In a presidential campaign like no other -- and just four weeks after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race -- Democrats are gathering in Chicago this week to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their candidate to take on former President Donald Trump.
Sen. Dick Durbin lauds Democrats' policies to help working class Americans
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin chastised former President Donald Trump's economic policies citing what he said were the millions of jobs lost during his term.
Durbin touted the Biden-Harris administration's work to bring back more manufacturing jobs to several parts of the country.
"These investments mean a strong economy, growing public schools and well-funded well-staffed first responders," he said. "These investments mean hope. That's what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for."
Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat from Illinois, speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Aug. 19, 2024.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Durbin talked about his parents and how they were helped by a union.
"We worked not just to get by, but to get ahead," he said.
10 hours and 14 minutes ago
COVID-19 response continues to be talking point
Trump's COVID-19 response continues to be a talking point throughout the night.
California Rep. Robert Garcia recounted how, as mayor of Long Beach at the start of the pandemic, he fought for more tests and to make masks more accessible.
"What we needed at that moment was national leadership. But instead, we got Donald Trump," Garcia said. "While schools closed and dead bodies filled morgues, Donald Trump downplayed the virus. He told us to inject bleach into our bodies. He peddled conspiracy theories across the country. We lost hundreds of thousands of Americans, and our economy collapsed."
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19, 2024 in Chicago.
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Among those lost were Garcia's mother and stepfather, who both died from COVID-19 in the summer of 2020, he said.
"I miss them every single day," Garcia said, adding that when Trump and his MAGA extremists "downplayed the horror of the pandemic, it should make us all furious."
In her remarks, Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood said Trump "took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe."
"We can never let him be our president again," she said.
By contrast, Underwood said Harris and Biden worked to make health care more affordable and that Harris "championed" the so-called Momnibus Act, which Underwood introduced to address maternal mortality disparities in the U.S.
"Because she protects the people who are most vulnerable," Underwood said.
10 hours and 24 minutes ago
Former Trump supporter Rich Logis says he's 'all in' for Harris
In a video message, former Trump supporter Rich Logis of Florida urged Republicans and Independents against voting for the former president.
"So this is my message to all the Republicans and Independents who are watching -- people like me who voted for and believed in Trump: I made a grave mistake, but it's never too late to change your mind. You don't need to agree with everything you hear tonight to do what is right. We need to be able to trust our leaders. That's why I'm all in for Kamala Harris."
10 hours and 30 minutes ago
'We're not going back' chants erupt at DNC
Rep. Lauren Underwood wrapped up her remarks about COVID and health care by praising the work of the Biden-Harris administration.
"Four years ago, it was not safe to hold a convention like this. But tonight, thousands have gathered in this arena in my home state of Illinois to make sure Kamala Harris is the next president of the United States," Underwood said. "We have come so far these past four years and we're not going back."
The crowd immediately erupted in cheers of, "We're not going back!"
The phrase has been a hallmark of Harris' campaign so far, often arising when she is criticizing aspects of Trump's record.
Attendees wave USA signs on Day one of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Aug. 19, 2024.