Democratic National Convention to kick off in Chicago, speakers include Biden, Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton

By Reena Bhardwaj

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) will kick off Monday in Chicago, one month after Republicans held their convention in Milwaukee. U.S. President Joe Biden will speak on day one of the convention during prime time, as he passes the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Nearly 50,000 visitors are expected to attend the convention, including approximately 4,000 delegates. The theme of the convention is “For the People, For Our Future.” While the official schedule has not yet been released, Democratic National Convention officials have confirmed that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will speak on Monday.

The theme for Monday will be “For the People,” with speakers expected to pay tribute to Biden, according to DNC officials. Former U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, which will focus on the theme “A Bold Vision for the Future.”

On Wednesday, under the theme “A Fight for Freedom,” former President Bill Clinton and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi of California will address the convention, according to a source familiar with the schedule. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are also expected to speak this week, DNC officials said.

Mike Waltz, Kamala Harris’s running mate, is expected to take the stage on Wednesday to officially accept the vice-presidential nomination. Harris will formally accept the presidential nomination during her speech on Thursday, a night dedicated to the theme “For the Future.”

Harris will arrive at the convention shortly after a bus tour through Pennsylvania over the weekend. She will also hold a rally on Tuesday in Milwaukee, the same city where Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination last month.

Typically, the convention includes a roll call vote to formally nominate presidential and vice-presidential candidates. However, Harris officially cemented her status as the presidential nominee earlier this month when she earned a majority of delegates in a virtual roll call. The vote was held in early August to avoid potential issues with ballot access in Ohio. A ceremonial roll call is still expected to take place at the convention.

Democratic organizers had to rework the programming entirely for the DNC after President Biden dropped out of the race in late July and endorsed Vice President Harris to replace him on the ticket.

Biden’s close aide, Ajay Bhutoria, said, “We are here at the United Center, where the Democratic Party convention is going to take place starting tomorrow. I’m here for the podium preview; as you can see, this is the podium where President Biden will speak on Monday, followed by President Obama on Tuesday, Governor Walz on Wednesday, and many other leaders. Finally, our nominee, the first Indian, first Asian, first Black woman to be the next President, Vice President Harris, will accept the nomination here on Thursday.”

“There will be a lot of great things happening, with nearly 50,000 to 60,000 people expected to attend the convention. It’s a pretty exciting moment for the country, and history is going to be made here. As you can see around, there’s already a lot of folks here.”