What to look out for as the Democratic Party Convention begins in Chicago
CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention begins Monday in Chicago, just four weeks after President Joe Biden ended his campaign and cleared the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to rise to the top of the Democratic ticket.
The political shift just months before the duel with the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, has brought a rapid succession of changes to the Democrats’ overall planning for 2024 – which makes the party convention all the more remarkable.
Here’s what you can see on the first day:
Until a month ago, Biden was expected to take the convention stage on Thursday night, as is tradition for the party’s nominee. Now Biden will deliver a speech on the opening night of the convention on Monday, as will his wife, First Lady Jill Biden.
Biden is expected to use his keynote speech as a symbolic handover of his party to Harris, to cap off five decades in Democratic politics and to explain what he believes is the danger to the country if Trump returns to the White House.
Harris will be there to watch the president’s speech, and signs around the arena will display a typical Biden-ism: “Spread the Faith.” While Harris is expected to remain in the arena during the week’s events before her own speech, officials say Biden does not plan to stay in Chicago after his own appearance.
According to convention organizers, the theme of Monday’s events is “For the People,” a nod to the motto of Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign and a phrase she has incorporated into her new campaign, starting with a fundraising email the night Biden dropped out of the race.
The phrase recalls her inauguration in 2019, when Harris – a longtime prosecutor and California’s first woman to serve as attorney general – recalled introducing herself in court as “Kamala Harris, for the people,” adding, “In my entire life, I’ve only had one client, the people.” Throughout the campaign, Harris returned to that phrase again and again, in speeches but also on signs and T-shirts and as part of the official nomenclature of her main campaign committee.
On the opening night of the convention, organizers note, speakers will insist that while “Donald Trump puts himself first, Democrats fight for the American people.” They say this is reflected in Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
In addition to elected officials and party leaders, Democrats plan to feature “ordinary Americans” and some artists each night.
Thousands of activists are expected in Chicago to raise awareness about abortion rights, economic injustice and the war in Gaza. Demonstrations are expected every day of the convention. Although activists’ goals vary, they agree that an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas is a top priority.
There have been months of preparations for the arrival of tens of thousands of activists expected in the city. Chicago police have undergone training in constitutional policing, district courts say they are creating more space in anticipation of mass arrests, and hospitals near the containment zone are increasing their emergency preparedness.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is among the speakers scheduled to take the stage on the opening night of the convention, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that the city is prepared for thousands of activists expected to attend protests surrounding the DNC.
“Our local police department worked with the Secret Service and other local agencies to ensure a safe, peaceful, yet vibrant and exciting convention,” he said.
While the Democrats are praising their frontrunners, Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, are holding a week of campaign rallies in swing states. Like the Democrats – and like at their own convention last month – the Republicans have assigned a new topic to each day. Monday will be about the economy.
On Monday, Trump and Vance will be in Pennsylvania, the battleground Rust Belt area where both men have been campaigning in recent days. Each day of the DNC, Trump’s allies will also hold a news conference in Chicago, a preview of what to expect from the United Center stage.
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You can reach Meg Kinnard at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
