Politics
DNC Live Blog, Day 1: Joe Biden Takes the Stage to Endorse Harris; Protesters March in Chicago
WTTW News reporters are spread out across Chicago covering the 2024 Democratic National Convention and the Illinois delegation. Check back throughout the day for continuous updates and be sure to tune in to “Chicago Tonight” live at 5:30 and 10 p.m.
Protests, Speeches and an Emotional Sendoff: Recapping Day 1 With the Spotlight Politics Team
11:50 p.m., United Center, Chicago
The WTTW News Spotlight Politics team is live with recaps and analysis of the biggest moments of the first day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
- Produced by Abena Bediako and Paul Caine, WTTW News
Illinois Comptroller Says First Female US President is ‘Long Overdue’
11:40 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza appeared on “Chicago Tonight” with Amanda Vinicky to discuss the first day of the Democratic National Convention.
Mendoza reflected on the future of reproductive rights in America, the prospect of the first female president and why Hillary Clinton’s speech Monday resonated with her.
“I actually won my election for comptroller of the state of Illinois in 2016, the same year that Tammy Duckworth was elected U.S. senator,” Mendoza said. “And it was supposed to be a trifecta: Tammy, me and Hillary Clinton. And at our victory parties, both hers and mine, everyone in the front row was bawling their eyes out because she (Clinton) didn’t cross the finish line. And so today was kind of like a lot of emotion for me in that respect.
“It really should have been her — but look at her. She’s helping other women finally break that ceiling. She’s doing it for all of us. Kamala Harris is the next generation of amazing, qualified, experienced women to lead our country. She’s going to do it, and every little girl in America is going to see themselves reflected in her. It’s long overdue.”
-Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Biden Gets a Rousing Ovation From Democrats as He Gives Harris an Enthusiastic Endorsement
10:45 p.m., United Center, Chicago
President Joe Biden speaks during the first day of Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (Jacquelyn Martin / AP Photo)
President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, as his decision to end his reelection bid released newfound energy within his party with Vice President Kamala Harris′ elevation to the top of the ticket.
After 52 years rising to the pinnacle of influence within his party, Biden, 81, received a hero’s welcome for the act of stepping aside for Harris, weeks after many in his party were pressuring him to drop his bid for reelection. One month after an unprecedented mid-campaign switch from Biden to Harris, the opening night of the convention in Chicago was designed as a handoff from the incumbent to his hand-picked successor — albeit four years before he intended for her to follow him.
A visibly emotional Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of “Thank you Joe.”
“America, I love you,” he replied.
Democrats are looking to the weeklong event to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president and slingshot Harris toward a faceoff with Republican Donald Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat. Having taken over the ticket just one month ago, Harris and running mate Tim Walz must now win over a divided country that is viewing her more positively but still making up its mind about the election.
“Democracy has prevailed, democracy has delivered, and now democracy must be preserved,” Biden said.
“Because of you, we’ve had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,” Biden declared. And then he interjected, “I say ‘we,’ I mean me and Kamala,’” sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president who replaced him atop the ticket. Read the Full Story
-Associated Press
Jill Biden’s Speech at DNC Honors President Biden and Marks an End for the First Lady, Too
10:30 p.m., United Center, Chicago
First Lady Jill Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (Paul Sancya / AP Photo)
Jill Biden once said that she knew marrying Joe Biden — then a senator from Delaware — would mean “a life in the spotlight that I had never wanted.”
On Monday night, now very accustomed to that spotlight, the first lady stood before the Democratic National Convention to do her part to highlight her husband’s 50 years of public service as his presidency begins to draw to a close.
Her words marked the beginning of an end for her, too. Before the president walked across the stage at the United Center to deliver the keynote speech on the convention’s opening night, the first lady used her address to speak to his character and reiterate her support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Joe and I have been together for almost 50 years, and still there are moments when I fall in love with him all over again,” she said. Among them, she said, was watching him “dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.”
The first lady charted a new path for presidential spouses when she became the first to hold a paying job outside the White House. She is an English and writing professor at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has taught since 2009, and has been working on her lesson plans for the coming fall semester, aides said.
As first lady, Jill Biden traveled to over 40 states, over 200 towns and cities, and 19 countries, most recently leading a delegation to support Team USA at the Olympic Games in France. In 2022, she traveled to Ukraine after Russia’s military invasion to show U.S. support for Ukrainians.
-Associated Press
Illinois House Speaker Says Harris Presidency Would ‘Move the Country Forward’
10 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch appeared on “Chicago Tonight” with Amanda Vinicky to discuss the first day of the Democratic National Convention. This year marks Welch’s first convention.
He dubbed the 2024 election an “awesome opportunity” to elect the nation’s first female president and said Democrats and Republicans are presenting voters with two very different platforms.
“The path that we’re telling folks (about) will move the country forward,” Welch said. “This is all about workers’ rights, women’s rights, voters’ rights, LGBTQ+ rights. If you care about rights that we’ve fought hard for in this country, you’re going to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and keep moving this country forward. The other ticket promises to take us backward. All you gotta do is look at Project 2025. They’ve told us what they’re going to do.”
-Amanda Vinicky / WTTW News
‘The Daily Show’ Opens Its Run in Chicago
9:45 p.m., Athenaeum Center, Chicago
“The Daily Show” taped at the Athenaeum Center on Aug. 19, 2024. (Marc Vitali / WTTW News)
Night 1 of “The Daily Show” in Chicago is in the books. Taping wrapped earlier this evening at the Athenaeum Center in Lakeview. The show was hosted by Michael Kosta with appearances by Jordan Klepper — who recalled his Chicago days at the iO improv theater — and Grace Kuhlenschmidt. Jon Stewart will host live on Thursday night.
Outside, hundreds of people lined up beside the theater. Across the street, five or six Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supporters waved flags and handed out brochures. Inside, a comedian warmed up the crowd with jokes about the White Sox and Jussie Smollett.
When the show began there was a playoff atmosphere as the audience loudly responded to every cue from the floor director. The noise from the hyped-up crowd was deafening. Fun, except when you couldn’t hear what was so funny.
In one taped segment, Klepper went barhopping in Wrigleyville with Gov. J.B. Pritzker. They hit the Gman Tavern and Murphy’s Bleachers and did a shot of Malort. Klepper asked the governor a tough question: “Is ‘The Bear’ a comedy or a drama?” Laughter from the audience drowned out the governor’s answer. Tune in tonight for the punchline.
The main guest was another governor, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. She spoke of her removable tooth and protecting the Great Lakes, and she plugged her book, “True Gretch.” Whitmer got her biggest laugh when Kosta asked what she believes former President Donald Trump will think of all the energy and optimism in Chicago this week. She answered, “I think it’s gonna hurt his brain.”
-Marc Vitali / WTTW News
Clinton: ‘When a Barrier Falls for One of Us, It Clears the Way for All of Us’
9:15 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received an immediate standing ovation upon entering the stage on the Democratic convention’s first night. Clinton spent several moments waving at those assembled as cheers of “Hillary” echoed through the arena.
Clinton saluted Harris for possibly breaking the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” to become America’s first woman president.
Clinton was the Democratic nominee in 2016, but she lost that election to former President Donald Trump. Clinton, a former New York senator, said it was “the honor of my life” to be the party’s nominee.
“Together, we’ve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton said. “On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. Folks, my friends, when a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.”
The focus on the nature of Harris’ historic candidacy could be key for turning out more women in key states that Democrats need if they hope to win in November.
-Associated Press
A Surprise Harris Appearance to Pay Tribute to Biden
9 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (Morry Gash / AP Photo)
Vice President Kamala Harris made an unscheduled appearance onstage to pay tribute to President Joe Biden ahead of his own address to the convention. She told the president, “Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you’ll continue to do.”
On a night meant to honor the president who stepped aside to make way for Harris, the vice president added: “We are forever grateful to you.” Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were in the stands to cheer her message.
Harris, in her brief remarks, said that looking out on the crowd, “I see the beauty of our great nation,” stressing the importance of promoting diversity and embracing optimism.
-Associated Press
Underwood Says Harris ‘Protects the People Who Are Most Vulnerable’
8:45 p.m., United Center, Chicago
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Illinois) took to the convention stage to speak on what she sees as stark differences between the Democratic and Republican parties’ actions on health care.
“COVID was the worst public health crisis in a century,” Underwood said. “… Donald Trump said it is what it is. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris said help is on the way.”
Underwood, a registered nurse, pointed to her and Vice President Kamala Harris’ work on the disparities in maternal health for Black mothers — both originally introducing the Black Maternal Momnibus Act.
In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births — 2.6 times the rate for White women.
That bill, re-introduced in 2023, includes investment in social determinants of health like housing and nutrition; extending WIC eligibility in the postpartum and breastfeeding periods; and improving maternal health care and support for incarcerated moms.
“That bill was introduced and championed by Sen. Kamala Harris because she protects the people who are most vulnerable — she’s done it for her whole career,” Underwood said.
-Blair Paddock, WTTW News
Democrats Celebrate Jesse Jackson and the ‘Seeds’ He Planted
8:30 p.m., United Center, Chicago
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is honored at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024. (WTTW News)
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.’s legacy took center stage Monday during the opening night of the DNC, as the party celebrated his nearly six decades of activism — and his status as the first Black person to win a major party’s presidential state primary or caucus.
“Dad planted the seeds that have now germinated,” said U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, the second of the reverend’s sons to be elected to Congress.
At an event last week, Mayor Brandon Johnson said he will never forget the time the Jackson Sr. approached him and praised his work as a leader of the Chicago Teachers Union.
“He says, you’re a great organizer, son,” Johnson said Thursday, at the 58th annual convention of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the organization Jackson started and turned into a force in national politics. “But if you were to ever buy a suit and get a haircut, you just might make something of yourself. Well, Reverend, I got a haircut, I put on a suit, and I’m the mayor of the greatest freaking city in the world.”
As the crowd erupted in laughter and cheers, Johnson used his brief address to make it clear that he sees himself as part of Jackson’s political legacy in Chicago that includes former Mayor Harold Washington, former President Barack Obama, Johnson and now Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president. Harris has embraced one of Jackson’s immortal turns of phrase — “when we fight, we win” — as a call and response during her speeches that brings thousands of supporters to their feet to shout the final two words along with her. Read the Full Story.
-Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Protesters Rally Against US Aid to Israel; Small Group Breaks Through Fencing
7:30 p.m., Union Park, Chicago
Thousands protest U.S. support of Israel during the war in Gaza near the site of the DNC on Aug. 19, 2024. (Emily Soto / WTTW News)
Thousands of protesters stretching for several blocks took to the streets on Monday, saying Democrats have no cause to celebrate when tens of thousands of Palestinians are being killed during Israel’s war in Gaza.
“This is the Vietnam War of our generation,” organizer Hatem Abudayyeh said, calling it incumbent upon protesters to make their voices heard just as they did in the 1960s and 1970s. “Joe Biden can turn off that tap of money and funding (to Israel) immediately.”
The Coalition to March on the DNC, made up of a wide array of organizations. The group is calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and an end to U.S. aid to Israel.
Dozens of demonstrators broke through a fence set up by police near the United Center.
Several were detained and handcuffed by the police. Read the Full Story.
-Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
On Near West Side, Locals Say DNC Brings Restrictions But Chance to Witness History
7:10 p.m., Chicago
It’s been a bumpy ride for residents living near the United Center. Ald. Walter Burnett (27th Ward) shared that the neighborhood is no stranger to parking restrictions, especially during game days and events, but said the city’s planning for the DNC has had a lot of moving parts.
“I’m excited just to be there and just to be in the moment,” Burnett said. “But I am concerned, just want to make sure that my home is straight.”
Despite concerns over limited access points, parking and traffic, longtime resident Sandra Green said the convention is an opportunity for locals to experience a moment in history.
“We need something like this so the kids can see things,” Green said. “It’s important for the kids to understand how important voting is.” Read the Full Story.
-Joanna Hernandez and Shelby Hawkins, WTTW News
Johnson Uses DNC to Play a Favorite Role: Chicago’s Biggest Fan
6:35 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Video: Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks at the first night of the Democratic National Convention. (WTTW News)
The whole world was watching when Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomed the Democratic National Convention to Chicago — the “greatest city in the world.”
Maybe that’s why Johnson dropped his favorite exclamation — “freaking,” wanting to make sure Chicago made a good impression. Company is in town, of course. At least, he held his tongue for a while.
“Chicago — where Ida B. Wells and Jane Addams organized to deliver real, transformative change across the country,” Johnson said. “Chicago — where Rev. Jesse Jackson united people of all different backgrounds to keep hope alive — and a community organizer on the South Side — Barack Obama — rose to the White House by reminding us, yes, we can.”
Johnson delivered a full-throated endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. A Harris victory will mean more to Johnson than just the success of a political ally.
“And as a Black man raising a Black girl on the West Side of Chicago, I know that my daughter will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House, but our deepest American values,” Johnson said.
But as Johnson built to a crescendo, he couldn’t resist. “Chicago is the greatest freaking city in the world,” Johnson proclaimed, triggering loud cheers. Read the Full Story
-Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Pritzker Hints at a Third Term
5:40 p.m., Chicago
In the middle of his second term, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker hinted during a speech to party faithful Monday morning that he’s game to run again.
“It seems crazy, but it’s true that when I serve out just the end of this second term I will be the longest serving Democratic governor in the history of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “I’m not suggesting that I want to try to beat (former Gov.) Jim Thompson’s 14-year record. My wife’s not here. I don’t want anybody talking to her about this. But she is my term limit. So, if all of you want to talk to her, convince her one way or another.”
Thompson, a Republican, was governor of Illinois from 1977-1991.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said he welcomes the 59-year-old Pritzker staying on as governor, and believes that First Lady M.K. Pritzker would be good with it too. Read the Full Story.
-Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Soul Children of Chicago Perform National Anthem at the DNC
5:30 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago are set to kick off the Democratic National Convention Monday evening, as they perform the “The Star Spangled Banner” on the first night.
The group took to Instagram earlier today to share their excitement, saying they would be the only choir to sing the National Anthem at the DNC this year.
This isn’t their first time making an appearance on the DNC stage. The choir also shared on Instagram a flyer dating back to 1996, when they also performed at the DNC in Chicago.
WTTW News profiled the youth ensemble choir in July 2022 as they celebrated their 40th anniversary with a special concert in Grant Park. Read the Full Story.
-Angel Idowu, WTTW News
Biden Flies Over Chicago in New ‘Marine One’ Helicopter
3:45 p.m., Soldier Field, Chicago
A new Marine One awaits President Joe Biden at Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Monday, August 19, 2024. (AP Photo / Stephanie Scarbrough)
President Joe Biden on Monday took his first flight aboard the modern VH-92A helicopter that serves as Marine One after years of delays to the program to replace the aging aircraft that carry the president and vice president.
Biden boarded the Sikorsky-made helicopter after arriving on Air Force One in Chicago where he is speak Monday evening at the Democratic National Convention. The maiden presidential voyage carried him from O’Hare International Airport to the parking lot of Chicago’s Soldier Field, often used as a landing zone for presidential travel.
It marked a crucial milestone in a two-decade-long process to replace the Vietnam-era helicopters that have been in use carrying presidents, in some cases, since the 1970s. Read the Full Story.
-Associated Press
Asian American Democrats Rally Behind Kamala Harris at AAPI Caucus Meeting
3:30 p.m., McCormick Place, Chicago
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois speaks during an Asian American Pacific Islander caucus meeting as part of the Democratic National Convention at McCormick Place on Aug. 19, 2024. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
Local and national Asian American and Pacific Islander Democratic elected officials gathered Monday morning at McCormick Place to highlight the role of Asian American voters and rally behind Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois were among the leaders who attended the AAPI caucus meeting, coinciding with a variety of caucus and council meetings being held throughout the week during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
A key theme of the meeting included highlighting the importance of capturing the votes of Asian Americans — the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S. — in key battleground states.
“We are the margin of victory,” Duckworth said to attendees. “We need to reach out to our communities all across the country.”
During the caucus meeting, speakers also highlighted the fact that Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, would become the first Black and Asian American woman to serve as U.S. president if she were to win the election. Read the Full Story
-Eunice Alpasan, WTTW News
Chicago’s Storied History With Political Conventions
2:15 p.m., Chicago
With just hours to go until the kickoff of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, it’s a good time to look at Chicago’s long and rich history as a political convention host.
That history goes all the way back to Illinois’ favorite son, Abe Lincoln. Read the Full Story.
-Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Johnson Previews DNC Speech: I Hope People Fall in Love With Chicago
2:10 p.m., Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Chicago
Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters Monday he is ready to take center stage at the Democratic National Convention and play one of his favorite roles: Chicago’s biggest fan.
Johnson said he hopes those who traveled to Chicago for the convention leave enamored with the city.
“I hope that people walk away from Chicago in love with this city as much as I’m in love with this city, and as much as its people are in love with this city,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of great reasons to be in love with this city.”
Johnson said he wants people to know Chicago is built on a love story, the one between Haitian immigrant Jean Baptiste Point DuSable and his wife, Kitihawa, a member of the Potawatomi Tribe.
“I want them to understand that profound history,” Johnson said, listing off great achievements in Chicago, including the first demonstration of electricity, and great Chicagoans, like Ida B. Wells, who fought to end lynching and ensure equal rights for Black Americans.
Johnson is scheduled to address the convention on its opening night, where he will no doubt celebrate the “soul of Chicago” and welcome the thousands of delegates to what he frequently calls the “greatest freaking city in the world.”
-Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Democrats Take Their Message Straight to Trump Tower
2 p.m., Trump Tower, Chicago
The Democratic National Committee is projecting various messages onto Chicago's Trump Tower during the Democratic National Convention. (Courtesy of Democratic National Committee, left; tupungato / iStock)
The Democratic National Committee is using Trump Tower to troll the former president.
The group has turned the Trump International Hotel and Tower on the Chicago River into a giant message board during the Democratic National Convention.
Slogans including “Project 2025 HQ” and “Trump-Vance ‘Weird as Hell’” were projected onto the glass skyscraper Sunday night, positioned above the building’s massive “TRUMP” letters.
Other projections prepared by the DNC: “Harris Walz Joy and Hope,” “Harriz Walz Fighting for You” and “Trump-Vance Out for Themselves,” according to officials. Read the Full Story.
-Patty Wetli, WTTW News
Meet the Husband-Wife Team Who Made the Statues Outside the United Center
1:45 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Sculptures of Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull at the United Center in Chicago. (Courtesy of Studio Rotblatt Amrany)
As delegates stream into the United Center this evening for the DNC, they will walk past some striking statues.
A local husband-and-wife team leads a collective of artists who create monuments to sports stars and heroes of all kinds — from Ty Cobb to Johnny Cash.
The couple makes them on property that was once part of Fort Sheridan, the historic U.S. Army training camp 28 miles north of Chicago’s Loop. The studio was founded by Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, sculptors who have worked together since the 1980s.
Their big break came 30 years ago when the Chicago Bulls commissioned them to make a monument to Michael Jordan. The 15-foot sculpture stands inside the United Center near Gate 4. Titled “The Spirit,” it features MJ frozen in bronze, a fully formed figure soaring over abstracted opponents.
Since then, the commissions have never stopped. The studio and its 15 to 20 artists also made the sculptures outside the United Center on Madison Street, where Chicago Blackhawks legends Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull are captured in action. Read the Full Story.
-Marc Vitali, WTTW News
Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Brandon Johnson Set to Speak
1:30 p.m., United Center, Chicago
The order of speakers for the first night of the Democratic National Convention, set to run from 5:15 to 10:15 p.m., has been released. Headlining Monday’s lineup is President Joe Biden, who just weeks ago was the presumed nominee. First Lady Jill Biden and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also take to the stage.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Illinois) will represent the hometown crowd. Read the Full List.
Snelling Praises CPD’s Response to 1st Protest
11:45 a.m., Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Chicago
Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling discusses plans for a rally and march down Michigan Avenue on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Heather Cherone / WTTW News)
Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling Monday praised his officers’ response to the first protest designed to send a message to Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party, saying the march and rally were entirely peaceful.
“Our officers responded exactly the way that we trained them,” Snelling said. “To respect First Amendment activity.”
Snelling praised organizers for working with him and other department leaders.
“There was mutual respect there,” Snelling said. “We didn’t have any incidents.”
The first of several planned large protests started Sunday evening in the shadow of Trump Tower at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive with a rally before taking over southbound Michigan Avenue and marching to Grant Park, the site of the clashes between the Chicago Police and anti-Vietnam War protesters during the 1968 DNC. Read the Full Story.
-Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Protesters Call for End to US Aid to Israel
11:30 a.m., Union Park, Chicago
Organizer Hatem Abudayyeh speaks at a press conference before the Coalition to March on the DNC’s rally and march on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Emily Soto / WTTW News)
After weeks of anticipation and a protracted legal battle over the route, Hatem Abudayyeh, one of the coalition’s leaders, says “finally, the day is here” for an array of protesters and groups gathered to call for an end to U.S. aid to Israel in its war with Palestine.
“This is the Vietnam War of our generation,” Abudayyeh said, calling it incumbent upon protesters to make their voices heard just as they did in the 1960s and 1970s. “Joe Biden can turn off that tap of money and funding immediately.”
Speaking to the media before a noon rally ahead of the march, organizers said that Democratic political leaders can no longer make a case to voters when tax dollars are being used to support Israel.
“There is no lesser of two evils when the so-called lesser is aiding and abetting a genocide,” said Fayyani Aboma Mijana.
They added that many Democratic politicians were swept into office after widespread protests for racial justice in 2020, but have failed to live up to promises like getting the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act through Congress.
The city had initially denied the group the right to have a stage and amplified sound at the Union Park rally. Organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC say they’ll continue fighting the city for a longer march route, another bone of contention, right up until the scheduled step-off at 2 p.m.
But despite that fight with city leaders, Abudayyeh made clear he appreciates that Mayor Brandon Johnson came from a social justice movement, lauding him for calling the war in Gaza a genocide in a recent interview.
-Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
Demonstrators and journalists at a press conference before the Coalition to March on the DNC’s rally and march on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (Emily Soto / WTTW News)
Tim Walz in the Spotlight
11 a.m., McCormick Place, Chicago
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) takes a photo with Democratic vice presidential pick and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during an AAPI Caucus meeting during the DNC at McCormick Place on Aug. 19, 2024. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, made an appearance Monday morning at the Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus meeting.
“I know all of you in this room know that the alternative is not a place we want to go back to,” Walz said, referencing former president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.
“We’re not going back!” someone in the crowd shouted in response.
-Eunice Alpasan, WTTW News
Stars to Play Roles as DNC Program Hosts
10:45 a.m., United Center, Chicago
Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Mindy Kaling and Ana Navarro will serve as hosts at the Democratic National Convention this week, convention officials told CNN.
According to organizers, reported first by CNN, each star will host one night of the four-day convention, in a role similar to an award show host, kicking off the broadcast with opening remarks and then reappearing onstage throughout the evening to help guide the audience through programming.
Goldwyn will host Monday night, Navarro on Tuesday, Kaling on Wednesday and Washington will host on Thursday, which is when Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the Democratic nomination.
All four hosts have a history of supporting the Democratic Party and publicly campaigning for candidates. Read the Full Story.
-CNN
More Details on Monday’s DNC Speakers
10:15 a.m., United Center, Chicago
On day one of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, organizers of the event say viewers will hear from “everyday people” as well as a slate of elected officials, including a headlining appearance by President Joe Biden that will serve as a celebration of his record in office.
Among the speakers: United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain; Hillary Clinton; Reps. Grace Meng, Jamie Raskin and Jasmine Crockett; as well as Sens. Chris Coons and Raphael Warnock; and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Much of the programing will focus on Biden’s record achievement during his time in the White House, which includes passing major pieces of legislation that included policies Democrats had dreamed of enacting for a generation.
“I think it’s important for him to answer those age-old questions: what have you done for me lately and why bother to go out and vote?” said former Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Biden advisor.
“Politicians worry about the next election. Statesmen worry about the next generation,” said Richmond, who called Biden “a statesman who will pass the baton on to Kamala Harris to continue to put the next generation first.”
-Associated Press
Protest Preparations Begin
9:45 a.m., Union Park, Chicago
Bundles of signs are set up for protesters to carry at the Coalition to March on the DNC’s rally location in Chicago’s Union Park. (Nick Blumberg / WTTW News)
Corey Booker Gives Praise
9:15 a.m., Royal Sonesta Hotel, Chicago
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) leapt off the stage while greeting the Illinois delegation, praising Illinois Democratic leaders for throwing “one hell of a party” for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Booker also praised his colleagues U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, telling the Illinois delegation they are the best in the Senate and said he was confident Harris would not only win in November but win in the right way.
-Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Gwen Walz Starts DNC Sprint With Speech to Illinois Delegates
8:30 a.m., Royal Sonesta Hotel, Chicago
Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz speaks to the Illinois delegation on Aug, 19, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News)
Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz made a surprise appearance at the Illinois delegation’s Monday morning meeting — her first of many stops.
Walz said that was at her request. She said she told organizers, “those people are nice. I’ve seen that in Chicago. Let that be my first breakfast.”
“You are my Monday morning, first period,” Walz, an English teacher, said. “Thank you for hosting this 2024 Democratic National Convention in your home state. We feel so welcome and privileged to be here.”
Walz was not on the Democratic Party of Illinois’ list of 11 scheduled speakers. That lineup included Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Christy George, chair of the DNC host committee.
“This is one of my favorite cities in the entire world,” Walz said, noting that because Chicago is just a “hop, skip and a jump” from Minneapolis and St. Paul she visits often — including for annual New Year’s Eve trips with her sisters, their children and husbands.
The wife of vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said she and her husband met teaching in Nebraska and bonded over a shared belief that “education can be transformative.”
She said her husband “believes in his very core, so strongly, that every child deserves a chance to get ahead” and that as she’s getting to know Vice President Kamala Harris, she has seen that it’s a vision Harris shares.
Walz said growing up, her mom told her to “do the work that’s in front of you.”
“I thought that meant the dishes,” Walz said, before she came to realize her mom was talking about something more profound.
It was about “listening and seeing what was in front of me, and realizing and recognizing” an ever-changing world.
She asked Illinois Democrats to “embody that advice” — by volunteering, talking with friends about the presidential race, to call voters and drive them to the polls, “to do whatever it is that we have to do.”
-Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Pritzker Addresses Illinois Delegates
8:30 a.m., Royal Sonesta Hotel, Chicago
Gov. J.B. Pritzker addresses the Illinois delegation to the DNC on Aug. 19, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker takes the stage at the Illinois delegate breakfast Monday morning.
“In the Land of Lincoln, the birthplace of Hillary Clinton, the home state of Barack Obama. We are launching our candidates, our federal candidates, for president, vice president, for victory, so that in just 78 days, we will get to say the two words that we've been waiting 248, years to say: Madame President,” Pritzker said to the crowd.
-Blair Paddock, WTTW News
Brandon Johnson Readies for His Closeup as DNC Spotlight Shines on Chicago
5 a.m., Chicago
Brandon Johnson takes “Chicago Tonight” on a tour of the Austin neighborhood on April 13, 2023. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
Brandon Johnson had been Chicago’s mayor-elect for just seven days when he compared himself to a perhaps lesser-known member of the Chicago Bulls’ 1990s championship team.
Standing next to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, framed by the city’s skyline on a picture-perfect spring day in April 2023, Johnson acknowledged that he hadn’t helped put together Chicago’s winning bid for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
“I’m obviously Steve Kerr,” Johnson said, drawing laughter from the ecstatic crowd gathered at the Shedd Aquarium. “So I took the final shot, here we are Chicago.”
Johnson is scheduled to address the convention on its opening night, where he will no doubt celebrate the “soul of Chicago” and welcome the thousands of delegates to what he calls the “greatest freaking city in the world.”
Like 3-point specialist Kerr, who got the ball when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen found themselves boxed out, Johnson will wear the jacket if the convention does not go as planned or protests spiral out of control, either because of violence from protesters or misconduct from Chicago police officers.
Though Chicago’s Chief Operating Officer John Robertson has acknowledged that Chicago’s “haters ... don’t believe Chicago is ready,” Johnson said the city was “born ready.” Read the Full Story
- Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Who Are Illinois’ Biggest Democratic Donors?
5 a.m., Chicago
Illinois Democrats are putting their money where their mouths are this election cycle — but a change at the top of the ticket and federal campaign finance reporting deadlines mean we won’t have the full picture of the cash influx until later this year.
After President Joe Biden ended his beleaguered reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the top of the Democratic ticket, the newly christened Harris for President committee took in $200 million in donations in just one week, the campaign said.
In total, the Harris campaign said it took in some $310 million in July — dwarfing the committee’s reported haul of $284 million from Jan. 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. Many of the new contributors were small-dollar donors, the campaign said. But since the reporting deadline for July receipts is Aug. 20, it won’t be clear until those numbers become public just how generous Illinoisans were to the new Democratic standard-bearer.
Through June 30, the official campaign committee reported $7.1 million from some 36,000 donations out of Illinois, with an average contribution of about $200. More than 600 people gave $3,300 or more, the maximum donation to a candidate’s committee per election cycle under federal law.
But the cash flow from the Land of Lincoln to PACs that don’t face the stringent requirements of an official committee has been far more impressive. The Harris Victory Fund has gotten $15.2 million from local donors, and the Silicon Valley-based Future Forward PAC has taken in $10.4 million. Illinois has also stepped up to give to the Democratic National Committee itself, to the tune of $8.6 million this election cycle. Read the Full Story
- Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
As DNC Comes to Chicago, Residents, Leaders and Protesters Vie for the Spotlight
5 a.m., Chicago
Workers prepare for the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo)
As the American city that has hosted more political conventions than any other, Chicago has pretty much seen it all. Presidential candidates have been made official in Chicago more than two dozen times since Abraham Lincoln in 1860, including the infamous 1968 convention, where police clashed with protesters, and Bill Clinton’s 1996 renomination.
Now the nation’s third-largest city is back on the global political stage as it hosts the Democratic National Convention starting Monday, with city leaders, residents and activists each hoping to claim time in the spotlight and shape the city’s reputation.
Tourism officials are eager to highlight the best sites and eats, while allaying security concerns about crowds and street violence. Anti-war protesters, drawing from the area’s large Palestinian population, are ready to march. And elected leaders say it’s an historic opportunity to be the city where a woman of color, Vice President Kamala Harris, will be designated to lead a presidential ticket for the first time.
- Associated Press
