KAMALA Harris surprised voters in a brief appearance on the first night of the Democratic National Convention as protesters clashed with police outside the arena.
At least four people were arrested outside Chicago’s United Center following Pro-Palestinian protests ahead of the four-night event.
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The crowd roared as Vice President Harris took the stage on Monday, thanking President Joe Biden for his “lifetime of service to our nation.”
“Let us fight for the ideals we hold dear, and let us always remember: When we fight, we win,” she told the crowd.
Harris wore a tan suit while speaking onstage, which drew comparisons to Barack Obama’s infamous outfit nearly 10 years ago.
“Can I hear a little commotion for the tan suit?” wrote one person on X.
“She’s wearing a tan suit…I can’t stop laughing. SO good,” wrote another person.
A third wrote: “Oh no, a tan suit. Have we learned nothing?”
BIDEN DEMOTED
President Biden, originally scheduled as the convention closer to accepting the Democratic nomination, was demoted to the first night of the convention after dropping his reelection bid and being pushed aside as Harris took over as the Democrats’ top choice.
Night one will also feature New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and First Lady Jill Biden.
Just before the main program of the night was scheduled to begin, thousands of protesters marched toward the arena where the DNC is set to take place, voicing their opposition to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Several broke through a fence set up by police as officers yelled at them to retreat.
Biden did a walkthrough of the area ahead of his speech as protesters shouted at him.
“Biden, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide,” they chanted, dubbing the president as “Genocide Joe.”
Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC, told the Associated Press that the group has come to the “belly of the beast to stop the genocide.”
The group has called on Biden and Harris to end US aid to Israel, which has been at war with the militant group Hamas after the events of the October 7 massacre resulted in the taking of Israeli hostages.
PROTEST WARNING
A top Democratic congressman warned that anti-Israel protesters targeting the DNC would trigger a second Trump presidency.
Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota told The U.S. Sun that any violence and chaos were “scenes Donald Trump would love to see.”
He described the protests as a “beautiful and uncomfortable part of democracy,” however, he urged any activist planning on bringing unrest at the convention to “do it peacefully, bring extraordinary change.”
Phillips added that violent protests would elevate Trump’s candidacy and diminish “the very opportunity that they seek, which is to finally find peace and self-determination for the Palestinians.”
“Two things can be true at once. We can support our friend and ally Israel, and we can support the Palestinian people.”
Democratic National Convention: Fast Facts
The Democratic National Convention is the presidential nominating convention for the 2024 Presidential Election.
Delegates of the US Democratic Party will vote to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
They will also affirm her choice of running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, for vice president.
Kamala Harris is the first Black woman and first South Asian person to be the presidential nominee of a major political party in the US.
The conventions begins on Monday, August 19, and runs through Thursday, August 22.
The convention will take place in Chicago, Illinois, at Chicago’s United Center.
The Democratic National Convention Chair is Minyon Moore.
Notable speakers will include President Joe Biden, former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Jason Carter, and Pete Buttigieg.
He warned protesters to “remind themselves of what’s at risk” if they acted in a way that could jeopardize Democrats, adding that “the alternative” of Trump and JD Vance would be “probably the worst possible outcome for those that are opposing America’s support for Israel.”
“Pragmatism is something that every protester could learn a little bit about.”
Harris has previously called for a ceasefire to end the fighting and boost humanitarian aid to Gaza while also calling for the hostages’ release.
Last month, she met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in what she called a “frank and constructive” meeting.
She shared her concerns over the “devastating” crisis in Gaza with images of civilians killed, saying, “We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies.”
Harris clashed with protesters at some of her campaign rallies, including an event in Phoenix, Arizona.
She silenced the crowd as protesters tried to interrupt her speech, saying, “Let me just say this, on [the] topic of what I think I’m hearing over there.
“I have been clear, now is the time to get a ceasefire deal and get the hostage deal done.”
Harris said she and Biden are working “around the clock every day to get that cease-fire deal done and bring the hostages home.”
“I respect your voices, but we are here to now talk about this race in 2024,” she said, bringing attention back to the election.
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made the first mention of the war in Gaza while speaking on the DNC stage.
Ocasio-Cortez stated that Vice President Harris is “working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home.”
She has been a critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza, calling for greater restrictions on military aid to Israel.
However, she and others in the party have spoken with the administration on its policies, earning her pushback from the hard left.
Timeline of Biden’s failed re-election bid
President Joe Biden endured weeks of calls to step aside before he announced on July 21 that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. Here are key developments leading up to his decision.
June 27: Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump sparks calls for him to step aside. His voice is raspy and he trails off several times after having already endured questions about his age and mental capacity following a series of blunders at public events.
July 2: Polls after the debate indicate that Trump is pulling ahead. Rep. Lloyd Doggett is the first Democratic congressman to publicly urge Biden to drop his bid for re-election and big Democratic donors issue the same call a day later.
July 5: Biden does a live TV interview with George Stephanopoulos where he tries to quell fears about his age and debate performance. He calls it a “bad night” and says he was under the weather and “exhausted.”
July 10: Senator Peter Welch becomes the first senator to call for Biden to drop out.
July 11: Biden refers to Ukrainian President Zelensky as President Putin at a NATO event.
July 13: Trump is shot at a campaign rally by a wannabe assassin. His popularity and favorability rating soar after he was seen bloodied on stage but walked off with a fist in the air, telling the crowd to “fight!”
July 17: Rep Adam Schiff and a series of other Democrats call for Biden to step aside and even former President Barack Obama tells allies that Biden’s path to victory has “greatly diminished.” Biden tests positive for Covid-19 hours later, after saying he would consider ending his bid if he were diagnosed with “some medical issue.”
July 19: Biden insists he will continue campaigning in his first statement since Obama’s U-turn – despite reports that he would decide to drop out by the weekend.
July 21: Just before 2 pm, Biden announces he is stepping aside in the 2024 election and endorses VP Kamala Harris.
The delegates of the Democratic Party will vote to officially nominate Vice President Harris for president and affirm Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
President Biden had been the presumptive nominee and was expected to face off against former President Donald Trump.
However, following a disastrous debate performance on June 27, he made the decision to withdraw his candidacy on July 21.
Biden quickly endorsed Harris, who secured the support of enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee within 24 hours.
CLOSE WITH THE CLINTONS
Harris has had a long history with Hillary Clinton, whom she initially opposed during the 2008 Democratic Primary.
At the time, Harris publicly supported Clinton’s then-rival Barack Obama.
Since then, the women have grown closer, with Harris leaning on the former first lady for advice when picking her running mate, per the New York Times.
Clinton, who failed to secure the presidency against Trump in 2016, will speak at the DNC on Monday, symbolically passing the torch to Harris.
“Nothing would make Hillary happier than seeing the first in history beat the worst in history,” Philippe Reines, a former top adviser to Clinton, told the New York Times.
Reines said a Harris victory would be a “karmic twofer” for Clinton, who has hoped for a Trump defeat, adding that it would be more satisfying if it came at the hands of a woman.
The two were recently spotted embracing one another at the funeral of Representative Sheila Jackson Lee.
Harris sought Clinton for advice to choose her running mate, which sparked chaos in the Democratic Party with several potential picks.
The vice president later called Clinton the following weekend to continue their conversation.
Nearly every delegate was on their feet as Clinton took the stage on Monday to praise Harris.
“The future is here,” said Clinton.
“I wish my mother and Kamala’s mother could see us,” she added, saying the women would urge them to “keep going.”
Clinton also touched on her loss to Trump eight years ago, saying that “afterwards, we refused to give up on America. Millions marched. Many ran for office. We kept our eyes on the future.”
PRO-GUN PAST
Tim Walz, 60, became a major player in the Democratic Party virtually overnight after being named as Harris’ running mate earlier this month.
Up until just a few years ago, Walz stood out among his party members as an avid supporter of the Second Amendment, even receiving financial backing from the National Rifle Association.
What we know so far ahead of Day 1 of the DNC:
- Recent survey shows that a Taylor Swift endorsement won’t have an impact on Kamala Harris’ presidential bid
- Biden defrauded the US, bombshell House Republican dossier claims
- Pro-Palestinian activists take to streets of Chicago before DNC kicks off
- Biden expected to talk about the progress the US has made in landmark speech
- Veteran Fox anchor warns of risks facing Trump campaign
- JD Vance compares Harris to Epstein as he issues warning over policies
As recently as 2016, Walz was given an A rating by the top gun rights advocacy group.
“I’m proud to stand with the NRA to protect our Second Amendment rights, and I’m truly grateful for their endorsement,” he said in 2010, according to ABC News.
By 2017, however, his stances began to change following the deadliest mass shooting in US history at a music festival in Las Vegas.
Walz quietly distanced himself from the NRA, donating around $18,000 in campaign contributions to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes charity.
Tim Walz record as Governor of Minnesota
Who is Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Walz?
Tim Walz was born in a small town in rural Nebraska, representing and flipping a deep red district in Southern Minnesota in Congress.
Walz prides himself on knowing rural issues, and the Midwest, signing into law some of the most progressive legislation of any governor in the country with just a one-seat majority.
He is a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard, a former public school teacher for over 20 years, a union member, a state championship-winning football coach, and his school’s faculty advisor for the Gay-Straight Alliance before becoming a congressman with one of the most bipartisan records in the House of Representatives, and the successful Governor of Minnesota – leading the state to become the sixth-best state in the nation for business.
Some policies that Walz has passed as Governor of Minnesota:
- Universal free school breakfast and lunch for all public school students
- Free tampons and pads in all public school bathrooms and locker rooms
- Legalized marijuana
- Signed legislation aiming to create carbon-free electricity state-wide by 2040
- Tax rebates for the working class up to $1,300 for residents making under $150k per year
- Lowered taxes on small businesses
- Became the first state to implement a minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers
- 12 weeks of paid family leave
- 12 weeks of paid sick leave
- Banned conversion therapy in the state
- Implemented red flag laws and universal background checks for gun purchases
- Automatic voter registration for state residents
- Free public college under $80k for all state residents
- Ban on PFAS, known as forever chemicals, in the state’s water supply
- $2.2 billion increase in k-12 public school funding
- Sectoral bargaining for nursing home workers
- Strengthened access to abortion
- Passed the largest infrastructure bill in state history
- Massive investments into affordable housing and public transportation
“I think it should be expected that our legislative leaders should follow where the will of the people is,” Walz said at the time, according to CBS News.
“And if you haven’t walked in a coffee shop over the last week and had 15 conversations on how this must end, you’re not getting out, and I’m out, I’m hearing them.”
He began to call for legislation on universal background checks, conceal and carry, and opposed reductions on restricting gun silencers.
Walz began to distance himself even further from the group following a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day 2018.
In an op-ed for The Star Tribune, Walz said he supported an assault weapons ban.
“In the tough week since then, I’ve listened hard to students, parents, law enforcement, teachers, sportsmen, and survivors of gun violence in every corner of Minnesota,” he wrote at the time.
“And while they have different perspectives, I’ve heard them all say one thing loud and clear: This. Needs. To. Stop.”
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