, deliver that speech here at the democratic convention. >> let's go to sara sidner on the floor. >> we have some interlopers here. we have dara shannon

empress. you're from tennessee. >> yes. you're from d.c. you're from new york. so three different states. >> yes. >> tell me what you heard today. you are obviously jung young voters. what did you hear? hearing this could be an extremely tight race, where ever group counts. >> we heard joy here. we heard truth. we heard accountability. diverse populations, from her family, from black hen, republicans. and youth were empowered with passion and with joy. and i think that's what we want and what we need. so we're excited and pumped. and we of lothe love that success spread in our country again. we are proud to say we are americans now. seriously, because what we see our democracy is doing now. i represent the youth vote and i know this is you howe feel. >> i have a feeling you will be running for office someday. i will be keeping this interview. tell us what you saw that struck you that made you felt like you want to help. you

wanted to help campaign. >> vice president harris represents our values. she shows up for our communities. she talk the about her track record. everybody who came to the stage, talk build what she has done for us. she has shown up continuously for our communities. and we're looking forward to how she can take us forward into the future. >> and for you, ms. new york. what did you see? and was there anything you didn't like? >> i loved everything tonight. one of the biggest things, because of the biden administration and vp kamala harris. she's been a huge advocate for intervention, making sure these organizations are getting funded, and responding to community-based public safety first. and redefining public safety. and i know for a fact that a lot of young black and brown people are looking to vote for her, on this very special day. so those

are one of the special things i'm excited to be a part. watching in all of history tonight. >> as the young people say, anderson, be out here. and if there is any doubt that young voters are not enthusiastic. they spoke so beautifully about how they feel and what they're going to do when they leave this convention. anderson. >> sara, thank you very much. we'll pick back up with you and the team. we heard from her things we don't normally hear from a democratic candidate in a speech like this. she talked about maintaining the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world. and went on to say, never disparaging their sacrifices. obviously references many reportless about what donald trump has said. >> but even talking about the lethality of our fighting forces, is language you don't normally hear. >> no. this it was a very

muscular speech. the whole hallmark of the trump candidacy, when you lay it there is he's strong. he's strong. and that was the advantage he had over joe biden. she was a -- she showed strength on that stage tonight. and i think that she has cut his advantage there. she looked like a president on that stage. i also wanted to mention, audie's point was so important. to me, having done this for a while. biography is really, really important. because it's the way in which people take the measure of whether they can believe what you're saying, and the way she told the story of her own life and her own choices, gives people some confidence that the commitments she's making are a genuine commitments. and the last point, i wanted, scott. your point about biden and the strategy of the republicans, which i understand to be a

reasonable strategy, try to saddle her with some of the negatives that biden has. it is really interesting how little she mentioned joe biden in her speech. in some ways, this was her declaration of independence. >> i agree with that. >> and she became her own person in this speech. we'll see how this turns out. i think you're going to have a hard time saddling her in the ways you hope they can. >> she towed flies on air force 2, too. can she get away from him or can donald trump and his campaign drive home the point that there's no blank slate here. this is a person executing on the policies that you say have driven you crazy over the last four years. and there's really just a simple question are if trump to ask. if you're upset about the direction of the country, maybe you don't put the people in charge who are already in the white house. i don't know who is going to win that race. but to me, between now and the

debate on september 10th. that is the argument that is going to be had between these two juggernauts. >> i think the kamala harris campaign thinks she's going to get away from biden, penalty-free. she has this party behind her. but she's doing something, she's fixing some problems on the left. this whole thing has been an implicit critique of problems we've had on the left. of the left before, when we walked in here was about justice, diversity, trigger warnings, reparations for the past, and a bunch of scolds. that was the knock on the left. we have gone from talking about justice, which was wonderful, but now it's about freedom. it's not just about diversity. it's about patriotism. it's not just about trigger warnings. in fact, those are gone. reparation for the past? no. fight for the future. we legalize fun. we put the party back in the democratic party. so this is a remolding of the

genetic makeup of what the approximatingive provement is. these guys want to fight not just biden in the past. they want to fight this sort of anti-woke war of the left. >> i'm not sure the left is going to go down as easy as you think. >> we'll see. >> but i agree with your chart. and i want to pick up on one word that you wrote, and that's patriotism. >> yes, sir. >> i do think republicans should pay attention to what happened in the hall here tonight. and the patriotism. it is a powerful thing. i made a snarky quip about it earlier. but what i was noticing. the american flags. towards the end of the speech they had large american flags. there is something very symbolic about a waving american flag, of the red, white and blue, especially when you see what we've seen out on the left on the streets of america and the campuses of

america, the last several months. you didn't pick that up in the hall. >> it's a rebuke. >> i want to quickly go to kaitlan sothe floor. kaitlan? >> yeah, i'm here on the floor with pete buttigieg and has husband. >> it was compelling, the account of who she is. why she cares so much about serving others, protecting others, and keeping this country safe. she also prosecuted the case against donald trump, very effectively. reminded americans of the two very different futures in front of us, under her leadership, versus going back to what he represented. and also, a call to people who may be don't agree with us all the time. maybe don't usually vote democrat, but are absolutely welcoming the coalition that she is building, in the name of a better future. >> and your family has been invoked. you talked about that. when talking about donald trump and his running mate in this. i

wonder how you have just perceived all of this in this campaign. and the contrast in the harris-walz ticket. >> as he can attest, i was a blubbering person all night. i couldn't think but the first thing our daughter will get to know is that her first president is like her. she cares about families like ours. but she made the case for all families across the country, that she will be the president who knows what it's like to have the conversations, what it means to send your kids to school and know they might not come back. as a teacher, as a dad, i'm so excited and i can't wait to see her win this november. >> and obviously, the speech went well in the convention hall. but how does it go in swing states, in michigan, where you now live and others?

how does that resonate with viewers who are not at home watching? >> that's why it's so important that she spoke with clarity. not just about who she is. but the difference between her plans and trump's plans. trump's plans to eliminate the department of education. plans that would cut social security and medicare, and leave families worse off. versus her intention to create opportunity for the future. americans already agree strongly with her on every major issue. they agree with her on protecting the right to choose. they're angry at donald trump's decision to eliminate the right to choose. they agree with her that it's the wealthy, who are not paying their fair share. and the middle class who disagree in breaking tax cut for the rich. the policy side. i think so the clearest ever picture americans have seen of what she is about. and most importantly, who she is about. not herself but the american people. i think that's a message that independents, reasonable republicans, what i like to call future former republicans, people where we

live in michigan, and all around the country, can relate to. >> one of the biggest applause lines is that she supports a peaceful transfer of power. it's pretty remarkable that that's an applause line in this stage. >> and i think she wants to lead that to where that's the tablestakes, where any republican or democrat would begin and end, saying, of course we believe in a peaceful transfer of power. donald trump was incapable of doing. should not be a partisan issue. democracy should not be a partisan issue. and one of the many things we're looking forward to. and i think a lot of republicans are quietly looking forward to. is when trump is defeated for the third time. defeated in 2020. coming up short in 2022. but when he's defeated for a third time, that means it will be the beginning of the end of trump-ism and the beginning of a normal republican party. even though i might not vote

republican, i think it's something we passionately need. a normal republican party. i know for fact, there are a number of officials who know deep down that it's wrong to support president trump. but they are doing it because they believe it is the path to power. and i don't think it's too naive to hope that they will come to their senses, if only because the power of calculus changed on themselves. think about it different. >> pete and chastin buttigieg. thank you for coming and braving the balloons. they are quite heavy. we dodged a few on the way to this interview. >> thanks, kaitlan. obviously, vice president kamala harris was prosecuting the case against donald trump this evening. quite extensively. for anybody wondering what president trump was doing

during the speech. he was very active on social media. posting numerous items, including where is hunter? too many thank yous too rapidly said. what is going on with her when she introduced herself and thanked her husband and president biden and her running mate, coach walz, she called him. at which point, donald trump posted, walz was an assistant t coach. not a coach. and it went on from there. we should note, and this is really interesting, dan and abby, vice president harris stuck almost completely to script. she spoke exactly on time, 37 minutes. and something that is very interesting about her presentation she obviously would be a trailblazing candidate. she would be the first woman president. she would be the first black

president who is a woman. she would be the first at least half indian president. she didn't mention any of that, at all. i guess she believes that it speaks for herself. and that's not how she's running. she's running as a candidate for -- to represent all of the american people, even people with whom she disagrees and who disagree with her. just kind of an interesting fact that she really didn't -- >> no. >> didn't note it at all. she talked about her mom facing discrimination. but not her. >> and it was so subtle. but that was the way she rolled in. i just pulled up that part of her speech, talking about, she watched the way people would treat her mother. but her mother just kind of said, move on, and focus on other things. and i thought that that was her way of saying, that's what i'm doing right now. i'm focusing on what i'm here for.

what i'm going to do. not who i am, whether that is her gender or her race and her ethnicity. and that was powerful in and of itself. now this is a campaign, where everyone was going online. white guys for kamala. black men for kamala. and so on and so forth. people have been dividing up, in order to prove she has different demographics behind her. but whether it comes to her and the historic nature of her candidacy, she just let it speak for itself, exactly as you said. and that is really interesting. >> i think it's also because she knows that that is not where she needs to grow. it's not where she needs to expand her support. the people in this room are the faithful. black women don't need a whole lot of convincing. maybe black men need a little more convincing

than black women. but these are not the groups that need to be convinced to vote for kamala harris. she was speaking today for a broader swath of the electorate, who wants to understand, whether she's prepared to be commander-in-chief. they want to experience the skills, the values, all of that. and it felt to me like a speech that was written for them. and as somebody who has talked to her about her race, her gender, and upbringing, she doesn't spend a lot of time on it, when you talk to her about it. she understands the role that it's played in how she's coming up in the political world and how she understands the world. but she does not spend a lot of time talking about it. i think by this point, many people are familiar with her mother's saying, which is, "you may be the first, but don't let yourself be the last." i think it really is -- the reason she repeats that so much is she doesn't want to focus so much on the first part of that saying. she wants to focus on the other part of it, which is

about what comes after her, and what she actually does with the power that she's able to accumulate. >> all right. we're going to squeeze in a quick break. still ahead, we're getting the first reaction from the vice president's speech. in the key battleground commonwealth of pennsylvania. and speak to one of the speakers. former republican, congressman. adam kinzinger. stay with us.

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and welcome back. the 2024 democratic convention is officially in the history book. is it ever, with kamala harris on stage, accepting her party's nomination for president of the united states of america. i want to bring in jeff zeleny. what is going on where you are? >> we look out over the convention hall. there are still so many delegates here. still balloons flying in the air. the minnesota delegation

we saw, are just beginning to start their party. what i'm told is what vice president harris, many are donors, here in the convention hall. but jake, for all of the talk and anticipation here, and elsewhere, that there may be a special guest, i am told that by democrats that kamala harris is their guest. they did not want a celebrity at the end of this convention, to essentially compete with her. one senior adviser, telling me, this is a deadly serious election. and if you look at presenting vice president harris as a plausible commander in chief. that is one of the reasons i'm told there was not a celebrity at the end. there were many stars, from oprah winfrey to the chicks to pink. as we look at the crowd here, the shouts you may be

able to hear, holding kamala signs. there was the minnesota delegation. so for all of this, after vice president harris leave, i'm told she and doug emhoff are holding an anniversary celebration. certainly some celebrity. but takeaway from harris and the 75-day campaign to come. >> those minnesotans. they love to party. imagine what is going to happen when the vikings win a super bowl. jeff, thank you so much. we have a special guest here. it's actor, director, producer, man about town, ben stiller. thanks for being here. >> starts with a b. b-e. >> i'm a drone in the ben hive. >> all right. >> you are up in the apple box. you're a big guy with apple. these is the first convention i've ever been at. and i was like flashing back to when i

was like, what? 7, 8 years old. in new york. holding mcgovern signs. and first time ever being in this atmosphere, but knowing what is happening tonight. such an historic moment to be part of it. to be able to bring my daughter. >> very cool. >> it was incredible. >> was there something -- i know you have a son as well, and wife as well. is there something meaningful about being here with your daughter, given the groundbreaking, the trailblazing nature of this candidacy? >> yeah, i mean, first of all, she's going to be the first woman president, which is amazing. what she stands for. how she's united the country, i think, and is going to. and how she's about integrity and truth, reproductive freedom, ending gun violence, all of these things that i think are important to most people. and how she rose to the moment tonight. and she was so strong, and the way she talked about

what we need to do to beat trump. i think she -- it was just an incredible, historic thing tonight. >> we're glad you're here. but i saw you nodding when jake zeleny was saying the campaign didn't want to have a beyonce at the end. that they wanted her to be the celebrity. >> yeah. i think that's what the whole convention, it seems to be about. presenting her, lifting her up. and really telling her story. and letting people know in a very short amount of time who she is. and she just rose to it tonight. and i think -- i was just taken by how forceful, in a really honest and organic way she was. in a way that i think she was telling people, that she can do this, she can win this and unite the country. >> it's an extraordinary half to the country. four weeks and five days ago, was not in the cards. joe biden was --

president biden was still the presumptive nominee. obviously, i know you have a lot of respect for president biden. but as a democrat, do you feel more hopeful about november than you did five months ago? >> yeah. just to see the energy that has come about, and in such a -- so fast. and i think it was -- it was a really tough time. i think everybody was kind of looking at, you know, i think, feeling like maybe this wasn't going to go the way we would want it to go. and by the president doing this incredible thing of stepping aside, which no one ever does. and how quickly kamala harris rose to the moment and how everybody coalesced around her. and the unity that you're feeling here. this is really special. and i think everybody is very, very -- i mean, it's going to be a very close race. but i think everybody is energized and excited and wanting to work hard, like president obama said, to get to work. >> do you have -- i'm sorry. i

just want to -- because your daughter is here. she doesn't want to be on camera. well, we invited her. let me ask you, just if i can. >> i love that she's just a normal daughter. she's so -- >> there she is. >> rolling her eyes, like, okay, dad. >> can i just ask you. you're gen z. do you sense more excitement now than five months or six months ago. and speak for yourself, your brother, your generation. >> yeah. 100%. for me, just the thought of a woman being president is so exciting. i was 14 years old in the 2016 election, when hillary lost, my heart was broken. and to hear her speak the other night and to be watching and to come here tonight, i'm so excited. i know all my friends are. and i know that we have hope. and she's going to win. >> you voted for the first time in 2020, then?

>> i voted for joe biden for the first time. during covid. i was so proud to vote for biden. but this is very exciting for me. >> is the -- because my daughter is 16. and she doesn't really pay -- she's very smart, very brilliant. but she doesn't pay a lot of attention to like washington politics. but the whole kamala harris brat thing. like all of a sudden, she got interested in politics, is that a real thing? >> yes. 100%. i think tapping into what people my age, and women my age, and girls want to hear and, you know, the sort of meme culture of it all, as silly as it is. you may underestimate it. >> the stillers, thank you so much. so awesome. stay with cnn for our special cocoverage. we'e getting g reaction f from totonight's historicic acceptan speechch. we'll be righght back

ryan t. writes, "moving is stressful. 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 am jeff zeleny at the democratic national convention, in chicago. and this is cnn.