CHICAGO, ILL. -- Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and former President Bill Clinton headlined the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, the third day of the party’s choreographed rollout of a new candidate, Kamala Harris, and her pitch to voters.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also addressed the convention.
Here’s the what happened:
Gov. Tim Walz took the stage
Gov. Tim Walz began his speech by talking about his small-town upbringing in Butte, Nebraska, where not everyone believed the same thing or loved the same way, but said, “Everybody belongs, and everybody has a responsibility to contribute.”
Walz went through his professional resuming, starting with his work as a high school teacher and coach. “It was those players and my students who inspired me to run for Congress,” he said. “I learned how to work across the aisle on issues like growing the rural economies and taking care of veterans.”
Walz said, “Never underestimate a public school teacher,” as he describes how he won a seat in Congress after a career as a teacher with no prior political experience.
Walz, a former football coach, gave Democrats a “pep talk” in his remarks, saying, “Let me finish with this, team. It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball.”
He said they have to do the “blocking and tackling,” making phone calls and knocking on doors over the next 76 days. “There will be time to sleep when you’re dead,” he says.
John Legend and Sheila E. cover Prince’s 'Let’s Get Crazy'
John Legend and Sheila E. celebrated Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz with a rendition of son-of-the-state Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” at the Democratic convention.
Legend started at the piano and the onetime Prince collaborator Sheila E. started at her signature standing percussion set before each grabbed a mic and rocked with a band at the center of the stage, tearing through the purple tune for an audience of blue delegates.
Walz has gushed about the music of Minnesota, expressing his affection for Bob Dylan, the Replacements, Hüsker Dü and Prince, who died in 2016.
Buttigieg: 'At least Mike Pence was polite!'
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is taking shots at Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, saying, “At least Mike Pence was polite!” Speaking at the Democratic National Convention, Buttigieg, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, said, “JD Vance is one of those guys who thinks if you don’t live the life he has in mind for you, then you don’t count.”
Buttigieg said Trump’s selection of Vance shows he’s “doubling down on negativity and grievance. A concept of campaigning best summed up in one word: darkness. Darkness is what they are selling.”
Oprah Winfrey endorses Kamala Harris
It was previously revealed that Oprah Winfrey would make a convention appearance on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t clear what she would be doing, or whether she would endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Good evening everybody!” Winfrey shouted in tones she once used to open her talk show, and proceeded with a speech to a crowd in her hometown Chicago.
“What we’re going to do is elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States,” she said.
Winfrey delivered a famous endorsement to then-Sen. Barack Obama, her fellow Chicagoan, during his 2008 presidential campaign.
“Who says you can’t go home again?” she said Wednesday night.
Gov. Josh Shapiro takes the stage
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was among Harris’ finalists to be her running mate, is speaking ahead of Walz Wednesday night after the convention rejiggered its schedule.
Shapiro says, “We are the party of real freedom,” criticizing Republicans for trying to undermine elections and roll back abortion access.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is greeted with a standing ovation
Pelosi, who has been seen as the architect behind Biden’s decision to step down as the nominee, spoke about the president’s achievements before quickly pivoting to the woman who stood by him for the last three and a half years.
“Personally, I know her as a person of deep faith, reflected in her community, care and service,” the California Democrat said.
The rest of Pelosi’s time on stage has focused on the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, where many rioters were targeting the then-speaker and, when they couldn’t find her, ended up trashing her congressional office.
“The parable of January 6 reminds us that our democracy is only as strong as the courage and commitment of those entrusted with its care,” she said, adding that America must choose leaders who believe in free and fair elections. “The choice couldn’t be clearer. Those leaders are Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.”
Bill Clinton takes the stage
Former President Bill Clinton said President Joe Biden has, like George Washington, enhanced his legacy by deciding to leave office. Praising Biden at the start of his Democratic National Convention speech, Clinton said of Biden, “He healed our sick and put the rest of us back to work.”
Clinton, who left office more than 23 years ago, also cracked jokes about former President Donald Trump’s age — and his own.
“I actually turned 78 two days ago,” Clinton said. “The only personal vanity I want to assert is that I’m still younger than Donald Trump.”
He did not mention that Biden, 81, is older than both of them.
Stevie Wonder performs 'Higher Ground'
Stevie Wonder used his keyboard as a podium on the stage of the Democratic convention, giving a brief speech before breaking into “Higher Ground.”
“We must choose courage over complacency, it is time to get UP! And go vote.”
He asked the audience, “Are y’all ready to reach a higher ground? Because you know we need Kamala Harris.”
The 74-year-old musical luminary then broke into his 1973 classic from the album “Innervisions,” accompanied by a DJ and dancers clad in white.
Wonder also sang at the 2008 convention in Denver that brought the nomination of Barack Obama.
New Jersey congressman recalls Jan. 6 riot
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., talked about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack where he spent the hours after the mob was cleared out by police cleaning up the trash and destruction that was left by the rioters.
“I did the only thing I could think to do: I grabbed a trash bag and started cleaning up,” Kim, who is running for Senate in New Jersey, said. “What I learned on Jan. 6 is that all of us, all of us, are caretakers of our great Republic.”
Singer Maren Morris performs
Singer Maren Morris brought her plea for progress “Better Than We Found It” to the convention.
The Grammy winner from Arlington, Texas, has been leaning more toward pop recently but struck a decidedly country tone on the stage at the United Center.
“God save us all from ourselves and the hell that we’ve built for our kids,” she sang. “America, America, We’re better than this.” The song was released in 2020 in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and was viewed as an implicit rejection of former President Trump’s rhetoric.
Morris has been a vocal supporter of liberal causes and has publicly sparred with other country music figures on issues including trans rights.
She’s also set to be among the performers at a 100th birthday celebration for former President Jimmy Carter next month.
'To be a nation of immigrants is hard'
New York Rep. Tom Suozzi is implicitly contrasting Democrats’ stance on immigration with Republicans.
The Republican convention last month was dominated by calls to shut down the southern border and ratchet down admissions to the U.S. And though Republicans say they don’t oppose immigration — only those who enter the country illegally — Trump also tightly limited immigration during his presidency.
Souzzi pointed out that the U.S. has long been a nation of immigrants, including his own relatives who came from Italy.
“To be a nation of immigrants is hard,” he said. “You have to work for it.”
The big book is back
Prop-politics is back as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is taking a page from an oversized printed copy of the conservative Project 2025, saying he wants to share it with undecided voters. Polis says the plan would jeopardize IVF and only values heterosexual couples where the man holds a job. Project 2025 was developed by Trump supporters but has been formally disavowed by the GOP nominee.
Democrats appeal to former Trump voters
There are more videos of former Trump supporters no longer backing the GOP nominee being played at the DNC.
It’s a theme to which convention programming has been returning throughout the week, perhaps aimed at other former Trump backers now looking for a new political home.
Harris’ campaign, and Biden’s before that, has been angling to attract Republican support heading into what’s anticipated to be a tight general election campaign.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus joins female Democratic governors
Gathered in Chicago for the DNC, the eight Democratic female governors discussed electing women in downballot races with comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Discussing female leadership up and down the ballot, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said, “We need women elected up and down the ballot.”
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said that downballot races lead female candidates to higher office, pointing to her own start in the statehouse and Harris’ beginnings as a district attorney.
“All the women listening, run, just run,” Louis-Dreyfus said to the audience.
The “Seinfeld” comedian has gained renewed attention for her famed role as Vice President Selina Meyers in HBO’s “Veep.” In the show, Meyers becomes the first female president when the sitting president resigns.
Louis-Dreyfus also asked the panelists how they work together with a common goal of expanding abortion access. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly spoke of a ballot measure’s success that protected reproductive rights in 2022.
“I think we set the stage for other states then to follow suit,” Kelly said.
Allegations of food contamination are being investigated
Chicago police and the FBI are investigating food that was reported to have been intentionally contaminated Wednesday morning at a DNC breakfast at a downtown hotel.
Multiple female suspects entered the Fairmont Chicago, which was hosting a breakfast for delegates at the DNC and began placing “unknown objects” onto tables with food before leaving the area at around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, police said.
One person who ingested the food was treated by medical personnel and released at the scene, according to Chicago police.
Trump wants to get personal
Speaking at a rally in North Carolina, Donald Trump blasted former president Barack Obama as “nasty” for comments his predecessor made about him at the Democratic National Convention.
“He was very nasty last night,” Trump said. “I try and be nice to people, you know. But it’s a little tough when they get personal.”
Trump said his advisers had urged him to stop personally attacking Harris and focus on issues like the economy, crime and immigration.
“You know, they always say, ‘Sir, please stick to policy. Don’t get personal.’ And yet they’re getting personal all night long, these people,” he said, asking: “Do I still have to stick to policy?”
Later, he polled the crowd: “Should I get personal or should I not get personal?” he asked. The crowd overwhelmingly chose the former.
Trump also mocked the convention, calling it a “charade.”
Gov. Tim Walz will introduce himself to the nation
During his DNC speech on Wednesday, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee’s campaign said Walz will talk about his time growing up in Nebraska, his service in the National Guard, his work as a teacher and football coach and his time in Congress before he was elected governor of Minnesota.
The campaign released a video narrated by his wife, Gwen, that will play during the convention. Ahead of Walz’s appearance on stage, John Legend will perform a Prince tribute, the campaign said.
Democrats get third-party hopeful knocked off Pennsylvania ballot
Pennsylvania Democrats have won legal challenges keeping the left-wing Party for Socialism and Liberation off the battleground state’s presidential ballot, at least for now, while a lawyer with deep Republican Party ties is working to help independent candidate Cornel West get on it.
The court cases are among a raft of partisan legal maneuvering around third-party candidates seeking to get on Pennsylvania’s ballot, including a pending challenge by Democrats to the filing in Pennsylvania by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
A Commonwealth Court judge agreed with two Democratic Party-aligned challenges Tuesday, ruling that the paperwork filed by the Party for Socialism and Liberation was fatally flawed and ordering the party’s presidential candidate, Claudia De la Cruz, off Pennsylvania’s Nov. 5 ballot.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation didn’t immediately say whether it planned to appeal.
Democrats prepare to pass the torch in Michigan
Michigan Democrats rose early Wednesday to honor retiring congressional leaders, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Dan Kildee, while also turning their focus toward the future, which will likely be shaped by the upcoming November election.
Stabenow, the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, is leaving the high chamber after more than two decades. Kildee has represented the Flint area in Congress since 2013, when he succeeded his uncle, Dale Kildee, who had served in Congress for 36 years.
Alongside top Michigan lawmakers, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also joined Michigan Democrats to pay their respects.
While the breakfast celebrated each lawmaker’s contributions in paving the way for others, many also emphasized the importance of looking toward the future and winning races up and down the ticket in Michigan. Stabenow and Kildee are leaving behind two of the most competitive seats in the nation.
“I don’t want to just talk about myself here. This is really about now and it’s about the future for all of us,” said Stabenow. “This is an incredible moment for us.”
Stabenow, who made history in 2000 by becoming the first woman to be elected senator in Michigan, reflected on the progress made since then and expressed confidence that the nation is now ready to elect a female president.
Members of pro-Palestinian movement held rally near DNC
At Wednesday’s rally, they reiterated longstanding calls for Democratic leaders to do more to end the war in Gaza. They questioned how many more Palestinian civilians have to die before U.S. leaders impose an arms embargo on Israel and demand a ceasefire.
“We supply these weapons, so if you really wanted a ceasefire, just stop sending the weapons,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota told a group of a few dozen supporters and members of the media. “It’s that simple.”
She said the movement is committed to helping the Democratic Party defeat Donald Trump, but they believe that will require a change of policy on Gaza.
The tone of the rally alternated between somber and exasperated. Speakers included doctors who’ve traveled to Gaza to treat injured Palestinians. They recounted witnessing horrific living conditions, rampant disease and hunger, children losing parents and parents losing children.
