Welcome to a special edition of From the Politics Desk, featuring highlights from the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
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Harris weaves her life story into a vision for America as she accepts the Democratic nomination
By Natasha Korecki and Jonathan Allen
CHICAGO — Amid a cacophony of cheering Democrats and a canopy of red, white and blue balloons, Vice President Kamala Harris made history.
The first woman to be elected vice president of the United States has officially become the first Black and South Asian woman to be nominated as a major party’s presidential candidate, boosting Democrats’ hopes of defeating former President Donald Trump and staying in the White House for another four years.
“We are forging a new path forward, toward a future with a strong and growing middle class,” Harris said in her speech.
“Because we know that 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 continued, calling it a “personal” cause for her because “the middle class is where I come from.”
“So we will create what I call an opportunity economy, an opportunity economy where everyone has a chance to compete and a chance to succeed, whether you live in a rural area, a small town or a big city,” she said.
Harris spent the beginning of her speech laying out her biography, from her family’s story to her early career. Of her immigrant parents, Harris said she is “no stranger to improbable journeys,” describing her upbringing in the San Francisco Bay Area and her start as a prosecutor.
“Every day in court, I stood proudly before a judge and said five words: ‘Kamala Harris for the people.’ My entire career, I have had only one client: the people.”
Harris then incorporated that story into the traditional applause line when accepting her party’s nomination.
“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 been on their own incredible journey; on behalf of Americans like the ones I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams, and care for each other; on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest country on Earth, I accept your nomination to be President of the United States of America,” she said.
In her speech, Harris outlined her own agenda, saying she would restore reproductive freedoms, offer tax cuts to the middle class, end America’s housing shortage, and protect Social Security and Medicare.
“They’re crazy,” she said of Republicans and what she called their assault on women’s reproductive rights. “We trust women.”
She repeatedly hammered Trump, calling him a threat to working Americans and saying he would only cut taxes for the wealthy. She also mentioned Project 2025, a conservative blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that was meant to be a road map for a new Trump term. Trump rejected the document after backlash against it.
Read more from Natasha and Jon →
Key Takeaways from the Democratic Convention
By Sahil Kapur
CHICAGO — With the 2024 Democratic National Convention officially behind us, here are some key lessons from the past week.
Vibes and ‘joy’ about policy: Replacing President Joe Biden, 81, with Harris, 59, as their standard-bearer unleashed an outpouring of enthusiasm among Democrats. That energy carried through the packed arena as speakers cast Harris as a “joyous” warrior. It was also evident on the lively party circuit here this week, where Democratic officials and staffers exuberated their rising political fortunes.
Aside from Harris’ revelation this week that she supports raising the corporate tax rate to 28%, she offered no new policy proposals. Still, Democrats highlighted some of the biggest issues at stake at the convention, including abortion rights, gun safety and lowering the cost of living.
A broad anti-Trump coalition: The fierce opposition to Trump was a unifying theme throughout the week. Speakers spanned the ideological spectrum of Democrats, from progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York City, to centrists like Rep. Tom Suozzi, of Long Island, New York, who put aside their differences this week.
It included conservatives such as Trump’s White House communications director Stephanie Grisham, the Republican mayor of Mesa, Ariz., John Giles and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill. Kinzinger joked that the crowd probably never expected to see him, and he called out the “awkward alliance we have to defend the truth, to defend democracy, to defend decency” in stopping Trump, calling him “a weak man pretending to be strong.”
1968 redux? Not quite: Like 1968, it was an unusual Democratic convention in Chicago, with a sitting president shaking the political world by deciding not to seek re-election and passing the baton to his vice president. But unlike 1968, it was not marred by violence.
As expected, pro-Gaza protesters appeared in the city throughout the week, starting with street demonstrations on Sunday. Some were arrested during clashes with police. But inside the arena, there were no major disruptions or booing from protesters, as Democratic organizers maintained control over the program.
Read more takeaways from Sahil →
More coverage from the fourth night of the Democratic convention
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Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, a shooting survivor, honors Biden, praises Harris, by Alexandra Marquez
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Exonerated Members of ‘Central Park Five’ Speak Out Against Trump, by Megan Lebowitz
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NBA legend Steph Curry makes surprise appearance via video, by Alicia Victoria Lozano
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With Harris, Democrats are trying a new tactic to bring down Trump: ridiculing him, by Peter Nicholas
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The Groups Behind One of the DNC’s Most Violent Protests, by Adam Edelman, Simone Weichselbaum, Chloe Atkins, and Tom Winter
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Creators Thrive at Democratic Convention Alongside Traditional Media and Hollywood Stars, by Elleiana Green, Kalhan Rosenblatt, and Alex Seitz-Wald
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Stay up to date with all the evening’s events with our live blog →
That’s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have any feedback — likes or dislikes — please email us at politicsnieuwsbrief@nbcuni.com
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
