DNC 2020 Day 2: Joe Biden gets enough delegates to clinch Democratic nomination for president

Highlights from the Democratic National Convention Tuesday in Milwaukee.

August 19, 2020, 12:35 AM

Following a first night of programming focused on unity -- featuring a handful of Republican speakers and former first lady Michelle Obama -- Democrats continued their mostly virtual convention in Milwaukee Tuesday under the theme of "Leadership Matters" with primetime speeches from both the party's more established leaders and its younger stars.

"We'll hear from the leaders and the experts, the veterans and the activists, all those who seek to unite and not divide, and who step up -- not back down -- from a fight over what's right," the Democratic National Convention Committee said in a news release.

ABC News Live will kick off primetime coverage each day at 7 p.m. ET on the network's steaming news channel and primetime coverage will air from 10-11 p.m. ET each night of the convention on the ABC Television Network.

Here's how the night unfolded:

12:35 a.m. Biden sells teamwork as Democrats make most of virtual setting: ANALYSIS

The message Biden wanted to convey on the second day of the Democratic National Convention is that he doesn't intend to govern -- or seek to defeat President Donald Trump -- on his own.

The messaging was implicit in the selection of 17 "rising star" Democrats to replace a traditional keynote address. It was reinforced by Biden's wife, who struck a poignant note in closing out the evening.

"The heart of this nation still beats with kindness and courage," Jill Biden said from a classroom in Delaware. "That's the soul of America Joe Biden is fighting for now."

The message was made more visual with the unusual but striking roll-call vote that took viewers to 57 states and territories to make Biden's nomination official. From farms to beaches to small businesses to an already-Internet-famous plate of calamari, mundane convention business became an uplifting virtual road tour for a cooped-up nation.

The convention turned more serious quickly. Biden's reliance on and appeal to the concept of team governance was explicit in the testimonials offered by a wide range of Democrats and Republicans -- former presidents and secretaries of state on down to local elected officials.

PHOTO: Actress Tracee Ellis Ross, turns to the screen showing Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden while hosting the second night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention from Los Angeles, Aug. 18, 2020.
Actress Tracee Ellis Ross, turns to the screen showing Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden while hosting the second night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention from Los Angeles, Aug. 18, 2020.
Democratic National Convention

Emerging out of a jammed program -- compressed into fewer hours, though spread among far more places -- is a Biden vision that draws on personal tragedy as well as professional partnerships. It's decency vs. division and a measure of optimism in a time of despair.

"How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole -- with love and understanding, and with small acts of kindness," Jill Biden said.

Read more of ABC News Political Director Rick Klein's analysis:

12:22 a.m. 3 key takeaways from the 2nd night of the DNC

Night two of the Democratic National Convention ended with a promise from the nominee himself: "I'll see you soon."

While Joe Biden was referring to his speech on Thursday -- when he'll cap off the four-day virtual convention with his acceptance speech for the party's nomination -- on Tuesday night, he was never far. Never one to follow the script, Biden's surprise-appearances stood in contrast to the meticulously orchestrated virtual production.

Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention:

-- ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett

11:07 p.m. Barack Obama congratulates his former vice president

Shortly after receiving enough votes to clinch the nomination, former President Barack Obama responded to Joe Biden's tweet to offer his congratulations.

"I'm proud of you," he wrote.

11:02 p.m. Jill Biden speaks to husband's humanity and character

Speaking from a sentimental spot in Delaware -- Brandywine High School, where she taught English from 1991 to 1993 -- Jill Biden spoke to her husband's humanity and character.

The former second lady made her argument from the school, which like many is empty amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"As a mother and a grandmother, as an American, I am heartbroken by the magnitude of this loss, by the failure to protect our communities, by every precious and irreplaceable life gone. Like so many of you, I’m left asking, “how do I keep my family safe?” You know, motherhood came to me in a way I never expected," she said. I fell in love with a man and two little boys standing in the wreckage of unthinkable loss, mourning a wife and mother, a daughter and sister. I never imagined, at the age of 26, I would be asking myself, “how do you make a broken family whole?” Still, Joe always told the boys, “mommy sent Jill to us. And how could I argue with her? And so, we figured it out together.”

PHOTO: Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, celebrate with supporters after the roll call on the second day of the virtual Democratic National Convention, Aug. 18, 2020.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, celebrate with supporters after the roll call on the second day of the virtual Democratic National Convention, Aug. 18, 2020.
Democratic National Convention

"We found that love holds a family together. Love makes us flexible and resilient. It allows us to become more than ourselves, together, and though it can't protect us from the sorrows of life, it gives us refuge -- a home," she continued. "How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole -- with love and understanding and with small acts of kindness."

10:49 p.m. Cindy McCain to discusses 'unlikely' friendship between Biden and late husband

Cindy McCain discussed the "unlikely" friendship between former Vice President Joe Biden and her late husband, Sen. John McCain in a video that played at the DNC.

"It was a friendship that shouldn't have worked. John, a former Navy pilot just released from a North Vietnamese prison. Joe, a young senator from Delaware," the narrator says.

"My husband and Vice President Biden enjoyed a 30+ year friendship dating back to before their years serving together in the Senate, so I was honored to accept the invitation from the Biden campaign to participate in a video celebrating their relationship," McCain tweeted.

Read more about the video:

10:44 p.m. Colin Powell praises Biden's national security credentials

Colin Powell, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state in President George W. Bush's administration, praised Joe Biden's candidacy because he will "restore America's leadership and our moral authority."

"Today, we are a country divided, and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way. What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul. I still believe that in our hearts, we are the same America that brought my parents to our shores, an America that inspires freedom around the world. That’s the America Joe Biden will lead as our next president," he said.

10:38 p.m. John Kerry opens segment on Biden's national security plan

Ahead of a segment on Biden's national security plan, former Secretary of State John Kerry said that under the Obama-Biden administration "we led by example."

"We eliminated the threat of an Iran with a nuclear weapon. We built a 68-nation coalition to destroy ISIS. We forged a 195-nation agreement to attack climate change. We stopped Ebola before it became a pandemic," Kerry said. "Donald Trump inherited a growing economy and a more peaceful world and, like everything else he inherited, he bankrupted it."

He continued, "This is the bottom line: Our interests, our ideals, and our brave men and women in uniform can’t afford four more years of Donald Trump. Our troops can’t get out of harm’s way by hiding in the White House bunker. They need a president who will stand up for them. And President Biden will."

PHOTO: Former Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 18, 2020.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 18, 2020.
Democratic National Convention

10:28 p.m. Biden: 'Thank you all' ... 'I'll see you on Thursday'

Former Vice President Joe Biden briefly appeared on camera Tuesday evening after he officially won enough delegates to be declared the Democratic presidential nominee.

Speaking from the school where is wife will deliver remarks later tonight, and with his grandchildren and daughter Ashley behind him celebrating, Biden thanked all his supporters, and told them he'd see them on Thursday.

"Well, thank you very, very much, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you all. It means the world to me and my family, and I'll see you on Thursday. Thank you, thank you, thank you," Biden said, mask in hand that he later put back over his face.

-- ABC News' John Verhovek

10:26 p.m. Roll call over, Biden has enough votes to clinch the nomination

The roll call is now over, and Joe Biden has received enough votes from the delegations from 57 states and territories to clinch the nomination.

Biden ended the roll call with a total of 3,558 delegates, compared to Sanders' 1,151. They were the only two candidates nominated on the ballot.

The former vice president will formally accept the nomination on Thursday night.

During the roll call vote, Sen. Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff tweeted a photo of Harris, who was wearing a Howard University sweatshirt.

"Kamala is loving this roll call," he wrote.

-- ABC News' Quinn Scanlan and Kendall Karson

10:07 p.m. Joe Biden gets required delegates to become Democratic candidate for president

The revamped roll call vote to formally nominate former Vice President Joe Biden is still ongoing, but North Carolina put Biden over the top to have enough votes to secure the nomination.

With North Carolina, 2,448 delegates have nominated Biden to be the party's standard-bearer, which surpasses the magic number of 2,374 to win the nomination.

Longtime Democratic activist Cozzie Watkins was at the Hidden Valley neighborhood in Charlotte.

Biden will formally accept the nomination on Thursday, when he delivers his speech from Wilmington, Delaware.

During the roll call, delegations from 57 states and territories cast votes to nominate candidates based on the results of the presidential primaries. Only Biden and Sanders were nominated at the convention.

All pledged and superdelegates were able to vote on the first ballot since Biden secured a majority of pledged delegates in the primary.

-- ABC News' Quinn Scanlan and Kendall Karson

9:48 p.m. 'Roll Call Across America'

Biden is being formally nominated as the party's presidential nominee during a 30-minute roll call featuring representatives for all 57 states and territories. The process typically takes hours.

"Roll Call Across America" kicks off in Alabama, with Rep. Terri Sewell delivering the delegation's votes from the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, the site of "Bloody Sunday," when state troopers attacked civil rights demonstrators, including the late-Rep. John Lewis, in 1965.

This year, the roll call includes delegates, parents, teachers, small business owners, essential workers, activists and elected leaders inside businesses, living rooms and in front of iconic landmarks.

9:47 p.m. AOC's 1-minute speech

When seconding the nomination for Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., used her one-minute speech to talk about Americans looking for "deep systemic solutions."

"In a time when millions of people in the United States are looking for deep systemic solutions…I hereby second the nomination of Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont for president of the United States of America."

9:34 p.m. Carter and Clinton rally around Biden and his integrity to be president

In pair of videos, former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton offered their support for Joe Biden.

"When I ran for president in 1976, Joe Biden was my first and most effective supporter in the Senate. For decades, he has been my loyal and dedicated friend," Carter said. "Joe has the experience, character, and decency to bring us together and restore America's greatness. We deserve a person with integrity and judgment, someone who is honest and fair, someone who is committed to what is best for the American people."

Clinton followed.

"Donald Trump says we're leading the world. Well, we are the only major industrial economy to have its unemployment rate triple. At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it's a storm center. There's only chaos. Just one thing never changes -- his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there," he said. "Now you have to decide whether to renew his contract or hire someone else. If you want a president who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media, he's your man. Denying, distracting, and demeaning works great if you're trying to entertain and inflame. But in a real crisis, it collapses like a house of cards."

9:28 p.m. Schumer: 'America: Donald Trump has quit on you'

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer -- in a speech delivered from his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, and within eye line of the Statue of Liberty -- said President Trump has divided the country, diminished its greatness and "demeaned everything that this statue represents."

"America: Donald Trump has quit on you. He has quit on you. We need a president with dignity, integrity, and the experience to lead us out of this crisis, a man with a steady hand and a big heart who will never -- ever -- quit on America," Schumer said. "That man is my friend Joe Biden."

9:24 p.m. Sally Yates: Trump treats 'our country like it's his family business'

Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates joined the DNC on its second night.

"Speaking at a political convention is something I never expected to be doing -- but the future of our democracy is at stake," she said.

"I served as Deputy Attorney General in the Obama-Biden Administration, and stayed on as Acting Attorney General for the Trump transition. Then, 10 days in, I was fired -- for refusing to defend President Trump's shameful and unlawful Muslim travel ban. That was the start of his relentless attacks on our democratic institutions -- and countless dedicated public servants," she continued. "Like me, these officials didn't swear an oath to a person or a party. Public servants promise to defend our Constitution. Uphold our laws. And work on behalf of the American people. But from the moment President Trump took office, he has used his position to benefit himself rather than our country. He's trampled the rule of law, trying to weaponize our Justice Department to attack his enemies and protect his friends."

Earlier this month, Yates appeared before a Senate panel Wednesday where she pushed back against attacks by Republicans aimed at undercutting the legitimacy of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

PHOTO: Democratic National Convention
Former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates speaks during the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention, Aug. 18, 2020. 2020.
Democratic National Committee

"His constant attacks -- on the FBI, the free press, inspectors general, military officers, and federal judges -- they all have one purpose: to remove any check on his abuse of power. Put simply, he treats our country like it's his family business -- this time bankrupting our nation's moral authority at home and abroad," she said Tuesday. "But our country doesn't belong to him. It belongs to all of us. Joe Biden embraces that. He has spent his entire life putting our country first."

PHOTO: Democratic elected officials deliver the keynote address of the convention together by video feed during the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention as participants from across the country are hosted over video links, Aug. 18, 2020.
Democratic elected officials deliver the keynote address of the convention together by video feed during the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention as participants from across the country are hosted over video links, Aug. 18, 2020.
Democratic National Convention via Reuters

9:11 p.m. 'Rising stars' open with keynote address split among 17 people

The second night of the DNC opens with a keynote address from a group of diverse and young leaders. Using clips from their self-shot videos, the whole speech is pieced together with the 17 people taking turns speaking -- sometimes with each other.

9:07 p.m. What it's like to be in Milwaukee this week for the DNC: Reporter's Notebook

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic convention was supposed to bring 50,000 people to Wisconsin's largest city, crowding its hotels, restaurants and bars for a full week this summer.

I was supposed to be one of those visitors -- and was looking forward to returning to Wisconsin, where I went to college, to attend my first presidential convention. But the pandemic forced Democrats to repeatedly downsize their ambitions for the convention, and eventually scrap plans for Joe Biden to accept the party's nomination in Milwaukee.

Instead of a packed flight from Washington, D.C., I flew on a relatively empty plane to Milwaukee's General Mitchell Airport, where one of the few signs of the political event anchored in town was a large C-SPAN billboard on the highway leading into the city.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez, a group of party officials and a production team putting on the event, a handful of local and national journalists and the Secret Service are all that's left of what was supposed to be Milwaukee's coming out party: a celebration of the midsize city that punched above its weight to land the convention over Miami and Houston.

Read more from ABC News' Benjamin Siegel's report from Milwaukee:

9:01 p.m. Excerpts from second night of DNC speeches released

The second night of the Democratic convention is centered around the theme of "leadership matters" with an array of speakers making the case for why Joe Biden's leadership is needed at this moment for the country.

In her remarks, Jill Biden, the former second lady, is planning to make her argument from inside Brandywine High School, where she taught English from 1991 to 1993.

"You can hear the anxiety that echoes down empty hallways. There's no scent of new notebooks or freshly waxed floors. The rooms are dark and the bright young faces that should fill them are confined to boxes on a computer screen," she will say during her remarks, according to excerpts released by the DNCC. "How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love and understanding—and with small acts of compassion. With bravery. With unwavering faith."

PHOTO: Sen. Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff greet Jill Biden, wife of Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, after a campaign event at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington, Del., Aug. 12, 2020.
Sen. Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff greet Jill Biden, wife of Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, after a campaign event at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington, Del., Aug. 12, 2020.
Carolyn Kaster/AP

"There are times when I couldn't imagine how he did it — how he put one foot in front of the other and kept going. But I've always understood why he did it. ... He does it for you," she will add.

The DNCC also released a clip of the keynote address from the 17 speakers who are part of a segment in which the collection of Democrats is set to highlight how the Trump administration is failing the country.

"This is a different kind of convention," they will say. "This is a different kind of keynote, This year, all of us are on this stage and we've got a lot to say."

"There's a lot riding on this election, when we're facing the biggest economic and health crisis in generations, because our president didn't and still doesn't have a plan," the group will say. "When doctors, nurses and home health care aides in Philadelphia have to risk their own lives to protect others because there's not enough protective equipment. When factory workers in Ohio are faced with dangerous conditions because this administration hasn't given clear guidance on how to protect our people. When teachers in Gwinnett County in Georgia and across the country are being asked to return to the classroom without a plan to keep them safe and parents are exhausted juggling full-time work and full-time childcare. And visiting our parents and grandparents, through the window of a nursing home, worrying all the time that they'll get sick. When unemployment in North Charleston, South Carolina, a city I represent, has risen nearly fourfold and evictions are putting families out on the street in the middle of a pandemic."

-- ABC News' Kendall Karson

8:52 p.m. Milwaukee mayor calls night 2 of DNC to order

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett calls the second night of the DNC to order.

8:49 p.m. Dowd: Era of bipartisanship not possible

ABC News Political Analyst Matthew Dowd says he doesn't think an era of bipartisanship is possible because "so many sides are locked in," so what Joe Biden "has to do is get into an era of nonpartisanship … because most of the country is fed up with both political parties."

8:42 p.m. Molinari: We are in 'need of someone bringing us together'

Former Republican Rep. Susan Molinari, who made the case for Joe Biden at the DNC on Monday night, told ABC News' Linsey Davis that President Trump is "dividing" the U.S. and "this country is hurting so much" that we are in "need of someone bringing us together."

8:33 p.m. Trump hits back at Michelle Obama's DNC address: 'She was over her head'

Reacting to former first lady Michelle Obama's blistering condemnation of his presidency in her taped address aired Monday night as part of the virtual Democratic National Convention, President Donald Trump on Tuesday sarcastically thanked her in some early morning tweets.

"Thanks for your very kind words Michelle!" the president responded.

Making an at-times emotionally powerful 18-minute address, the former first lady warned the American people against the danger of reelecting Trump to a second term.

PHOTO: Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks during the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 17, 2020.
Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks during the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 17, 2020.
Democratic National Convention via AP

"If you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don't make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it," Obama said in her taped address.

In his first on camera reaction to Obama's speech, Trump sought to turn the former first lady's critique of him -- that he is in "over his head" -- back on her.

"She was over her head," the president said, blasting the nation's first black first lady in response to a reporter's question at an event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment ensuring women the right to vote.

Read more about his response to the former first lady:

8:28 p.m. Cecilia Vega: 'Entirely different culture' in the Democratic Party now

Former President Bill Clinton, who has a long history with Democratic conventions, will only speak for five minutes on Tuesday. Ahead of the second night of the DNC, ABC News Anchor/Senior National Correspondent Cecilia Vega was asked if four years after Hillary Clinton's run if the Clinton brand is now off brand.

"The reality is the party has changed from the Bill Clinton days of the Democrats. We're looking at an entirely different culture right now," said Vega.

8:18 p.m. Election advantage stays with Biden; enthusiasm deficit eases, but remains: POLL

The share of Joe Biden supporters who are very enthusiastic about supporting him has grown from 28% in March to 48% today, though he still has a wide deficit compared with President Trump, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll.

8:12 p.m. ABC News political director previews Night 2 of the DNC

The list of speakers on the second night of the DNC is long, with 17 "rising stars" giving the keynote and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez only getting one minute.

"The biggest speech of the night probably belongs to Jill Biden," ABC News Political Director Rick Klein told Linsey Davis on ABC News Live Prime. "She'll be talking about the relationship with her husband, his commitment to leadership."

8:06 p.m. Alabama Sen. Jones says Democrats are 'quite unified'

Alabama Sen. Doug Jones joined ABC News Live to talk about how Democrats have unified.

"I think Democrats are quite unified. You only have to look at what occurred last night...I think that those voices capture what's going on in America."

7:56 p.m. Trump: 'Not the best television I've ever watched'

President Trump was asked earlier Tuesday how he'd make his convention more lively than the DNC and he pointed to the Democrats' taped elements -- and noted the relatively poor broadcast ratings reported for the first night.

"Their ratings were very bad," he said at an event in Yuma, Arizona, with border officials. "They just announced their rating and I thought it was not the best television I've ever watched. It was brutal actually. No, their ratings were very bad."

PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Wittman Airport, Aug. 17, 2020, in Oshkosh, Wis.
President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Wittman Airport, Aug. 17, 2020, in Oshkosh, Wis.
Evan Vucci/AP

The Hollywood Reporter noted that the ratings were down "considerably" since the 2016 conventions, but that it wasn't a surprise "given that much of the convention isn't taking place live and the general decline of linear TV viewing in the past four years."

Trump continued, "I think we're going to do great. Thursday night I'm doing it live, unlike Michelle Obama. I'm doing it live. And it'll be Thursday night, it'll be at the White House on the South Lawn and hopefully you'll enjoy it."

-- ABC News' Ben Gittleson

7:36 p.m. Colin Powell to speak at the DNC

Under the header of the Biden plan for national security, Colin Powell, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state in President George W. Bush's administration, will join national security leaders who have served Democratic and Republican presidents to make their case for Joe Biden's steady, experienced leadership, according to the DNC.

"I support Joe Biden for the presidency of the United States," Powell says in a clip released by the DNC.

He goes on to reference Biden's son Beau, who served as an officer in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps.

"Our country needs a commander in chief who takes care of troops, in the same way he would his own family," Powell says. "For Joe Biden, that doesn't need teaching. It comes from the experience he shares with millions of military families, sending his beloved son off to war and praying to God he would come home safe."

PHOTO: Gen. Colin Powell speaks on the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 18, 2020, from Washington, D.C.
Gen. Colin Powell speaks on the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 18, 2020, from Washington, D.C.
Democratic National Convention

7:31 p.m. Cindy McCain to talk about the late-Sen. John McCain's friendship with Biden

Cindy McCain is set to appear at the DNC in a video segment -- but only via audio -- that details the "unlikely" friendship between former Vice President Joe Biden and her late husband, Sen. John McCain.

Convention officials released a clip of the segment, in which McCain says about the two, "They would just sit and joke. It was like a comedy show sometimes to watch the two of them."

The rest of the clip shares some personal details about the friendship between the two, from their younger days when they were on a different path to when those paths ultimately crossed.

"It was a friendship that shouldn't have worked. John, a former Navy pilot just released from a North Vietnamese prison. Joe, a young senator from Delaware," the narrator says in the preview clip. "But in the 1970s, Joe was assigned a military aide for a trip overseas."

"I was a Navy Senate liaison and used to carry your bags on overseas trips," John McCain says in the video, which is pulled from a 2016 clip from the Senate floor.

"The son of a gun never carried my bags. He was supposed to carry my bags there but he never carried my bags," Biden says, a clip from his 2017 speech at the Liberty Medal ceremony.

PHOTO: Sen. John McCain receives the Liberty Medal from Chair of the National Constitution Center's Board of Trustees, former Vice President Joe Biden, Oct. 16, 2017, in Philadelphia.
Sen. John McCain receives the Liberty Medal from Chair of the National Constitution Center's Board of Trustees, former Vice President Joe Biden, Oct. 16, 2017, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke/AP, FILE

"John and Joe traveled thousands of miles together," the narrator says. "The families got to know each other, gathering for picnics in the Biden's backyard."

Cindy McCain wrote on Twitter that she was "honored" to accept an invite from the Biden team to be part of the video.

"My husband and Vice President Biden enjoyed a 30+ year friendship dating back to before their years serving together in the Senate, so I was honored to accept the invitation from the Biden campaign to participate in a video celebrating their relationship," McCain tweeted.

PHOTO: Cindy McCain, wife of former Arizona Sen. John McCain, waves to the crowd after being acknowledged by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey during his State of the State address, Jan. 13, 2020, in Phoenix.
Cindy McCain, wife of former Arizona Sen. John McCain, waves to the crowd after being acknowledged by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey during his State of the State address, Jan. 13, 2020, in Phoenix.
Ross D. Franklin/AP, FILE

In 2019, about a year after McCain's death, Cindy McCain spoke with ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl about the legacy of her late husband.

At that time, she said the current Republican Party is "not the party of Abraham Lincoln ... nor the party of Ronald Reagan."

"That was a tough torch to carry and, as John said, there were many lonely days because he always said what was on his mind," she told Karl.

McCain added that her husband "never did anything deliberately to be hurtful or anything. … I don't see anybody carrying that mantle at all, I don't see anyone carrying the voice -- the voice of reason."

-- ABC News' Kendall Karson

7:25 p.m. DNC to hear from the 'next generation of party leaders'

A group of 17 "rising stars" within the party -- including former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb and Texas Rep. Colin Allred -- are slated to deliver the night's keynote address meant to capture the party's "diversity of ideas and perspectives," according to the DNC.

"The changing face of the Democratic Party is going to be on full display tonight, another new wave of fresh faces is expected early next year," Senior Washington Reporter Devin Dwyer said on ABC News Live.

7:20 p.m. Michelle Obama posts encouragement to her 'partner-in-crime' Jill Biden

Ahead of her remarks Tuesday, former first lady Michelle Obama penned a lengthy message of encouragement to her "partner-in-crime" Jill Biden on Instagram.

Along with photos of the two throughout their time in the White House, Obama praised Biden as "one of the most grounded people you'll ever meet, inside or outside of politics," and added "There's not a doubt in my mind that Jill will make a wonderful First Lady."

-- ABC News' Molly Nagle

7:16 p.m. ABC to conduct 1st joint sit-down interview with Biden-Harris

EXCLUSIVE: David Muir will conduct the first joint sit-down with former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris and Robin Roberts will interview Biden and Harris on their history-making ticket.

The one-hour primetime special airs next Sunday at 8|7c on ABC News.

7:12 p.m. Sanders joins Vermont activists to cast roll call votes

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted that he, along with his wife Jane and a number of other Vermont activists, will cast their roll call votes together during the DNC.

Gubernatorial candidate and current Vermont Lt. Gov Dave Zuckerman will deliver the "Vermont message for justice," according to a tweet by Jane this afternoon.

The group will include Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, a candidate for the Vermont state House, Burlington City Councilor Ali Dieng, Buff Lindau and Huck Gutman, according to Sanders' tweet, which included a photo of the delegates.

-- ABC News' Meg Cunningham

7:06 p.m. Roll call to begin in Alabama

"Roll Call Across America" will kick off in Alabama, with Rep. Terri Sewell delivering the delegation's votes from the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, the site where Alabama state troopers attacked the late-Rep. John Lewis and other civil rights demonstrators in 1965 in an incident that became known as "Bloody Sunday," the Alabama congresswoman's office confirmed to ABC News.

Biden will be formally nominated as the party's presidential nominee during a 30-minute roll call featuring representatives for all 57 states and territories -- a usually long-winded process that can take hours.

This year, the roll call will include delegates, parents, teachers, small business owners, essential workers, activists and elected leaders inside businesses, living rooms and in front of iconic landmarks.

Two of the other locations where state delegations will cast votes to formally nominate Biden are the Frederick Douglass statue in Baltimore, Maryland and the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign in Nevada.

ABC News' Kendall Karson and John Verhovek

PHOTO: A Secret Service officer keeps watch in front of the Chase Center where Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will make his acceptance speech later this week to the Democratic National Convention, in Wilmington, Del., Aug. 18, 2020.
A Secret Service officer keeps watch in front of the Chase Center where Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will make his acceptance speech later this week to the Democratic National Convention, in Wilmington, Del., Aug. 18, 2020.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

7 p.m. Overview of Tuesday's primetime program:

'Leadership Matters'

Call to Order - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mayor Tom Barrett

Credentials Committee Report - James Roosevelt Jr. and Lorraine Miller, Co-Chairs of the Credentials Committee

Rules Committee Report - The Honorable Barney Frank and Maria Cardona, Co-Chairs of the Credentials Committee

Platform Committee Report - Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Dennis McDonough, Co-Chairs of the Credentials Committee

'The Leaders We Are'

Keynote Address: "We Step Up to Lead" - A group of 17 "rising stars" within the party -- including former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Tennessee State Sen. Raumesh Akbari, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Texas, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, Nevada State Sen. Yvanna Cancela, former Ohio State Rep. Kathleen Clyde, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, Long Beach, California, Mayor Robert Garcia, Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, South Carolina State Sen. Marlon Kimpson, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, Michigan State Rep. Mari Manoogian, Texas State Rep. Victoria Neave, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, Georgia State Rep. Sam Park, New Hampshire State Rep. Denny Ruprecht, and Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor Randall Woodfin -- speak to Biden's leadership and the party's ideals

Introduction - Tracee Ellis Ross, American actress

'We Respect the Constitution'

Remarks - Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates

Remarks - Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

'We Lead from the Oval Office'

Remarks - Caroline Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador and daughter of President John F. Kennedy, and Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy

Remarks - Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter

Remarks - Former President Bill Clinton

'The Leader We Need'

Introduction - Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Tom Perez

Nominating Speeches for The Honorable Bernie Sanders - Former president of the United Auto Workers Bob King and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Nominating Speeches for The Honorable Joe Biden - Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del.

Roll Call Across America

'The Leaders We Are'

'We Take On the Toughest Challenges'

The Biden Plan: Healthcare - Democrats outline Biden's plan to strengthen the Affordable Care Act

A More Perfect Union: A Conversation on Healthcare - Biden in conversation with everyday Americans on what the Affordable Care Act

Remarks - Ady Barkan, progressive activist

'The Leader Joe Biden Is'

Remarks - Former Secretary of State and U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, 2004 Democratic nominee for president John Kerry

'A True Commander-In-Chief'

The Biden Plan: National Security - National Security leaders speak to Biden's experience

'Family, Faith, and Country First'

"Teacher" - The story of Dr. Biden's life, her career, and her relationship with Biden, family and staff

Remarks - Former second lady Dr. Jill Biden

Performance - John Legend, American singer-songwriter

7 p.m. An overview of the evening's program

Tuesday evening's program includes speeches from former President Bill Clinton, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was allotted just one minute. Some progressives view her speaking time as a slight by the establishment and a reflection of the broader disconnect between the national party and younger, more diverse voters -- a gap party leaders are hoping to close heading into November.

PHOTO: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks during the Climate Crisis Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, Nov. 9, 2019.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks during the Climate Crisis Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, Nov. 9, 2019.
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images, FILE

A group of 17 "rising stars" within the party -- including former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb and Texas Rep. Colin Allred -- are slated to deliver the night's keynote address meant to capture the party's "diversity of ideas and perspectives."

Former Vice President Joe Biden's formal nomination by a pre-recorded roll call vote from all 57 states and territories is also set for Tuesday.

PHOTO: People work in the control room for the Democratic National Convention before the start of the convention at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Aug. 17, 2020.
People work in the control room for the Democratic National Convention before the start of the convention at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Aug. 17, 2020.
Morry Gash/Pool via AFP/Getty Images

Tuesday's lineup of speakers:

  • Former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates
  • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
  • Former Secretary of State John Kerry
  • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
  • Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Pa.
  • Former President Bill Clinton
  • Former second lady Dr. Jill Biden
  • Keynote address from former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Tennessee State Sen. Raumesh Akbari, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Texas, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, Nevada State Sen. Yvanna Cancela, former Ohio State Rep. Kathleen Clyde, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, Long Beach, California, Mayor Robert Garcia, Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, South Carolina State Sen. Marlon Kimpson, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, Michigan State Rep. Mari Manoogian, Texas State Rep. Victoria Neave, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, Georgia State Rep. Sam Park, New Hampshire State Rep. Denny Ruprecht, and Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor Randall Woodfin

ABC News' Kendall Karson contributed to this report.

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