Harris accepts Democratic presidential nomination
Kamala Harris then accepted the Democratic presidential nomination:
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 for president of the United States of America.
The room erupted into applause.
Key events
Democratic national convention concludes
And with that, the Democratic national convention has ended.
Now we’ll see if Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can translate the energy in the convention hall into an election win. The vice-president’s next big moment in the public spotlight will come on 10 September, when she meets Donald Trump for a debate in Philadelphia.
The convention hall is only slowly emptying out.
Perhaps people believe the rumored special musical guest will still appear, or they’re just having too much fun with the balloons and confetti that continues to fall from on high.
Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and their entourages have left the stage after about 10 minutes as balloons dropped and confetti filled the air.
We’re now hearing the convention’s closing benediction.
False Beyoncé rumors spread throughout the night
There were widespread rumors that Beyoncé was going to perform as a surprise guest on the final night of the convention, fueled by a TMZ report in the middle of the program, headlined, “BEYONCÉ PERFORMING AT DNC’S FINAL NIGHT!!!”
But Beyoncé never showed up. As the event was nearing the end, the star’s representative released a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, saying, “Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there. The report of a performance is untrue.” There were also rumors that Taylor Swift or another surprise guest would show up, but the night has ended without any celebrity surprises.
Moments after Harris ended her address, Doug Emhoff walked onstage as Beyoncé’s “Freedom” played.
Then came her running mate Tim Walz, and his wife, Gwen. The balloons dropped not longer after that, as the screen behind Harris played videos of supporters in swing states waving signs and dancing.
In the United Center, the crowd is waving American flags, and tossing around the red, white and blue balloons that fell from the ceiling.
Harris calls for Americans to ‘fight for this country we love’ as she wraps up convention address
Kamala Harris then wrapped up her address to the Democratic convention by again mentioning the lessons she learned from her mother.
“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,” Harris said.
“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. We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in 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.”
Harris signals support for ceasefire deal, calls Gaza war ‘heartbreaking’
Kamala Harris addressed one of the most divisive issues before Democrats: Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
“With respect to the war in Gaza. President Biden and I are working around the clock, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done,” she said.
She spoke forcefully against Hamas and the October 7 attack, saying, “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 war that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7.”
Harris then turned to the devastation wreaked on Gaza by Israel’s invasion:
At the same time, what has happened In Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost, desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again, the scale of suffering is heartbreaking.
She then brought the crowd to their feet by declaring:
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 realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.
As she talked about her policy towards Israel, we could hear shouting in the United Center, but it was not clear what they were saying.
More applause followed when Harris proclaimed: “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,” she said.
The United Center is filling with the sounds of boos, as Kamala Harris recounts Donald Trump’s hand in the downfall of Roe v Wade, and the move by Republican-led states to ban access to abortion.
“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,” Harris said, then continued:
Donald Trump handpicked members of the United States supreme court to take away reproductive freedom, and now he brags about it in his words, “I did it, and I’m proud to have done it.” Well, let me tell you, over the past two years, I’ve traveled across our country, and women have told me their stories. Husbands and fathers have shared theirs stories of women 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.
This is what’s 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, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress. And get this, get this, he plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions.
After all that booing, Harris drew claps by declaring: “They are out of their minds.”
Harris got the crowd chanting her campaign staple of “We’re not going back!” after she brought up Project 2025’s discussion of ending the department of eduction, as well as early education service Head Start.
“We are not going back, 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,” she said.
In lengthy denunciation, Harris warns of ‘extremely serious’ consequences of re-electing Trump
Then, it was time to attack Donald Trump, who Kamala Harris described in a thorough denunciation as a threat to the country’s way of governing and life.
“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” she began, before laying out what those consequences would be:
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 Capitol, where they assaulted law enforcement officers. When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob and send help, he did the opposite. He fanned the flames, and now, for an entirely different set of crimes, he was found guilty of fraud by a jury of everyday Americans and separately, found liable for committing sexual abuse.
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 Capitol. 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 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.
Harris says November election represents ‘fleeting opportunity’ to move country forward
Kamala Harris then outlined her view of the stakes of this election, while trying to appeal to the moderate and independent voters who may make the difference in the crucial swing states.
“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,” she said.
“And let me say, I know there are people of various political 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 fundamental principles, from the rule of law, to free and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power.”
Harris accepts Democratic presidential nomination
Kamala Harris then accepted the Democratic presidential nomination:
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 for president of the United States of America.
The room erupted into applause.
Harris is now telling us about how her mother influenced her career path.
“My mother was a brilliant, five-foot-tall brown woman with an accent, and as the eldest child, I saw how the world would sometimes treat her, but my mother never lost her cool,” Harris said.
“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.”
After deciding to be a lawyer, Harris recounted why she wanted to be a prosecutor:
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 noticed something about my best friend, Wanda. She was sad at school, and there were times she didn’t 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.
She then talked about her upbringing with her parents who moved around the country for various jobs and would eventually divorce, and the virtues they instilled in her.
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, Kamala, run. Don’t be afraid. Don’t let anything stop you.
She began by thanking her husband, Doug Emhoff, and then Joe Biden:
When I think about the path we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude. Your record is inspiring, as history will show, and Doug and I love you, and Jill, and are forever thankful to you both.
After a very long applause and lots of “thank yous”, Kamala Harris’s speech is getting under way.
“OK, let’s get to business,” the vice-president said.
When she made a surprise and brief appearance on the convention’s opening day, Kamala Harris wore a tan suit, which people interpreted in all sorts of ways.
Today, she’s in an all-black suit. Make of that what you will.
