Takeaways From the 2024 Democratic National Convention

Democrats witnessed speeches from celebrities and current and former party leaders as protesters battled with police outside the United Center.

CHICAGO—The Democratic National Convention’s (DNC) four days of speeches, musical performances, and delegate celebrations wrapped on Aug. 22, crescendoing with Vice President Kamala Harris’ coronation as the party’s presidential nominee.

Throughout the week, delegates and attendees heard speeches from party lawmakers, leaders, and cultural figures united in an effort to elect Harris as the first woman president of the United States.

Some directed pointed attacks at former President Donald Trump, tying his candidacy and campaign to the controversial Project 2025, which Trump has disavowed, while illustrating differences between a potential second Trump term and a Harris White House.

While light on specific domestic and foreign policy discussions, the convention highlighted the Democratic Party’s commitment to ensuring abortion access after the 2022 Dobbs decision overthrew Roe v. Wade.

For four straight days, protesters rallied in the streets against the Biden administration’s support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war, pushing for a Palestinian speaker at the Chicago convention.

Here are nine takeaways from the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Big Night for Harris

After securing enough delegate support to become the party’s presidential nominee earlier this month, the convention served as a coronation ceremony for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

With a little more than 70 days remaining in the election, Harris is moving fast to define herself, her platform, and her vision for America.

Speaking about her family and their impact on her life, she said it was those who loved and believed in her the most that “told us we could be anything and do anything.”

Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks on the last day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 22, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

In her acceptance speech, Harris described her parents meeting at a civil rights gathering and attorneys like Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley, who inspired her to become a lawyer. When Harris’ best friend revealed sexual abuse by a parent, Harris set out to be a prosecutor.

“And every day in the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge, and I said five words, ‘Kamala Harris, for the people.’”

She added, “And to be clear, my entire career. I’ve only had one client, the people.”

“On behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks … I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America,” Harris said.

In a coalition-building effort as her campaign inches closer to election day, Harris vowed to unite a divided country.

“Our nation, with this election, has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past, a chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”

3 Presidents Speak

The convention featured speeches from President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, and former President Bill Clinton.

Much of Monday evening was dedicated to Biden, with multiple speakers emphasizing their appreciation for the president as delegates and attendees waived signs emblazoning the phrase, “Thank you, Joe.”

Amid chants of “We love Joe,” Biden took the stage Monday night to ceremoniously pass the torch to Harris after he withdrew from the presidential race on July 21 and endorsed her as his successor.

“The ancient Greeks taught us that character is destiny,” Biden said, “selecting Kamala … was the best decision I made my whole career.”

President Joe Biden speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Obama and Clinton spoke on Tuesday, with the Chicago native and first black president championing Biden, his former second-in-command.

“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,” Obama said.

Clinton also lauded Biden, saying he “did something that’s really hard for a politician to do. He voluntarily gave up political power.”

Harris, he added, is committed to public service, quoting the line she said while working at McDonald’s as a teen, “How can I help you?”

Other than Trump, there is only one other living past Republican commander-in-chief, former President George W. Bush. Bush did not speak at the Republican National Convention this year.

Abortion Takes Center Stage

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 with the Dobbs decision, the Democratic Party has sought to make abortion a primary focus of its campaigning efforts, with states like Florida looking to pass ballot initiatives this year to guarantee access to the procedure.

The convention was no different. EMILY’s List, an organization that works to elect pro-abortion Democrats to political offices, sent their president to speak on Wednesday night. Planned Parenthood set up a mobile clinic near the convention, providing free vasectomies, medication abortions, and emergency contraception by appointment.

On Monday, Hadley Duvall told her story about getting pregnant at age 12 after her stepfather sexually abused her. She said she miscarried the baby and criticized Trump and Republicans for supporting abortion bans, saying, “What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent’s child?”

A pro-life Democrat group, Democrats for Life of Florida, criticized the party for supporting abortion.

“Incest, a non-viable fetus, and a physical threat to the mother’s health are part of less than 10 percent of abortions involving dire circumstances,” they wrote in a post on X.

Democrats, including Walz, have argued that Trump would support a federal abortion ban if elected. Speaking with Fox News on Thursday, Trump said he would not support a federal ban but did not leave out state-level prohibitions.

“This is now back in the states where it belongs,” Trump said.

Focus on Trump

Democrats levied significant criticisms against Trump during the convention, characterizing his policies and those of the GOP as hateful and anti-freedom while pushing associations between him and Project 2025 despite his campaign’s efforts to distance itself from the plan’s originator, the Heritage Foundation.

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump walks along the U.S.–Mexico border south of Sierra Vista, Ariz., on Aug. 22, 2024. Rebecca Noble/Getty Images

Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta chastised Trump’s “America First” foreign policy platform, comparing it to the isolationism touted by many conservatives prior to World War II.

Trump has advocated for a “peace through strength” foreign policy platform that includes getting tough on China and ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

In discussions on abortion, speakers targeted Trump for appointing the conservative-majority Supreme Court that overthrew Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said the U.S. Capitol breach spurred her to resign.

On Wednesday, criticizing the breach, retired Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell said, “I had seen violence while serving in Iraq, but nothing ... nothing prepared me for Jan. 6.” Gonell accused Trump of inciting the events of that day, telling the audience he almost lost his life in the process.

The former president urged his supporters to organize “peacefully and patriotically” after the initial clash began.

Harris took aim at Trump in her speech, criticizing him for Jan. 6, the verdict in his Manhattan criminal trial, his floating the idea of closing the U.S. Department of Education, and the recent Supreme Court ruling that gives presidents presumed immunity for official acts while in office.

As Harris was concluding her remarks, Trump took to his social platform TruthSocial, posting, “Why didn’t she do something about the things of which she complains [as vice president]?”

Project 2025

Democrats also sought to link the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 to Trump. The 900-plus-page project was written as a proposed policy guidebook for a future Republican president.

Multiple speakers during the convention used a full-size hardcover edition of the plan as a prop, including Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson on Wednesday and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) on Thursday.

Thompson used the project for a skit where he fielded calls from Americans and discussed ways its proposals could affect their lives. Crow criticized the book directly, including its plans to implement widespread firings across multiple government agencies to replace existing bureaucrats with ones believed to be less committed to policies that Republicans view as progressive.

In an interview with “Fox & Friends” on Thursday, Trump pushed back at Democrats for linking the project to his campaign.

“They know I have nothing to do with it. I had no idea what it was,” Trump said.

Democrats have contended that his campaign is more closely aligned to the project than he suggests. Some, including Walz, have pointed out that Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), wrote the foreword to an upcoming primer on the project by Heritage Foundation President Kevin D. Roberts. Paul Dans, director for Project 2025, is a former Trump administration official. He resigned from the Heritage Foundation in July.

The book’s publication date—originally slated for a September release—has been postponed until Nov. 12, a week after the presidential election.

Policy Discussions

With her website still lacking a policy platform, speculation continues over what Harris plans to do in the White House. Her campaign rallies in the last four weeks have touched on policies including reproductive rights, gun control, housing affordability, middle-class tax cuts, and price gouging bans.

Ameshia Cross, former Obama campaign advisor, told The Epoch Times that Harris has a “very short amount of time” to outline her policies and convince voters to support her.

While gun control and abortion were key topics throughout the 2024 convention, few speakers discussed foreign policy until Panetta and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) made it a focus during their speeches on Thursday.

Panetta said Harris “worked with President Zelenskyy to fight back against Russia. She knows that protecting their democracy protects our democracy as well.”

When Harris took the stage, she blamed Trump for the bipartisan border bill’s failure and pledged to finally sign it into law if elected president. Republicans blocked the bill, saying it did not go far enough to secure the border.

“I will make sure that we lead the world into the future on space and artificial intelligence, that America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century, and that we strengthen not abdicate our global leadership,” Harris said. “As president, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies.”

She also vowed to “take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.”

Pro-Palestinian Protests

Protesters outside the convention mainly focused on the Israel-Hamas war, calling for a cease-fire and a halt to U.S. aid to Israel. While mostly peaceful, protests turned violent on Tuesday evening, with clashes with police outside the Israeli consulate.

Monday’s march from Union Park toward the United Center included a breach of fencing between a park and, across multiple parking lots, the arena where national Democrats had gathered.

A protester is toppled as police and demonstrators clash near the Israeli consulate in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024, against the backdrop of the Democratic National Convention (Nathan Worcester/The Epoch Times).

What unfolded on Wednesday and Thursday proved much calmer.

The protest on the final night of the DNC had some incidents, like some flag burning under the Lake Street Green Line, and a confrontational man waving a black flag with his face obscured. No arrests were witnessed by The Epoch Times or other media.

As conventioneers left the United Center after Harris’s acceptance speech, they were greeted by a mixture of protesters. Some were part of the pro-Palestinian mix, while others were anti-abortion progressives, alienated from a party increasingly hostile to pro-life voices.

Democrats Elevate ‘Sweet Home Chicago’

About a hundred miles south of Milwaukee, the battleground state metropolis where Republicans held their convention, the DNC showcased Chicago, a city famously dominated by Democrats for generations and a frequent host to political conventions over American history.

“It’s good to be home,” Obama said during his speech.

The large, diverse city’s association with the party only increased in the 21st century with Obama’s election. McCormick Place, where party council meetings took place, connected directly with the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, part of a family of hotels founded by the Pritzker family of Democratic mega-donors and politicians.

Obama was the most noteworthy current or former Chicagoan who spoke. Oprah Winfrey, whose Harpo Studios was once just blocks away from the United Center, made for a close second.

“​​I’ve lived in Mississippi, in Tennessee, in Wisconsin, Maryland, Indiana, Florida, Hawaii, Colorado, California, and sweet home Chicago, Illinois,” Winfrey said, referencing a blues standard brought to prominence by the Blues Brothers.

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey speaks on stage during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 21, 2024. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Obama’s wife, Michelle, a native of the South Side, also spoke, saying she last came to the Windy City for a celebration of her mother’s life. Marian Robinson died earlier this year.

The sanctuary city, marked in some places by high rates of violent crime, was bustling with law enforcement and, in places, protected by fencing.

“When it’s necessary to protect the city, you have to make the investment,” Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said of spending on security for the DNC during an Aug. 22 press conference.

Celebrities Stump for Harris

Promoting this year’s convention were numerous celebrities and cultural figures, including actors, former athletes, musicians, and comedians who spoke or performed onstage for Harris.

Winfrey, in her speech on Wednesday night, called for independents and undecided voters to support Harris.

Delegates and attendees heard speeches from Golden State Warriors and Team USA Basketball coach Steve Kerr, actors Eva Longoria and Mindy Kaling, comedians D.L. Hughley and Thompson, and Ana Navarro.

Billy Porter, Patti LaBelle, Common, P!NK, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and the Chicks performed on the stage at the United Center this week.

Multiple celebrities, including director Spike Lee, rapper Lil Jon, and actors Sean Astin, Wendell Pierce, and Longoria, joined their state delegations on Tuesday for the candidate roll call.

NBA star Steph Curry made a surprise appearance via video on Thursday to endorse Harris.

Lawrence Wilson, Luis Martinez, and Joseph Lord contributed to this report.