Obamas, Emhoff energize DNC as race stays tight (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: We'll see you in two days, Chicago.

[00:00:12] Speaker 2: All right, all right, there we saw Kamala Harris beaming in from Milwaukee. Rodney, she's in Milwaukee holding a rally at the Fiserv Center, which was exactly where we were for the Republican National Convention. What do you think of that move, holding a rally in that same space?

[00:00:31] Speaker 3: And frankly, you know, if she could at least fill it enough to where it looks like just as much of a crowd as a Republican convention, it's a great contrast to have. It's a great political event to where she could continue to say she has the momentum. However, as we move through the rest of this campaign, Kamala Harris is going to have to answer questions from the media. She's going to have to go out and campaign. And it's going to become more of a grind over the next 60 days. This is just a given, and that's why I think any Democrat should be very concerned about where polling is right now in states like Pennsylvania, and even in Wisconsin, Michigan, and others.

[00:01:11] Speaker 2: Let me stick with you, Rodney, because we did just speak to your former colleague, Raja Krishnamurthy, the state of Illinois congressman. And he said, look, there is some, quote-unquote, meat on the bones because Kamala Harris unveiled an economic policy. What do you think of that? There is a policy agenda there.

[00:01:27] Speaker 3: Right. Is she going to answer questions about it? Is she going to actually be quizzed by members of the media about that economic policy? Because if not, it doesn't matter, because no one's going to know what's in it.

[00:01:38] Speaker 1: All right.

[00:01:39] Speaker 3: So you're looking for more from her.

[00:01:41] Speaker 2: What do you think of that, Stephanie?

[00:01:42] Speaker 4: I think that the Harris-Walz campaign is running a very disciplined campaign, and I wouldn't let Republicans who aren't going to vote for her anyways or the media who is looking for the next headline, goad her into doing something that doesn't make sense for the campaign. She's running a disciplined campaign, and she needs to keep doing it.

[00:02:02] Speaker 2: Well, certainly, she's being asked a lot of questions, though, about doing a media appearance. Do you think we need to see an interview from her soon?

[00:02:07] Speaker 4: I'm sure you will see one in good time. You're also going to see a debate, and all of that will happen before people will have to go to the polls and make a decision. So, all in good time.

[00:02:17] Speaker 2: All right, let's tune in a little bit to the convention now and see what's taking place. We're screaming over it, of course, because it's pretty loud in here, you can probably sense that. But just after the roll call vote, we're going to see some of the speakers, of course, as well. And some of the speakers we're going to see, this is Ana Navarro on the stage at the moment. Some of the speakers we're going to see tonight are including some who we've already seen, so former Republicans, those who have formerly identified as Republicans. She does. No, I'm saying previously, previously, we saw some former Republicans. And later on, we're going to see the former president, Barack Obama, and we're also going to see—let's listen in.

[00:03:02] Speaker 5: Do any of those things sound familiar? Is there anybody running for president who reminds you of that? And I know one thing—it's not Kamala Harris. That is not the America we love. It's not the land of freedom we treasure. Last night, we heard President Biden say that he loves his job, but he loves his country more. Every American needs to love our country more. Every American has the duty to put our country first. Country first before party. Country first before political ambition. country first before having. And in this election, putting country first means one thing and one thing only, voting for Kamala Harris. And that, that is what this night is about. That is what we're going to talk about tonight. So you know what? Let's get it started. Let's get this fiesta going. That is what this night is about. That is what we're going to talk about tonight.

[00:04:14] Speaker 1: So, you know what? Let's get it started. Let's get this fiesta going. The ayes are 50, the nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided. The vice president votes in the affirmative and the nomination is confirmed. And the concurrent resolution as amended is adopted. The vice president votes in the affirmative, and the motion to proceed is agreed to. On this vote, the yeas are 50, the nays are 50, the Senate being equally divided. The Vice President votes in the affirmative, and the bill, as amended, is passed.

[00:05:11] Speaker 6: It is my honor to present the Golden Gap to Vice President Harris, 32 tie-breaking votes.

[00:05:23] Speaker 4: Please welcome Senate Majority Leader and New York Senator Chuck Schumer.

[00:05:44] Speaker 7: Everybody, wasn't that a great roll call? Now just let me hear you, if you're ready, for President Kamala Harris.

[00:06:03] Speaker 2: All right. Joining me now is Liz Hirsch-Naftali. She is a relative of a released U.S. Israeli hostage, as we're watching, Liz, this convention. I want to ask you, you know, we should mention your story. You're the great aunt of four-year-old Abigail Idan. She was released. The war in Gaza is a big conversation here, but most importantly, we first want to know, how is Abigail doing?

[00:06:30] Speaker 8: Well, she's doing pretty well considering everything. She's a four-year-old. But keep in mind that when she returned from Gaza, she did not go home. Her parents were murdered that morning by Hamas terrorists in front of her and her siblings, three little kids, three, six, and nine, in their home. And after four years, she was released. She's a four-year-old. But keep in mind that when she returned from Gaza, she did not go home. Her parents were murdered that morning by Hamas terrorists in front of her and her siblings, three little kids, three, six, and nine, in their home. And after four years, she was released. Their mother, my niece, was murdered in America. They ran outside, and their father picked her up, and the other kids started to run. And he was murdered by Hamas terrorists with Abigail in his arms. And so these three children watched their mother and then their father be murdered, and the two older kids, six and nine, thought that Abigail had been murdered. And now that she was taken hostage, because she survived, and went to a neighbor's house. And this neighbor and her three children and Abigail, they let her in, they just by chance opened the door and they let in this three-year-old covered in her father's blood. And then the lost heiress came a few hours later and took this woman, her three children, and my niece, great-niece Abigail. And the husband had been out protecting the kibbutz, so he couldn't stop this. So she was a hostage for 51 days. And the reason I say this is because After all of this trauma, on the surface she's healthy and she's okay and, you know, she's a little girl and she likes to dance and play and put makeup on and eat french fries, you know, like little kids. But what we know is that what she experiences is something no child should ever experience and she came home and has her parents who are both murdered and her home is destroyed. So this is what she lives with but she has lots of love and an extended family that takes care of her and loves her.

[00:08:12] Speaker 2: We're so happy to hear that Abigail is doing well despite the circumstances. This comes as we heard the tragic news that more hostages were recovered, dead from Gaza. It is something that, you know, is a main topic of conversation at the moment also for the Biden administration as they're trying to negotiate a ceasefire. Are you confident that there will be an agreement in time for more hostages to be released safely?

[00:08:40] Speaker 8: It's a good question, and think about this, the last release was over 270 days ago when Abigail was released and she was a hostage for 51 days. So I believe that President Biden, Vice President Harris and their administration is doing everything they can. I mean, we have had meetings with them, they have worked with us, we have been American hostage families. There's eight American hostages, as I speak to you. There's about 115. And, yes, six bodies were recovered. These were people that went to Gaza as kidnapped civilians, and they were alive, and now they're dead. So when you ask that question, there's an urgency. And there's a moment where we know the Biden administration, the president, the vice president, and all their team are doing everything. They're in the region. They're working with Prime Minister Netanyahu. They're working with the Qataris and the Egyptians to work with Hamas, and this is a moment that everybody has to really lean in and show political will, and make sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu must sign this deal, and that Sinwar must sign this deal. When you talk about that urgency of these bodies and these people, they're real people. But we know that in order to stop the fighting, we need to release the hostages, we need to stop the fighting, and we need to help the people in Gaza, but it starts with releasing our hostages.

[00:10:09] Speaker 2: Do you have a sense that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, because we've seen protests in Israel really directed at him as well, do you think that he is negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement?

[00:10:23] Speaker 8: I hope he's in good faith, and we met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden a few weeks ago. President Biden invited the American hostage families to sit in a room in the White House with the Prime Minister. And in that meeting, he committed to us that he would do everything to bring home these hostages. That has been over three weeks. So I saw him look us in the eye and commit to bringing home the hostages. Is he in good faith? It's been three weeks. And I turn the question around and I say we all should be asking him if it's in good faith. and commit to bringing home the hostages. Is he in good faith? It's been three weeks. And I turn the question around and I say, we all should be asking him if it's in good faith, because he told us he was going to do it. And these are his citizens. These are his people. And these are people from 23 nations, five religions, but they were all in Israel when they were kidnapped and taken hostage. This is his responsibility as the leader. And I go back to he committed to doing it, and I will hold him to his commitment.

[00:11:21] Speaker 2: Can you give us an idea of how hostage families are keeping up hope right now?

[00:11:27] Speaker 8: You know, I know what it feels like to be a hostage family for 51 days. And only when I saw Abigail in her aunt and her grandmother's arms, I could breathe. I don't know how these families—and I love them, and I spend so much time, especially with the American families, but there's a bigger family, how they go every day and they do everything they can to release their loved ones. I mean, they'll travel the world, they'll speak, we speak to people that are not like us. But have, we need to have these conversations and one of the things that's important is that being able to talk to people like yourselves and tell the story, so Americans know there's eight hostages, so the world knows there's eight American hostages, but there's a hundred It's about 115 people that are kidnapped by Hamas that are in Gaza. And so how do they get up every morning? They wake up every morning and say, what more can I do? And they go to bed every night and they say, what didn't I do? These are their loved ones. These are their children, their fathers, their daughters. These are babies. These are grandparents. I don't know what you would do, but I did everything I could for Abigail for 50 days. And this is 319 days as I sit here. They're broken. I mean, nobody can... They haven't talked to their families. They have no peace of life. They've had nobody go in and say that these people, their hostages are alive, their hostages are safe, their hostages are healthy. It's an untenable situation. So, I think that what I can tell you is We all have to do everything we can to get these hostages home, because this isn't something that is anything that any human should be put through. And then you think about the hostages, the conditions they're in, young women who we know have been raped and abused. We know, and I know from Abigail's release and others, they're not fed, they do not have hygiene, they don't have air.

[00:13:30] Speaker 2: It's an unimaginable situation they're facing. facing. Liz, one more question for you. Q, we're here at the convention looking to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Have you met with Kamala Harris? Do you get a sense of what she would do if she's in office in November?

[00:13:45] Speaker 8: Well, I can say that since October 7th, we have met with the president a few times, with the vice president Harris a few times and with the administration. And they have worked tandemly in hand in hand. We see President Biden has taken the But the Vice President has been there every step of the way, in the background, but has met with us, has met with hostage families, and is completely part of the work that the President's doing, and with people like Jake Sullivan, and with Secretary of State Blinken, and CIA Director Burns. So she's part of it. And the thing that I know about the Vice President from when we met with her last is that she really cares. She knows the stories of the hostages. of the hostages. She understands the people what we're going through and what these families are going through. And what I understand is that she and the president are doing this together. But what I will say is that we need the president and the vice president to do this together because I sometimes look at Abigail, this four-year-old, this beautiful child running around and like, I think to myself that if it were not for President Biden, if it were not for Vice President And if it were not for this team of incredible leaders, like Jake Sullivan and Tony Blinken and their whole team, Abigail and the 105 women and children that were released at the end of November, they could still be hostages. And so I look at this as, you know, Abigail is home, but there are these people that have loved ones that aren't. And I know that President Biden and Vice President Harris, this is something that is a number, like, a very high concern for them. And you hear it. Kamala Harris, when she speaks, she always says, we need to release the hostages, that we need to come up with a deal so there will be a ceasefire, and we need to help the people that are living in Gaza. So I believe she cares. I believe she is with us. And I think that today, when we sit here, And we understand that this is a new beginning, but it's also a continuation of caring for these hostages, and that, please, they be home way before the election in November. We don't have till November. They don't have it. You asked that question about people that are—they don't have till November.

[00:16:06] Speaker 2: It's an incredible story, as we said, Liz. And thank you so much for sharing it with us today, and we wish you and your family all of the best. Thank you, Liz, for joining us.

[00:16:16] Speaker 1: Thank you for having me.

[00:16:20] Speaker 2: All right, well, the convention, as we said, is continuing. There are now ceasefire talks continuing, Doha, meanwhile, on how to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas, including the release of hostages. As we were discussing just now, Israel's military reportedly finding the bodies of these six hostages in a tunnel in Khan Yunis on Tuesday. All of the victims had been kidnapped from kibbutzes near Israel's border fence with Gaza during the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on the 7th of October. Israeli authorities said 109 hostages remain in captivity, a third of which they believe are dead. As we were just mentioning, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has accepted a bridging proposal and hopes that Hamas will do the same. Now, Antony Blinken was clear that the U.S. does not accept a long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel, with disease and destruction on the rise. Aid agencies are demanding a humanitarian truce. Israel says it's attacked a school in Gaza City used by Hamas fighters, also on Tuesday. The civil defense agency there says at least 12 people, Palestinians, were killed. And we'll continue, of course, to follow any developments on that front for you. In the meantime, at the convention here, of course, continuing and joining us now from the arena is our senior North America correspondent, Gary O'Donoghue. Gary, I see you've now made it into the arena. Very happy to see that. I believe that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is speaking at the moment. So give us an idea of what the atmosphere is like down there at the moment.

[00:17:59] Speaker 9: Well, Sumi, I don't know if you can hear me, but I can't really hear you. But I can tell you that there's a lot of excitement on the floor here. We have just had the roll-call vote, the official moment when Kamala Harris is nominated to run for the presidency in November along with her vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz. We now have Bernie Sanders on stage, the independent senator from Vermont, of course, himself no stranger to the odd presidential run, particularly back in 2016 against Hillary Clinton, of course. In the next couple of hours, anticipation building for the main event of the evening, the appearance of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. Really as close as you get to royalty when it comes to democratic politics in this country. I think a lot of people have a lot of expectation about that moment. You remember that sort of video phone call where Kamala Harris got endorsed by the Obamas. That was a little viral social moment for the campaign. They they're expecting a bit more of the kind of stardust to be sprinkled around this evening by the Obamas and that Kamala Harris will inherit some of that glamour and some of that glitz for what's going to be a very tough campaign over the next 77 days or so. So we've got some other other people on the stage after Bernie Sanders, some other members of Congress, some other influencers we'll have seen this evening as well. They have a big role in this convention, don't forget, they've got prime real estate in this convention hall, around 200 of them, TikTokers and YouTubers and Instagrammers, all here to try and drive a big part of this campaign, which is going to be conducted, not entirely through media like us on television, on radio, but through social media, through those channels that reach younger voters much more effectively.

[00:19:57] Speaker 2: Thanks so much for telling us more about the program tonight. And we're going to listen in now to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for a little bit.

[00:20:10] Speaker 10: And now we need to summon that will again, because too many of our fellow Americans are struggling every day to just get by, to put food on the table, to pay the rents, and to get the health care they need. Brothers and sisters, bottom line, we need an economy that works for all of us, not just the billionaire class. My fellow Americans, when 60% of our people live paycheck to paycheck, the top 1% have never, ever had it so good. And these oligarchs, these oligarchs tell us we shouldn't tax the rich. The oligarchs tell us we shouldn't take on price gouging, we shouldn't expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision, and we shouldn't increase Social Security benefits for struggling seniors. Well, I've got some bad news for them. That is precisely what we are going to do. And we're going to win this struggle because this is precisely what the American people want from their government. And my friends, at the very top of that to-do list is the need to get big money out of our political process. as in both parties, should not be able to buy elections, including primary elections. For the sake of our democracy, we must overturn the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and move toward public funding of elections. And let me tell you what else we must do. We need to join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee health care to all people as a human right, not a privilege. We need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage. We need to pass the PRO Act so that workers can organize a union and gain the decent pay and benefits they deserve. We need to strengthen public education, raise teachers' salaries, and make sure that every American, regardless of income, receives the higher education he or she needs. We need to take on Big Pharma and cut our prescription drug costs in half so that we no longer pay any more than other countries. Joe and Kamala made sure that no senior in America pays over $35 a month for insulin. We need to make sure that reality is true for every American. I look forward to working with Kamala and Tim to pass this agenda. And let us be very clear, this is not a radical agenda. But let me tell you what a radical agenda is, and that is Trump's Project 2025. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, giving more tax breaks to billionaires is radical. Putting forth budgets to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is radical. Letting polluters destroy our planet is radical. And my friends, we won't let that happen. Fellow Americans, in the last three and a half years working together, we have accomplished more than any government since FDR, but much, much more remains to be done. We must summon the courage to stand up to wealth and power and deliver justice for people at home and abroad. Abroad, we must end this horrific war in Gaza, bring home the hostages, and demand an immediate ceasefire. At home, at home right here, we must take on big pharma, big oil, big ag, big tech, and all the other corporate monopolists whose greed is denying progress for working people. On November 5th, let us elect Kamala Harris as our president, and let us go forward to create the nation we know we can become. Thank you all very much.

[00:28:04] Speaker 2: All right, all right, Senator Vermont, Senator Bernie Sanders, speaking there, calling on the delegates to support and stand behind Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to help get them elected. As we're watching the convention here, I'm very happy to say that we have Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from the state of Washington with us. Congresswoman, great to have you back with us on BBC News. You listen to a very progressive Senator Bernie Sanders there, you're the chair of the Progressive Caucus in the House of Representatives, so I'm guessing you agreed with many of the points that we heard there.

[00:28:37] Speaker 11: I absolutely did. I think he laid out a very strong, progressive agenda, a working class agenda that is going to lift up people across this country and make sure that our government works for working people and poor people and not for the wealthiest and well-connected. And I think we are on our way to get that agenda done if we win in November and elect Kamala Harris the next president of the United States.

[00:29:00] Speaker 2: So I also want to ask you about something we heard from Bernie Sanders just now, calling for a ceasefire. This is something you have been calling for. We've had a conversation about this in the past. You wanted to see a stronger tone from the Biden administration previously on its stance on supporting Israel. Do you have a sense, there are uncommitted delegates at this convention as well, do you Do you have a sense that this is an issue that really is dividing the party?

[00:29:26] Speaker 11: I think that obviously there is still more work to do to appeal to every voter that is still deciding whether or not it's worth it to vote for Kamala Harris, and I know that there's work that is being done right now with the campaign, reaching out to uncommitted voters. I do think that we have an opening here with Vice President Harris. I think she has already shown that she is much more empathetic and able to demonstrate that empathy about what's happening. That isn't policy change yet, but she's not the president of the United States. Joe Biden is. So I think we have to continue to work with her, work with the campaign, work with the administration, and try to get to that immediate ceasefire that Bernie Sanders talked about that I have been calling for, and change U.S. policy so that we can ensure that we are really incentivizing Prime Minister Netanyahu to want to end this war and to want to end the killing, and implementing our own domestic laws in this situation.

[00:30:25] Speaker 2: What should that change in policy be? Because we saw a press conference from American doctors earlier here at the convention. They had served in Gaza, they were working in Gaza, and describing the horrific conditions that they were seeing there. They want to see an arms embargo. That is something we're hearing from protesters outside of the convention center as well. Do you think that's something that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz should pursue?

[00:30:46] Speaker 11: I think it is important for us to—and I've said this before—to stop sending offensive military assistance to Israel until we really see a ceasing of the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza. So, I really believe that that is the policy we should pursue. I'm continuing to advocate for it, as is Senator Sanders, as are many of us with the vice president and with the president.

[00:31:13] Speaker 2: We are seeing, in a state like Michigan, where the uncommitted voting bloc sent quite a message in the primaries there early this year, the possibility that this conflict could really become a difficulty for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz when it comes to the election in November. That they might not be able to win over some voters. I spoke to some Muslim Americans in Detroit who said, I'm not voting for this ticket either.

[00:31:37] Speaker 11: What's your message to them? of Detroit, who said, I'm not voting for this ticket, either. What's your message to them? My message is that this is the ticket under which we can continue to organize for justice. Donald Trump will do absolutely nothing for Muslim voters, for Gaza, for Israel. And my belief is that we have to continue these conversations. I'll tell you what, I just came from Michigan. I was campaigning for the Harris-Walls campaign there. And there is also tremendous excitement across the country from young people, from folks of color, from working people. And I think we have to bring all of these different parts of the Democratic caucus together. Every single vote matters. Every voice matters. And ultimately, we've made such progress for the progressive movement for working people across this country under the Biden-Harris administration. I believe we can do even more if we elect Kamala Harris our president, if we elect Tim Walz our vice president, these are working class people, middle class people themselves, who came up and who represent so many different identities that people can see themselves in. And I think that's what you see out here, is the energy and the enthusiasm and the excitement.

[00:32:47] Speaker 2: Donald Trump, his running mate, J.D. Vance, say Kamala Harris, Tim Walz are too progressive, that their policies are too progressive for working class people.

[00:32:55] Speaker 11: What's your response to that? Listen, I'll say that everybody wants their kids to be fed and be able to go to school. Everybody wants universal health care. People want to be able to get education. These are not what they're called progressive policies, but they're actually things that everyone wants. People want a raise in the minimum wage. That's true in states that voted for Donald Trump, and they still raise the minimum wage. These are all things that we need across the country for people to really have humanity, dignity and be able to live their full lives.

[00:33:28] Speaker 2: Great to have you back on BBC News. Thank you so much for the conversation tonight. Enjoy the rest of the convention. Thank you so much. All right. We're going to continue now our coverage. We're going to go to our correspondent, John Sudbrook, who is outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago. We spoke to him a little bit earlier in the evening when the situation was very fluid. John, if you can hear us, what is happening now?

[00:33:53] Speaker 12: a very fluid situation here. The protest outside the Israeli consulate, as you can see, has spilled out onto the surrounding streets. The protesters pushed their way through the police lines and they have now been walking around this neighbourhood. We are about a mile and a half from the convention centre, ignoring the warnings from the police, consistent warnings to disperse. The police, as you have seen, have been trying to contain them. You can see them lined up in front of us at the moment. They have got some protesters on the other side of the street there who they have managed to corral into this small area. Pretty chaotic scenes. Some arrests have been made and, as I say, so far the protesters, at least the remnants of them that we can see out here now, have shown no intention of obeying the police warnings to leave.

[00:34:53] Speaker 2: John, can you give us a sense of what the protesters are looking to do next? You know, they have very much been wanting to get the attention of the delegates, of the lawmakers, of people here at the convention.

[00:35:10] Speaker 12: Yes, I mean, this is a demonstration against US support for Israel's war in Gaza. Protesters from the start carrying Palestinian flags, banners demanding that the US divest, that it stop sending military aid. That's the message they want to send. It's important to say that This was always a very small protest in terms of numbers. This was not one of the authorised protests, one of the ones that's been agreed in advance with the police in terms of the route. This was a protest that was advertised online and the police had said earlier today that they were concerned there could be trouble. What we saw begin to happen is that that small crowd gathered outside the Israeli consulate, They marched on police lines, a number of arrests were made, all got very tense and then as I say they have now spilled out onto the surrounding streets. So you have got this situation where groups of protesters are being followed along, harried by police in riot gear. The traffic as you can see, these roads are meant to be open but these cars here are having to sort of pull over and stop while groups of protesters and riot police charge past. The protesters from the start on this particular demonstration had been saying they wanted to repeat the scenes of 1968. That moment when Chicago descended into violence, the protests over the Vietnam War, I think it's fair to say they haven't come close to doing that in terms of the numbers, a very, very small demonstration tonight in terms of the numbers of protesters, I would say something like 100 or so to begin with. Nonetheless, though, if that was their intention, these scenes will have, I suppose you could argue, have achieved that end. These streets brought to chaos for well over an hour or so now. A number of arrests having been made and I think we are in the final moments. The protesters well, well outnumbered. as I say, it's still very fluid. And yeah, a group still further on down there, still moving on ahead of the police. Their intention, of course, is to try and bring this to a halt as quickly as possible.

[00:37:37] Speaker 2: OK, John, thank you so much for that reporting. As you said, a fluid situation. We'll continue to check in with you through the course of the evening. John Sudworth reporting there outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago where there's protesters have been taking place. We're going to come back to the convention here in the United Center as we're watching the speeches continue. As we know, some big names will be coming up. We'll be listening in to some of those. For now, though, I'm joined by Democrat, Congressman, great to have you with us here on BBC News. Thanks for joining us. I first just want to get your take on what you've witnessed and experienced at this convention so far. How much excitement and energy do you sense for the Harris-Walz ticket?

[00:38:19] Speaker 13: Oh, I mean, you can feel the energy, the passion, the momentum, and the joy here. And, you know, these are Democrats, just like Americans, who lived through several years of Donald Trump, who has made his politics on fear, on division, on resentment, and this convention and this campaign is different. It's about bringing people together. It's about leaving that division in the past and turning the page.

[00:38:45] Speaker 2: What about your constituents in Texas, a border state where immigration has been one of the biggest, if not the biggest issues on many people's minds? Do they have confidence in Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to be able to address the issues with immigration at the moment?

[00:39:02] Speaker 13: Yeah, absolutely. In fact, as you know, President Biden and Vice President Harris led an effort to actually do more border security and immigration policy, and Donald Trump spiked that. He's a big part of the reason that none of that happened. And so he uses it as a fear-mongering issue. It's the biggest issue that they use for fear-mongering. The Republicans use it to fear-monger, but they don't really want to solve the problems or the challenges. And then what they do is they try to convince Americans in the world that every single one those desperate oppressed people who are fleeing their homelands are potential serial killers that are coming to hurt Americans. And that's just not the case. And so I think most Americans, I think, want to be done with that kind of divisive politics.

[00:39:48] Speaker 2: At the same time, if you look at polls, most Americans do see immigration as a chief concern. And if you look at the three and a half years of the Biden-Harris administration, up until his executive order clamping down on immigration, there were record numbers of crossings at the southern border. So are you concerned that voters are going to look at that and say, Kamala Harris was given the task of reducing immigration from Central American countries and could not live up to that task?

[00:40:14] Speaker 13: No, I think they're going to look at it and say, this is the person who has a plan, and Donald Trump is all talk, all fear-mongering, using these immigrants to scapegoat and to create fear among Americans. And, you know, I think the facts bear out that when Donald Trump had a chance to be part of actually solving the problem, he spiked it, he didn't.

[00:40:37] Speaker 2: I just want to push back on this point just quickly, because if you look at polls, voters were asked, trust Donald Trump on immigration far more than they do Kamala Harris, at least in the polling that we have so far. What do you think of that?

[00:40:49] Speaker 13: Well, I mean, I think you have a news station that's down the road here that spends every single night, and you have a political party that spends every single night in this country demonizing immigrants. So it's going to show up in the polls, but that also doesn't make everything they say true. And, you know, I think most Americans will, in the end, see through that.

[00:41:09] Speaker 2: We know the other central issue for many voters is economic issues, the fact that inflation is still too high for many families. It's certainly the case in Texas as well, people talking about gas prices, food prices. Do you think the economic message that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have unveiled, some of policies there haven't failed will resonate with voters in your district for example?

[00:41:32] Speaker 13: I think I've seen that already in Texas among people on the left and the right. Again, when people are facing higher grocery prices, when they're facing higher gas prices, they want a leader and a president who actually has a plan to solve those issues. And if you look at the Biden-Harris record, they helped the country bounce back from a once-in-a-century pandemic, where we were losing thousands and thousands of jobs every month, to the strongest economy in decades, the lowest unemployment rate in decades, and I think Kamala Harris will continue that and build upon it.

[00:42:05] Speaker 2: Again, voters trust Donald Trump far more than they do Kamala Harris in terms of home on the economy. What do you think Kamala Harris and Tim Walz need to do to turn around that perception?

[00:42:16] Speaker 13: Yeah, I mean, I think part of it, that's why campaigns end up spending hundreds and millions of dollars on advertising, because you've got to get your message out there. You've got to remind people about the successes of what she's been part of with the Biden-Harris administration. And also, if you look at Project 2025, which is Donald Trump's plan for America and the Republican plan for America, that would devastate working-class people, middle-class people. It would lower taxes on the wealthiest Americans at the expense of families. And so So, I think there's just no comparison between the two candidates when it comes to the economy in the future.

[00:42:50] Speaker 2: Congressman, there's been speculation for years that Texas could become a purple state, a state where Democrats might have a chance. It has voted very staunchly for Donald Trump. Do you see Kamala Harris and Tim Walz having a chance in a state like Texas?

[00:43:05] Speaker 13: I mean, look, don't get me wrong. It's still an uphill battle for a Democratic presidential candidate in Texas, but the numbers have been getting closer. We've been gaining ground. President Biden lost the state by less than six points, so yeah, it's not out of the realm of possibility that she can get close there.

[00:43:25] Speaker 2: All right, Congressman, great to have you with us here on BBC News. Thank you so much. Congressman Joaquin Pester from the state of Texas. Good to have you with us here on BBC News, and we're going to continue our live coverage here of the convention here in Chicago. We're going to watch some of the big speeches that are billed to take place. We're going to hear from the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, who is billed to speak shortly. We're also going to hear from former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Those are the headline speeches we're expecting to see tonight, both of them strongly endorsing Kamala Harris, of course, and they have said that they want to do what they can to help Kamala Harris and Tim Walz get elected in November. So we're going to continue to follow these speeches and bring you the very latest from the convention floor here in Chicago. Stay with us here on BBC News.

[00:44:14] Speaker 14: We like things spicy, a little chili on everything, a little kick in our campaigns. And let me tell you, we are feeling en fuego right now. We are fired up to elect Kamala Harris President of the United States. This election is about protecting our democracy and securing our freedoms, including the right to affordable, quality health care. Now this issue is personal to Vice President Harris, whose mom passed away after a battle with colon cancer. And it's personal to me. At two years old, my sister was diagnosed with a tumor that was incurable and made her uninsurable by the time she was three. And it's personal to Americans across the country who know what it's like when someone they love get sick. Donald Trump and J.D. Vance want to dismantle our health care system, repeal the Affordable Care Act, and eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions. Either these guys don't get it, or they just don't care. You know who gets it? Kamala Harris gets it, and she cares. As Attorney General, she took on drug companies that jacked up prices and hospitals that overcharged patients. And when Republicans tried to kill the Affordable Care Act, she stood up in the Senate, voting not just no, but hell no. And Kamala Harris hasn't just stopped Republicans from making our health care system worse. She fights every day to make it better.

[00:46:46] Speaker 1: And I know.

[00:46:46] Speaker 14: I spent 20 years working to get Medicare the ability to negotiate lower drug prices. As Vice President, Kamala Harris delivered it. You know what Donald Trump delivered? Junk plans, higher premiums, and abortion bans. And if you don't think a second term would be worse, then I've got a box of Trump steaks to sell you. We have not just a better choice. America, we have the best choice. Yes we do. Kamala Harris will protect your right to care. She'll cap drug costs. She'll go after corporate price gougers and ensure every woman who needs it can access reproductive health care. That's the president I want. And that's the president America needs. And with your help, that's the next president of the United States, President Kamala Harris.

[00:48:29] Speaker 2: Hello and welcome. I'm Sumi Somosgandha, live in Chicago at the second night of the Democratic National Convention. Let's take a look at the convention floor here at the United Center. We see Ana Navarro speaking right now, and today's theme is a bold vision for America's future. The DNC is working to chart its path towards victory for its presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. Over the last hour, we have watched a ceremonial roll call of delegates, and Democrats already did vote to nominate Ms. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, earlier this month. Soon, we're going to hear from former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama. are key allies of Ms. Harris. We will also hear from the Vice President's husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who will call the Vice President a, quote, joyful warrior who is, quote, doing for her country what she has always done for the people she loves. And as a reminder, yesterday, President Joe Biden was celebrated here. He delivered an emotional speech defending his administration, saying, quote, America, I gave my best to you. Let's go right to the floor of the arena, our senior North American correspondent, Derrigo Donahue is there for us. Gary, I know it just keeps getting louder and louder, I hope you can hear me, I hope I'm not yelling in your ear, but give us an update on how things have been down there on the floor.

[00:49:51] Speaker 9: Well I think after the roll call everyone's sort of drawing breath and as you say waiting for the main event of the evening and really that kind of stardust that the Obamas can bring to an event like this, with a lot of anticipation about them coming. I was just speaking to a congressman from New York, Jerry Nadler, you know, very kind of key person in that delegation, really looking forward to President Obama's speech and the kind of lift that could give the whole campaign. And, of course, that's what the convention's all about. It's about maintaining, creating, perpetuating the momentum that Kamala Harris has had over the last few weeks since she took over from Joe Biden as the nominee. And they're hoping, of course, that the Obamas, in particular Barack Obama, will play a role in the campaign right up to polling day. He did that for Hillary Clinton, and I'm sure they'll be wanting him to do a bit of the same. Some of those key swing states, you think about places like North Carolina, which people are now talking about being back in play. Barack Obama won North Carolina in 2008, you know, and they'll be hoping they can take that back again and it makes that whole equation around the Sunshine State, etc., the Sun Belt, a lot more easier for Democrats. So a lot of anticipation, a lot of kind of excitement about seeing Kamala Harris again on screen tonight, accepting the, effectively acknowledging the nomination before her big speech on Thursday. But, you know, the main event is yet to come, and we've got about an hour and a half to wait.

[00:51:28] Speaker 2: Gary, you mentioned Hilarion that you beamed in on screen. She's hosting a rally in Milwaukee. Just tell us a little bit more about why we're seeing her there while the convention is going on here in Chicago.

[00:51:44] Speaker 9: So, for those that don't live around here, Milwaukee is only 90 miles up the road, a couple of hours drive. More crucially, it's in the key swing state of Wisconsin, one of those Rust Belt states, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania, that used to be called the Blue Wall, and the states that Donald Trump took back in 2016, which propelled him to the White House. Now, Democrats want to retain those states, bring them back, as Joe Biden did, and they want to maintain their grip on those states, because they are key electoral College vote. So she's there. Also I think you get a bit of a whiff of the Harris strategy here because she's not only in Milwaukee, she's in the very arena where Donald Trump was just a few weeks ago at the Republican National Convention accepting his party's nomination, making that huge speech that he did, accepting that in primetime TV. That is a kind of needle, that is a kind of digging the ribs for the Republican candidate. He won't like that one little bit. And they know that part of their strategy is getting underneath his skin, because you can do that with Donald Trump, and he doesn't react well. And when he reacts like that, with a gut instinct, it doesn't generally go down well with the public. So I think there's some deliberation, not just in the electoral map there, but in terms of sort of, you know, the nitty-gritty of personal politics.

[00:53:17] Speaker 2: All right, Gary, thanks so much for giving us a sense of the mood there on the floor. And, Gary, we'll be checking in with you through the course of the evening as we're awaiting those big-name speakers, as we said, the former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. I want to talk to my guests now, though, with me here. To my right is Rachel Palermo, former deputy communications director and associate counsel to Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris, and to my left, Mo Ellefie, he's Executive Director of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service and former DNC Communications Director. Great to have you both with us. And Mo, I will start with you. Former DNC Communications Director, from your perspective, is this convention going how Kamala Harris and Tim Walz would want it to go?

[00:54:00] Speaker 15: Oh, I think it's exceeding all expectations. I mean, remember, a month ago, this was supposed to be an incredibly different convention for an entirely different candidate. And so the fact that they were able to turn this around and create an arena with this much enthusiasm, where people are unified and united, where you've got people from across the spectrum within the Democratic Party, all showing a level of emotion and excitement and energy that I have not seen at a Democratic convention since maybe Denver 2008 for Barack Obama.

[00:54:38] Speaker 16: What do you think, Rachel? I completely agree. It feels electric. It's exciting. There's so much enthusiasm. People are thinking, how do I help? How do I make sure she gets elected in November? And I also think the fact that this is the first time that Democrats have come together since 2016 at a convention, it's added a whole new layer of excitement here. And so it feels really good, and Everton is excited about the vice president's vision of moving forward and not moving back.

[00:55:02] Speaker 2: We're seeing just— For our viewers, this is Angela Ulster-Burke speaking right now, a Democrat from the state of Maryland. She is running for the Senate, a key up-and-coming figure in the Democratic Party as well. Rachel, I'm going to stick with you to ask you, what do you think for Kamala Harris? She sees as—that what she needs to deliver as a message here at the convention. A lot of people have said, we haven't heard enough from Kamala Harris. She's going to deliver this big speech on Thursday. We've seen her on stage Monday night, a bit for tonight, just brief messages, but what do you think she wants to achieve looking ahead to that big speech on Thursday?

[00:55:36] Speaker 16: I think there's two things she's really going to focus on. One is opportunity, and with opportunity it comes with that fight for the future, that fight moving forward. And the second is freedom. It's the fight for fundamental freedom. She's going to talk about the fight to make decisions about your own body, the fight to to be free from gun violence. All of those things that come with being an American that we hold so dear, those are things that she's gonna lay out. And I also think a theme that she's going to get across is something that President Biden laid out yesterday and you're hearing tonight too, but democracy. Democracy is on the ballot this November. There's a lot at stake and it's something that's going to be important for her to get across.

[00:56:13] Speaker 2: Mo, do you agree? Because democracy was Joe Biden's big topic. It's one we heard from him again during his speech Monday night. It seemed, initially, in some of those campaign rallies that we've witnessed from Kamala Harris and now Tim Walz, that they moved a bit away from that message and more towards the, we're not going back, we are the ticket of the future. Do you think we're going to hear Kamala Harris really focus on democracy as a core issue?

[00:56:35] Speaker 15: I think it'll be among the things she talks about. I hope it's not the central core of what she talks about. I think it should be part of it, though. But really what it comes down to, she'll talk about opportunity, I agree, and she'll talk about freedom, and I agree with that. But what it really comes down to—and you hear her leaning into this more and more every time she speaks—I'm for you, he's for himself. And everything you're hearing throughout the course of this week, it's tapping into that in ways that Democrats haven't really been able to do recently. She's tapping into some of that almost populist fervor that has fueled Donald Trump, but doing it, there's different flavors of populism. There is a happy, joyful populism that shows that you are willing to fight for people against a system that isn't working for you. You're seeing Kamala Harris lean into that message in a productive, not a destructive way, the way Donald Trump is. And that could really make for an interesting general election campaign if she continues to lean into that.

[00:57:45] Speaker 2: Those are the core messages we're hearing from Kamala Harris so far. Rachel, one question that has been asked, and, you know, among some voters I've spoken to as well, is what does she stand for? Do you think we're going to see her deliver more of that meat on the bones, as it's been called, in terms of what she wants to do if she's president?

[00:58:05] Speaker 16: Well, I do think in terms of what she stands for, she's been talking about how the first time she ever stood up in a courtroom, she talked about standing Kamala Harris for the people. goes exactly to Mo's point about she is someone who's fighting for the American people, and Donald Trump is doing the opposite. And so there will be meat on the bones as she talks about how she wants to do that exactly, and you've already seen her lay out a part of her economic plan, for example, and that's of course meat on the bones and substance and real tangible policies, but when it comes to what the American people want to hear on Thursday, they want to hear about her vision.

[00:58:37] Speaker 2: A bold vision for America's future, that's the topic of today. Staying with you quickly, Rachel, there has been criticism that she hasn't communicated some of her agenda and some of her vision as much as she could, because she hasn't actually been speaking to media enough. She hasn't been putting herself out there, only in these scripted speeches, reading the teleprompter. Are we going to see a change in strategy, do you think, from the Harris campaign?

[00:59:02] Speaker 16: I think that's something that people need to remember, is that this all has happened over the last month. And in that month, the vice president launched her campaign, really galvanized the entire Democratic Party to a level of excitement that a lot of us have never experienced before in our lifetimes. And she's really capturing the American people, and I think she's doing exactly what she needs to do. She's traveling to battleground states. Every place she's visited, she's had 10,000 to 15,000 people in the crowds. Here there's tens of thousands of people who are so excited about her. And so of course she's going to continue innovating her strategy, she's going to continue building. But the fact that she's accomplished all of this in only four weeks is phenomenal.

[00:59:39] Speaker 2: She has garnered a lot of enthusiasm among the Democratic Party, Mo. That is clear. Certainly, we're seeing that here, and you can hear that here in Chicago. What about convincing voters, convincing middle-of-the-road voters, voters who don't know yet who they're going to cast their ballot for? What do you think the message is that she's going to have to deliver to them?

[01:00:00] Speaker 15: I think it's everything that we've been talking about, right? really two major imperatives here. One, win back the Democratic coalition that started to slip away from Joe Biden a little bit. And we're seeing that. We're seeing that she is now surging in the polls, in part because Black voters, Hispanic voters, young voters, women voters, the bedrock of the Democratic coalition and started to come home. So that's one reason why she started to catch up and even surge in the polls a little bit. Number two is the shrinking sliver of voters who are persuadable out there. And these people are motivated, I think, by a couple of things. One, do they believe that you are going to be the fighter for them? number two is Donald Trump too chaotic, right? The more he speaks, the more it reminds these people that in 2020, they voted against chaos. They were exhausted by the man. How many of us sat around saying, oh, my God, can we really do this again? And so I think by leaning into those things, she can start to chip away and we're already seeing it start to happen. And she has started to reopen up the gender gap amongst independent women, suburban women. It's the beginning of that process.

[01:01:28] Speaker 2: But, Rachel, picking up on what Mo was saying, despite all of that, if you look at the polls, it is pretty much a dead heat. You know, Kamala Harris may have a point here or there in some battleground states, but really it is dead even. Despite all of this enthusiasm that she has managed to galvanize among the party and some of the base voters, as Mo was saying, do you think, or what do you think she's going to have to do to actually try to open up a lead on Donald Trump and J.D. Bous.

[01:01:54] Speaker 16: I think, right, it's going to be a close election, and the vice president herself has said she's the underdog in this race, and that's why she's taking nothing for granted. And so what she needs to do is continue traveling the country, leaving no place unturned, delivering her message directly to the American people, speaking to Democrats, to independents, to Republicans, and really making sure she's leaving no stone unturned.

[01:02:17] Speaker 2: All right. Rachel Moe, really good to get both of your insights. I'm sure we're going to be continuing to talk through the course of the convention, see how this develops. We're going to be hearing a lot more speeches and a lot to analyze in the coming days. Thank you both so much.

[01:02:29] Speaker 11: Thank you.

[01:02:30] Speaker 2: Well, I mentioned earlier about Ms. Harris campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That's where she outlined her economic plans to a crowd of supporters. Take a listen to what she had to say.

[01:02:40] Speaker 1: We fight for the future. fight for the future. We believe in the future. A future with affordable health care. A future with affordable child care. A future with affordable housing and paid leave. That's the future we believe in. We believe in a future where we build an opportunity economy, where every American has the opportunity to own a home, start a business, and build wealth, including intergenerational wealth. That's what we believe in. We believe in the future of our country. We believe in a future where we lower the cost of living for America's families. And when I am president, I will bring down the cost of groceries by making sure markets are competitive and fair.

[01:03:49] Speaker 2: And Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders took the stage earlier in Chicago. He's previously promised to do everything he can to get Kamala Harris elected. He started his speech by imploring Democrats to vote strategically come November, and to vote on the side of working people.

[01:04:04] Speaker 10: Too many of our fellow Americans are struggling every day to just get by, to put food on the table, to pay the rents, and to get the health care they need. Brothers and sisters, bottom line, we need an economy that works for all of us, not just the billionaire class. My fellow Americans, when 60% of our people live paycheck to paycheck, the top 1% have never ever had it so good. And these oligarchs, these oligarchs tell us we shouldn't tax the rich. The oligarchs tell us we shouldn't take on price gouging. We shouldn't expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision. And we shouldn't increase Social Security benefits for struggling seniors. Well, I've got some bad news for them. That is precisely what we are going to do.

[01:05:42] Speaker 2: Bernie Sanders speaking there a little bit earlier on the stage. We have Rodney and Stephanie back with us as we've been watching that clip, Rodney, and of course keeping an eye on what's happening on the stage behind us. We'll be listening into some of the speeches a little bit later, but I want to talk a bit about economics and the economic agenda, because we just heard Bernie Sanders say there, look, the Republicans say that this plan that we're putting out is not going to work. Well, I have a message for you. This is exactly what people want to hear. So I'll start with you, Stephanie. There has been criticism of what we've heard from Kamala Harris and Tim Walz so far on their economic agenda, things like a child tax credit, also cutting taxes for families who are in need. What do you think of what they've unveiled so far? Is it something that will resonate with families who are struggling economically?

[01:06:31] Speaker 4: I think it will resonate with families. And we know that the Child Tax Credit listed thousands of children out of poverty when we were able to pass part of it as during the COVID packages. And so it has had a real impact. People have seen what it does when the government cares about working families. And so these policies are popular. And I think, you know, they are also compassionate. And I think that's really important, especially at a time when people are struggling.

[01:07:04] Speaker 2: Just for our viewers, we're seeing another Democrat star, Senator Tammy Duckworth, on the stage at the moment. Rodney, I want to ask you that as well, because Kamala Harris got quite a bit of criticism for talking about price gouging and the possibility of indicating that we could be talking about price controls as a part of her agenda. What did you think of what she and Tim Walz unveiled?

[01:07:25] Speaker 3: I think it's going to be detrimental to the American economy. I think it's going to be detrimental to the American economy. The bottom line is, families can afford to buy more when they make more. And that's why the tax cuts that Donald Trump and I and others helped pass allowed the economy to explode before we had COVID. And now it's continuing to get better because we are competitive in the global marketplace. The last person that Americans should trust on growing the economy is Bernie Sanders. And the sheer fact that Bernie Sanders likes Kamala Harris's and Tim Walz's plans when it comes to taxes, when it comes to the economy, should make every American want to vote for Donald Trump.

[01:08:05] Speaker 2: J.D. Bannon seems to like the plan of a child tax credit, right?

[01:08:08] Speaker 3: Child tax credit, great. But at the same time, the Democrats are proposing an increase in the corporate tax rate. Look, you could say there's a difference between corporate taxes and individual taxes. There is, because individuals pay individual taxes, but individuals also pay the price when corporate taxes are raised. They pay the price when they're raised from 21 to 28 percent, as the Harris-Waltz team has proposed, in a loss of jobs, in higher prices. We want to actually attack the inflationary crisis in this country, not let it get worse.

[01:08:42] Speaker 2: I guess the core of all of this, Stephanie, is the sense of fairness. People just have the sense right now that the economy isn't fair, that they don't have a fair shake, that they can't seem to buy a home, pay for groceries and gas as they used to. That is really going to be something that is an uphill battle for Kamala Harris in particular because she is part of the Biden-Harris administration.

[01:09:06] Speaker 4: Her campaign, though, is aligning herself with the people who are saying that they believe that as individuals and as families, they are paying their fair share, but they would like to see corporate America pay more. The polling overwhelmingly shows that her policies align with where broad majorities of Americans are, and so—and I also think, you know, we can talk about the specifics on policy, but all of that, no matter who is in the White House, is going to be negotiated with Congress, whatever the makeup of that looks like, and they will get into those details. I think what's important is to focus on the broad issues, the values issues, and their background, their life experience shapes those values. They come from the middle class. They actually know what it's like to try to make ends meet, and they live a life experience that's much more similar to the majority of Americans than some mega-millionaire or, if he is a billionaire, you know, would have had. And so, I think the American people, when you can speak to them authentically about shared life experiences and what they keep saying in this campaign, which is that they're fighting for the American people.

[01:10:21] Speaker 2: Something we're hearing from Tim Walz as well. They're hoping that his kind of middle-of-the-road, Midwestern, his persona and who he has represented as the governor will also help them message that. Is your sense that Tim Walz is someone who really can relate to middle-class families who are struggling? He said you served with him. Of course, you've worked with him.

[01:10:43] Speaker 3: The Tim Walz that I served with is not the Tim Walz that's been governor of Minnesota. This is—the Tim Walz I served with was a moderate, middle-of-the-road Democrat who voted when it came to economic policies and other policies about national security with us as Republicans. And he represented a moderate district, just like I did. But now that he's been governor in a liberal state like Minnesota, we've watched him actually watch his cities burn. We've watched him.

[01:11:11] Speaker 4: You know, I think it's actually a sign of a good elected official that you reflect the people who elect you there. So when he was in the House, he represented a district much like mine, where there were a lot of conservative districts. So as their representative, he reflected the things that they needed and their values. When he was governor of a liberal state with a liberal legislature and liberal constituents, he reflected the things that they needed. But he did check a lot of the more progressive inclinations of his legislature and push back on the things that he didn't think was right for the state, even if it was progressive.

[01:11:54] Speaker 3: This is a guy who made sure that he used the soft underbelly, as Democrat Van Jones has said, the soft underbelly of the anti-Semitic movement within the Democratic Party right now to become the vice presidential nominee. This is wrong. If we're going to interrupt, then I'm going to interrupt, too.

[01:12:10] Speaker 2: Sure, sure. I want to just say, just to give our viewers a notice here, that we are going to listen to Doug Campbell, the second gentleman, in just a moment, just in case our conversation gets interrupted, that we're going to listen in. I tried to not interrupt, but if we're going to interrupt, then I'm going to interrupt, too. But if we're going to interrupt, then I'm going to interrupt, too. So let me just ask you this, if you see Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as too progressive, he is someone who says that he is very able and willing to work across the aisle still.

[01:12:38] Speaker 3: I mean, time will tell whether or not he has that chance to do that. But I don't believe he's the same person who actually worked across the aisle when he served with Stephanie Hayes. You think he's changed to far more progressive.

[01:12:49] Speaker 2: I will say that perhaps we might just go to the stage now, because I think we're gonna see Doug Emhoff any moment. And this is a conversation we're gonna have to continue, I think, more on Tim Walz's record. So let's see if we can go to the stage, listen in, and see if we're gonna see Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman. Of course, he has been one of Kamala Harris's biggest supporters, and he's going to be taking the stage in just a moment. Here we go. It's Cole Emhoff who will introduce his father, Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman.

[01:13:35] Speaker 17: We are happy to represent all families in America. Please welcome, my dad, the second gentleman of the United States, Doug Emhoff.

[01:14:17] Speaker 18: I guess he didn't want me to give this speech he just thank you thank you so much. Hello. Thank you. Hello to my big, beautiful, blended family up there. I love you so much. Aren't you proud of Cole? Wow. And a special shout out to my mother. I see you. My mother is the only person in the whole world who thinks Kamala is the lucky one for marrying me, and to Kamala who, well, we just saw where she is, she's out on the trail listening to and talking with voters. Honey, I can't wait for you to come back to Chicago because we're having a great time here. I love you so much. I'm so proud of how you're stepping up for all of us. But that's who she is. Wherever she's needed, however she's needed, Kamala rises to the occasion. And she did it for me and our family. And now that the country needs her, she's showing you what we already know. She's ready to lead. She brings both joy and toughness to this task, and she will be a great president we will all be proud of. Now I'm the son of two Brooklynites, Mike and Barb. They've been together almost 70 years. My dad worked in the shoe business in Manhattan, and he moved our family out to New Jersey. Where's New Jersey? I see you out there when I was a little kid. And in a lot of ways, I had a typical Jersey suburban childhood. I biked around the neighborhood. I took the bus to Hebrew school, and I rode to Little practice in the way back of my coach's wood-paneled station wagon. And if we did well, we got to have a Slurpee after. In my neighborhood, everyone left their garage door open. Wherever you ended up at dinnertime, that's the family that fed you. Everyone took care of everyone else. And the guys I grew up with are still my best friends. The group chat is active every day and it's probably blowing up right now guys. When my dad had to get a new job, we moved across the country to LA. Money was tight. Hey, California. Money was tight, so I worked at McDonald's in high school for some extra cash. Not Not only was I employee of the month, but I still have the framed picture, which you just saw, and there was a ring, golden arches and all. And then I waited tables, parked cars. I was working full-time so I could afford to go to college part-time. And thanks to partial scholarships, student loans, and a little help from my dad, I got myself through law school and I got my first job as a lawyer which is also where I met the guys in my fantasy football league and a lot has changed in our lives since the early 90s but my team name is still Nirvana yes after the band. I worked hard and I love being a lawyer and by the way I still get to be part of the profession by teaching students at Georgetown Law School. I got married, became a dad to Colin Ella, unfortunately went through a divorce, but eventually started worrying about how I would make it all work and that's when something unexpected happened. In 2013, I walked into a contentious client meeting. We worked through the issue, and by the end of the meeting, the now happy client offered to set me up on a blind date, which is how I I ended up with Kamala Harris's phone number. Now, for generations, people have debated when to call the person you're being set up with. And never in history has anyone suggested 8.30 a.m. And yet, that's when I dialed. I got Kamala's voicemail, and I just started rambling. Hey, it's Doug. I'm on my way to an early meeting. Again, it's Doug. I remember I was trying to grab the words out of the air and just put them back in my mouth, and for what seemed like far too many minutes, I hung up. By the way, Kamala saved that voicemail, and she makes me listen to it on every anniversary. But that message wasn't the only unusual thing about that day. Now, Kamala, who normally would have been working hard at her office, just happened to be waiting at her apartment for a contractor to do some work on her kitchen. I was eating at my desk, which was not a regular occurrence for a busy lawyer like me who appreciated a good business lunch. But that's when she called me back. And we talked for an hour. And we laughed. Well, you know that laugh.

[01:20:53] Speaker 7: I love that laugh.

[01:21:00] Speaker 18: And maybe that counted as our first date. Or maybe it was that Saturday night when I picked her up and told her, buckle up, I'm a really bad driver, because you can't hide anything from Kamala Harris, so you might as well own it. And as I got to know her better and just fell in love fast, I learned what drives Kamala. And it's what you've seen over these past four years, and especially these past four weeks. She finds joy in pursuing justice. She stands up to bullies just like my parents taught me to. And she likes to see people do well, but hates when they're treated unfairly. She believes this work requires a basic curiosity in just how people are doing. Her empathy is her strength. Over the past decade, Kamala has connected me more deeply to my faith, even though it's not the same as hers. She comes to synagogue with me for high holiday services, and I go to church with her for Easter. I get to enjoy her mom's chili relleno recipe every Christmas, and she makes a mean brisket for Passover. It brings me right back to my grandmother's apartment in Brooklyn, you know, the one with the plastic-covered couches. But Kamala has fought against anti-Semitism in all forms of hate her whole career. She's the one who encouraged me as second gentleman to take up that fight, which is so personal to me. And those of you who belong to blended families know that they can be a little complicated. But as soon as our kids started calling her Mamala, I knew we'd be okay. Ella calls us a three-headed parenting machine. Kamala and Kirsten, thank you both. Thank you both for always putting your family and the kids first. Now, Cole and Ella's friends knew that when they come over for Sunday dinner with Mamala, it was going to be real talk. In between taking cooking instructions, they'd have to answer questions about what problem they wanted to solve in the world. They learned that you've always got to be prepared because Kamala is going to prosecute the case. And in the same breath that Cole and Greenlee told us that they were engaged, they asked Kamala to officiate their wedding. And in the same way that she always steps up when it matters, Kamala put so much time into those remarks, and she bound them in a book that matched her dark red dress and then turned that into a gift for the happy couple. A few days ago, during this incredible time we're going through, there was a brief window when Kamala was back at home. And I saw her sitting on her favorite chair, and in the middle of a wild month, I just hoped that she was having a quiet moment to herself. But then I realized she was on the phone, and of course, my mind went to all the potential crises that the vice president could be dealing with. Was it domestic? Was it foreign? Was it campaign? I could see she was focused and all I knew was that it must be something important. And it turns out it was. Ella had called her. That's Kamala. That's Kamala. Those kids These are her priorities, and that scene was a perfect map of her heart. She's always been there for our children, and I know she'll always be there for yours too. Pamela is a joyful warrior. It's doing for her country what she has always done for the people that she loves. Her passion will benefit all of us when she's our president. And here's the thing about joyful warriors, they're still warriors. And Kamala is as tough as it comes. Just ask the criminals, the global gangsters, and the witnesses before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She never runs from a fight, and she knows the best way to deal with a coward is to take him head-on, because we all know cowards are weak, and Kamala Harris can smell weakness. She doesn't tolerate any BS. You've all seen that look, and you know that look I'm talking about. That look is not just a meme, it reflects her true belief in honest and direct leadership, and it's also why she will not be distracted by nonsense. Kamala knows that in order to win, we cannot lose focus. America, in this election, you have to decide who to trust with your family's future. I trusted Kamala with our family's future. It was the best decision I ever made. This Thursday will be our 10th wedding anniversary, which, I know, I know it means I'm about to hear that embarrassing voicemail again. However, that's not all I'll be hearing. That same night, I'll be hearing my wife, Kamala Harris, accept your nomination for President of the United States. And with your help, she will lead with joy and toughness, with that laugh and that look, with compassion and conviction. She'll lead from the belief that wherever we come from, whatever we look like, we're strongest when we fight for what we believe in, not just against what we fear. Kamala Harris was exactly the right person for me at an important moment in my life. And at this moment in our nation's history, she is exactly the right president. Thank you so much.

[01:27:54] Speaker 2: The second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, detailing Kamala Harris' story as a family woman, as his wife, raising his two children as a stepmom and talking about her record as a joyful warrior, as a prosecutor, making the case for her as the next president. Stephanie Rodney, starting with you, Rod, what did you think of that address? Please welcome the former First Lady, Michelle Obama. Thank you all so much, thank you so much.

[01:29:42] Speaker 19: Something wonderfully magical is in the air. Isn't it?

[01:29:53] Speaker 1: Yeah.

[01:29:53] Speaker 19: You know, we're feeling it here in this arena, but it's spreading all across this country, we love. A familiar feeling that's been buried too deep for far too long. You know what I'm talking about. It's the contagious power of hope. The anticipation, the energy, the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day. The chance to vanquish the demons of fear, division, and hate that have consumed us and continue pursuing the unfinished promise of this great nation. The dream that our parents and grandparents fought and died and sacrificed for. America, hope is making a comeback. But to be honest, I am realizing that until recently, I have mourned the dimming of that hope. And maybe you've experienced the same feelings, that deep pit in my stomach, a palpable sense of dread about the future, and for me that mourning has also been mixed with my own personal grief. The last time I was here in my hometown was to memorialize my mother, the woman who showed me the meaning of hard work and humility and decency, the woman who set my moral compass high and showed me the power of my own voice. Folks, I still feel her loss so profoundly. I wasn't even sure if I'd be steady enough to stand before you tonight. But my heart compelled me to be here because of the sense of duty that I feel to honor her memory and to remind us all not to squander the sacrifices our elders made to give us a better future. You see, my mom, in her steady, quiet way, lived out that striving sense of hope every single day of her life. She believed that all children, all people have value. That anyone can succeed if given the opportunity. She and my father didn't aspire to be wealthy. In fact, they were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed. They understood that it wasn't enough for their kids to thrive if everyone else around us was drowning. So my mother volunteered at the local school. She always looked out for the other kids on the block. She was glad to do the thankless, unglamorous work that for generations has strengthened the fabric of this nation. The belief that if you do unto others. If you love thy neighbor, if you work and scrape and sacrifice, it will pay off. If not for you, then maybe for your children or your grandchildren. You see, those values have been passed on through family farms and factory towns, through tree-lined streets and crowded tenements, through prayer groups and National Guard units, and some of these classrooms. Those were the values my mother poured into me until her very last breath. Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values. Even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in the promise of this country. That's why her mother moved here from India at 19. It's why she taught Kamala about justice, about the obligation to lift others up, about our responsibility to give more than we take. She'd often tell her daughter, don't sit around and complain about things, do something. So with that voice in her head, Kamala went out and she worked hard in school, graduating from an HBCU, earning her law degree at a state school. And then she went on to work for the people, fighting to hold lawbreakers accountable, strengthening the rule of law, fighting to get folks better wages, cheaper prescription drugs, a good education, decent health care, child care, elder care. From a middle-class household, Kamala worked her way up to become vice president of the United States of America. My girl, Kamala Harris, is more than ready for this moment. She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency, and she is one of the most dignified. a tribute to her mother, to my mother, and to your mother, too—the embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country. Her story is your story. It's my story. It's the story of the vast majority of Americans trying to build a better life. Look, Kamala knows, like we do, that regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, how you worship, or what's in your bank account. We all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life. All of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued, because no one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American. No one. Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open to others. She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt a business, if we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don't get a second, third, or fourth chance. If things don't go our way, we don't have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. We don't get to change the rules so we always win. If we see a mountain in front of us, we don't expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top.

[01:38:31] Speaker 1: No.

[01:38:31] Speaker 19: We put our heads down. We get to work. In America, we do something. We put our heads down. We get to work. In America, we do something. And throughout her entire life, that's what we've seen from Kamala Harris. The steel of her spine, the steadiness of her upbringing, the honesty of her example, And yes, the joy of her laughter and her light, it couldn't be more obvious, of the two major candidates in this race, only Kamala Harris truly understands the unseen labor and unwavering commitment that has always made America great. Now, unfortunately, we know what comes next. We know folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth. My husband and I, sadly, know a little something about this. For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly-educated, successful people who happen to be black. I want to know, I want to know, who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those black jobs. It's his same old con, his same old con, doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people's lives better. Look, because cutting our health care, taking away our freedom to control our bodies, the freedom to become a mother through IVF like I did, those things are not going to improve the health outcomes of our wives, mothers, and daughters. shutting down the Department of Education, banning our books, none of that will prepare our kids for the future, demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love. Look, that doesn't make anybody's life better. Instead, it only makes us small. And let me tell you this, going small is never the answer. Going small is the opposite of what we teach our kids. Going small is petty, it's unhealthy, and quite frankly, it's un-presidential. So, why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we normalize that type of backward leadership? Doing so only demeans and cheapens our politics. only serves to further discourage good, big-hearted people from wanting to get involved at all. America, our parents taught us better than that, and we deserve so much better than that. That's why we must do everything in our power to elect two of those good, big-hearted people. There is no other choice than Kamala Harris and Tim Walsh, no other choice. But as we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt. us not forget what we are up against. Yes, Kamala and Tim are doing great now. We're loving it. They're packing arenas across the country. Folks are energized. We are feeling good. But remember, there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome, who are ready to question and criticize every move Kamala makes, who are eager to spread those lies, who don't want to vote for a woman, who will continue to prioritize building their wealth over ensuring that everyone has enough. So no matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is going to be an uphill battle. So folks, we cannot be our own worst enemies. No. See, because the minute something goes wrong, the minute a lie takes hold, folks, we cannot start wringing our hands. We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right. And we cannot indulge our anxieties about whether this country will elect someone like Kamala instead of doing everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected. Kamala and Tim, they have lived amazing lives and I am confident that they will lead with compassion, inclusion, and grace, but they are still only human. They are not perfect, and like all of us, they will make mistakes. But luckily, y'all, this is not just on them. No, uh-uh, this is up to us, all of us, to be the solution that we seek. It's up to all of us to be the anecdote to the darkness and division. Look, I don't care how you identify politically, whether you're Democrat, Republican, Independent, or none of the above, this is our time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right to stand up, not just for our basic freedoms, but for decency and humanity, for basic respect, dignity, and empathy, for the values at the very foundation of this democracy. It's up to us to remember what Kamala's mother told her. Don't just sit around and complain. Do something. So, if they lie about her, and they will, we've got to do something. If we see a bad poll, and we will, we've got to put down that phone and do something. If we start feeling tired, if we start feeling that dread creeping back in, we've got to pick ourselves up, throw water on our face, and what? We only have two and a half months, y'all, to get this done. Only 11 weeks to make sure every single person we know is registered and has a voting plan. So, we cannot afford for anyone, anyone, anyone America to sit on their hands and wait to be called. Don't complain if no one from the campaign has specifically reached out to you to ask you for your support. There is simply no time for that kind of foolishness. You know what you need to do. So, consider this to be your official ask. Michelle Obama is asking you—no, I'm telling y'all—to do something. This election is going to be close. In some states, just a handful, listen to me, a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner. So we need to vote in numbers that erase any doubt. We need to overwhelm any effort to suppress us. Our fate is in our hands. In 77 days, we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division and smallness of the past. We have the power to marry our hope with our action. We have the power to pay forward the love, sweat, and sacrifice of our mothers and fathers and all those who came before us. We did it before y'all, and we sure can do it again. Let us work like our lives depend on it. And let us keep moving our country forward and go higher, yes, always higher than we've ever gone before as we elect the next president and vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Thank you all. God bless.

[01:49:35] Speaker 2: The former first lady, Michelle Obama, speaking to a roaring crowd. with a chant there, do something.

[01:49:57] Speaker 19: I have one more job tonight.

[01:49:58] Speaker 1: Yeah, one more job.

[01:50:00] Speaker 19: You all, thank you for all the love, but it is now my honor to introduce somebody knows a whole lot about hope. Someone who has spent his life strengthening our democracy, and let me tell you, as someone who lives with him, he wakes up every day, every day, and thinks about what's best for this country. Please welcome America's 44th President and the love of my life, Barack Obama.

[01:52:06] Speaker 20: Thank you, thank you, thank you everybody, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. It is good to be home, and I don't know about you, but I'm feeling fired up.

[01:52:21] Speaker 21: I am feeling ready to go, even if, even if I am the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama. I am feeling hopeful because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible, because we have a chance to elect someone who has spent her entire life trying to give people the same chances America gave her, someone who sees you and hears you, and will get up every single day and fight for you, the next president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris. It's been 16 years since I had the honor of accepting this party's nomination for president. And I know that's hard to believe because I have not aged a bit. But it's true. And looking back, I can say without question that my first big decision as your nominee turned out to be one of my best, and that was asking Joe Biden to serve by my side as vice president. Now, other than some common Irish blood, Joe and I come from different backgrounds, but we became brothers. And as we worked together for eight sometimes pretty tough years, what I came to admire most about Joe wasn't just his smarts, his experience. It was his empathy and his decency and his hard-earned resilience, his unshakable belief that everyone in this country deserves a fair shot. And over the last four years, those are the values America has needed most. At a time when millions of our fellow citizens were sick and dying, we needed a leader with the character to put politics aside and do what was right. At a time when our economy was reeling, we needed a leader with the determination to drive what would become the world's strongest recovery, 15 million jobs, higher wages, lower health care costs. At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality, we needed a leader who was steady and brought people together, and was selfless enough to do the rarest thing there is in politics, putting his own ambition aside for the sake of the country. History will remember Joe Biden as an outstanding president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger.

[01:56:24] Speaker 20: And I am proud to call him my president, but I am even prouder to call him my friend.

[01:56:48] Speaker 21: Now, the torch has been passed. Now it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in. And make no mistake, it will be a fight. For all the incredible energy we've been able to generate over the last few weeks, for all the rallies and the memes, this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country — a country where too many Americans are still struggling, where a lot of Americans don't believe government can help. And as we gather here tonight, the people who will decide this election are asking a very simple question. Who will fight for me? Who's thinking about my future, about my children's future, about our future together? One thing is for certain, Donald Trump is not losing sleep over that question. Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that's actually been getting worse now that he's afraid of losing to Kamala. There's the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes.

[01:59:00] Speaker 20: It just goes on and on and on.

[01:59:07] Speaker 21: The other day I heard someone compare Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day. Now, from a neighbor, that's exhausting. From a president, it's just dangerous. The truth is, Donald Trump sees power as nothing more than a means to his ends. He wants the middle class to pay the price for another huge tax cut that would mostly help him and his rich friends. He killed a bipartisan immigration deal written in part by one of the most conservative Republicans in Congress that would have helped secure our southern border because he thought trying to actually solve the problem would hurt his campaign. He doesn't seem to care if more women lose their reproductive freedom, since it won't affect his life. And most of all, Donald Trump wants us to think that this country is hopelessly divided between us and them, between the real Americans, who of course support him, and the outsiders who don't. And he wants you to think that you'll be richer and safer if you will just give him the power to put those other people back in their place. It is one of the oldest tricks in politics. From a guy whose act has, let's face it, gotten pretty stale. We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse.

[02:01:36] Speaker 20: America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.

[02:01:56] Speaker 21: And Kamala Harris is ready for the job. This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a champion. As you heard from Michelle, Kamala was not born into privilege. She had to work for what she's got. And she actually cares about what other people are going through. She's not the neighbor running the leaf blower. She's the neighbor rushing over to help when you need a hand. As a prosecutor, Kamala stood up for children who had been victims of sexual abuse. As an attorney general of the most populous state in the country, she fought big banks and for-profit colleges, securing billions of dollars for the people they had scammed. After the home mortgage crisis, she pushed me and my administration hard to make sure homeowners got a fair settlement. Didn't matter that I was a Democrat, didn't matter that she had knocked on doors for my campaign in Iowa, she was going to fight to get as much relief as possible for the families who deserved it. As vice president, she helped take on the drug companies to cap the cost of insulin, lower the cost of health care, give families with kids a tax cut. And she is running for president with real plans to lower costs even more and protect Medicare and Medicaid, and sign a law to guarantee every woman's right to make her own health care decisions. In other words, Kamala Harris won't be focused on her problems, she'll be focused on yours. As president, she won't just cater to her own supporters and punish those who refuse to kiss the ring or bend the knee. She'll work on behalf of every American. That's who Kamala is. And in the White House, she will have an outstanding partner in Governor Tim Walz. Let me tell you something, let me tell you something, I love this guy. Tim is the kind of person who should be in politics, born in a small town, served his country, taught kids, coached football, took care of his neighbors. He knows who he is, and he knows what's important. You can tell those flannel shirts he wears don't come from some political consultant. They come from his closet, and they have been through some stuff. Together, Kamala and Tim have kept faith with America's central story, a story that says we are all created equal, all of us endowed with certain inalienable rights, that everyone deserves a chance, that even when we don't agree with each other, we can find a way to live with each other. That's Kamala's vision. That's Tim's vision. That's the Democratic Party's vision. And our job over the next 11 weeks is to convince as many people as possible to vote for that vision. Now, it won't be easy. The other side knows it's easier to play on people's fears and cynicism, always has been. They will tell you that government is inherently corrupt, that sacrifice and generosity are for suckers. And since the game is rigged, it's OK to take what you want and just look after your own. That's the easy path. We have a different task. Our job is to convince people that democracy can actually deliver. And in doing that, we can't just point to what we've already accomplished, we can't just rely on the ideas of the past, we need to chart a new way forward to meet the challenges of today. And Kamala understands this.

[02:07:14] Speaker 20: She knows, for example, that if we want to make it easier for more young people to buy a home, we need to build more units and clear away some of the outdated laws and regulations that made it harder to build homes for working people in this country. That is a priority. And she's put out a bold new plan to do just that.

[02:07:38] Speaker 21: On health care, we should all be proud of the enormous progress that we've made through the Affordable Care Act, providing millions of people access to affordable coverage, protecting millions more from unscrupulous insurance practices. And I've noticed, by the way, that since it's become popular, they don't call it Obamacare no more. But Kamala knows we can't stop there, which is why she'll keep working to limit out-of-pocket costs. Kamala knows that if we want to help people get ahead, we need to put a college degree within reach of more Americans. But she also knows college shouldn't be the only ticket to the middle class. We need to follow the lead of governors like Tim Walz, who said, if you've got the skills and the drive, you shouldn't need a degree to work for state government and in this new economy. We need a president who actually cares about the millions of people all across this country who wake up every single day to do the essential, often thankless work, to care for our sick, to clean our streets, to deliver our packages.

[02:09:12] Speaker 20: We need a president who will stand up for their right to bargain for better wages and working condition and Kamala will be that president.

[02:09:32] Speaker 21: Yes she can. A Harris-Waltz administration can help us move past some of the tired, old debates that keep stifling progress. Because at their core, Kamala and Tim understand that when everybody gets a fair shot, we are all better off. They understand that when every child gets a good education, the whole economy gets stronger. When women are paid the same as men for doing the same job, all families benefit. They understand that we can secure our borders without tearing kids away from their parents. Just like we can keep our streets safe while also building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and eliminating bias, that will make it better for everybody. Donald Trump and his well-heeled donors, they don't see the world that way. For them, one group's gains is necessarily another group's loss. For them, freedom means that the powerful can do pretty much what they please, whether it's fire workers trying to organize a union, or put poison in our rivers, or avoid paying taxes like everybody else has to do. Well, we have a broader idea of freedom. We believe in the freedom to provide for your family if you're willing to work hard, the The freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and send your kids to school without worrying if they'll come home. We believe that true freedom gives each of us the right to make decisions about our own life, how we worship, what our family looks like, how many kids we have, who we marry. And we believe that freedom requires us to recognize that other people have the freedom to make choices that are different than ours. That's OK. That's the America Kamala Harris and Tim Walz believe in. An America where we, the people, includes everyone, because that's the only way this American experiment works. And despite what our politics might suggest, I think most Americans understand that. Democracy isn't just a bunch of abstract principles and dusty laws in some book somewhere. It's the values we live by. It's the way we treat each other, including those who don't look like us, or pray like us or see the world exactly like we do. That sense of mutual respect has to be part of our message. Our politics have become so polarized these days that all of us across the political spectrum so quick to assume the worst in others, unless they agree with us on every single issue. We start thinking that the only way to win is to scold and shame and out-yell the other side. And after a while, regular folks just tune out, or they don't bother to vote. Now, that approach may work for the politicians who just want attention and thrive on division. But it won't work for us to make progress on the things we care about, the things that really affect people's lives. We need to remember that we've all got our blind spots and contradictions and prejudices, and that if we want to win over those who aren't yet ready to support our candidates, We need to listen to their concerns, and maybe learn something in the process. After all, if a parent or grandparent occasionally says something that makes us cringe, we don't automatically assume they're bad people. We recognize that the world is moving fast, that they need time and maybe a little encouragement to catch up. Our fellow citizens deserve the same grace we hope they'll extend to us. That's how we can build a true democratic majority, one that can get things done. And And by the way, that does not just matter to the people in this country. The rest of the world is watching to see if we can actually pull this off. No nation, no society has ever tried to build a democracy as big and as diverse as ours before. One that includes people that, over decades, have come from every corner of the globe. One where our allegiances and our community are defined not by race or blood, but by a common creed. And that's why, when we uphold our values, the world's a little brighter. When we don't, the world's a little dimmer, and dictators and autocrats feel emboldened. And over time, we've become less safe. We shouldn't be the world's policemen, and we can't eradicate every cruelty and injustice in the world. But America can be, and must be, a force for good.

[02:16:41] Speaker 20: Discouraging conflict, fighting disease, promoting human rights, protecting the planet from climate change, defending freedom, brokering peace, that's what Kamala Harris believes, and so do most Americans.

[02:17:04] Speaker 21: Now, I know these ideas can feel pretty naive right now. We live in a time of such confusion and rancor, with a culture that puts a premium on things that don't last — money, fame, status, likes. We chase the approval of strangers on our phones. We build all manner of walls and fences around ourselves, and then we wonder why we feel so alone. We don't trust each other as much because we don't take the time to know each other. And in that space between us, politicians and algorithms teach us to caricature each other, and troll each other, and fear each other. But here's the good news, Chicago. All across America, in big cities and small towns, away from all the noise, the ties that bind us together are still there. We still coach Little League and look out for our elderly neighbors. We still feed the hungry in churches and mosques and synagogues and temples. We share the same pride when our Olympic athletes compete for the gold, because the vast majority Many of us do not want to live in a country that's bitter and divided. We want something better. We want to be better. And the joy and the excitement that we're seeing around this campaign tells us we're not alone. You know, I've spent a lot of time thinking about this these past few months because, as Michelle mentioned, this summer we lost her mom, Ms. Marion Robinson. And I don't know that anybody has ever loved their mother-in-law any more than I love mine. Probably it's because she was funny and wise and the least pretentious person I knew. That and she always defended me with Michelle when I messed up. I'd hide behind her. But I also think one of the reasons Mary and I became so close was, she reminded me of my grandmother, the woman who helped raise me as a child. And on the surface, the two of them did not have a lot in common. One was a black woman from right here, south side of Chicago, right down the way, went to Englewood High School. The other was a little old white lady born in a tiny town called Peru, Kansas. Now, I know there aren't that many people from Peru. And yet they shared a basic outlook on life. They were strong, smart, resourceful women, full of common sense, who, regardless of the The barriers they encountered — and women growing up in the 40s and 50s and 60s, they encountered barriers — they still went about their business without fuss or complaint, and provided an unshakable foundation of love for their children and their grandchildren. In that sense, they both represented an entire generation of working people who, through war and depression, discrimination and limited opportunity, helped build this country. A lot of them toiled every day at jobs that were often too small for them and didn't pay a lot. They willingly went without just to keep a roof over the family's heads, just to give their children something better. But they knew what was true. They knew what mattered. Things like honesty and integrity, kindness and hard work. They weren't impressed with braggarts or bullies. They didn't think putting other people down lifted you up or made you strong. They didn't spend a lot of time obsessing about what they didn't have. Instead, they appreciated what they did. They found pleasure in simple things, a card game with friends, a good meal and laughter around the kitchen table, helping others, and most of all, seeing their children do things and go places that they would have never imagined for themselves. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, or somewhere in between, we have all had people like that in our lives. People like Kamala's parents, who crossed oceans because they believed in the promise of America. People like Tim's parents, who taught him about the importance of service, good, hard-working people, who weren't famous or powerful, but who managed in countless ways to lead this country just a little bit better than they found it. As much as any policy or program, I believe that's what we yearn for, a return to an America where we work together and look out for each other, a restoration of what Lincoln called On the eve of Civil War, our bonds of affection, an America that taps what he called the better angels of our nature. That is what this election is about. And I believe that's why if we each do our part over the next 77 days, if we knock on If we make phone calls, if we talk to our friends, if we listen to our neighbors, if we work like we've never worked before, if we hold firm to our convictions, we will elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States, and Tim Walz as the next Vice President of the United States.

[02:25:23] Speaker 20: We will elect leaders up and down the ballot who will fight for the hopeful, forward-looking America we all believe in.

[02:25:29] Speaker 21: And together, we, too, will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal and more free. So let's get to work.

[02:25:41] Speaker 20: God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

[02:25:57] Speaker 2: And now the first lady, Michelle Obama, is on stage. Former President Barack Obama delivering an arching address there. Still on stage, she was preceded by Michelle Obama, by the former first lady. campaign as he walks offstage. Stephanie, Rodney, as we're looking at these images, what did you guys make of these two speeches that we heard, starting with you, Stephanie?

[02:26:48] Speaker 4: I think this is why the Obamas have a vaulted position within the Democratic Party. They both—and, you know, it's interesting, because I don't know that I've heard a whole lot out of them over the last two administrations, either when Trump was president or when Biden was president, and for them to come out tonight and lay out the future, and to make the case that Democrats are fighting for the American people, and to restore hope—the concept of hope is making a comeback—that was really motivating. You can see how they reach and fire up this crowd. I think they yearn for not just the two of them, but what they stood for, the prospect of the American dream and for a politics that is without the fear and division. So I thought they did an incredible job.

[02:27:48] Speaker 3: Every single person in this auditorium, just like at the Republican convention, has made up their mind who they're going to vote for. Barack Obama once again showed the American people that he is one of the greatest orators in our nation's history of all time. But it's that great, those great oratory skills that led him to go from being a community organizer in this city to a state senator who was, according to my sources, not too good of a card player, a poker player, while he was in the state senate, and into a speech in 2004 to nominate John Kerry to be the Democrat nominee for president, and that catapulted him into a stardom. It catapulted him into a White House run that was historic all across the globe. The first African-American president elected in the United States of America. But it also catapulted him into talking about hypocrisy tonight. And that is the theme for the Democrats tonight. It's hypocrisy, where Barack Obama, a multimillionaire who has multiple properties all throughout the United States of America talking about somehow he's the middle class and that Donald Trump is a generational billionaire. This is the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party. And the one that really got me was that Kamala Harris's husband talked about how she senses weakness. Well, I guess she did. And I guess Barack Obama did. And I guess all the Democrats in positions of power, like Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, they sense weakness And the president that just went on stage last night at this time, Joe Biden, they sensed weakness in him, and they got him out of the way. And now we've got Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. The American people have to hear more from Kamala Harris. They got to have her answer questions. And when she does, she's going to show who she really is, and the American people aren't going to vote for her.

[02:29:35] Speaker 2: Stephanie, what do you think of what Rodney just said about the hypocrisy there about, you know, two very wealthy people, of course, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, now talking about appealing to working-class people who are struggling economically.

[02:29:50] Speaker 4: You know, I think the most effective attacks are the ones that are believable. And the reality is Donald Trump was born into wealth. What did Michelle Obama call it? The affirmative action of generational wealth. That is believable because it is true. Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, they all did not—they were not born into wealth. And in America, we value and we treasure people who work hard, no matter what zip code they were born into, who work hard and make better for themselves. Every single parent across this country aspires to see their children have a good education, hard and rise up in the ranks and achieve. So I'm not sure that that's something that is a negative.

[02:30:47] Speaker 2: You know, Michelle Obama famously coined the phrase, when they go low, we go high. This is a speech where we did hear her, Stephanie, really make some points about Donald Trump and what he stands for. Did that surprise you?

[02:31:02] Speaker 4: No, I don't think so, in the sense that they were done obliquely, and also, they were things that were factually true about the way that he speaks, and are a reflection of the things that the former president says. So, you know, and I do think, though, that the majority of these speeches were focused on the American people and focused on the future. And I think it's really interesting that Republicans keep wanting to talk about Biden. Biden is no longer the candidate. And so, you know, this party has been responsive to what the American people want, and they did not want a rematch between Trump and Biden. The Democratic Party has given the American people a different option, and they are focused on the future and on a future that is focused on the American people.

[02:31:54] Speaker 3: What do you think of that, Ron? Well, they're focused on a future by bringing back their past successes. I mean, it's again, the theme of hypocrisy. If you're focused on the future, why do you keep bringing back the people who were successful in the past? And at the same time, Joe Biden was more successful legislatively than Barack Obama ever was. And those are the facts, and the facts are that Joe Biden did not willingly leave this presidential race. It was a political backroom deal that shipped him in the back, even though 14 million Americans voted to make Joe Biden the presidential nominee. These are the types of issues, hang on, these are the types of issues that the American people are going to have to decide this presidential election. And the undecided voters are not the people in this room. They're not the ultra wealthy right now, like Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and even Vice President Harris and her husband, or the Trumps. I mean, I don't understand why Donald Trump's parents, who actually live the American dream, just like Barack and Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris and her husband have done. I don't know why they begrudge passing down that generational wealth to their kids as different than the generational wealth that they're going to pass down to their own kids. But I guess that's the way Democrats explain things. But in the end, you have to look at the facts right now. And the facts are, Joe Biden, up until a few weeks ago, was the nominee. Joe Biden still is the president in the United States. Looking back at Joe Biden is not looking backwards. It's what is happening right now. And if he's not good enough to be the candidate, then maybe he shouldn't be president of the United States anymore.

[02:33:30] Speaker 4: I don't think it's unusual to have key leaders of a party be at the convention. That's quite normal. Actually, what's not normal was that you didn't see Paul Ryan or Mitt Romney or George Bush or anybody who was a part of what used to be the Republican Party at the Republican National Convention. And so, I guess in contrast to the Democratic National Convention, where we did have former presidents and former leaders who still are a part of our party because we still are the party of the people and we still know what our core values are, as opposed to have become a cult of personality, where a lot of these Republicans no longer found a place at the Republican National Convention, and that's an opportunity for this campaign to reach out to the Republicans who are homeless at this moment, because they don't buy into the MAGA version of the Republican Party today. I think it's quite striking that those key former Republican leaders weren't at the Republican National Convention. Right.

[02:34:37] Speaker 2: So, that was a message that we heard both from Michelle Obama and Barack Obama, was an appeal to Democrats in this room to get out and get the vote out among those who might not be convinced, who are not in this room. Rodney, do you think Republicans are concerned that this type of message from popular figures like Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, could resonate with some of those voters?

[02:34:58] Speaker 3: No, that's expected. I mean, you're at a Democratic rally, but at the same time, you know, we're talking about guests. The Democrats clearly have lost the convention. They did not have Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania. Hulkamania here in the Hulkamedia tent that we are at the BBC. But look, these conventions are, as we said in Milwaukee, they're completely staged. They're going to have that rallying effect with the base. And you know what? The sheer fact that Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are talking so much about the need to go beyond this convention, to go out into the areas to try and get those farmers and factory workers that Michelle Obama talked about to vote Democrat again, because they're not voting Democrat. They, ironically, support the generational billionaire, Donald Trump. They're going to try to convince people to go out and energize. And that's what Barack Obama does well. That's his old community organizer coming out. And that's why he's a good person to actually be that messenger. But he also is completely disloyal to the current president.

[02:36:02] Speaker 2: All right. Well, there's certainly a conversation that we're going to continue over the coming days. But, Rod and Stephanie, great to get your thoughts on this. Thank you so much. As we mentioned, we did, of course, also hear from Michelle Obama, the former first lady in Chicago, with very direct words for former President Trump. Let's listen to what she said.

[02:36:20] Speaker 19: Now, unfortunately, we know what comes next. We know folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth.