CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris delivered the closing speech of the Democratic National Convention Thursday night, capping off the four-day gathering of top Democrats.
The evening was packed with celebrities, with musicians such as Pink and the Chicks taking the stage on the grand finale of the DNC. The event drew so many attendees that the convention floor was completely closed off hours before Harris took the stage.
Harris took the stage immediately after Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) gave his remarks, delivering the most important speech of her career.
Harris makes policy pledges in biggest speech of political career
Harris used her keynote speech to make several policy pledges. The vice president has faced heavy criticism from the Trump campaign, and even some legacy media outlets, about her lack of a fleshed-out policy platform, coupled with flopping on some of the more progressive ideas she backed earlier in her political career.
The vice president has slowly started to leak out some policies, such as tax credits to incentivize new, starter home construction, but her remarks Thursday night painted a much clearer picture of what the Harris agenda will look like, in broad strokes at least.
On the economy, Harris doubled down on vows to address the housing crisis and pass tax cuts for the middle class while simultaneously knocking former President Donald Trump for driving up the deficit.
Abortion was front and center all week, but Harris earned, arguably, her biggest applause line of the night by forcefully committing to sign legislation codifying Roe v. Wade into law and declaring that Republicans pushing national abortion bans are “out of their damn minds.”
Harris also stood firm on a familiar tactic from President Joe Biden on immigration. The vice president blamed Trump for killing the bipartisan border security bill this past year, reaffirmed her commitment to signing it into law, and called for a legal, earned pathway to citizenship.
Most importantly, the vice president took a significant step toward addressing a major vulnerability: progressive sentiment on the war in Gaza. The vice president forcefully called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate return of hostages held by Hamas. Still, she didn’t call for an arms embargo on Israel, and the jury is still out on whether her comments will satisfy protesters here at home.
Rumors about Beyonce being a ‘surprise guest’ quashed
Hopes that Beyonce would make a surprise appearance on the closing night of the DNC were dashed after the night ended with no sign of the “Freedom” singer.
Musicians Pink and the Chicks took the stage on the final night of the DNC. The event drew so many attendees that the convention floor was completely closed off hours before Harris took the stage.
The A-lister delegates and attendees were most excited to see was Beyonce. Speculation mounted throughout the week and hit a fever pitch Thursday that Beyonce would perform on the final night of the DNC.
But the night closed without any mention or appearance of the singer.
Battleground Democratic governors help Harris close out the convention
Cooper and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), both from battleground states, were among the final speakers on Thursday night.
Whitmer’s and Cooper’s states are crucial to Harris’s 2024 campaign. She will need to win both states in November to secure a victory against Trump.
In her speech, Whitmer sought to paint Harris as a leader who understands the struggles of everyday voters, saying, “She’s lived a life like ours.”
“She knows us. Donald Trump doesn’t know you, at all,” Whitmer said. “Donald Trump doesn’t know you at all. Do you think he understands when your car breaks down and you can’t get to work? No!”
Meanwhile, Cooper sought to depict Harris as a fighter, emphasizing her time as a district attorney in California.
“America, we’ve got a lot of big fights ahead of us. And we’ve got one hell of a fighter ready to take them on. I know that because I know her,” Cooper said. “And tonight, I want the American people to know: Even if you don’t agree with her on everything, Kamala Harris will fight for you to the very end.”
DNC denies uncommitted delegates’ demand for speaker as protests continue outside
Uncommitted delegates’ demands to be given a speaker spot at the DNC remained unfulfilled as the four-day convention drew to a close.
The delegates gathered inside the United Center to protest the DNC’s refusal to permit a Palestinian American speaker, with one delegate telling the Washington Examiner that they walked around the entire United Center one time.
The delegates gathered in a circle at the end of their march and chanted, “Free free Palestine” before dispersing.
A handful of pro-Gaza protesters tried a few times to get chants going during Harris’s remarks but were either drowned out by cheers or simply silenced by other people in the arena. The vice president did call for an end to the war in Gaza and for the release of hostages still held by Hamas, but that likely won’t be enough to silence the movement.
Protesters gathered outside the security perimeter on the final night of the DNC were met with officers from the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service division, who accompanied the protest along its designated route.
DNC closes convention floor due to capacity
The convention floor was closed to attendees hours before Harris took the stage, with members of the press and attendees being told the floor was at capacity and not being granted admittance inside the arena.
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Standing Committee of Correspondents Co-Chairwoman Farnoush Amiri posted on X Thursday night that the “DNC has told security at the United Center that journalists cannot be guaranteed reentrance into the arena if they leave to go use the restrooms.”
Attendees inside the United Center could be seen lining the halls of the convention center as they waited to be granted entry.
