The moment that millions around the country have been waiting for took place Thursday at the Democratic National Convention as Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the nomination for the presidency.
Harris took the stage to a roaring standing ovation and soon set her agenda in a rousing speech.
Whether it was immigration, reproductive rights or foreign security, the vice president showcased a sharp contrast in policies to former President Donald Trump.
Harris's speech was preceded by a who's who of leaders from both sides of the aisle who all made the case that she is the best person to be the nation's leader.
Photos: 2024 Democratic National Convention
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Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, Aug. 22, 2024.
Americans impacted by mass shootings just shared their heartrending stories.
Speaking next is Gabby Giffords, who was shot during an assassination attempt in when she was in Congress.
Gun violence is among the top issues in the Democratic Party's platform, which calls for an assault weapons ban and ending the gun industry's immunity from liability. In contrast, the GOP convention platform made no mention of firearm violence or gun control.
Harris' record as a prosecutor was seen differently when she ran in 2020
In speeches and videos, the convention is talking about Harris' record as a prosecutor. It's a reminder that the national mood has shifted since her last run for president, when she ran in the 2020 Democratic primary. At the time, efforts to reform policing were reaching a fever pitch, and her record as a prosecutor actually hurt her with progressives in the party. Those issues would only grow by the time she joined Biden's ticket as vice president, after the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.
But that was four years go. Support for the Black Lives Matter movement has dropped since then, and Harris is working to reframe her history as a prosecutor to portray herself as a champion of victims. She's also framing it in opposition to Trump, who has since been convicted in a felony case in Manhattan and is facing several other charges.
—538's Monica Potts
9:30 PM EDT
Biden posts picture of phone call to Harris before speech
In an X post Thursday night, President Joe Biden said he and the first lady just talked to Harris ahead her speech at the convention coming up.
He added that they "can’t wait to watch her accept this historic nomination."
In the photo, the Bidens, who are in Santa Ynez, California, are standing in front of a TV with the DNC on screen and Biden is holding a phone.
"Kamala and Tim will inspire a generation and lead us into the future," Biden said in the post.
9:19 PM EDT
March outside DNC continues on final night
Marchers took to the street before sundown on the final day of the DNC. They stretched for more than a mile and took nearly three hours to reach its final destination in Union Park, four blocks west of the stadium.
Hatem Abudayyeh, spokesperson for the coalition, said nearly 8,000 people were in the streets marching. Their goal all week was to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinians, which he said was a success, especially when President Joe Biden mentioned the protestors in his speech Tuesday.
"It means people know we are here, and they are talking about us," he said.
Protesters march during a demonstration near the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago.
Alex Brandon/AP
As marchers slowly moved through a residential street, just two blocks from the stadium, they banged drums, chanted ("just like 1968/nothing here to celebrate") and taunted Chicago police officers who lined both sides of the street with bicycles.
A skirmish briefly forced the march to pause when several people surrounded Chris Eston, 21, of Peoria, who carried an American flag. After a block of pushing and shoving with the coalition protestors, Eston eventually was ejected from the street by police officers.
"They called my fascist," he said of the marchers. "I told them in a true fascist country, protests don't exist. If they'd do this in Iran, they'd get shot."
Demonstrators march during a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, in the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Aug. 22, 2024.