Politics
DNC Live Blog, Day 2: Obamas Close the Night; Illinois Democrats Take Center Stage
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. For a recap of the first day of the convention, check out our DNC Day 1 live blog.
Spotlight Politics: Police and Protesters Clash; Messaging at Night 2 of the DNC
11:45 p.m., United Center, Chicago
The WTTW News Spotlight Politics team is live with recaps and analysis of the biggest moments of the second night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
- Produced by Abena Bediako and Paul Caine, WTTW News
Illinois Labor Leader Says Voters Driven by Economic Issues
11:15 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea appeared on “Chicago Tonight” with Amanda Vinicky to discuss the second day of the Democratic National Convention and how union members may vote this November.
“We don’t tell anybody how to vote. We just say, here are the issues — your economic issues. What do you think? … In Illinois, we’re 900,000 members. We’re going to have 900,000 different opinions. We just concentrate on the economic issues: wages, health care, pension.”
- Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Obamas Close DNC’s Second Night With a Rousing Harris Endorsement and Pointed Warnings About Trump
11 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Former President Barack Obama speaks during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP Photo)
Warning of a difficult fight ahead, former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on Tuesday called on the nation to embrace Kamala Harris in urgent messages to the Democratic National Convention that were at times both hopeful and combative.
“America, hope is making a comeback,” the former first lady declared. She then tore into Republican Donald Trump, a sharp shift from the 2016 convention speech in which she told her party, “When they go low, we go high.”
“His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black,” Obama said of Trump.
Obama, the former president, called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”
The fiery messages from two of the Democratic Party’s biggest stars underscored the urgency of the moment as Harris works to stitch together a broad coalition in her bid to defeat Trump this fall. She is drawing on stars like the Obamas and other celebrities, officials from the far left to the middle, and even some Republicans to boost her campaign. Read the Full Story
- Associated Press
More Than a Dozen Protesters Arrested After Clash With Police Outside Chicago’s Israeli Consulate
10:15 p.m., Israeli Consulate, Chicago
Demonstrators clash with police near the Israeli Consulate during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (Alex Brandon / AP Photo)
More than a dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested Tuesday during a protest that began outside the Israeli consulate and spilled out onto the surrounding streets on the second night of the Democratic National Convention.
The intense confrontations with officers began minutes into the demonstration, after some protesters – many dressed in black, their faces covered – charged at a line of police that had blocked the group from marching. They eventually moved past the officers, but were penned in several times throughout the night by police in riot gear who did not allow protesters to disperse. Officers called the demonstrations “an unlawful assembly.”
Earlier in the night, officers carrying wooden clubs shouted “move” and penned some demonstrators in on the street, preventing them from marching.
Some demonstrators set an American flag on fire in the street as the celebratory roll call for Vice President Kamala Harris took place inside the United Center about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away. Others carried Palestinian flags, while many others wore black and covered their faces.
As protesters regrouped and approached a line of police in riot gear in front of a Chicago skyscraper that houses the Israeli consulate, an officer said into a megaphone, “You are ordered to immediately disburse.” A woman in the front of the march shouted back with her own megaphone: “We’re not scared of you.”
A man in Chicago Bulls hat, his face covered by a balaclava, called on protesters to “shut down the DNC.” The group, which is not affiliated with the coalition of over 200 groups that organized Monday’s protests, advertised the demonstration Tuesday under the slogan of “Make it great like ‘68,” invoking the anti-Vietnam War protests that seized the city during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
The atmosphere with rows of police in riot gear was a stark contrast to a day earlier when thousands of pro-Palestinian activists, including families pushing babies in strollers, marched near the convention site calling for a ceasefire. Read the Full Story
- Associated Press
Sen. Tammy Duckworth Strolled Onto the Stage
9:45 p.m., United Center, Chicago
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth speaks at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 20, 2024. (Capitol News Illinois)
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who lost both her legs when the Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting in Iraq was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and typically uses a wheelchair, walked out on stage under her own power on prosthetic legs, drawing cheers from the crowd at the DNC.
Duckworth was speaking about how she was able to have two daughters with the help of in vitro fertilization, a procedure that some Republicans have threatened after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“Every American deserves the right to be called “Mommy” or “Daddy” without being treated like a criminal,” Duckworth said. “Kamala Harris believes that.”
- Associated Press
Pritzker Praises Harris, Slams ‘Con Artist’ Trump in DNC Speech
9:30 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Gov. J.B. Pritzker worked hard to bring the Democratic National Convention to Chicago, and Tuesday he got a reward: a primetime speech during the DNC, putting him in the national spotlight for the biggest address of his political career.
Pritzker praised Harris but spent the bulk of his speech focused on “the con artist the Republicans nominated in Milwaukee last month” — former President Donald Trump.
“I had to govern for two years while Trump was president,” Pritzker said. “… During COVID we supported small businesses and jobs. And Donald, well, Donald told us to inject bleach.”
The governor, who is midway through his second term and had been on Harris’ shortlist for vice president, called Trump weird, dangerous and cruel.
“Donald Trump thinks we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich. But take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is rich in only one thing: stupidity.” Read the Full Story
- Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
The Complete DNC State Roll Call Song List
9:10 p.m., United Center, Chicago
On Tuesday, the Democratic National Convention held a ceremonial roll call to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
As part of the ceremonies, each state and territory was given a special “walk-up song” curated by DJ Cassidy.
While some of the choices were a surprise, (instead of Nirvana, Pearl Jam or Jimi Hendrix, Washington got native Macklemore), most of the selections were obvious picks (Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” for, well, Alabama and Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” for New York).
If you missed the ceremony, don’t worry, Illinois got the Chicago Bulls entrance music in “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project. WTTW News has the full list in case you want to make a Spotify playlist. Read the Full Story
- Josh Terry, WTTW News
From Coconut Drinks to Cheezborgers, Chicago Businesses Hoping to Capitalize on DNC Crowds
8:10 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Businesses around the United Center are used to serving throngs of customers during game days and concerts, but they’re hoping to score even higher sales with the Democratic National Convention in town.
Froth is a cocktail-inspired coffee shop in the West Loop, just a 12-minute walk from the United Center. Owner Michael Salvatore is hoping to get foot traffic from the DNC and said the shop is serving up a special cold brew in coconuts all week — referencing the viral Kamala Harris meme in which she asks, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” The quote has gone viral, and the coconut theme is now generating buzz in Chicago. Read the Full Story
- Joanna Hernandez and Shelby Hawkins, WTTW News
US Rep. Krishnamoorthi on Record Fundraising, Hopes for Flipping the US House
8 p.m., United Center, Chicago
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi joined “Chicago Tonight” after a Tuesday campaign event raking in a whopping $2 million, according to the congressman. He said it was a “record amount” for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee event.
That cash will be put toward working to turn seats blue in the U.S. House — which Krishnamoorthi said there’s an “excellent chance” of the party doing.
“The honest truth is that it’s going to be a challenge,” Krishnamoorthi said. “But Kamala being at the top of the ticket makes a huge difference in terms of mobilization.”
Krishnamoorthi also is flush with cash of his own; he currently has more than $17 million on hand. Some speculate it could be used toward a U.S. Senate run if U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin chooses not to run for reelection.
“I’m 1,000% behind Dick Durbin, one of the most outstanding public servants we’ve ever had,” Krishnamoorthi said. “There’s no vacancy, and I hope he runs for reelection.”
And what will Krishnamoorthi do with the millions in his pocket? He pointed toward opposition that might be against him, saying the vaping industry “has a target on my back.”
“You have to be ready for anything,” Krishnamoorthi said.
- Blair Paddock, WTTW News
Pritzker Shouts Out Illinois History During DNC Roll Call
7:30 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Heading into Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris was already Democrats’ nominee for president. Democrats previously made it official digitally to avoid any potential legal risk with her nomination, given an earlier Ohio deadline.
But on the second night of the convention, delegates kept with tradition and did an in-person roll call — but with an untraditional spin. Instead of each state making only speeches, the DNC became a dance party, with a DJ spinning state-specific tunes.
Fittingly for an event at the United Center, Illinois was introduced to the same music that introduced the World Champ Chicago Bulls in the ‘90s.
“Secretary, Illinois Democrats are doing the work to win in November,” said the Democratic Party of Illinois’ chair, state Rep. Lisa Hernandez of Cicero, who is also co-chair of Illinois’ delegation to the DNC.
She then moved over so that Gov. J.B. Pritzker could take over the microphone, with his wife M.K. Pritzker, chief of staff Anne Caprara, 27th Ward Ald. Walter Burnett and leaders of the General Assembly standing within camera shot.
“The great state of Illinois, the Prairie State, home of four presidents including President Barack Obama,” J.B. Pritzker said. “The birthplace of skyscrapers and the adopted home of Superman. The cornerstone of the Midwest Blue Wall. The first state to ratify the 13th Amendment ending slavery. And the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Illinois casts one vote ‘present’ and 176 votes for the next president of the United States, future Madame President Kamala Harris.”
It was not immediately clear who cast the present vote, or why. Officials with the Democratic Party of Illinois did not immediately respond to questions.
In an Aug. 5 news release, the party said the delegation “voted unanimously to make Kamala Harris the official Democratic nominee for President.”
“The Democratic Party of Illinois does not take this historic moment for granted and is fully committed to mobilizing our communities in support of Kamala Harris,” Hernandez said in that statement.
Delegates were able to cast their ballots electronically from Aug. 1-5.
-Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Illinois Delegation Takes Part in Roll Call Vote
7:30 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Gov. J.B. Pritzker surrounded by the Illinois delegation during the roll call vote on Aug. 20, 2024. (Emily Soto / WTTW News)
Long Lines Continue
6:50 p.m., United Center, Chicago
For the second day straight, lines to get clear DNC security are multiple blocks long (says someone who is waiting in one). Earlier today, the Secret Service’s DNC coordinator promised additional resources from his agency and convention organizers to improve wait times
— Nick Blumberg (@ndblumberg) August 20, 2024
A Guide to Historic Political Conventions in Chicago — With a Little Help From the Chicago History Museum
6:30 p.m., Chicago History Museum
Democratic National Convention, 1896. (Courtesy of Chicago History Museum)
Since the 19th century, Chicago has hosted 14 Republican National Conventions, the most recent in 1960. This week Vice President Kamala Harris will accept her nomination at the 12th Democratic National Convention to be held in Chicago.
The city has also hosted third party conventions, including those for the Green Party, the Greenback Party and the American Independent Party, which nominated Lester Maddox in 1976. Maddox was the Georgia guy who closed his restaurant rather than integrate and called Jimmy Carter “the most dishonest man I’ve ever met.”
While researching a story on historic political conventions in Chicago — from Abraham Lincoln’s nomination at the Wigwam to the “smoke-filled room” that chose Warren G. Harding — we quickly realized the Chicago History Museum had already done an exemplary job on the topic.
Fortunately, WTTW News has a good relationship with the Chicago History Museum, with whom we’ve partnered on programs including “Chicago Stories” and “Chicago Tonight.” We reached out, and the museum graciously granted WTTW News permission to link to the information assembled from the research collection. Read the Full Story
-Marc Vitali, WTTW News
Pritzker Plays Down Third Term Plans
6 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is interviewed at the CNN/Politico Grill at the DNC on Aug. 20, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker played down the prospect of a third term during a talk at the CNN/Politico Grill at the DNC, saying it’s “pretty early to start thinking about that.”
The second-term governor raised the issue yesterday.
Pritzker went on to talk about interactions with former President Donald Trump, when he went to the White House as governor-elect in 2018. He said his initial in-person encounter with Trump was “strange.” He thought Trump wouldn’t talk with him but the opposite happened, and “he seemed to favor me in a way.”
Pritzker said at one point, Trump seemed to brush by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in order to talk with him instead. Pritzker also shares at the start of the COVID crisis, Trump aide Peter Navarro offered him K-N95 masks from a “private stockpile” — Pritzker said appalling there was a stash.
-Blair Paddock, WTTW News
Political ‘Nepo Babies’ in the Spotlight as Jason Carter and JFK’s Grandson Jack Schlossberg Nab Speaker Slots
5:30 p.m., United Center, Chicago
On a night that promises to present a bold vision of America’s future, the DNC is turning to the next generation of a pair of political dynasties to carry the torch forward.
Jason Carter, grandson of President Jimmy Carter, and Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, will both take to the podium Tuesday.
The 31-year-old Schlossberg, son of Caroline Kennedy — who strikingly resembles his late uncle JFK Jr. — is a member of the New York delegation and a political reporter for Vogue. He’s been sharing pics of his time in Chicago, including a run along the lakefront, with his 325,000 Instagram followers.
Like many members of his extended family, Schlossberg has been a vocal opponent of his cousin Robert Kennedy Jr.’s independent campaign for president.
Carter, 49, served as a state senator in Georgia and was the Democrat’s nominee for Georgia governor in 2014. In a recent interview with an Atlanta TV station, Carter said Georgia “is in a remarkable place in this election.”
“Just two years ago, we had an election where we elected a Republican governor and Democratic senator in the same election,” he told WSB-TV. And that means that there is a group of people in Georgia who really will look at candidates, make decisions and aren’t locked in these partisan divides.”
-Patty Wetli, WTTW News
Patti LaBelle, Common Take DNC Stage
5:10 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Patti LaBelle was spotted performing sound checks ahead of night two of the DNC.
Patti LaBelle rehearsing for her appearance tonight at the #DNC. Not that she needed it. pic.twitter.com/MmUuUr1cm6
— Dan Morain (@DanielMorain) August 20, 2024
The Grammy award winning vocalist is no stranger to the DNC stage. At the 2004 DNC in Boston, LaBelle sang a rendition of Sam Cooke’s civil rights anthem, “A Change Is Gonna Come,”
Chicago native and Grammy award winning artist Common was also spotted during a sound check and is scheduled as a guest performer.
-Angel Idowu, WTTW News
DNC Releases Tuesday Night Speaker Lineup
5 p.m., United Center, Chicago
If the first night of the Democratic National Convention was largely about honoring President Joe Biden for his lifetime of service, the second is about shifting the conversation toward “A Bold Vision for America’s Future.”
The list of speakers, beginning at 5:30 p.m., has been pared down from Monday night, but is loaded with heavy oratorial hitters, including former First Lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama, who hold down the final slots of the night.
Doug Emhoff, currently the first person to ever hold the title Second Gentleman, and now in the running to become the first First Gentleman, is tackling the political spouse angle, introducing voters to the personal side of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) will represent the hometown crowd. Read the Full Story.
-Patty Wetli, WTTW News
Plight of Israeli Hostages Comes Alive Outside DNC
4:30 p.m., Near the United Center, Chicago
An art installation outside the DNC calls attention to Israeli hostages taken by Hamas. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
An art installation in the shadow of the Democratic National Convention focused the spotlight on the fate of the 110 Israelis taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that started the war in Gaza who remain in captivity.
The centerpiece of the exhibit organized by the Israeli American Council was several 10-foot-tall milk cartons with photos of the hostages, invoking an earlier era’s attempt to find missing children.
The exhibit is “a powerful reminder of what we still need to accomplish,” said Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th Ward), the only Jewish member of the Chicago City Council.
“Hostage Square Chicago will be a place where all Americans, especially Jewish Americans, can express solidarity and prayer for our hostages who still remain in Hamas hell, condemn the savage massacre of October 7, and pray for Israel’s victory over her genocidal enemies,” said Elan Carr, CEO of the council. “It will also be a place where we can dwell with pride over America’s strong support of the Jewish people and the state of Israel.”
The exhibit, which replicated a similar event in Tel Aviv, took place one day after thousands of people joined a march near the DNC demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and an end to U.S. aid to Israel.
It took place on private property, after organizers struggled to obtain a permit from Chicago officials.
Los Angeles-based artist Tomer Peretz created a massive T-shirt that reads “Free our Hostages,” paired with blood-stained sweatpants, based on an image of a woman kidnapped by Hamas, for the exhibit.
Eight Americans are still held hostage, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, whose mother, a Chicago-area native, has emerged as a prominent face of the advocacy effort to bring the hostages home.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a proposal for a cease-fire and called on Hamas to do the same.
-Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Illinois Democrats Tout Efforts to Protect Abortion Rights, as Push to Amend Constitution Remains in Limbo
4:25 p.m., McCormick Place, Chicago
Illinois Democrats on Tuesday kicked off the second day of the Democratic National Convention by touting their efforts to protect abortion rights even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“As the mother of four daughters that I thought would have more rights than me, not fewer,” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said, “I’m devastated to this day that Trump’s Supreme Court found a way to relegate us to second-class citizens.”
For Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs, the issue was personal, and he let his anger and some expletives fly, as he talked about using in-vitro fertilization to help conceive his twin sons.
Some anti-abortion activists believe embryos are children and those who destroy them should be held liable for wrongful death. That would have a chilling effect on infertility treatments.
“I call bulls---!” Frerichs said, to loud applause.
But there is no indication that the renewed energy among Democrats around the issue of reproductive rights would translate into a new push to enshrine abortion rights into the Illinois constitution. Read the Full Story
- Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Lori Lightfoot on DNC Messaging, Chicago as Host City
3:30 p.m., Chicago
Lori Lightfoot appears on CNN on Aug. 20, 2024. (CNN)
Chicago is soaking up the spotlight as host of the Democratic National Convention with Mayor Brandon Johnson welcoming attendees on Monday to the “greatest city in the world.”
However, the bid to position Chicago as the host city began under the administration of Johnson’s predecessor, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Lightfoot, who is working this week as an analyst with CBS Chicago, spoke with CNN on Tuesday about the convention, saying she’s “not surprised that things are going well so far,” citing the city’s experience with hosting the 1996 DNC.
“Many of the people that are running this convention were here in ‘96 and so they have that experience,” Lightfoot said. “These folks are pros and they knew exactly what the task was and they jumped into it with gusto.”
As far as Democrats’ messaging, Lightfoot said building unity is “mission one,” but that the party can’t stop there.
“It can’t just be about recriminations related to Donald Trump and what he intends to do if he’s reelected to a second term,” Lightfoot said. “We’ve got to offer people that are sitting around their kitchen tables, that are in their workplaces, what we’re going to do to make life better for them and I think you’re seeing that from speaker after speaker.”
Chicago officials had anticipated a renewed surge of migrants sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ahead of the DNC — something that has not materialized.
The first migrant bus arrived in August 2022 during Lightfoot’s administration, and since then more than 46,787 men, women and children have made their way to Chicago from the southern border.
“This is a forced migration without any regard frankly for their personal health, safety or welfare,” Lightfoot said.
In response to whether immigration is a political problem for Vice President Kamala Harris going forward, Lightfoot placed the blame on Republicans.
“It’s hard to actually say that with any level of credibility when Trump and Republicans in the Senate killed the first bipartisan immigration action that could’ve taken place, that frankly could have addressed many of the issues,” she said.
-Crystin Immel, WTTW News
Brandon Johnson Praises Interfaith Council, Saying Republicans Use Religion to ‘Espouse Hate’
3:15 p.m., McCormick Place, Chicago
Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses the Interfaith Council Meeting at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Nick Blumberg / WTTW News)
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson entered to applause at a gathering hosted by the DNC’s Interfaith Council on Tuesday afternoon. Addressing delegates before a panel on Christian nationalism that included several congresspeople, Johnson said without the interfaith and intercultural love between Jean Baptiste Point du Sable and his Potawatomi wife, Kitihawa, there would be no Chicago.
“They understood that that love would translate,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, we have a political party that uses religion to espouse hate.”
Johnson applauded President Joe Biden’s administration for the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, saying “it’s important that as we work to govern that we don’t shy away from our values, and our values are expressed through our faith.”
The mayor, a former teacher, joked that even though his father was a pastor, he didn’t want to pursue that calling since it’s a non-union job. Johnson also took the opportunity to tout increased investments in Chicago’s South and West sides, quoting one of his father’s favorite bible verses: “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
“God bless you all,” he said in closing, “and God bless the greatest sanctified city in the world — the city of Chicago.”
Democratic elected officials on the panel who spoke after Johnson’s remarks drew a sharp contrast between their party and Republican politicians, who they say are wrongly trying to enshrine Christian nationalist values in their official actions.
“Please remember that the founding fathers were not Christian,” U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri) said. “(George) Washington was a deist. … Thomas Paine, who was central to our whole foundation as a nation, didn’t even believe in god, period. Christian nationalism is ignorant.”
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland), the House manager for the second impeachment of then-President Donald Trump, said the question facing this week’s DNC is “how do we keep democracy and freedom moving forward.”
He echoed his fellow panelists’ comments on the dangers of Christian nationalism influencing political and policy decisions.
“The idea of marrying an official national ideology with a particular religion undercuts the leading principle of our constitution embodied in the First Amendment,” he said.
-Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
Mariachi Music
2:45 p.m., McCormick Place, Chicago
Attendees at the DNC’s “Dempalooza” event, a McCormick Place hall filled with an array of vendors and organizations, being serenaded by a mariachi group.
-Nick Blumberg and Emily Soto, WTTW News
Illinois Anti-Abortion Group Calls Out Cardinal Cupich for DNC Prayer
2:40 p.m., Chicago
An Illinois anti-abortion group is condemning Cardinal Blase Cupich for giving the invocation on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, when the party is set to nominate what the group calls “the most pro-abortion presidential ticket in U.S. history.”
“It is incredibly disheartening to see a local church leader who once aligned himself with our cause participate in such a deeply anti-life, anti-family event as the DNC,” Illinois Right to Life president Mary Kate Zander said in a statement.
Cupich, who leads the Archdiocese of Chicago, did not directly address reproductive rights during his Monday prayer, though restoring the national right to abortion has been a recurring theme at the DNC and is part of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential platform.
Instead, Cupich’s message focused on unity and peace.
“We are a nation composed of every people and culture, united not by the ties of blood, but by the profound aspirations of life and freedom, justice and unbound hope,” Cupich said. “These aspirations are why our forebearers saw America as a beacon of hope, and with your steady guidance, Lord, may we remain so today. In every generation, we are called to renew these aspirations, to reweave the fabric of America.” Read the Full Story.
-Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
James Taylor ‘Sorry to Disappoint’ After DNC Performance Nixed
1:30 p.m., Chicago
After the Democratic National Convention released its speaker lineup Monday afternoon, James Taylor fans may have been excited to see the singer-songwriter slated to perform before President Joe Biden took the stage.
Well, anyone who watched the first night of the DNC knows the evening ran long — really long — and Taylor’s performance was nixed. He took to social media Tuesday to tell fans he was “sorry to disappoint” that he wasn’t able to perform “You’ve Got a Friend” as planned.
“Maybe the organizers couldn’t anticipate the wild response from the floor of the United Center…,” he wrote. Speakers were often interrupted by loud rounds of applause.
Still, Taylor said, it was an “inspirational, quintessentially American moment. We were honored to be there…”
-Erica Demarest, WTTW News
13 People Arrested After DNC Perimeter Breach
1 p.m., Office of Emergency Management, Chicago
CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling addresses yesterday’s demonstrations and security breach at a DNC public safety briefing on Aug. 20, 2024. (Nick Blumberg / WTTW News)
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling on Tuesday praised his department’s handling of a Monday afternoon protest that saw a “brief breach” of the perimeter around the Democratic National Convention.
Snelling said his officers “showed great restraint” and “did not overreact.”
Officers made 13 arrests Tuesday, the majority of which were related to the fence breach. That incident coincided with the Coalition to March on the DNC, an approved demonstration that saw an extensive police presence along the route. Snelling said that march was unconnected to the breach and made up of “people who simply wanted to exercise their First Amendment rights.”
Of the 13 people arrested, 11 have already been charged and two more are awaiting charges, as of Tuesday morning, according to police records. Those charged range in age from 22 to 70 years old.
The National Lawyers Guild Chicago said police response to protests on Sunday and Monday has been “aggressive and, at times, violent.” Snelling denied that officers used undue force or failed to respond to an arrestee’s medical needs. Read the Full Story.
-Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
‘Make Sure You Have Good Shoes On’
11:45 a.m., Royal Sonesta Hotel, Chicago
DuPage County Chair Deb Conroy, right, poses with DuPage County board candidate Saba Haider at the Illinois delegation breakfast on Aug. 20, 2024. (Amanda Vinicky / WTTW News)
DuPage County Chair Deb Conroy, who became the first woman to hold that position when she was elected in 2022, wore nude-colored kitten heels on Tuesday, when she gave Election Day advice to Illinois Democrats during their morning meeting.
“Make sure you have good shoes on, on Nov. 5, because there will be glass everywhere,” Conroy said, a nod to Democrats’ hopes that Vice President Kamala Harris will shatter the proverbial glass ceiling by winning the White House.
DuPage County Chair Deb Conroy, right, poses at the Illinois delegation breakfast on Aug. 20, 2024. (Amanda Vinicky / WTTW News)
-Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Illinois Lt. Governor Touts Reproductive Health Care
11:30 a.m., Royal Sonesta Hotel, Chicago
Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton speaks to the Illinois delegation to the DNC on Aug. 20, 2024. (Amanda Vinicky / WTTW News)
Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said Illinois leads the nation in advancing reproductive freedoms — a key health and economic issue this election.
“We’re here on the national stage because of exactly what we’ve done in Illinois,” Stratton said Tuesday morning to Illinois delegates. “We have protected reproductive freedom. We have become a safe haven for women all across the country.”
-Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Comics for Kamala Bring the Funny to Chicago — and Political Support to the Democratic Ticket
10:45 a.m., Den Theatre, Chicago
Comedians are touring to boost the Democrats.
The Comics for Kamala show plans to visit every state. A recent virtual show raised over half a million dollars and featured Ben Stiller, Tiffany Haddish and Whoopi Goldberg.
In Chicago on Tuesday, the line-up includes Paul Mecurio — who has been well-received on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” — plus Zanies regular Kristen Toomey and a host of Chicago favorites such as Deanna Ortiz and Chad the Bird.
The group performs at the Den Theatre on Tuesday for a happy hour show starting at 5 p.m.
-Marc Vitali, WTTW News
Obama Returns for DNC Speech, 20 Years After Debut
10:30 a.m., United Center, Chicago
President Barack Obama addresses the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 6, 2012. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Barack Obama was days shy of his 43rd birthday and months from being elected to the U.S. Senate when he stepped onto a Boston stage at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
A state lawmaker from Illinois, he had an unusual profile to be a headline speaker at a presidential convention. But the self-declared “skinny kid with a funny name” captivated Democrats that night, going beyond a requisite pitch for nominee John Kerry instead to introduce the nation to his “politics of hope” and vision of “one United States of America” not defined or defeated by its differences.
And now, eight years removed from the presidency, Obama returns Tuesday night to the Democratic convention as the elder statesman with a different task.
Speaking in his political hometown of Chicago, the nation’s first Black president will honor President Joe Biden’s legacy after his exit from the campaign while making the case for another historic figure, Vice President Kamala Harris. Read the Full Story.
-Associated Press
From Immigration to Infrastructure, What a Harris Victory Could Mean for Chicago
5 a.m., Chicago
(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
Exactly an hour after President Joe Biden backed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson pledged to do everything possible to ensure she becomes the first Black woman to serve as commander in chief.
The first mayor of a major American city to back her surprise bid for the presidency, Johnson called Harris a “visionary leader” capable of defeating “the threat of another Trump presidency.”
Johnson has repeatedly said that the prospect of former President Donald Trump returning to the White House represents an existential threat to Chicago and its residents.
Harris and her pick for vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are set to be nominated at the Democratic National Convention, keeping the city — for better or for worse — in the white-hot glare of the national political spotlight.
A candidate for president for less than a month, Harris has revealed few specific policy proposals that shed light on how she’d govern from the Oval Office. Instead, Harris has focused much of her campaign on her promise to restore and protect Americans’ freedoms, a message designed to resonate with Americans across the political spectrum and highlight her support for abortion rights and gender-affirming care.
Harris, who represented California in the U.S. Senate from 2017-21, has been a stalwart supporter of Biden’s initiatives, and would likely continue to pursue many of the same policies if elected. Read the Full Story
- Heather Cherone, WTTW News
What to Watch as the DNC Enters Its 2nd Day in Chicago
12:45 a.m., Chicago
The Democratic National Convention heads into its second day on Tuesday.
With President Joe Biden having addressed delegates, the week’s full focus now turns to Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as the party and its leaders aim to argue why their new nominee is best suited to be in the White House over the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are returning to the city they once called home to take the stage in support of Harris’ nomination. According to convention organizers, the theme for Tuesday’s events is “A bold vision for America’s future,” a defined pivot toward a new generation for Democrats and their leadership.
And more protests are planned near the site of the DNC, where on Monday, a few dozen who broke away from a larger group voicing their opposition to the war in Gaza tore down pieces of the security fence up in several areas near convention venues. Read the Full Story
- Associated Press
