policy

On the final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, three leading Democrats from Massachusetts took the stage.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Katherine Clark spoke at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday evening.

All three politicians emphasized the achievements of Vice President Kamala Harris and were not shy about criticizing former President Donald Trump.

Clark, a leading Democratic congresswoman representing Massachusetts’ fifth district, took the stage early in the evening with a short speech. She spoke about her family’s personal difficulties in finding money for child care.

“JD Vance says affordable child care is a class war against normal people,” she said in her speech. “You know what normal people want? A president who understands that shouldn’t be so damn tough.”

Warren took the stage to loud, sustained applause and appeared to cry as the crowd chanted her name. In her five-minute speech, the senator spoke about her personal experiences working with Harris.

“You know what I love about Kamala Harris?” Warren, who has been a senator since 2013, asked the crowd. “Kamala Harris is not for sale.”

Warren touched on the vice president’s past as California’s attorney general, emphasizing her experience as a prosecutor. She criticized Trump’s recent convictions and compared them to Harris’ political past.

“The only bills (Trump) is concerned about are those of his defense attorneys,” Warren said.

Donald Trump has no plan to cut costs for families. He doesn’t know how – and frankly, he doesn’t care. When has he ever filled a tank of gas or worried about a grocery bill? The only bills he worries about are those of his criminal defense attorneys.

– Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) 23 August 2024

At the end of her speech, she encouraged listeners and viewers to vote for Kamala Harris “with joy in our hearts.”

Healey spoke later in the evening, referring to a moment she shared with Harris a few weeks ago when a little girl told the vice president she loved playing basketball.

Healey, who played professional basketball in Austria, said the little girl said she liked playing every position except defense. According to Healey, Harris said she didn’t like playing defense either.

“Kamala Harris is fighting for all Americans,” Healey said in her speech. “She stays on the offensive and she wins. I know that as President of the United States, she will fight with the same passion and determination.”

Tonight I have the privilege of telling a story about a little girl I introduced to Kamala Harris.

This is the Kamala I know. pic.twitter.com/3nMOEBJDQD

– Maura Healey (@maura_healey) 23 August 2024

Healey spoke of a “tough decision” for the presidential election in November. Like Warren, the governor contrasted Harris’ image as a prosecutor and politician with Trump’s 34 convictions for capital crimes.

“He obstructs justice, she defends it. He defrauds people, she serves them,” Healey said. “He thinks he’s above the law, she actually understands the law.”