Welcome to a special edition of From the Politics Desk, bringing you the 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 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 elected vice president of the United States officially became the first Black and South Asian woman named a major-party presidential nominee, lifting Democrats’ hopes of defeating former President Donald Trump and keeping the White House for another four years.
“We are charting a new way forward, forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class,” Harris said in her speech.
“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 continued, calling it a “personal” thing for her, because “the middle class is where I come from.”
“That’s why we will create what I call an opportunity economy, an opportunity economy where everyone has the chance to compete and a chance to succeed, whether you live in a rural area, small town or big city,” she said.
Harris spent the beginning of her speech laying out her biography, from her family’s story to the early steps of her career. Speaking about her immigrant parents, Harris said she’s “no stranger to unlikely journeys,” describing her upbringing in the San Francisco Bay Area and her start as a prosecutor.
“Every day in the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge and I said five words: ‘Kamala Harris for the people.’ My entire career, I only had one client: the people.”
Harris then wove that story into the traditional applause line 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 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 to be president of the United States of America,” she said.
In her remarks, Harris spoke in broad outlines about her own agenda, saying she would restore reproductive freedoms, offer a tax cut to the middle class, end America’s housing shortage and protect Social Security and Medicare.
“They are out of their minds,” she said of Republicans and what she called their attack on women’s reproductive rights. “We trust women.”
She repeatedly hammered away at Trump, calling him a threat to working Americans, saying he would cut taxes for only the wealthy. She also cited Project 2025, a conservative blueprint by the Heritage Foundation meant to be a road map for another Trump term. Trump rejected the document after the blowback around it.
Read more from Natasha and Jon →
Key takeaways from the Democratic convention
By Sahil Kapur
CHICAGO — With the 2024 Democratic National Convention officially in the books, here are a few key takeaways from the week that was.
Vibes and ‘joy’ over policy: Replacing President Joe Biden, 81, with Harris, 59, as their standard-bearer unleashed a torrent of enthusiasm among Democrats. That energy persisted in the jam-packed arena as speakers presented Harris as a “joyful” warrior. It was also evident this week on the vibrant party circuit here, where Democratic officials and staffers were exuberant about their rising political fortunes.
Apart from Harris’ revealing this week that she favors a corporate tax-rate hike to 28%, she didn’t roll out new policy proposals. Still, Democrats highlighted some of the biggest issues at stake throughout the convention, like abortion rights, gun safety and lowering the cost of living.
A broad anti-Trump coalition: Staunch opposition to Trump was a unifying theme throughout the week. Speakers spanned the Democratic spectrum ideologically, 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 differences this week.
It featured conservatives like Trump White House communications director Stephanie Grisham, the Republican mayor of Mesa, Arizona, John Giles, and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill. Kinzinger joked that the crowd probably never expected to see him, and he evoked the “awkward alliance that we have to defend truth, to defend democracy and decency” by stopping Trump, calling him “a weak man pretending to be strong.”
1968 redux? Not quite: Like the one in 1968, it was an unusual Democratic convention held in Chicago, with a sitting president rocking the political world by deciding not to seek re-election and handing the baton to his vice president. But unlike 1968’s, it wasn’t marred by violence.
As expected, pro-Gaza protesters made appearances in the city all week, beginning with demonstrations on the streets Sunday. Some were arrested in standoffs with police. But inside the arena, there were no major disruptions or heckling from the protesters as the Democratic organizers maintained control of the program.
Read more takeaways from Sahil →
More coverage from Night 4 of the Democratic convention
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, a shooting survivor, honors Biden and praises Harris, by Alexandra MarquezExonerated ‘Central Park Five’ members speak out against Trump, by Megan LebowitzNBA legend Steph Curry makes surprise appearance via video, by Alicia Victoria LozanoWith Harris, Democrats try a new tack to take down Trump: Making fun of him, by Peter NicholasThe groups behind one of the DNC’s most violent protests, by Adam Edelman, Simone Weichselbaum, Chloe Atkins and Tom WinterCreators thrive at Democratic convention alongside traditional media and Hollywood stars, by Elleiana Green, Kalhan Rosenblatt and Alex Seitz-WaldCatch up on all the night’s action with our live blog →
That’s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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