Please welcome Executive Director of the Democratic National Convention Committee, Alex
Hornbrook, and co-chair of the Democratic National Convention, New Jersey Senator Corey
Booker.
Good evening everyone.
On behalf of Convention Chair Minnan Moore, it is my honor to pass the gavel to co-chair
Senator Corey Booker.
Alright, the third session of the 49th Quadrennial National Convention of the Democratic Party
will now come to order.
Let's party with the purpose.
Please welcome Priest Sree Rakesh Butt and Bishop Leah Daughtry.
We should be in unison.
Let our minds things together, let our hearts beat as one, all for the betterment of society.
May this make us powerful so we can unite and make our nation proud.
Paras Paraviva, De To, Vayampan Chachataan Chate, Anjes Sahaviva, De To, Vayampan Chautaram Chatem.
Even if we have differences, when it comes to the nation, we have to be united and it
moves us towards justice for all.
We are one universal family.
Vayampa Sarvipi Vasudevakutumba Ka, Satyami Vajayate Sarvada He, Asotoma, Sadhgamaya,
Tamasoma, Jyotir Gamaya, Murutiorma, Astham Gamaya.
Truth is our foundation and always prevails.
Give us from unreal to real, from darkness to the light, and from death to immortality.
Om Shantishantishantihi.
In the book of Isaiah 58 and 12, some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins.
You will restore the foundations laid long ago.
You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets in which to dwell.
Let us pray.
O God, creator of heaven and earth, lover of peace, freedom and justice.
We thank you for this privilege and this opportunity to gather today for the important
work of visioning our nation's future.
We gather at a critical time in our nation when we are at the crossroads of hopelessness
and hopefulness, when the forces of good and evil so plainly battled for the hearts and
minds of our people, when right is called wrong and wrong is called right, when up is
called down and down is called up, when fake is called fact and fact is called fate,
when it seems true forever on the scaffold and wrong forever on the throne.
And yet, even in the midst of this chaos and confusion, we see now a light on the horizon
and we are grateful, grateful for hope, grateful for purpose, grateful for direction.
You have called us to this moment to march together toward the light, to join together
with one voice in one fight to move our nation away from division and despair and forward
toward its highest ideas.
As we gather today, seeking to fulfill the responsibility of faithful citizenship, we
ask for divine guidance to help us remember our calling, to serve the least, the last
and the lost, the left out, the locked out and the left behind, to be their voice, to
be their hope, to be their strength, to be their light, to fight for them with courage
and compassion for them and for ourselves, for the work that must be done, for the bridges
that must be built, for the walls that must be destroyed, for the children who must be
saved, for the doors that must be opened, for the sick who must be healed, and for the
last who must be first.
We ask for strength for the journey, clarity of thought, sharpness of vision, singleness
of purpose and the courage of our convictions to make the promise of America the practice
of America.
And may we build, may we build the old waste places, may we raise up the foundations of
our future so that in generations to come, we shall be called the repairers of the breach
and the restorers of streets in which to dwell, because we ask it in your name, we declare
that it is so, and all of God's children say, amen.
Please welcome Morlin Arts and Health Sciences Magnet School, 3rd and 4th graders, to lead
us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for
which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Please welcome, 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Jess Davis, to sing our national
anthem.
They 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 rocket's 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.
Please welcome, Democratic National Committee Chair, Jamie Harrison, and the officers of the
Democratic National Committee.
Hello, hello.
So my friends, for the past three and a half years, I'm fortunate to have worked with some
amazing Democrats to strengthen and rebuild this Democratic Party.
Please welcome to the stage several of our DNC officers, Vice Chair, President of the
ASTC, and Chair of the Minnesota DFL Ken Martin, Vice Chair and former Mayor Keisha Lance
Adams, Vice Chair Henry Munoz, Treasurer Virginia McGregor, and you all known from
last night the famous roll call star, our Secretary, Jason Ray, fellow delegates we now
ask that you approve three honorary resolutions conveying our appreciation for those in Chicago
who have set the stage for this convention success. Our first resolution thanks to the great city
of Chicago, its mayor, governor, host committee, and residents for their unwavering dedication to
organizing this historic convention. Our second resolution thanks to first responders who are
working to protect every citizen and visitor of the Windy City. Our third and final resolution
thanks to federal delegation of Illinois, its 14 U.S. representatives and senators
Durbin and Duckworth for their continual support of the convention.
We move that the convention approve these honorary resolutions. Delegates,
you have heard the motion to approve these honorary resolutions. Is there a second?
All in favor, please say aye. All opposed say nay. The ayes have it and the motion is passed.
All right. All right. All right, y'all welcome tonight three and tonight is about freedom.
But first I want to acknowledge a loss today. A man who always fought for freedom. Today we
lost Congressman Bill Pascrell who passed away early this morning. Now he's a Jersey legend.
He is a powerful pugilist, a prince of Patterson. He served in our state assembly. He served
as our mayor and for 27 years he served in Congress. He never forgot where he came from
in Patterson and he never stopped fighting. He could push some packages. He fought for the people.
And so today while we're heartbroken we all are people who can hold loss and joy in our hearts
because we are sad for his loss but we celebrate his life. Let's give him a round of applause.
And now and now some of the greatest heroes, some of the greatest warriors, some of the greatest
champions for fighting, for reproductive freedom. I welcome them to the stage.
In America, women's reproductive rights are in jeopardy. Former President Trump has a record
of restricting abortion access and putting women's lives at risk. The government should not have a
say on if a woman can choose to have an abortion. As a woman who has personally experienced the
life-saving benefits of abortion, I know firsthand how important it is. I want to make sure that
access to contraception is not only available but expanded and that every person has the right to
choose when, where, how, and if they want to start a family. To limit everywhere is your body.
Don't put someone in office who only wants to control it. This election is about our health
care, our rights, and our lives. Let's stand together and vote for a better future. My body,
my right, please vote for Kamala Harris.
Please welcome President of Reproductive Freedom for All, Minnie Timaraju.
When abortion is on the ballot, we win.
In California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, and Vermont,
voters sent a message. You come for our rights. We're going to come roaring back.
And it seems like every day another state gets added to the list. So let's hear it for Arizona.
And Montana.
The latest states to announce that the people will get to have their say this November.
Because voters who support reproductive freedom, we're not the minority. We're the majority.
And if there are two people who should understand that Americans' private lives are none of
anybody's business is Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. Instead, Trump brags about overturning
Roe v. Wade. And if you want to know what he's going to do in office, Google Project 2025.
Kamala Harris has her own project for 2025. Restoring reproductive freedom.
It's simple. Do we want a president who said women should be punished for having abortions
or a president who trusts women, a vice president who voted against protecting fertility treatment,
or a vice president who used fertility treatment to start a family,
a president who created the crisis we're in, or a president who will fix it.
This election will decide America's future. So let's elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Please welcome president and CEO of Planned Parenthood, Alexis McGill Johnson.
Last summer, a Planned Parenthood patient in Georgia realized that she was pregnant
and didn't want to be. But Georgia bans abortion after six weeks. So she drove to South Carolina,
but arrived the day that their six week ban went into effect.
She went back home and then went to Florida. But she arrived just days when she was too late
under their ban. She had to fly all the way to California to get an abortion.
Now remember each time she had to get the money up. She had to miss work. She had to find child care.
Now imagine if this was an emergency situation. In Texas, doctors who have feared going to jail
have sent patients to wait in hospital parking lots rather than provide the emergency care they
need. And in Idaho, they have airlifted patients to other states. We cannot call ourselves a free
nation when women are not free. More than one in three women and nearly half of all black women
live in banned states. Donald Trump wants women to be less free and pregnancy to be more dangerous.
But I'm here to tell you, in no way are Donald J Trump and J.D. Vance more qualified than doctors
and women to make these decisions. We designed. We trust women.
We trust doctors. And we trust Kamala Harris.
Our future. Our future is on the ballot. Our bodies are on the ballot. And come November 5th,
we will decide this election. Donald Trump said he wants to punish women.
And as a result of his actions today in America, one out of three women live in a state with a
Trump abortion ban. One out of three. Some of these bans go back to the 1800s,
even before women had a right to vote. Think about that. Well, Tim and I have a message for Trump
and others who want to turn back the clock on our fundamental freedoms. We're not going back.
Please welcome former president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards.
These last few weeks have been a celebration of women from cheering on Team USA to supporting
Kamala Harris for her president. As my mother, Governor Anne Richards would say,
I hear America singing. When women are free to make their own decisions about their lives and
follow our dreams, we are unstoppable. But when Roe versus Wade was overturned,
a generation of young people lost that freedom. Like Ashley, a 12-year-old rape survivor in
Mississippi. Because of her state's abortion ban, she started seventh grade with a newborn.
That's the Republican promise of state's rights. Last year, I became a grandmother.
And during my daughter's pregnancy, nothing mattered more to me than her health. Politics
should never stand in the way of anyone's health care or prevent any family from experiencing the
joy my grandson, Teddy, has brought to my life.
One day, our children and grandchildren may ask us when it was all on the line,
what did you do? And the only acceptable answer is everything we could.
This is our time. This is our time. So let's go elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
We were so lucky we got to be the first couple married in California in San
Francisco City Hall, no less. So we arrived at City Hall and we're so thrilled to find out
that our 20 general Harris wanted to come and officiate our wedding. She not only walked across,
but she ran across the lawn to join us just in time to be married. And she brought such joy
to the space and to us and has ever since because the pretty general Harris, now vice
president Harris, soon to be president Harris believes in all families and she believes in our
family. We were so happy last year to get to join vice president Harris at the White House for
the Equality Act signing and she invited our entire family and it was a very joyful occasion
because Kamala believes in family and we can't wait to meet madam president next time.
Please welcome president of the human rights campaign, Kelly Robinson.
The story of America is a story of progress towards freedom. In just a few generations,
my family went from being enslaved in Mississippi to being the first free black family in Muscatine
Iowa to now preparing to elect president Kamala Harris. Progress is happening my friends.
The 20 plus million LGBTQ plus Americans are living proof of it. We are your friends and your
neighbors, your classmates and your family. Like Daniel, a trans kid in Tucson who's going to
his very first prom. Like Eric from San Antonio who sacrificed in combat and then came home to
battle don't ask don't tell. Like Sandy and Chris, the first same sex couple to get legally married
in California 11 years ago in a ceremony officiated by Kamala Harris.
Donald Trump wants to erase us. He would ban our health care, belittle our marriages,
bury our stories, but we are not going anywhere. We are not going back.
Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris and Tim Walls, they are champions for LGBTQ plus freedom,
y'all. So tonight we're fighting for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and trans freedom without
exception. We're fighting for equality for all without exception. We're fighting for joy.
Somebody say joy. Somebody say joy. Without exception and when we fight.
Thank you.
Please welcome president of Emily's list, Jessica Mackler.
Donald Trump took away our rights, but he can never take away our power.
Republican attacks on abortion didn't begin with the end of row and they didn't end there either.
Millions of women across this country are living with the devastating consequences of
Republican abortion bans. Now comes project 2025, a blueprint for banning abortion in all 50 states.
It would give extremists like Donald Trump and J.D. Vance the power to monitor your pregnancy.
And even prosecute doctors for mailing abortion medication. Make no mistake,
the threat of project 2025 is very real. But so is our ability to stop it.
In 2022, Democrats didn't just run on reproductive freedom. We won on reproductive freedom.
And in 2024, we are coming back to the polls to finish the job.
In his devastating opinion, Justice Alito wrote that women are not without electoral
or political power. And Donald Trump and Republicans are about to find out just how true that is.
The opportunity is before us. The power is in our hands. And the time is now.
Please welcome president and CEO of Volta Latino Maria Teresa Kumar.
Hello Chicago.
Here's a fact. When Latinos vote, Democrats, Democrats win.
Now, not everyone believes it. So I brought receipts.
We flipped in Nevada and Colorado in 2008.
We delivered in 2020 Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won Georgia by 12,000 votes.
Volta Latino, we registered 23,000 voters there.
They won Arizona by 10,400 votes. We registered 34,000 voters there.
Because we proved that when Latinos vote, Democrats win.
Now, they're trying to suppress our vote.
Boo.
Our sacred and universal right as Americans.
So let me be clear. Volta Latino has registered 1.5 million voters.
And we are just getting started.
Because since 2020, 4 million young Latinos have become eligible to vote this election.
And I could be prouder because we are registering them faster than any time in our history.
This year, we will prove it again with Latinos vote.
You guys got the memo. Another fun fact.
This year, more Latinos will vote than any time in our history.
So that means that together, together, we will make history and elect Kamala Harris president.
My name is Scott from Tennessee. I'm a former Trump voter.
My name is Matthew. I'm from Pennsylvania and I'm the former Trump voter.
My name is Mike. I live in southeastern Pennsylvania and I am a former Trump voter.
The main reasons why I won't support Donald J. Trump for president again starts with
his chaotic behavior. He doesn't care about me. He doesn't care about my family.
He doesn't care about working people. 34 counts felony counts that he was found guilty of.
That's not who we won't run in our country. Trump scares the hell out of you.
2024 will be the first time that I have not voted for Republican.
I will be proudly voting for Kamala Harris.
Please welcome New York representative Tom Swazie.
I'm Tom Swazie and early this year, I flipped the seat from red to blue.
My father came from Italy as a boy. He was the first kid in the neighborhood to go to college.
He served as a navigator during World War II, came home, and at 28 was elected the youngest
judge in the history of New York State. What a country.
The immigrant experience, E. Pluribus Unum, out of many, one. My family's experience,
Kamala Harris's experience, the American experience. That's why the polarization
on immigration is so painful. Let's be clear, the border is broken. But this year, when Democrats
and Republicans worked together to finally write new border laws, we were blocked.
We all know who sabotaged us. We reject the divisiveness. We reject the dysfunction. We reject
the deception. My Italian grandfather used to toast new couples. He'd say marriage sometimes
is hard. But in the end, nonce sono rose sense aspine. You can't have the roses without the thorns.
You have to work for it. To be a nation of immigrants is hard sometimes too. You have to work for it.
Tonight, we celebrate the roses of life. We come together from every state, from every ethnicity,
from every race and religion. We come together tonight to celebrate our candidate, Kamala Harris,
who knows America is worth it, who knows this nation, built by immigrants, is a rare and
beautiful thing, and who joyfully accepts the challenge to work across party lines,
to secure our border, to treat people like human beings, and to move our country forward.
Thank you very much, and thank you so much for being with us, and thank you so much for
being with us, and thank you so much for being with us, and thank you so much for being with us.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, go
through the
field
together
The
One reason here of the many of why I'm voting for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor
Tim Walz, I want to keep what President Biden started with the infrastructure plan and getting
this country moving.
Because of these investments into our country, it has people like me, young people like me,
genziers into work, in the trades, work in electricity, carpentry, you name it.
The inflation reduction act and the infrastructure bill had the biggest impact on climate change.
It's going to give us the opportunity to electrify our 7,000 square foot facility
and go solar the next two years.
If you invest money in infrastructure, you're investing money in the country.
Love for Harris Walz in November to continue these investments into our country and to grow
our country forward.
We should all vote Harris Walz 2024.
Please welcome Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pure Ball and Milwaukee Mayor Havalier Johnson.
Hello, my name is Aftab Pure Ball and I am the first Asian American mayor in the great city of
Cincinnati.
As a Tibetan refugee, my mom believed deeply in the promise of America.
And when I was growing up, she and my dad, who is from India, taught me that when you make a promise,
you keep it. For years, politicians came through my city and promised to fix the Brent Spence Bridge,
which connects Ohio to Kentucky.
Donald Trump was one of them.
He did what they all do.
Press conference here, photo up there, but nothing changed until Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.
Joe Biden told Cincinnatians, we're going to fix that damn bridge.
And four months later, he signed the bipartisan infrastructure law.
It gave our city the biggest infrastructure investment in history.
It will stitch our communities back together and it will fix that damn bridge once and for all.
That's what leadership looks like.
Not hollow promises, but solid progress.
Not lip service, but true, honest to God, public service.
And under Kamala Harris, the progress will only continue.
I'm Milwaukee Mayor, Cavalier Johnson from the great state of Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, in Wisconsin, keeping promises is important.
So is making amends for your mistakes.
One of those mistakes happened 60 years ago in a neighborhood called Brownsville,
brimming with black music, black culture and entrepreneurship,
and then came urban renewal and the construction of Interstates 94 and 43,
ripping our communities apart.
6th Street was widened and people of color were displaced, homes destroyed,
businesses shuttered, all for a quicker commute.
Under Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, we're bringing Brownsville back.
With more green space, bike paths and walkable streets to serve people who actually live there,
the music is coming back, the culture is coming back,
and thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law, the opportunities are coming back.
It's now my privilege to introduce two Milwaukeeans,
who know firsthand the power of reconnecting our communities,
Rashawn Spivey and Deanna Branch.
My name is Deanna Branch and I'm an advocate and mom from Milwaukee.
For my son, Aiden was two. He was hospitalized due to high levels of lead in his blood.
Lead was everywhere in our pipes, in our paint, and in our soil.
President Biden's advice, President Harris passed the bipartisan infrastructure law.
It's removing land pipes from communities like ours.
As president, Kamala Harris will make sure everyone can drink clean water and beat
in his words, land-free superheroes.
My name is Rashawn Spivey, the owner of hero plumbing in Milwaukee.
When President Biden and Vice President Harris announced their goal to replace
every lead pipe in America, heroes stepped up to help make that vision a reality.
We went to work replacing lead pipes that served homes and child care communities
or child care centers in our communities.
Since then, we've replaced more than 1,000 pipes.
That was made possible thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris.
And when she visited Milwaukee two years ago, I got to show her our work up close.
Because of her leadership, I've grown my business and helped kids like Aiden have safer, healthier lives.
Vice President Harris came and visited my restaurant.
She understands immigrant-owned businesses.
She understands women-owned businesses.
She understands the important role of small businesses and sees business owners not just
just the backbone of our economy, but as community leaders.
She has a proven track record of advocating for policies that support small businesses
and push for economic equity.
The swing Americano is the people the American dream is alive.
The last four years have been positive and we've experienced growth.
I am truly excited to have Kamala Harris as a presidential candidate.
In this election, we have another opportunity to prosper, to connect and to unite under the
American dream.
I'm proud to support her, President, because I believe she will lead us to a brighter future.
Please welcome Delaware Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester.
I'm Lisa Blunt Rochester,
mother, grandmother, and congresswoman, and hopefully the next senator from the great state of Delaware.
The proud home of President Biden, we love you Joe.
In Delaware, we know that when small businesses thrive, communities thrive.
We know that when our roads and our bridges are strong, communities are strong.
When everyone has a fair shot at a better future, America is limitless.
Now Democrats, we know this, but you know who doesn't know it?
Donald Trump.
He has, with his friends, said the quiet parts out loud, but not only said them out loud,
he wrote a book about it.
What's it called?
Project 2025.
So with so much on the line, we've got to turn our biggest challenges into our greatest and
brightest of hope.
For me, Bright Hope was the name of the church that my grandmother attended for 70 years in
Philadelphia.
It's not just a name.
It's how I approach my life.
It's how I'll lead as Delaware Senator, and it's how Kamala sees the future of America.
Now there are some who think our politics are too broken for Bright Hope.
But if you want to see hope, just look.
Bright Hope is record numbers of black and brown entrepreneurs starting businesses.
Bright Hope is an opportunity economy where we invest in our communities and build affordable
housing.
Ladies and gentlemen, Bright Hope is four words.
Madam President Kamala Harris.
Are you ready for Bright Hope?
Are you ready to fight for our freedom?
Are you ready to flip the house, protect the Senate, and send Kamala to the White House?
Then let's go!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Wow, wow!
Oh my gosh!
Lisa Blum Rochester, know that name!
Know that name!
My friend, my sister, and soon to be our Senator.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
I can't wait to work with her in the Senate.
But next, we're going to hear more about the ongoing fight for reproductive freedom.
This is a fight that affects every single American.
No matter where you live, so-called blue states or red states, if Donald Trump has his way,
he's going to push through their extreme agenda.
Project 1825, I mean, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I can roll that back, I got that wrong.
Project 1925, oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Project 2025, that poisoned this agenda where every single state
will be in a state of crisis.
So let's hear more from leaders who are fighting back.
Freedom means unity.
Caring for others.
Being able to feel safe.
My choice to vote.
The freedom to read, what I want to read.
Freedom.
The freedom to love.
Be who I want to be.
For all to be equal with my life.
Freedom means my choice.
I-B-F, Union Strong.
Face the human rights.
All right.
Can you make it brief?
Freedom means everything.
Please welcome New York representative Grace Mang.
Thank you.
Generations of women fought for our rights.
Our right to vote, our right to financial independence, and our right to reproductive freedom.
Our mothers and grandmothers marched for us.
Because of them, my husband and I were able to choose if and when to start a family.
And we have two energetic boys running around at home.
Now it is our turn to take the torch for our children and grandchildren.
All across our country, women are being denied, life-saving healthcare,
and the right to determine their futures.
And a second Trump term will be even worse.
He will not stop at banning abortion.
He'll let states track pregnancies.
He'll put birth control and fertility treatment at risk.
Trump's plan is cruel, it's dangerous, but it is not inevitable.
Tonight, we mobilize for Kamala Harris.
November 5th, we move forward with Kamala Harris because we are not going back.
Please welcome Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
Tonight, let's talk about freedom, including our most intimate freedom,
choosing when and if to have children and have a family.
And let's talk about Project 2025.
Donald Trump's roadmap to ban abortion in all 50 states.
Look, that sounds crazy, but right here on page 562, it says that Donald Trump
could use an obscure law from the 1800s to single-handedly ban abortion in all 50 states,
even putting doctors in jail.
Page 486 puts limits on contraception.
Page 450 threatens access to IVF.
On page 455, Project 2025 says that states have to report miscarriages to the Trump administration.
Page 451 says the only legitimate family is a married mother and father, where only the father
works. You know what? I'm going to take that one out.
I'm going to put that in my pocket so I can share it with undecided voters so they better
understand what's at stake this election.
Project 2025 would turn the entire federal government and bureaucracy into a massive machine.
It would weaponize it to control our reproductive and personal choices.
Look, as a Redditor, gamer, entrepreneur, and
Swiftie from the free state of Colorado,
I'm excited by Kamala Harris' vision for protecting and expanding our personal freedom,
internet freedom, and economic freedom. Democrats welcome weird, but we're not weird
those telling families who can and can't have kids who to marry or how to live our lives.
These Project 2025 people, like Trump advanced, are not just weird, they're dangerous.
They want to take us backwards, but we aren't going back like ever, ever, ever.
Let's stop Project 2025 and elect Kamala Harris president this November.
Please welcome Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schulz.
Hello America. As a proud Floridian, I bring you a cautionary tale.
For the people of my state, Project 2025 isn't just a threat.
It's a reality that we battle every day. From the classroom to the emergency room,
Governor DeSantis turned Florida into a testing ground for the rights most egregious,
dangerous policies. I can tell you firsthand, it's been devastating for families in my district
and across the state. Today in Florida, state policy requires that kids are taught racist
lies about so-called benefits of slavery. Books are banned. Teachers are censored,
and our LGBTQ plus community endures endless state sponsored hate. Even a cruel don't say gay school
law. Today in Florida, as we grapple with record, record heat and rising seas, extreme MAGA
Republicans deleted mentions of climate change from state law. Today in Florida,
a near total abortion ban in dangers women's health and their lives every day.
I keep thinking about a central Florida woman I met named Deborah, and at 23 weeks pregnant,
she got news every future parent dreads. Her baby's kidneys never developed. Doctors told her
that not only would her baby not survive, her own health was in danger. Deborah couldn't get the
care she needed in Florida, and she couldn't afford to travel hundreds of miles to get it.
She had no choice but to carry her son Milo to term, only to watch him die in her arms two hours later.
This is Project 2025 in practice. It's what Donald Trump and J.D. Vance want for the whole
country, but we're not going to let it happen, are we?
Now, I say this as a Floridian, but also a mom and an American. We can't let them do to America
what they did to Florida. Are you with me?
So let's fight like hell to elect Kamala Harris, the next president of the United States of America.
Thank you so much.
Please welcome chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Susan Del Benet.
Hello Democrats. It is my honor to represent the great state of Washington
and to lead the House Democrats work to take back the majority. As I travel the country,
I hear the same thing. People want governance that works. They don't want tax cuts for the
ultra wealthy, not a national abortion ban, or more chaos and dysfunction, or blind loyalty to
Trump. In other words, they don't want Republicans in charge. We're here because we need to elect
Vice President Harris and Governor Walz. And giving them a Democratic Congress is how we turn
promises into progress. A Democratic majority means lowering costs and growing the middle class,
expanding the child tax credit and making it permanent, protecting reproductive freedom.
And yes, a Democratic House means Speaker Jeffries will certify the 2024 election.
We need just four more seats to take back the majority. The good news is we have fantastic
candidates in winnable districts all across the country. In battleground states like Michigan
and Arizona, in blue states like New York and California,
and even in states like Iowa and Nebraska.
And we're going to make history by picking up a seat in the state where I was born,
Alabama. In 2022, we came within 7,000 votes of the majority. So it's within our power
to win these critical races. This election is about our rights, our freedoms, our democracy,
and our future. So let's get out the vote. Let's take back the House. Let's make
Joaquin Jeffries our next speaker. And let's send Kamala Harris and Tim Wells to the White House.
Thank you. Please welcome Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Friends, I'll never forget when I first saw the video of the murder of George Floyd.
I was heartbroken. I was angry. And that morning, my phone rang. And on that line was Governor Tim
Wells. Tim Wells felt the exact same way I did. And a few days later, Tim appointed me to prosecute
Floyd's murder. Almost a year after that, minutes after the guilty verdict came down,
my phone rang again. And it was Vice President Kamala Harris calling to congratulate my team
and the work. Now Kamala and Tim, they understand the legacy of George Floyd. No one is above the
law and no one is beneath it. No one is outside the circle of our compassion. In the Republican
Party, everyone thinks they're above the law. Hell, nearly a dozen of their own lawyers are
facing serious charges. Even their lawyers need lawyers. These con artists are trafficking
in the defective goods of division, exclusion, and fear. And friends, selling defective goods
is a scam. And like Kamala Harris, I am an attorney general. And attorney generals
know what a scam is when they see it. Like my friend, Tish James, for example, from New York.
America, we won't be scammed again. We're not going back. We are going forward. And Kamala Harris
and Tim Wells are ready to lead us there. I've worked side by side with Tim Wells for 18 years.
His office is right across the hall from mine. And I've seen him deliver for the people of the
state of Minnesota every day. Everybody knows Minnesota is one of the best states to live in,
to raise a family, to do business. And we've got the best voter turnout in America.
Facts. Kamala and Tim, they fight for the people. And they also listen. And when they say we need a
ceasefire and an end to the loss of innocent lives in Gaza, and to bring hostages home,
they're listening, friends. They agree with us. There are people watching tonight and maybe even
here tonight who aren't sure yet about Kamala Harris and Tim Wells. If you want to know where
they stand on some of the most urgent issues facing our country and the world, let me assure you,
Kamala and Tim hear you. They listen. They care. And everyone is included in their circle of
compassion. They believe that everybody counts and everybody matters. Let's put a stop
to the scam of Donald Trump once and for all. And let's put Kamala Harris and Tim
Wells in the White House. Let's go win.
Have you ever discussed special counsel Mueller or his investigation with anyone?
All right.
Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an
investigation of anyone? Yes or no, please, sir. Seems you'd remember something like that.
I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Do you answer the question?
I think I've answered the question. No, you've not. I'm not able to be rushed this fast. It makes
me nervous, nervous, nervous. Can you think of any laws that give government the power to make
decisions about the male body? I'm not I'm not a thinking of any right now.
In my never mind.
Please welcome Michigan Attorney General Dana Nestle.
Hello Chicago. I'm Michigan Attorney General Dana Nestle.
Let me tell you, being Attorney General is a tough job, right? But as California's Attorney General,
Kamala Harris never shied away from a good fight. She's held accountable environmental
polluters, sexual abusers, and transnational gangs. But what really stands out is when she stood up
and protected her constituents' freedoms. In 2011, she refused to defend California's ban
on same-sex marriage. She refused to argue that some families should have fewer rights than other
families. And met a lot. She was fighting for families like mine.
Now, in 2022, I faced a similar situation. When after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Michigan's
archaic abortion ban was resurrected. But Vice President Harris had my back, and she reminded me
that protecting people's lives and defending their rights is our job.
And just as the same-sex marriage ban was overturned in California,
so too was the abortion ban in Michigan.
By the way, I get a message for the Republicans and the justices of the United States Supreme
Court that can pry this wedding ban from my cold, dead, gay hand.
And I'm retaining a lot of water, so good luck with that.
Look, I know that whether she's Attorney General or President of the United States,
Kamala Harris will always be in our corner. Now, America, you get to be the judge.
Do we go back to the corruption, criminality, and chaos of Donald Trump?
Or do we move forward with Kamala Harris?
We know when she takes an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, she's actually
running. We know the chill appoint Supreme Court justices who will protect our freedoms.
And let me tell you, Kamala knows you go from the courthouse to the White House, not the other way around.
Ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case.
Wow, wow.
I just want to say thank you, Attorney General Nessel.
So coming up, we have John and Rachel, proud, loving parents of three.
On October 7th, their son, Hirsch, a U.S. citizen, was at a music festival when Hamas attacked.
He was taken hostage, and he is still being held today, an American citizen.
Rachel and John want what every parent wants to hold their child close to love on them.
And keep them safe. I'm honored to introduce the two of them tonight.
At this moment, 109 treasured,
human beings are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus,
and Buddhists. They are from 23 different countries. The youngest hostage is a one-year-old,
red-headed baby boy, and the oldest is an 86-year-old, mustachioed grandpa
among the hostages are eight American citizens. One of those Americans is our only son.
His name is Hirsch. He's 23 years old. And like Vice President Kamala Harris, Hirsch was born in Oakland, California.
Hirsch is a happy-go-lucky, laid-back, good-humoured, respectful, and curious person. He is a civilian.
He loves soccer, is wild about music and music festivals, and he has been obsessed with geography
and travel since he was a little boy. His bedroom overflows with atlases, globes, maps, and national
geographic magazines. On October 7th, Hirsch and his best friend, Honor, went to a music festival
in the south of Israel. It was advertised as celebrating peace, love, and unity. They also went
to celebrate Hirsch's 23rd birthday. As rockets began to fall, Hirsch, Honor,
and 27 other young festival goers took refuge in a five-foot by eight-foot bomb shelter.
Terrorists began to throw grenades into the shelter. Honor stood in the doorway and repelled
seven of those grenades before the eighth one killed him. All together at the Novum Music Festival,
367 young music lovers were killed. This was just one of the many attacks on neighborhoods
and communities in southern Israel on that terrible day. In total, 1,200 were killed,
including 45 Americans. Hirsch's left forearm, his dominant arm, was blown off before he was
loaded onto a pickup truck and stolen from his life and me and John into Gaza. And that was
320 days ago. Since then, we live on another planet. Anyone who is a parent or has had a parent
can try to imagine the anguish and misery that John and I and all the hostage families are enduring.
Rachel and I are comforted to be back in our sweet home, Chicago. We were both born and raised
here and our families still live here. This is a political convention. But needing our only son
and all of the cherished hostages home is not a political issue.
It is a humanitarian issue.
The families of the American eight hostages meet every few weeks in Washington. We're
heartened that both Democratic and Republican leaders demonstrate their bipartisan support
for our hostages being released. We've met with President Biden and Vice President Harris
numerous times at the White House. They're both working tirelessly for a hostage
and ceasefire deal that will bring our precious children, mothers, fathers, spouses,
grandparents, and grandchildren home, and will stop the despair in Gaza.
We are all deeply grateful to them. We're also profoundly thankful to you,
the millions of people in the United States and all over the world who have been sending love,
support, and strength to the hostage families. You've kept us breathing in a world without air.
There is a surplus of agony on all sides of the tragic conflict in the Middle East.
In a competition of pain, there are no winners.
In our Jewish tradition, we say,
every person is an entire universe. We must save all these universes.
In an inflamed Middle East, we know the one thing that can most immediately
release pressure and bring calm to the entire region. A deal that brings this diverse group
of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza.
The time is now.
Hirsch, Hirsch, if you can hear us, we love you. Stay strong. Survive.
Turn them home.
You
Now, some of you may have the wrongful impression that I'm about to sing with this man.
That ain't gonna happen, but I'll tell you what, I want to bring you all to a street
in Newark, New Jersey called Martin Luther King Boulevard.
On that street was this incredible housing project called Brick Towers.
We never mistake wealth with worth.
In those towers was a tenant president named Miss Virginia Jones.
Her son was murdered in the 1980s in the lobby of one of those buildings, but she was
a woman of invincible joy.
And I'll tell you this, I used to ask her, how are you so joyful?
And she would always tell me this church woman, she'd say, the joy I have, the world didn't
give it to me.
Come on now, come on now.
She taught me that you've got to generate the joy, that hope is the active conviction
that despair will never have the last word.
And so tonight, there are so many challenges in our nation.
There are so many problems that we're facing.
Heck, if America hasn't broken your heart, you don't love her enough.
But yet we will be joyful warriors.
We are gonna bring back to the journey of our nation joy.
And if there's any tradition in America that has helped us to generate that joy, it
has been the artists of America.
It has been those folks bringing the rock and roll in the funk, bringing the gospel and
the hard rock.
Well, tonight we are blessed by one of those great American artists that helps us to cleanse
our spirits, to raise our hearts, and to bring in that joy.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you one of the true greats in America, someone to bring the
joy to this incredible arena, Marin Morris.
If you don't like it, get the hell out, that's what the yell when I open my mouth.
A stick is a stick, a stone is a stone, but who's gonna care if I don't?
Who's gonna change if I won't?
When time turns its moments are dead, I just hope that I'm proud of the woman I was.
And as of tomorrow I draw it, can I live with the side that I chose to be on, when
we sit on our heads, do nothing about it?
Or will we leave this more better than we found it?
Over and under and above the law, my neighbors in danger, who to seek when the wolf set the
door?
What would you do?
Shouldn't we try something new?
We're over a barrel, and at the end of one two, when time turns its moments are dead,
I just hope that I'm proud of the woman I was, when time's up tomorrow I draw it, can I live with the
side that I chose to be on, when we sit on our heads, do nothing about it?
Or will we leave this more better than we found it?
America, America divided, we fought America, America got saved us all from ourselves in the hell
that we built for our kids, America, America were better than us, when time turns its moments are dead,
I just hope my son's proud of the woman I was, when time's up tomorrow I draw it, can I live with the side that I chose to be on,
when we sit on our heads, do nothing about it?
Can we leave this more better than we found it?
America, America
America
Alright, alright you know what, I'm inspired, maybe I will sing a song
Donald Trump, a little BB King classic, the thrill is gone
I want you all to know tonight is about joy
American history, our common history is a testimony to taking on the insurmountable and achieving the impossible
that should bring us joy, our progress never ever came easy, but in America we do hard things
We built labor unions and small businesses
We created great public education and world changing innovation
We nurtured the best athletes and artists humanity has ever seen and we kept the promise of Medicare and Social Security for our seniors
Look at who we are, against bigotry and hate, we advanced equal rights for all Americans
Civil rights, workers rights, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights
The right to marry who you love, the right to be free
We did all of this in a way that didn't pit American against American
We did this by healing rifts, by bridging divides, by pulling people together
and all the while we in this nation lived up to our calling and our creed
to be a more perfect union, to make this one nation under God a little more indivisible
Now you all know this, Trump betrays these ideals
He viciously attacks Democrats and Republicans
His put downs, no no shame
John McCain's military service, Nikki Haley's heritage
Women, people with disabilities, trans people are veterans
He is indiscriminate in his put downs
His is the politics of smear and fear, not inspiration and elevation
Donald Trump speaks more of American carnage than American compassion
But in America, you can't lead the people if you don't love the people
All the people
Now our nominees, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, they bring the joy
Think about it, they're descendants of immigrants, shopkeepers, slaves, educators
People who faced pain with perseverance
People who met hate with love
They are the living dreams of their ancestors
But look in this arena, look around you right now
We are all our ancestors wildest dreams
Generations who faced impossible odds
And that responded to every one of their challenges
With that classic American creed
Yes, we can
So there are doubters out there
There are people that doubt our collective strength
They want to tell us how bad we are
They want to say that they alone can save us
Well we know that the power of the people is greater than the people in power
And we're not
We're not going to lose our faith
Look, I want everybody in here
To let us all say it together
I believe in America
Let me hear you
I believe in America
I believe in America because our elders told us that no matter what the obstacle
Like the gospel says, we shall overcome
I believe in America
Because our soldiers died on beaches and battlefields
They died at sea and in the air
So that we could be free today
And say together
I believe in America
I believe in America because our fighters fought at Stonewall
Our marchers marched in Selma
Delegates met at Seneca Falls
Every single one of them believed in America
Even when America didn't believe in them
Say it with me now
I believe in America
Because King dared to dream the impossible dream
Because Neil Armstrong went to impossible heights
And because when we elect Kamala Harris
There is not a boy or girl in America
From any creed, color or heritage
That will ever thank being President of the United States
Is impossible again
I
Say it with me
I believe in America
The land of hope and heroism
I believe in America
The land of courage and compassion
I believe in America
Where we share common ground and common cause
And one common destiny
And let me tell you
If you believe in America
If you love in America
Then you will work for America
And when we work together
When we stand together
When we organize together
When we vote together
I will tell you this
When we fight
We win
Ladies and gentlemen
Veronica Escobar