The crowd at the United Center in Chicago erupted in cheers as Vice President Kamala Harris unexpectedly took the stage on the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. The party’s presidential candidate led the energized audience in chanting, “When we fight, we win!”
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| Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance during night one of the DNC. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images |
Harris’ surprise appearance was introduced by a campaign video, despite her not being scheduled to speak until Thursday night, when she will formally accept the party’s nomination. Harris' campaign gained momentum almost instantly, with her surpassing Donald Trump in several national and battleground state polls.
Recent polls released this weekend show Harris leading Trump 50-46 in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
After Harris’ brief appearance, Steve Kerr, coach of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and the leader of Team USA to Olympic gold in Paris, delivered a speech on leadership, praising Harris’ abilities. He also gave a nod to her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, by highlighting Walz's football coaching skills, remarking, “Coach to coach? That guy’s awesome.”
Monday’s theme at the DNC was “For the People,” hosted by Scandal star Tony Goldwyn. Scheduled speakers included President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
The convention kicked off with a gavel bang by Jaime Harrison, the first African American to chair the South Carolina Democratic Party before taking on his role at the DNC.
Harrison’s stirring opening remarks ended with a rallying cry to “save our democracy with our MVP, Kamala Harris, and our coach, Tim Walz!” The energy in the stadium — nearly filled with delegates and attendees — was palpable as Rep. Maxine Waters took the stage next.
Waters, 86, energized the crowd even more by recounting a story about civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer, who famously asked, “Is this America?” during a powerful speech at the 1964 DNC’s Credentials Committee. Waters then connected this moment to Harris.
“Our nominee is the perfect leader to guide us into the future,” Waters declared. “Kamala has served as a courtroom prosecutor, district attorney, attorney general, U.S. Senator, Vice President of the United States.
And when the dust settles in November, and Americans from all walks of life have elected her president, I know she’ll be thinking of Fannie Lou… In that moment, all of us, from New York to Pennsylvania to Arizona to California, can ask, ‘Is this America?’ And we’ll be able to answer loudly and proudly, ‘You’re damn right it is.’”
Following Waters was civil rights icon Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, who, due to Parkinson’s disease, uses a wheelchair. Although Jackson, who ran for president in 1988, can no longer speak, he was wheeled onto the United Center’s stage alongside his family. The 82-year-old blew a kiss to the crowd, a gesture that moved many to tears.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who was a finalist for Harris’ VP spot in 2020, then took the podium and praised her longtime colleague. Bass, who served 11 years in the House of Representatives and in the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010, highlighted Harris’ initiative as California’s attorney general to establish the Bureau of Children’s Justice. She reflected on their shared political journey in California over the past 20 years, noting that Harris even swore her in as LA’s mayor in 2023.
“We knew we were sending a message to young women everywhere that they can lead,” Bass said of that moment last year. “She feels the weight of this work in her bones. When Kamala meets a young person, you can sense her passion, you can see that in her heart, and you can witness her fearlessness, knowing she is willing to fight for every child. Trust me, Kamala has been committed to this her entire life.”
In a voice note from the convention floor, delegates overwhelmingly approved Gov. Walz of Minnesota as the Vice Presidential pick, breaking into chants of “U.S.A.!”
Meanwhile, the crowd echoed with “Union yes!” as six leaders from major labor unions — the AFSCME, SEIU, LIUNA, IBEW, and AFL-CIO — took the stage. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers President Kenny Cooper praised Harris for “bringing back American jobs” and noted, “She’s not afraid to use the word ‘union.’”
One of the few white men to take the United Center stage Monday night was Sen. Dick Durbin, who used his podium time to criticize former President Trump, humorously remarking that the “very stable genius” was the first president to leave office with fewer Americans employed than when he took the oath.
However, State Senator Mallory McMorrow of Michigan intensified the critique, presenting a large novelty-sized book symbolizing the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 — a blueprint for a potential second Trump administration, which the Democrats are using as a tool to steer voters away from the GOP.
“On page 873, it states, quote, ‘Conservatives have long believed in either ending law enforcement activities of Independent agencies or ending their independent status,’” McMorrow explained. “That might sound dull, but in reality, it means that under Project 2025, Donald Trump could weaponize the Department of Justice against his political rivals, even turning the FBI into his personal police force.”
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