Democrats turn toward Harris at party’s convention as the Obamas and Emhoff take center stage
Aug 20, 2024, 3:32 AM | Updated: 9:38 pm
CHICAGO (AP) — Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama will speak Tuesday on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, as the party draws on two of its biggest stars to help shift attention toward Vice President Kamala Harris ‘ campaign against Republican Donald Trump.
Also speaking Tuesday are second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Sens. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent beloved by progressives. And in an appearance perhaps intended to needle Trump, his former press secretary Stephanie Grisham — now a harsh critic of her former boss — will also take the stage.
“I never thought I’d be speaking at a Democratic convention,” Grisham said in a statement ahead of her appearance. “But, after seeing firsthand who Donald Trump really is, and the threat he poses to our country, I feel very strongly about speaking out.”
The Obamas topped Tuesday’s program, but the diverse lineup underscored the breadth of the political coalition that Harris’ campaign is working to stitch together in her bid to defeat Trump this fall. Just as President Joe Biden did in 2020, Harris is looking to win over a collection of young people, voters of color, working-class whites, suburban moderates and even anti-Trump Republicans.
And while the theme of the night was “a bold vision for America’s future,” the disparate factions of Harris’ evolving coalition demonstrated, above all, that they are connected by a deep desire to ensure that America does go back to a Trump presidency.
Harris was traveling Tuesday to Milwaukee for a rally in the swing state of Wisconsin scheduled to run at the same time as the convention’s prime-time programming. It is unusual to have overlapping events during a convention, raising the prospect that she may address the convention from the rally via video.
Thousands of people were already in their seats hours beforehand at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, the venue where Trump accepted the Republican nomination just one month ago.
Trump, meanwhile, is visiting battleground states during the convention. He went to Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday and stood aside sheriff’s deputies as he labeled Harris the “ringleader” of a “Marxist attack on law enforcement” across the country.
Obama, the nation’s first Black president, returns to the convention stage 20 years after making his first appearance at a national convention, an appearance in Boston at 2004 that propelled him into the national spotlight ahead of his successful 2008 presidential run.
In his Tuesday address, Obama is expected to help affirm why Harris and Walz are the right leaders for the country at this moment, lay out the task in front of Democrats over the next ten weeks and bring into focus the values at stake in this election and at the heart of our politics, according to a person familiar with the remarks.
The former president believes this is an all-hands-on-deck moment and he is committed to do all he can to help Harris win, the person said, adding that Obama would engage in a range of traditional and creative tactics to reach voters over the coming weeks.
The thousands of people crowded into the convention hall will also hear from an array of prominent Republicans, including former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and former Trump White House staffers Olivia Troye and Grisham. All are now critics of Trump.
The Harris campaign on Tuesday also announced a collection of speakers from battleground states who would speak later in the week. They include Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Gary Peters and Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan; Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. From Arizona, Sen. Mark Kelly will speak along with John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa.
Offering prime spots to local elected leaders — many of whom poll better than the top of the ticket in their home states — is a move to reach undecided voters and maximize Harris’ pathways to 270 electoral votes, her campaign said.
The Democrats’ pivot toward the campaign’s final 76 days follows a convention opening night that was designed to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president, who received a hero’s welcome during his Monday appearance.
Biden didn’t take the stage until around 11:30 p.m. on the East Coast on Monday night because the speaking schedule ran late. The program didn’t wrap up until well after midnight ET, even after some speakers were canceled. James Taylor, the acclaimed singer-songwriter, was bumped from the schedule.
Democratic National Convention director Alex Hornbrook said Tuesday morning that “we made some real-time adjustments last night” and “we’re working with our speakers and making some other adjustments this evening” including starting at 5:30 p.m. local time in Chicago “to make sure that we stay on track.”
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Cooper reported from Phoenix.
