CHICAGO — Democrats opened their four-day convention in Chicago on Monday with a tribute to President Joe Biden, who passed the torch to his vice president, as the Democratic Party entered a new generation.
In case you missed it, here are three main takeaways from Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention.
Biden’s final bow
The opening night of the Democratic National Convention belonged to President Biden as Democrats praised him for decades of public service and passing the torch to Harris.
After being introduced by his daughter, Ashley, Biden entered the hall to a standing ovation that lasted nearly five minutes. He used the speech to show his support for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
He then slammed Donald Trump and attempted to tie his administration’s successes to Harris as well as him.
“Because of you – and I’m not exaggerating – because of you, we’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,” Biden said. “When I say we, I mean Kamala and me.”
The President then offered his endorsement to Harris, saying his decision to choose her as his running mate in 2020 was “the best decision” of his political career.
“She’ll be a president our children can look up to. She’d be a president respected by world leaders, because she already is. She’d be a president we can all be proud of. And she’d be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future,” Biden said.
The President then closed his speech with a final farewell.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you. I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you,” he said.
Clinton’s full circle moment
Eight years after Hillary Clinton accepted her party’s nomination as the first woman to be a major party’s presidential nominee, she was back at the Democratic National Convention.
She returned to the convention for the first time since her loss to Trump in 2016 and received a standing ovation from those in the United Center. She acknowledged her defeat, saying Americans “refused to give up on America”.
“Many ran for office. We kept our eyes on the future,” Clinton said. “Well, my friends, the future is here.”
“On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th President of the United States,” Clinton added.
AOC fires up the crowd and offers a glimpse into the future
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) delivered a passionate speech and offered a glimpse into her political future in the process on Monday.
Ocasio-Cortez called on voters to support Harris and Walz as they will fight for the middle class while blasting Trump as a “two-bit union buster” who would “sell this country for a dollar.”
“Kamala Harris understands the middle class because she’s from the middle class,” she said.
AOC made reference to the conflict in Gaza as protesters clashed with police outside, saying Harris was “working tirelessly to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.”
