As the Democratic National Convention (DNC) entered its second night at the United Center in Chicago, former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and rapper Lil Jon only scratched the surface of notable personalities who took to the DNC to pledge their support for the Harris-Walz ticket.
“A Bold Vision for America’s Future” was night two’s theme as speakers expressed hope for Harris’ policies if she were to be elected as the 47th President.
Speakers spanned from social media influencers to significant politicians who vocalized support – for Harris’ potential policies regarding reproductive rights, economic stability, affordable healthcare and more.
In a plainspoken display of love for his wife, second gentleman Doug Emhoff was one of the last speakers of the evening. He took time to recall his love story with the Vice President, emphasizing her leadership qualities, her unwavering love for her family and her country.
Cracking jokes and exerting energy into the audience, the United Center suddenly overflowed with supporters holding up red signs, simply reading “Doug,” in capital letters. Emhoff ended his speech by introducing former first lady Michelle Obama.
The former first lady sharply criticized Donald Trump, recalling the treatment and scrutiny the Obamas received for being highly successful and educated people who “happened to be Black.”
Relating Harris’ campaign to the struggles the Obamas endured by Trump’s attempts to “make people fear” them, the former first lady then delivered one of the most reacted lines of the night.
“Who’s gonna tell him the job he’s currently speaking may just be one of those ‘Black jobs,’” Obama said as the crowd erupted in cheers.
The former first lady also alluded to slogans from Obama’s original “HOPE” campaign in 2008.
“Hope is making a comeback,” she said.
To a roar of applause, the former first l
ady ended her speech by introducing her husband, former President Barack Obama came to the stage followed by a deafening roar erupting inside the United Center.
The two embraced before former President Obama began his remarks.
Similar to the former first lady, Obama took his time to reinvent another one of his presidential campaign slogans.
“Yes, she can,” Obama said of Harris as the crowd began chanting this new slogan in return.
Obama also took his time to condemn Donald Trump, a tactic which strays away from the notorious “when they go low, we go high,” sentiment she first uttered at the 2016 DNC.
“The childish nicknames and crazy conspiracy theories and weird obsession with crowd size,” Obama said of former President Trump as he called out his “whining about his problems” and “constant stream of gripes and grievances.”
An energetic roll-call
But before the Obamas closed out the night, the convention kicked off in tradition with the state roll call, where representatives from every state, including U.S. territories pledge an allocated number of delegate votes to Harris, who was officially announced as the Democratic nominee at the roll call’s close.
The states used the roll call opportunity to show off personalities, notably rapper and grammy-winner Lil Jon making a surprise appearance to introduce Georgia’s delegates. Other appearances include filmmaker Spike Lee from New York and actor Sean Astin from Indiana.
In a moment to show off splashy symbols of their home states, attendees from Wisconsin showed up in matching cheese heads, with Kansas opting for Kansas City Chiefs jerseys to show their state pride.
Other states used politician appearances to pledge their delegate votes, such as Rep. Nancy Pelosi from Harris’ home state of California.
Various governors were also present to officially announce the number of votes pledged to the Democratic ticket, such as Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York.
After the roll call, Vice President Harris made a virtual appearance from a packed rally in Milwaukee, the largest city in battleground Wisconsin, where Trump accepted the Republican nomination just last month.
Doubling down on Trump’s woes
Former Trump staffer, Stephanie Grisham made an appearance as well, offering her official endorsement of Kamala Harris and also took the time to speak about her time in the Trump administration.
She recalled what went on “behind closed doors,” as she spent the holidays with the Trump family at Mar-a-Lago, where Grisham says she got a first-hand look at how Trump speaks about his supporters.
“He calls them basement dwellers,” Grisham said about former President Trump’s own characterization of his supporters.
The former press secretary was also the first senior staff to resign on Jan. 6th following the insurrection on the nation’s Capital.
“I love my country more than my party,” Grisham said.
Elected dems take the stage
Notable Senators were also able to take to the podium to speak about specific policies and visions for a future administration they felt passionate about.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York spoke out about the rise and threat of antisemitism in the United States, which he said would only be exasperated by another Trump presidency.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont then made remarks calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, an official cease-fire and freeing of hostages. Sen. Sanders was one of the only speakers to explicitly address the ongoing violence in Gaza.
Illinois also had its moment to show off its politicians, often reminding the audience of Illinois’ long political history, from Abraham Lincoln to Michelle Obama and, for a short time, Kamala Harris.
Gov. Pritzker spoke out directly against Trump in his speech while expressing his pride for the state he represents.
“Take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is only rich in one thing, stupidity,” said Gov. Pritzker, urging voters not to give into Trump rhetoric.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth also represented Illinois in her remarks, speaking candidly about her experience with infertility issues, which she characterized as “more painful” than any wound she received during her time in the Army.
“Every American has the right to be called ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’ without feeling like a criminal,” Sen. Duckworth said as she spoke about Harris’ advocacy for reproductive rights.
The second night of the DNC continued to gear up for Kamala Harris’ appearance and remarks at the convention on Thursday night, where she will officially accept the Democratic nomination.
“America is ready for a new chapter. America’s ready for a better story,” former President Obama said. “We are ready for President Kamala Harris.”