called a hook or a grabber.
I don’t want to close my eyes; it makes me feel awkward and exposed to be in a group of people with my eyes closed. Because of that, I keep my eyes open. The problem is when I keep my eyes open, I feel like some sort of horrible nonconformist rebel. I feel awkward with my eyes closed and I feel guilty if they are open. Either way, I just feel bad. Besides, half of the time when speakers tell audience members to close their eyes, they forget to tell us when we can open them. If you are wanting me to imagine a story, just tell me to imagine it, don’t make me close my eyes (rant over).
You should plan your opening to be intentional and with power. “Can everybody hear me” is a weak and uncertain statement and this is not the first impression you want to leave. Do a microphone check before the audience members arrive and have someone stand in different corners of the room to make sure you can be heard. Don’t waste your valuable speech time with questions that you should already know the answer to.
You should know that before you begin. Even if the presentations for the day are running over and you are the last speaker, you should ask the MC before you begin. Always plan your first words with power.
You should make your slides big, really big. Test out your slides in advance of your speech, walk all around the room and make sure you can read them. Have a friend check them out as well. You should know they are big enough because you planned for it and tested it.
People really hate having things taken away, not to mention that your audience may want to take notes on their devices. Chances are you are speaking to adults, let them determine if it is appropriate to have out their technology.
Stop apologizing! Stop making excuses! While these lines may be true, they just come of as excuses and can make the audience either feel like you don’t want to be there, or they just feel sorry for you.
Talking about your nervousness will make you more nervous and will make them look for signs of your nervousness. Just start your speech.
Do not start with hesitation. Plan the first words, memorize the first words, practice the first words. Do not start with “Ok, so um, now I’d like…” Plan strong and start strong.
Do Not Discuss Your Business with People Watching…Really! I Mean It! Many of us are giving and listening to presentations in an online format. I have attended numerous presentations this year through Zoom where I have to sit and watch while the organizers engage in personal small talk or deal with the details of the presentation. This is how the speech I recently attended began. “Donna, you are going to share your screen, right?” “Yes. I have my PowerPoint ready to go. Will you push “record” when I give the signal?” “Sure. Where did you say that button is again? Do you think we should wait five more minutes, I think we had more who were coming? Dave, what was the total we were expecting?” “Yeah, we had 116 sign up, but the reminders went out late so this may be all we have. We can give them a few more minutes to log on.” “Donna, How is your dog? Is she still struggling with her cone since her spay surgery? My dog never would wear the cone –she tore her stitches out and broke her wound open. It was terrible. Well, it looks like it is about time to begin, thank you everyone for coming.” If you are organizing an event online, hosting a speech online, giving a presentation online–please keep it professional. Most platforms will allow you to keep the audience in a waiting room until it is time to start. If you have a business to deal with, keep the audience out until you have everything ready to go. Once the audience is in the meeting, you should engage the audience in group-type small talk or you should just start the presentation. In professional settings, you should start the meeting on time. Why punish those who showed up on time to wait for those who aren’t there yet?
I asked my long-time friend, Bill Rogers, to write an excerpt to add to the book. I met Bill when he was the Chief Development Officer for a hospital in Northwest Arkansas and I met him again when he was reinventing himself as a college student getting a Master’s Degree in the theater. He would love to share a symbolic cup of coffee with you and give you advice about public speaking.
Perfect morning for a walk, isn’t it? Join me for a cup of coffee? Wonderful. Find us a table and I’ll get our coffee.
There you go; just like you like it. There’s nothing like a great cup of coffee on the patio of your neighborhood coffee shop, is there?
Now that you’re settled in your favorite chair, take a sip, and let that glorious caffeine kick in and do its stuff. Okay, let’s talk.
So, you were asking me about public speaking.
Well, let’s see. Where do we begin?
One of the first pieces of advice I ever received was to imagine that every member of your audience is sitting there in their underwear! Yeah, right. That never worked for me. I tried it once with a local civic group of community leaders both male and female. If the intent of that tidbit is to make you relax, it certainly didn’t work for me. It just made me more self-conscious…and more nervous. I not only got distracted, but I also lost my train of thought, I started sweating, and, of course, imagined myself standing there without clothes. Needless to say, that speech was a disaster and I’ve never used it again. I suggest you don’t either.
In the early days, I also relied very heavily on my typed-up speech. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that unless you find yourself reading it word for word as I did. Nothing is more boring nor puts an audience to sleep quicker than a speaker with their nose down reading a speech. There’s no connection and connection with your audience is key.
As you know, I love theatre and I’ve done a bit of acting over the years. Early on, I learned that the quicker I learned my lines, the more I could play, experiment, and shape my character. It relaxed me and gave me enormous freedom. It led me to find a mantra for myself: “With discipline comes freedom.” This freedom will allow you to improvise as your audience or situation dictates while still conveying the core message of your presentation. That discipline and its resulting freedom apply to public speaking of any kind and, I think, will serve you well.
Another old adage we’ve all heard is Aristotle’s advice. You know the one. No? Well, roughly, it’s to tell your audience what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell them what you just said. That’s the basic formula for public speaking. And it works as a good place to start.
However, effective speaking is much more and, to me, it starts with a story or even a simple sentence.
You know the feeling you get when you read the first sentence of a good book and it just reaches out and grabs you? That should be your goal with every presentation. One sentence to capture your audience’s attention. Something that causes them to lean forward. Something that sparks their imagination.
It doesn’t have to be all that profound either. It can be something very simple. A personal story that relates to your topic. A relevant fact or statistic that defines or illustrates the issue or subject matter at hand.
A couple of classics come to mind. The first is Alice Walker’s, “The Color of Purple.”
“You better not tell nobody but God.”
And the second one is from my favorite novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee.
“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm broken at the elbow.”
Both sentences hook you immediately. A few simple words speak volumes. After reading or hearing those words, you naturally lean in. You want to learn more. You want to find out what happens next. Every effective speech or presentation does the same thing.
Of course, make sure that the first and last thing you say to your audience is both relevant and appropriate. I share this out of an abundance of caution. I once worked for an internationally recognized and well-respected children’s research hospital and I was given the privilege to speak at a national educational convention. The room was filled wall to wall with teachers. I thought I’d be cute and add a little levity. I opened my presentation with this line, “You know, I’ve had nightmares like this…” Instead of the roars of laughter, I was expecting, a wave of silence ensued. Not only was the line not funny, but it was also wholly inappropriate and I immediately lost my audience. Not my best day. Learn from my mistakes.
Finally, let’s touch on the importance of approaching a speech as a conversation. You and I are sitting here enjoying our coffee and having a friendly, relaxed conversation. Strive for that every chance you get. You may not always have that luxury. Some speeches and presentations simply demand formality. But even in those cases, you can usually make it somewhat conversational. I always try to write my speeches in a conversational style. Like I’m talking to a friend…or trying to make a new one.
So, to recap: tell a story, learn your lines, hook your audience with a simple sentence, close with a question or call to action, use repetition, keep it conversational, treat your audience as a friend, and give yourself permission to relax.
Above all, be yourself. Allow yourself to be as relaxed as you are with those closest to you. If you’re relaxed, if you try to think of your audience as a friend, then, in most cases, they too will relax and they will root for you. Even if they disagree with what you are telling them, they will respect you and they will listen.
How about another cup?
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Advanced Public Speaking Copyright © 2021 by Lynn Meade is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Fact Checked
This article was co-authored by Lynn Kirkham . Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,812,739 times.
First impressions have a big impact on how others perceive you, so how you introduce yourself to others is extremely important. Many people call an introductory speech an elevator speech, because it should be succinct enough that you could introduce yourself and tell someone about your goals or interests in the time it takes to ride an elevator. It may also be called an "icebreaker" speech, as it breaks the ice and lets others get to know you. [1] X Research source Consider your words carefully when you write a speech introducing yourself. Crafting a good self-introduction can either build or harm your credibility.
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To write a speech introducing yourself, start by organizing the information you want to include. When writing content, consider the purpose of the speech, your intended audience, and your goals for the introduction. You can speak about your education, professional background, career/career goals, and outside interests, but keep things brief and to the point. Only include information that is important and relevant to your listeners. Don't forget to state your name in the first sentence of the speech. To learn more from our English Ph.D. co-author, such as how to practice and memorize your speech, continue reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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The speech introduction is the first part of a speech and the first opportunity to grab the audience’s attention. The speaker should state the topic, make it relatable to the audience, establish credibility and preview the main points. You should write or finalize your introduction at the end so that it reflects what you actually said.
Listen up, audience!
No matter whether you are giving an informative speech to enlighten an audience about a certain topic or a persuasive speech aims to convince the crowd to adopt a particular viewpoint. But whichever type of speech you’re writing or delivering, one thing is true: You must create an attention-grabbing speech introduction.
Table of Contents
Whether in speech writing or public speaking, the role of a good intro cannot be understated. It is your best chance to captivate your audience’s attention and entice them to be with you until the rest of your speech.
It’s also your opportunity to introduce the topic and thesis statement and set up the points you’ll discuss later. So, keep in mind that you emphasize the relevance of your subject matter to the audience and contextualize it properly.
These are some of the best ways to make a compelling introduction speech.
When you look at intro samples and templates on the web, you’ll find that effective speech introductions contain key elements. And one of the most important is your attention-grabber, which will compel your audience to listen to your speech and narrative.
You must also introduce your speech topic and indicate why it matters to your audience. You should also share something about yourself, especially your credibility, to discuss a particular subject matter.
Once you’ve laid out these foundations, state your central idea or thesis statement. Tell the audience members the point of view you want them to adopt, and give them a preview of the main points you’re discussing if you’re giving a persuasive speech. If you’re writing or delivering an informative one, you can provide them with a brief speech outline or the key points you’ll touch upon throughout the body of the speech.
One of the most common public speaking tips you’ll encounter is to have a good introduction. To help you capture the audience’s attention, here are some ideas you can use in your speech.
Whether you’re a first-time speaker or a veteran, how you approach introducing yourself in a speech is important in establishing your credibility. To avoid getting called boring, you might want to shy away from the usual “Hi, everyone. I’m (your name). I (your credentials), and today I will be talking about (points of the speech).”
Usually, someone else may have given your name and background. This gives you the liberty to begin your speech more interestingly.
You can start by stating any of the introduction lines listed above, then transition to why listening to you will matter to them. For example, if you’re talking about mental health and depression, you can follow up a surprising statistic with something like, “I know because I was a part of that statistic. Now, I’ve studied to become a therapist myself.”
To further create an air of authority, you must be mindful of your body language (taking a deep breath before speaking can help you shake off your nervousness and tension). Additionally, you must make eye contact and speak words clearly.
Now, if you’re tasked to introduce the one who will deliver the speech, it’s your responsibility to set the right atmosphere and build excitement.
One of the first things to do is know how to pronounce the speaker’s name and ensure that what you’ll say about the speaker’s credibility is factual. Since you’re only introducing the speaker, keep things simple and concise. If you want to enrich your introduction, you can ask the speaker what they want to be highlighted (Do they have a new book? Which prestigious groups are they affiliated with?).
Like what the speaker would do, you must also make eye contact to engage the audience. Practice and have a run-through before you take the stage to guarantee a smooth delivery.
Speakers and speech writers know how challenging it is to grab an audience’s attention. Here’s a good example of an introductory speech that uses statistics. This is from English restaurateur Jamie Oliver who delivered a TED Talk about food:
“Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat.
My name’s Jamie Oliver. I’m 34 years old. I’m from Essex in England, and for the last seven years, I’ve worked fairly tirelessly to save lives in my own way. I’m not a doctor; I’m a chef, I don’t have expensive equipment or medicine. I use information, education.”
Looking for inspiration for a good introduction where your topic is bullying? Check out this sample intro from actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Millie Bobby Brown during World Children’s Day in 2019:
“In world capitals — in buildings like this — adults talk about children’s rights. But today, young people don’t want to be talked about. They want to do the talking.
Millions of people responded to UNICEF surveys and petitions about what the Convention on the Rights of the Child meant to them. In the words of one young person: ‘Be an active voice. Don’t let things go unnoticed. So today, I want to talk about an issue that is very personal to me. Something that so often goes unnoticed — but causes real suffering. Bullying.”
Below are some more speech introduction examples you can take inspiration from.
“How great leaders inspire action” by Simon Sinek : “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”
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Last Updated: June 17, 2021 References
This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 28,053 times.
If you are tasked with giving a speech, you might be tempted to just speak naturally and with little preparation. While you might be tempted to launch into your ideas with little preparation, your speech will have the best impact on your audience if you give them an introduction. With an introduction, your audience will have a clear idea of what they should take away from your words. Subsequently, you will feel confident and comfortable speaking in public.
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This page deals with self introduction speech topics for classroom or other public speaking events an opportunities in life for a good first impression.
In this article:
Sample self introduction speech outline.
Another short manner for introducing yourself is the elevator speech, meant for business purposes.
The key question for successful and effective presenting yourself to others in both occasions is: how much and what information do you want the audience to know about you?
Due to the fact you have to write your talk around one theme, I recommend to develop one aspect of your life. That aspect will tell who you are and what you are about. Some people call this type a one-point preliminary, because it is based on one speaking idea.
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Look at the sample self introduction speech topics and pick out the aspects of your personal life you want to share with the audience. Approach the list below with the who, the what, the whereabouts, for sure the why, the how and when questions. That is an effective way to outline your first thoughts.
Now that you have picked out a central thesis, use this example profiler I have created:
Grab their attention . Immediately bring in your central message and come to the point.
Give some background information . Tell why it is important to you, why you are doing it, why you want to tell them, etcetera.
Now work out your item of discussion in a few sentences. Draw the contours, make it personal.
Give an example .
In conclusion, offer a memorable answer in your self-introduction speech on the question the listeners probably will have when they listen to your public speaking efforts: what’s in it for me? Tell how this aspect of your life makes who you are and what you are. It will be the perfect ending of your spoken presentation.
113 Extemporaneous Speech Topics
147 Unique Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]
i think that talking about some people that have influenced you the most really gives good base to your speech and it helps you by writing about things that you are familiar with so if you write about what has inspired you and what you care about you can easily write about anything.
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Here's how you can nail your self-introduction speech, without the sweaty palms! Go from nervous to natural with these tips.
It's time! The moment for your self-introduction speech is upon you. Are your palms sweating just at the thought? There are two secrets to making it easier to give an introduction speech about yourself: practice and preparation.
And with those two things already on your to-do list, we took care of some of the lifting for you with these self-introduction speech examples. Plus plenty of tips to help you not only get through it but get through it and feel good about it after. Yes, it is possible. And you're on your way!
It's the first day of school or of the semester. Perhaps you've found yourself in a new classroom halfway through the academic year. No fear, these intros will ease you into things and hook you a few new friends and classroom groupmates, too.
For the younger kiddos, these intros are all about who they are and what makes them happy.
Give new classmates an in or let people know that you're just like them so you can make friends once you find the cafeteria.
A quip about your major is a great way to start, but you can also loop in anything you love (or avoid) on your campus too, even if it's the steps by the library that seem to go on for eternity.
There's nothing like the dreaded "tell us about yourself" comment at an interview. The good news? You won't have any more nightmares because this intro is the perfect way to ease into the answer.
Make a smooth, witty, and warm self-introduction when you land the job or want to kick off an introduction with ease.
You're the new kid on the block at the office, you have enough to learn, here's an easy intro on your first day before jumping in.
Before you launch into the important information, take a moment to let people know who you are, why you're giving this presentation, and why you're qualified to do it. After all, you've done all the hard work, allow your accolades to shine.
You'll be introducing yourself a lot at networking, so now is the time to make yourself pop and be memorable.
Whether you're delivering a eulogy, poem, or making a brief introduction of yourself to other family and friends, you can rely on this intro to make things a little easier.
It's party time! Keep the intro laid back and casual.
You're the newbie, and there's nothing wrong with that. Start your clean slate with a short and sweet intro.
Here are some tips to keep in mind while writing and giving your self-introduction speech. The most important tip, however, is to do what feels natural and flows easily.
Remember, the goal is to introduce yourself effectively, not to tell your entire life story. Keep it brief, engaging, and genuine .
Sit yourself in front of the mirror, and run through your lines like an actor for a play, and in no time at all, the words will flow and you'll find a natural cadence. You may even surprise yourself with how easily your introductions flows once you take the stage. Don't be surprised if people ask how you were so calm and cool.
Domenico Montanaro
Vice President Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, arrives onstage to speak on the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
History was made Thursday night when Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to do so.
Those historic firsts can be opportunities, and they can be challenges. Harris is not someone known for delivering big speeches, and the public’s views of her are still forming. She got the nomination, after all, without running in a primary, the first to do so in many decades.
“We must be worthy of this moment,” Harris said.
Was she? Here are five takeaways from her acceptance speech and Democrats’ convention:
This was, by far, the most important speech of Harris’ political career, and it was in front of the biggest audience she’s ever spoken to — not the crowd of thousands in person in the audience, but the crowd of millions watching at home and those taking it in in the coming days.
She had to connect with those who are either undecided about her or those on her side but not sold on voting. She tried to do that by inverting what former President Donald Trump does in othering certain groups of people. She tried to make her story — one of a child of immigrants from India and Jamaica — a typical and relatable American one. She’s the child of divorce, brought up working class, raised by a mother who dreamed big and taught her daughters to dream big, but also stressed critical all-American values — work hard, don’t complain and “do something,” a nice rhetorical coda to former first lady Michelle Obama’s speech two nights ago.
Overall, Harris sounded in control, shared her values, told the country where she comes from and where she wants to take it, while also contrasting herself with Trump.
Harris and Democrats flipped the script in this convention on a lot of GOP attacks against them. They appealed to “common sense,” a small-c conservative value, reclaimed who and what qualifies as blue collar, stood up for veterans and redefined “freedom.”
Instead of a “radical” California liberal, Harris painted herself as a regular, blue-collar kid, who understands the needs of people and the value of hard work and discipline.
Democrats, instead of coming across as unpatriotic and unhappy with America, enthusiastically spoke of campaigning with “joy” and flooded the United Center in Chicago with flags. They had Republicans like former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., attest to their patriotism and decency, and they brought veterans to the forefront on the stage and in speeches.
“I will always honor and never disparage their service and their sacrifice,” Harris said.
Democrats haven’t always been good at commanding the message in presidential campaigns, but — so far — since Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have come on the scene, they are doing that, starting with making their opponents seem “weird” and taking it further with this convention.
And it’s all been in service of trying to reach out to the middle.
One of the most important jobs of a candidate in a presidential acceptance speech is to allow people to actually visualize him or her as president.
That’s especially true for someone who hasn’t had a lot of time in front of the voters.
Agree or not with the direction Harris wants to take the country, she did that Thursday night. She looked the part, stuck to the script, didn’t ramble or meander, and mostly stuck to the facts. She laid out a vision for the future of the country, one that stands in stark contrast to what Trump wants to do.
If, with her discipline, Harris was trying to reassure Americans that she can handle the presidency, it also had to give Democrats confidence in the kind of candidate she will be for the remaining 74 days.
And she did it all without dwelling on her gender, race or ethnic identity.
Harris has provided Democrats with enthusiasm they didn’t have before President Biden dropped out, and part of that comes from the change Harris brings. Another challenge for her Thursday night was to show she could grab firm hold of the change mantle. Change, after all, is one of the strongest motivators in politics.
Harris showed not only is she change from Trump, someone who has now been running or serving as president for almost a decade, but also from Biden. That was evident by the very different speeches they delivered this week. Biden’s was darker and more focused on defending democracy (as well as his achievements in office).
In fact, Biden mentioned democracy 10 times in his speech. Harris mentioned it, but only twice .
“Our nation with this election has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,” Harris said, “a chance to chart a new way forward, not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”
Another way she showed her difference with Biden was in how she spoke about Gaza. She said she would “always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself.” But, she added, “At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives, lost; desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”
And she pledged that she and President Biden “are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”
It’s a different tone than the country has heard on this from the president in the past year.
That Harris might be the “change” candidate in this election is an ironic and somewhat astounding thing for a sitting vice president to pull off.
The week was well produced; the campaign pulled off a high-wire act seamlessly marrying the convention with a packed Harris-Walz rally in Milwaukee at the very arena where the Republican National Convention was held; and it had big stars.
But most importantly, it showcased and introduced Harris in the best light possible. And all of that has Democrats over the moon.
Still, for what a solid rollout Harris has had and all her momentum, this remains a very close race. That’s why several Democrats this week urged the crowd against irrational exuberance and reminded onlookers of the work that still needs to be done.
“Yes, Kamala and Tim are doing great now,” Michelle Obama said. “We’re loving it. They are packing arenas across the country. Folks are energized. We are feeling good. But remember, there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome.”
There is no doubt about that.
news analysis
So said former President Barack Obama after his wife electrified the Democratic National Convention. The delegates loved him, but they really loved her.
Former President Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Known as one of the most eloquent orators of the modern era, he had never before faced the challenge he confronted Tuesday night. Credit... Kent Nishimura for The New York Times
Supported by
By Peter Baker
Reporting from inside the United Center in Chicago
Whoever set the schedule for the second night of the Democratic National Convention certainly did Barack Obama no favors. As the former president admitted when he took the stage on Tuesday night, “I am the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama.”
Not to say that the Democrats gathered in the United Center in Chicago were unappreciative of their onetime favorite son. Mr. Obama delivered the kind of rousing yes-we-can speech that 20 years ago vaulted him from obscurity toward the White House. But following Mrs. Obama? He has demonstrated better judgment.
The his-and-hers marquee convention speeches by the 44th president of the United States and the former first lady fired up the partisan crowd. Speaking back-to-back over the course of an hour, the Obamas reminded Democrats of a past era of hope and change while electrifying a convention after a ceremonial roll call nominated Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota for vice president.
But while the delegates loved Mr. Obama, they really loved Mrs. Obama . From the minute she entered to Stevie Wonder to the end when she introduced her husband, she had the hall wrapped in her hand. No wonder Mr. Obama did not want to go next. No wonder former President Donald J. Trump over the years has repeatedly expressed a feverish worry that the Democrats would turn to Mrs. Obama as their next nominee in some kind of bizarre conspiratorial plot.
From the stage at the United Center on Tuesday, Mrs. Obama eviscerated Mr. Trump as a product of “the affirmative action of generational wealth” who nonetheless enjoyed the “grace of failing forward” while moaning that he was somehow a victim. She described him as a racist and misogynist who exploited fears and lies, a huckster and a hatemonger still playing “the same old con game” on America.
“If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third or fourth chance,” she said. “If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. No. We don’t get to change the rules so we always win. If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, telling voters across the country that she believes the 2024 election marks a "fight for America's future."
"With this election, our nation 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," Harris told a cheering crowd at the Democratic convention.
Harris spent much of 2024 campaigning as President Joe Biden's running mate. But on Thursday, she talked to the party that swiftly rallied around her after he ended his reelection bid. She laid out how she would address the major debates facing the nation, ranging from abortion rights to the southern border and the economy.
The vice president's speech comes after her own running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, delivered his acceptance address on Wednesday, telling his fellow party members "Thank you for bringing the joy to this fight."
Keep up with the USA TODAY Network's coverage of the Democratic convention in Chicago.
Harris pledged to “stand strong” with Ukraine and NATO and said she is working “around the clock” to end the war in Gaza.
“Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelensky to warn him about Russia’s plan to invade,” she said. “I helped mobilize a global response, over 50 countries, to defend against Putin’s aggression. And as president I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies.”
On the war in Gaza, Harris said “now is the time to get a hostage deal and a cease-fire deal done.”
“Let me be clear, I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself,” she said. “Because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on Oct. 7.”
She also said “what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating.”
“The scale of suffering is heartbreaking,” she said. “President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages is released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”
−Stephen Gruber-Miller
Bashing her opponent and the GOP’s record, Harris highlighted reproductive rights as a key issue in the first presidential election since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
“Simply put, they are out of their minds,” Harris said of Trump and Republicans. “And one must ask, why exactly is it that they don’t trust women?”
“Well, we trust women,” she continued, adding that as president she would “proudly sign” legislation to enshrine abortion access.
As vice president, Harris has been the leading voice in the current Biden administration on reproductive rights and abortion access – a winning issue for many Democrats since 2022.
− Savannah Kuchar
Harris said that after decades in law enforcement, she knows the “importance of safety and security, especially at our border.”
“Last year, Joe and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades,” she said. The bill was killed by Senate Republicans in February after pressure from Trump.
“Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign, so he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal,” she alleged. “Well I refuse to play politics with our security. And here is my pledge to you as President, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and I will sign it into law.”
− Sudiksha Kochi
Harris told convention attendees that her campaign is all about charting a “new path forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class.”
“We know a strong middle class has always been critical to America's success, and building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” she said.
Harris said that, if elected, she would pass a middle class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans. She said her term would also also allow Americans to “fully make their own decisions about their own lives, especially on matters of heart and home,” she said, referring to reproductive rights and other matters.
Not exactly breaking news: Donald Trump gave bad reviews to Kamala Harris' acceptance speech.
In a constant stream of Truth Social posts, Trump assailed the vice president's remarks on items ranging from the condition of her former home city of San Francisco to inflation, immigration and relations with other countries.
After Harris accused him of wanting to be an autocrat, Trump concluded by saying: "The Tyrants are laughing at her, she’s weak and ineffective, and for three and a half years she has done nothing except enabled them to get STRONG, RICH, and POWERFUL!"
At another point, Trump pointed out that Harris and President Joe Biden have ignored the issues that came up in the speech: "No specific programs, ALL TALK, NO ACTION - Why didn’t she do it three and a half years ago."
− David Jackson
Kamala Harris called out former President Donald Trump by name in her acceptance speech, saying the former president is “in many ways ... an unserious man.”
“But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” Harris said.
Pointing to what she called the “chaos and calamity” of his first term, Harris raised alarms about her 2024 opponent.
“Consider what he intends to do if we give him power again. Consider his explicit intent to set free violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers at the Capitol,” she said, referring to Trump’s comments about potentially pardoning January 6, 2021 rioters.
− Savannah Kuchar
Harris walked the crowd through her history as a prosecutor, both at the local level and as California's attorney general. "As a young courtroom prosecutor in Oakland, California, I stood up for women and children against predators who abused them," she said.
"As attorney general of California, I took on the big banks, delivered $20 billion for middle class families who faced foreclosure and helped pass a homeowner bill of rights, one of the first of its kind in the nation," she said.
Harris said she stood up for veterans and students who were being scammed by for-profit colleges and workers who were cheated out of their wages.
"I fought against the cartels who traffic in dugs and guns and human beings, who threaten the security of our border and the safety of our communities," she said. "And I will tell you, these fights were not easy and neither were the elections that put me in those offices. We were underestimated at practically every turn. But we never gave up. Because the future is always worth fighting for."
Kamala Harris formally accepted her party’s presidential nomination, as the Democratic convention comes to a close Thursday.
“On behalf of every American regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks, on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey ... I accept your nomination,” Harris told the crowd.
Democrats had officially nominated Harris in a virtual vote earlier this month and affirmed the decision at the convention Tuesday in an enthusiastic celebratory roll call .
Harris began her remarks thanking President Joe Biden, who ended his reelection bid and immediately endorsed her candidacy.
“To our President Joe Biden. When I think about the path that we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude,” Harris said.
“Your record is extraordinary, as history will show, and your character is inspiring, and Doug and I love you and Jill, and are forever thankful to you both,” she added.
She said that the path to get to the nomination was “no doubt unexpected but I'm no stranger to unlikely journeys.”
On Thursday evening, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota said the DNC’s decision not to platform a Palestinian-American speaker at the convention was a “huge mistake.” That had been a key ask of the protesters seeking to push the Democratic Party towards a more pro-Palestinian stance.
“I think it undermines our messaging about unity, about diversity,” said Omar, one of the most vocal critics of Israel in Congress.
Omar said she spoke with the DNC chair, Jaime Harrison, multiple times in an effort to push the committee to change their mind. "Last I heard from the Harris campaign was for us to be patient,” she said.
On the campaign trail, Harris has touted her and Biden’s efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. She has not explained if or how her approach to the conflict would differ from Biden’s.
—Laura Gersony
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper acknowledged he’s not the main event of the night.
“Hello, America,” he said. “I’m Roy Cooper, the last guy standing between you and the moment we’re all waiting for.”
Cooper, a former North Carolina attorney general, told the audience how he worked with Harris when she was California’s attorney general, when she insisted on holding out for a bigger settlement from the nation’s big banks after the 2008 housing crash.
“She went toe to toe with some of the world’s most powerful executives, and she refused to give in,” he said. “Let me tell you, this was a huge risk, but she knew it was a risk worth taking. That’s Kamala. And we all know what happened. The banks caved.”
Maya Harris, Kamala Harris’ younger sister, opened her remarks by reflecting on her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris.
“Mommy was so many things to so many people, a civil rights activist, a scientist, a devoted mother to her two little girls,” said Maya Harris. “But most of all, Mommy was a trailblazer who defied the odds and defined herself. And when it came to Kamala and me, Mommy had great expectations for us, but she had even greater expectations of us.”
“She raised us to believe that we could be and do anything, and we believed her.”
Maya Harris said that she wishes her mom, who died in 2009, could have attended the convention.
“ I can just see her smiling, saying how proud she is of Kamala,” said Maya Harris.
Beyoncé's publicist Yvette Noel-Schure shut down speculation about Beyoncé appearing at the DNC, despite reports.
Minutes before fans hoped to see the "Cowboy Carter" singer on the convention stag, Noel-Schure posted to her Instagram.
"At home watching and anticipating the VP’s historic speech,” she wrote. “Focus on the win and register to vote. Do not report rumors. FOCUS."
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report that according to a representative for the singer, "Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there.”
Leading up to the DNC, fans speculated the megastar might perform. Of course, Walz has been deemed a certified Beyhive member . And Beyoncé's camp gave Harris approval to use her song "Freedom" featuring Kendrick Lamar on her campaign trail. The song has become an anthem for Harris' campaign.
− Liz Schubauer
Saying he was “proud to be in the trenches” with the evening’s crowd, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger acknowledged the “awkward alliance” between himself and Democrats.
“I never thought I’d be here, but listen,” he told the audience, “you never thought you’d see me here, did you?”
“The Republican party is no longer conservative. It has switched its allegiance from the principles that gave it purpose to a man whose only purpose is himself,” Kinzinger added, referring to former President Trump.
A turning point, Kinzinger said, was January 6, 2021. He was one of two Republicans to serve on the House committee investigating the insurrection at the Capitol. “How can a party claim to be patriotic if it idolizes a man who tried to overthrow a free and fair election?” Kinzinger asked.
Actress Eva Longoria put a new twist on a popular chant as she urged the crowd to root for Harris’ success. Longoria told the crowd to take the Spanish phrase, “Si se puede,” meaning, “yes we can,” and turn it into “she se puede.”
When somebody asks, ‘Is she going to be the first female president of the United States?’ we’re going to say, ‘She se puede,’” Longoria said.
“We know how to work so let’s get to work,” she said. “Let’s turn all of this enthusiasm and joy into action between now and November 5th. Let’s go!”
She walked offstage to chants of “she se puede!”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer made a point to share her nickname with convention attendees at the beginning of her remarks.
“In Lansing, they call me governor, but in Detroit, they call me Big Gretch,” she said, adding that women across America GST- “Get Stuff Done.”
“At 29 I joined the sandwich generation sandwiched between working and raising my newborn and caring for my mom, who was dying from brain cancer. It was hard, but not extraordinary. It's life. Those nights reminded me who I was fighting for, people just trying to make it. Kamala Harris knows who she's fighting for too,” she said.
Whitmer also knocked Trump in her remarks, saying he can’t relate with everyday families.
“You think he understands that when your car breaks down? You can't get to work? No, his first word was probably chauffeur. You think he's ever had to take items out of the cart before checking out? Hell, you think he's ever been to a grocery store? That's what the chauffeur is for,” she said.
Arizona Senate nominee Ruben Gallego led a group of Democratic veterans, including members of the U.S. House and Senate, onstage, urging Donald Trump to “show some respect” to veterans.
“We were proud to wear the uniform,” said Gallego, a congressman who served in the Marines. “And we’re proud serving our countries in city halls, state capitols, the U.S. House and the Senate. These veterans represent the best of our country. We stand united as veterans, Democrats and patriots to fight for everyone who serves.”
Gallego said “politicians like Donald Trump” don’t stand with veterans. He referred to Trump’s frequent insults to the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
“John McCain was an American hero,” Gallego said. “Show some respect.”
“Trump’s Project 2025 would slash veteran benefits and force VA hospitals to close across the nation,” he said. “Show some respect.”
--Stephen Gruber-Miller
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly said Harris will stand with America’s allies and is “the leader we need right now.” Harris, he said, understands the importance of international alliances like NATO, and of supporting Ukraine in its war defending itself from Russia’s invasion.
“Donald Trump skipped his intelligence briefings,” Kelly said. “He was too busy sucking up to dictators and dreaming of becoming one himself.”
Kelly referred to a 2020 report in The Atlantic that said Trump described fallen service members were “suckers” and “losers.” Trump denies the report.
“Trump thinks that Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice are suckers and losers,” Kelly said. “If we fall for that again and make him the commander in chief, the only suckers would be us.”
−Stephen Gruber-Miler
Stymied in their demand that a Palestinian-American be allowed to speak to the Democratic National Convention about the war in Gaza, a group of uncommitted delegates ended a protest outside the United Center on Thursday with a new demand: that Vice President Kamala Harris meet Arab-American and Muslims in Michigan and elsewhere.
They also set a deadline for such a meeting or meetings to take place of Sept. 15.
While not saying what they would or would not do if a meeting did not take place to discuss their insistence that the U.S. stop shipping weapons to Israel and demand a cease-fire in Gaza, the organizers suggested there would be ramifications. Those could potentially involve holding back in terms of organizing on Harris' behalf in the fall campaign or arguing her case to voters.
−Todd Spangler, Karissa Waddick and Tamia Fowlkes
A group took to the stage at the convention Thursday night to retell somber stories about the loss of their loved ones from gun violence. One of the stories was from Abbey Clements, a former second grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Twenty-six people were killed at the school in a mass shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.
Kim Rubio recalled when her daughter Lexi walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, for the last time.
“It’s 10:30am at Robb Elementary in Uvalde,” Rubio said. “The school is recognizing my 10 year old daughter, Lexi, for receiving all A's. She receives a good citizen award, and we pose for photos. She wears a St Mary's sweatshirt and a smile that lights up the room.”
“30 minutes later, a gunman murders her 18 classmates and two teachers. We are taken to a private room where police tell us she isn't coming home,” Rubio said.
Melody McFadden told convention attendees about when her niece was shot in Myrtle Beach. “10 years of waiting, and Sandy's murder is still unsolved. I'll keep calling and I'll keep fighting,” McFadden said. Edgar Vilchez, whose friend was killed in a shooting at their high school, said that moment changed him. “Instead about worrying about taking a test, I started worrying about living to take another test,” he said.
Part of a series of speakers to address gun violence, mass shooting survivor and former Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona appeared Thursday to recount her experience.
“Terrible, terrible day. I almost died,” Giffords said of an assassination attempt in 2011 that killed six and left the congresswoman severely injured.
“But I fought for my life, and I survived,” she continued.
Giffords was joined on stage by her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly. She began her speech by telling the crowd she was “born with grit.” And, she said, Harris too “has grit.”
The singer P!nk performed her hit some "What About Us" at the Democratic convention, taking the stage with her daughter, Willow.
−Marina Pitofsky
President Joe Biden posted on X , formerly known as Twitter, that he and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, just got off the phone with Kamala Harris ahead of her acceptance speech. He shared a picture of the first couple standing in front of a television showing the convention, a phone in his hand.
“Jill and I just spoke to @KamalaHarris — we can’t wait to watch her accept this historic nomination,” Biden wrote in the post.
“Kamala and Tim will inspire a generation and lead us into the future,” he wrote, referring to vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.
The Bidens spoke Monday on the convention’s first night, before ceding the spotlight to Harris and Walz.
A trio of Kamala Harris' loved ones paid tribute to the vice president on Thursday.
Meena Harris, niece of Kamala Harris, said that her aunt “showed me the meaning of service, helping her sister, a 17 year old single mom, fighting for justice for the American people, and still cooking Sunday family dinner.”
“She guided me. Now she's guiding my own children, and I know she'll guide our country forward,” said Meena Harris.
Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of Kamala Harris, said that the vice president came into her life when she was 14 - “famously a very easy time for a teenager,” she joked.
“Like a lot of young people, I didn't always understand what I was feeling. But no matter what, Kamala was there for me. She was patient, caring, and always took me seriously. She's never stopped listening to me, and she's not going to stop listening to all of us,” Emhoff said.
Helena Hudlin, goddaughter of Harris, said that Kamala Harris’ advice “means everything, whether it's pursuing my passions, making an impact, or finding hope when the world doesn't feel so hopeful.”
“She taught me that making a difference means giving your whole heart and taking action,” Hudlin said.
Actress Kerry Washington helped host the final hours of the Democratic convention’s final night.
She brought back to the stage her former “Scandal” costar Tony Goldwyn, who days earlier also made a convention stage appearance. And in a moment that appeared to be targeted at Republicans’ mispronouncing of Harris’ first name at the GOP convention last month, Washington was joined by the vice president’s young grandnieces, Amara and Leela.
"Confusion is understandable. Disrespect is not,” Washington said. “So tonight, we are going to help everyone get it right.”
The Chicks, the award-winning country band, performed an a cappella version of “The Star Spangled Banner” to a packed convention hall.
Members Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines and Emily Strayer stood onstage at a single mic as they sang the anthem.
After they finished, the crowd began chanting “USA. USA.”
Texas Senate nominee Colin Allred called former President Donald Trump and his own Republican opponent Sen. Ted Cruz ‘me guys’ who are out for themselves. Allred, a member of Congress from Dallas and a former NFL player and civil rights lawyer, introduced himself to the crowd as “the guy who’s going to turn Texas’ Senate seat blue.”
He said in the NFL, the term they’d use to describe Trump and Cruz is “me guys.”
“You know the type. Talk a big game, only care about themselves,” he said. “But you don’t want to be stuck with them at a barbeque.”
“We’ve got a message for the ‘me guys,’” he said. “‘We’ is more powerful than ‘me.’ We will protect and restore reproductive freedom. We will secure the border. We’ll protect Medicare and Social Security. And we’ll turn the page and write a new chapter for this country: Elect Kamala Harris to be the next president and beat Ted Cruz.”
As Allred walked offstage, the crowd chanted “beat Ted Cruz.”
The convention featured a pre-recorded video of famed basketball player Stephen Curry, who just won gold in the 2024 Olympics. Curry began his remarks saying that unity on and off the basketball court “reminded us all that together, we can do all things and continue to inspire the world.”
“That's why I believe that Kamala as president could bring that unity back and continue to move our country forward. This is about preserving hope and belief in our country, making sure families can be taken care of during the most precious times,” he said.
Curry noted that he visited Harris with his team at the White House last year, and said he can tell attendees something he knew then that he definitely knows now: “the Oval Office suits her well.”
“So, in the words of Michelle Obama: do something! Go vote! Be active!” he said.
Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, the first Gen Z member of Congress, called on Americans to vote for Harris “for our planet.”
“The climate crisis isn’t some far off threat,” Frost said. “It is here.”
A former organizer for the student-led gun control advocacy group March for Our Lives, Frost said the Biden-Harris administration has already been making progress addressing climate change.
“This election is about every drop of water that we consume and every breath we breathe,” he told the crowd. “Fighting the climate crisis is patriotic.”
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said Harris will tackle climate change, pointing to her record as California attorney general and vice president.
“An American president must lead the world in tackling climate change,” Haaland said. “We need a president who understands that assignment. That’s Kamala Harris.”
She praised Harris’ record holding polluters accountable for oil spills, defending former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan in court and casting the tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes a range of climate provisions.
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will fight for a future where we all have clean air, clean water and healthy communities,” Haaland said.
The Central Park Five, a group of Black and Latino men who were wrongly accused of assaulting a white female jogger in 1989, bashed Trump on stage. The former president had bought out full-page advertisements calling for the death penalty after the attack
“35 years ago, my friends and I were in prison for a crime we did not commit. Our youth was stolen from us. Every day as we walked into courtroom, people screamed at us, threatened us because of Donald Trump,” said Korey Wise, one of the members of the group.
Yusef Salaam, now a member of the New York City Council, said that “45 wanted us unalive.’
“That man thinks that hate is the animating force in America. It is not. We have the constitutional right to vote. In fact, it is a human right, so let us use it. I want you to walk with us. I want you to march with us. I want you to vote with us,” said Salaam.
Activist Rev. Al Sharpton told the DNC crowd, “Tonight, we are going to realize Shirley Chisholm’s dream” when Harris accepts the nomination.
Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress. In 1972 she became the first Black candidate to run for a major party’s nomination and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s nomination.
“Fifty-two years ago I was one of the youth directors in her campaign for president,” Sharpton said of Chisholm. “And 52 years after she was told to sit down, I know she’s watching us tonight as a Black woman stands up to accept the nomination for president of the United States.”
He contrasted Harris’ record with Trump’s on voting rights, civil rights and more, as the crowd chanted “won’t go back.”
“I see one candidate who wants to protect the right to vote while the other has tried to cook up 11,000 votes in Georgia ,” Sharpton said. “I see a candidate who, with Joe Biden, brought leaders to the White House to confront violent hatred, running against a man who said neo-Nazis in Charlottesville were fine people. I see a candidate who has sought to reform and uphold the law and a man who wrongly assumes his mug shot appeals to Black Americans.”
Mitt Romney will not be joining Democrats in Chicago.
"Contrary to fake news posts, I am not the surprise guest at the DNC tonight," Romney wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Romney's was one of several names floated as a possible "surprise guest" appearing on the final night of the Democratic convention. The Utah senator said instead, "My guess is that it will be Beyoncé or Taylor Swift."
"So disappointing, I know!"
Michigan Senate nominee Elissa Slotkin leaned into her national security background, telling the audience that “the choice in November is stark.”
Slotkin, who currently serves in Congress representing Michigan’s 7th District and is a former CIA intelligence officer, said America can either retreat from the world or lead the world. “Trump wants to take us backwards. He admires dictators. A lot. He treats our friends as adversaries and our adversaries as friends.
She urged the audience to “claim your patriotism.”
“For everyone here and everyone watching, I want you to proudly claim your patriotism,” she said. “You are here because you love your country. Do not give an inch to pretenders who wrap themselves in the flag but spit in the face of freedoms it represents.”
The Donald Trump campaign may be trying to build anticipation for a possible endorsement from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The campaign announced late Thursday that a "special guest" would join the former president at a Friday event in Glendale, Arizona.
In nearby Phoenix on Friday, Kennedy is scheduled to make an announcement about his independent campaign's future.
In recent days, Trump has said he would welcome Kennedy's support and possibly consider appointing him to some kind of position in a new administration.
"He's a little different kind of a guy, very smart guy, is a very good person," Trump said Thursday on "Fox & Friends." "If he endorsed me, I would be honored by it. I would be very honored by it."
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren attacked former President Donald Trump’s criminal record in her speech to Democratic delegates, contrasting it with Harris’ experience as a prosecutor.
Warren, who ran for the presidency in 2020, teared up as she was warmly greeted by the crowd Thursday night. She praised Harris’ work as California attorney general after the 2008 housing crash.
“Kamala Harris stepped up,” Warren said. “She enforced the law, she fought the giant banks and she delivered billions of dollars of help for families. And that is the difference between a criminal and a prosecutor.”
Warren said Harris will work to make life more affordable for working families.
“Donald Trump, the felon, has no plans to lower costs for families,” Warren said. “He doesn’t know how. And basically, he doesn’t really care. When did he ever fill up a gas tank or worry about a grocery bill? The only bills he worries about are from his criminal defense lawyers. But Kamala, she cares deep down. And she will take on the giant corporations that are squeezing American families.”
Actor Morgan Freeman narrated a video advertisement for the Harris campaign released Thursday, hours before the vice president takes the stage to accept her party’s nomination.
“She’s fighter for the American people,” Freeman began the 10-minute ad.
“Committed to our values, our hopes, our dreams. Bringing joy back across our nation,” he continued, followed by a track of Harris’ laugh.
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey said he’s had conversations with moms in his state who have asked him, “What am I supposed to do if I can't afford diapers?”
“In just six months, a box of diapers went up $15,” said Casey. “The corporations say your prices are up only because their costs are up. They're selling you a lie. It's in the bag with the diapers. Prices are up because these corporations are scheming to drive them up.”
He added that “most companies are good companies. It's the food conglomerates that sit behind the supermarkets, the faceless wholesalers, they're the ones who are extorting families at the checkout counter.”
“I've been fighting to ban price gouging on food, and next year, when she's president, Kamala Harris will sign a bill to do just that,” Casey said.
Vice President Harris and husband Doug Emhoff celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary Thursday, on the final night of the Democratic convention.
Also celebrating today: Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and his wife, Barbara Grassley, who are marking 70 years of marriage.
The 90-year-old senator posted on X, formerly Twitter, a photo of the pair at a restaurant in Waterloo, Iowa.
“Barbara & I went to the Hickory House in Waterloo when we were 1st dating,” Grassley wrote, “2nite we celebrate our 70th wedding anniversary where it all started.”
Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse said Harris has been working to make college more affordable for her entire career.
Neguse, who represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, including Boulder and Fort Collins, said Harris took on for-profit colleges as California’s attorney general, securing $1 billion for students. He said she’s also worked to expand Pell grants, increase funding for HBCUs.
“And Kamala Harris made public service loan relief a reality for teachers and first responders and firefighters and nurses and countless others across our land,” he said.
“Vice President Harris delivered before and she will do it again,” he continued. “As president, she will build a brighter future. A more affordable future. A future where going to college doesn’t break the bank.”
Rumors swirled on Thursday about a surprise speaker making an appearance on the last night of the Democratic convention.
USA TODAY has not confirmed the speculation, but it hasn't stopped political observers from wondering if mega-stars like Beyoncé or Taylor Swift , who have both previously waded into politics, will show up in Chicago.
– Marina Pitofsky
Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin began her remarks with a personal note about her family.
“My mother was a teenager when I was born, and she struggled with addiction. I never met my father, but I had two incredible grandparents who stepped in and raised me,” she said.
“My grandparents were there for me, and as they grew older, it was my privilege to be there for them. So when I work to protect Medicare and Social Security, I do it with a personal knowledge of what those big programs meant in small but deeply meaningful ways to my grandparents,” she added.
Baldwin accused former President Donald Trump of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare “while giving a huge new tax break to billionaires and corporations.”
“They've got it backwards. We Democrats, we honor our elders and ask the wealthiest to pay their fair share,” she said.
Sen. Alex Padilla said Harris will defend the American dream for families and kids. Padilla, a former California state lawmaker and secretary of state, was appointed to the Senate in 2021 after Harris was sworn in as vice president, and he won election to a full term in 2022.
He joked that when he took over Harris’ Senate seat, “I knew that I had some big Chuck Taylors to fill,” referencing the vice president's signature shoe.
“My question for all of you tonight is this: This November, who’s ready to defend the dream?” he asked the audience, repeating the question in Spanish.
“Tim Walz is ready to defend the dream,” Padilla continued. “Kamala Harris will defend the dream. And between now and Election Day each of us must defend the dream too, by electing them as vice president and president of the United States of America.”
− Stephen Gruber-Miller
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, called former President Trump and his running mate JD Vance “not just wrong.”
“They’re dangerous,” she said.
Pringle criticized Project 2025 , a conservative guidebook for a Republican presidency that calls for eliminating the Department of Education. Trump has repeatedly denied association with the document.
President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten followed Pringle on stage and continued criticism of the Republican ticket.
“Donald Trump and JD Vance can’t claim they’re pro-child while gutting funding for public schools,” Weingarten said.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, opened up her remarks knocking Trump for being a “small man speaking in small venues talking about small ideas.”
“Our ideas, our vision for America, brings us together,” said Escobar.
“Our vision for America embraces every community and everyone. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are working hard because they know our country is great. They know that we can build a future for all of us, and they're earning our votes by laying out a plan that puts the American dream not just within reach, but so we can fully grasp,” she added.
The trio of Tennessee lawmakers known as the "Tennessee Three" were expected to get a primetime speaking slot at Thursday's Democratic National Convention, but the group is expected to be bumped from the program amid last-minute scheduling changes.
State Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson will not be speaking from the DNC stage tonight, according to a Tennessee House Democratic caucus spokesperson.
The scheduling shift comes amid swirling rumors that a surprise speaker was being slotted into Thursday's night schedule. None of the rumors have been confirmed, though social media is abuzz that a high-profile celebrity such as Beyoncé or Taylor Swift may appear.
− Melissa Brown
As America’s first second gentleman, Doug Emhoff became the first person to bear the title when Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn into office in 2021.
But how did the two meet ? Originally from Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, Emhoff became an attorney in Los Angeles, focusing on entertainment and intellectual property law. In 2013, one of Emhoff’s clients – who also happened to be Harris’ best friend – set the pair up on a date.
Harris and Emhoff were married in 2014 in Santa Barbara, California where Harris’ sister, Maya, officiated. It was Harris’ first marriage and Emhoff’s second, and they share two adult children from his former marriage, Ella and Cole.
− Victor Hagan
An emotional, unscripted moment between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has unleased a flood of praise and admiration – but it also has prompted ugly online bullying.
Gus Walz , who has a nonverbal learning disorder as well as anxiety and ADHD, watched excitedly from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and sobbed openly Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic nominee for vice president, delivered his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The Minnesota governor was recounting the difficult fertility treatment he and his wife, Gwen, went through to conceive their daughter, Hope.
But the show of affection triggered a swath of snark and ugly comments from internet trolls, many of them MAGA supporters of former President Donald Trump, who faces Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
More: Gus Walz broke the internet with his tearful love for his dad. Then the bullying began
– Michael Collins and Sam Woodward
Pop-up political protester: How one woman quit her job to hassle Trump nationwide
There's a good chance you'd recognize Nadine Seiler. The 59-year-old woman has developed a knack for being at the right place at the right time to get photographed by the media as she protests former President Donald Trump and conservative policies like the Agenda 2025 plan to remake the federal government.
Multiple news photographers have captured Seiler's protests across the country since at least 2019, from Chicago to Milwaukee to Miami to outside the Virginia home of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
This isn't how she'd planned to spend her retirement savings after arriving in the United States from the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago nearly 40 years ago. But with her bright makeup and eye-catching signs, protest has become her calling. In Chicago, she's sleeping in a friend's van so she can keep costs down.
"I am crazy," Seiler said with a laugh. "Nobody who is totally sane would do this."
– Trevor Hughes
Kamala Harris will take the stage tonight to formally accept her party’s presidential nomination. She also has another cause for celebration Thursday: her and her husband, Doug Emhoff’s 10th wedding anniversary.
The pair married in 2014 in Santa Barbara, California. In his convention address Tuesday, Emhoff recalled an awkward voicemail he left for Harris when they first met and said she now plays the saved recording back for him each anniversary.
– Savannah Kuchar
After traveling to the Arizona-Mexico border to protest illegal crossings, Donald Trump began his speech Thursday with false comments about a "coup" against president and former election opponent Joe Biden.
"A very sad time for this country in many ways," Trump said. "You had a candidate - I was no fan of Joe Biden - but the way he was taken out was a coup."
Trump has protested having to run against Kamala Harris throughout his counter-convention tour this week, noting that she never received a primary vote. There was no coup, however; the party turned to Vice President Harris after Biden withdrew from the race last month.
To be sure, Trump did use most of his remarks Thursday to criticize the Bush-Harris administration's record on border security. The event that lasted more than an hour also featured family members who have lost loved ones in crimes committed by people who are in the country illegally.
In criticizing Harris, Trump said Harris "will not mention the victims" in her acceptance speech on Thursday night. During the convention, Democratic speakers said Trump is also responsible for border problems, having used his power over Republican lawmakers to block legislation that would have tightened the border.
– David Jackson
The White House condemned a social media post from Donald Trump as “Antisemitic, dangerous and hurtful” after the former president referred to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as a “highly overrated Jewish Governor” and slammed his support for Kamala Harris.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social Wednesday night after Shapiro spoke at the Democratic National Convention, wrote that Shapiro “made a really bad and poorly delivered speech” for Harris – someone who Trump said “hates Israel and will do nothing” to help Israel survive.
“Yet Shapiro, for strictly political reasons, refused to acknowledge that I am the best friend that Israel, and the Jewish people, ever had,” Trump wrote. “I have done more for Israel than any President, and frankly, I have done more for Israel than any person, and it’s not even close. Shapiro has done nothing for Israel, and never will.”
Shapiro, who is Jewish, was among the final contenders for Harris’ vice-presidential running-mate before Harris ultimately picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. White House spokesman Herbie Ziskend, in a statement, called it “Antisemitic, dangerous, and hurtful to attack a fellow American by calling out their Jewish faith in a derogatory way, or perpetuating the centuries-old smear of ‘dual loyalty.’”
Ziskend added: “President Biden and Vice President Harris believe we must come together as Americans to condemn and combat Antisemitism – and hate and bigotry of all kinds.”
– Joey Garrison
It's been no 1968.
The prospect that massive protests over the war in Gaza would dominate the Democratic National Convention and bring mayhem to the streets of Chicago both energized supporters and instilled unease in others.
But headlines out of Chicago instead have been splashed with Democratic enthusiasm for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz . The Gaza protests and marches, which attracted thousands of passionate demonstrators, have been significantly smaller than organizers predicted.
There's still one night to go, with the highest stakes yet for both the anti-war movement and the Chicago authorities as Harris formally accepts her party's nomination for president.
– Sophie Carson, Terry Collins, Michael Loria, Tamia Fowlkes and Trevor Hughes
The convention will air live on its website , from the United Center in Chicago between 7 p.m to 11 p.m. ET (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT) Tuesday through Thursday.
USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube each night of the DNC, Monday through Thursday.
– Gabe Hauari
In a high-rise building overlooking the Chicago River downtown, Democratic Party advocates made the case Tuesday that business leaders should step up their opposition to GOP-led threats to U.S. democracy – not for moral reasons, but economic ones.
“The other party right now is so unpredictable,” said Rhett Buttle, an entrepreneur and advocate. “I think it’s a question of stability in business, and normal rule-making, or potentially chaotic markets.”
In courting the business community, Democrats have a steep hill to climb. The GOP broadly supports an agenda of low taxes and light regulation.
While President Joe Biden’s big-spend infusions into the U.S. economy have been welcomed by some industries, he and other Democrats have taken a more aggressive tone towards large companies, blaming corporate greed for some of Americans’ affordability issues. Vice President Kamala Harris recently announced a proposal to ban price-gouging in the food and grocery industries.
Daniella Ballou-Aares leads the Leadership Now Project, a business group focused on “protecting American democracy.” She said executives are split between the two parties, and argued the prospect of an authoritarian turn is making some in that group nervous.
“Do business leaders like all Democratic policies? No,” she said. “But are they scared of a leader who’s gonna go after his enemies, and reward his friends, and turn us into a banana republic? Turns out they don’t like that.”
– Laura Gersony
During the Republican National Convention last month, Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s support for anti-monopoly measures set off a flurry of messaging from Democrats, as they sought to reassure voters that they, not the GOP, are the party of workers and economic progressivism.
Speaking in Chicago on Thursday, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar suggested those shifting fault lines could be a good thing for antitrust-minded Democrats.
“There is a lot of competition about competition,” Klobuchar said. “When you look through history, that actually is what’s gotten things going. … When you’ve got some buy-in from both sides.”
Vance, the Republicans’ vice presidential nominee, has praised the current Federal Trade Commission Chair, Lina Khan, who is controversial even among Democrats for her strong anti-monopoly intervention.
So far, Vice President Kamala Harris has signaled she will embrace a populist economic platform, arguing large corporations have helped drive Americans’ affordability issues. Though key details of her platform remain in flux: some of Harris' big donors have been pushing her to replace Khan.
Authorities are still investigating whether saboteurs put insects into a breakfast buffet for delegates at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, sickening one person.
Speaking to reporters Thursday morning, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling declined to discuss specifics of the investigation at the Fairmont Chicago hotel. Last month, Gaza war activists released insects at the Watergate hotel in Washington, D.C. in an effort to disrupt the stay of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
One witness staying at the Fairmont told USA TODAY the insects appeared to be crickets, while other news reports suggested maggots. Officials indicated the contamination happened around 6:45 a.m., and witnesses said all the food had been replaced within an hour.
Read more on the ongoing investigation.
— Trevor Hughes
The Chicks, the country music group formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, are expected to perform the national anthem for the final night of the Democratic convention. The group was seen doing a sound check at the United Center on Thursday afternoon.
The appearance isn’t the group’s first foray into politics. In 2003, it’s lead singer Natalie Maines said during a concert that the band was “ashamed” that President George W. Bush was from her home state of Texas.
— Karissa Waddick
The official DNC Day 4 speaker schedule lineup has not yet been released. But so far, according to USA TODAY reporting and reports from other media , the list includes:
— Gabe Hauari and Chris Sims
You didn't think Trump would stay quiet during Harris' acceptance speech, did you?
The Republican nominee has announced that he will provide running commentary on Harris' address via his Truth Social website.
"I will be doing a LIVE PLAY BY PLAY," Trump said early Thursday on Truth Social, later adding: "We will start at 10 P.M., Eastern, and be covering and commenting on some of the earlier Speeches made, prior to hers."
— David Jackson
Former GOP presidential candidate and Trump campaign surrogate Vivek Ramaswamy held a news conference Thursday at Trump Tower in Chicago ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris' speech on the last day of the Democratic National Convention.
Ramaswamy addressed a packed room to bash Harris' border policies.
"If only (Democrats) cared as much about keeping illegals out of our country as they do keeping their own left wing protestors out of their own convention," he said. "From one kid of legal immigrants to this country to another, my message to (Harris) is 'shame on you.'"
Ramaswamy called on Harris to apologize to the families of Americans killed by undocumented immigrants during her speech.
"She has an opportunity... to have a spine," Ramaswamy said. "If she doesn't, it'll tell you all you need to know."
— Sam Woodward
Georgia's delegate roll call at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday included a star cameo: Lil Jon .
Each state was introduced by a DJ at the convention before announcing how their delegates cast their vote (even though the formal nomination has already happened ). When Georgia was called on to cast their votes, the cameras panned to Lil Jon atop the United Center stadium stairs in Chicago.
"YEEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHHH," the Atlanta rapper said as the intro to " Turn Down for What ," played on the speaker.
– Kinsey Crowley
The group Muslim Women for Harris-Walz announced it is disbanding after the campaign refused a request from the uncommitted movement to give a Palestinian American a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention.
"We cannot in good conscience continue Muslim Women for Harris-Walz," the group said in a statement. "We pray that the DNC and VP Harris’ team makes the right decision before this convention is over. For the sake of each of us.”
The uncommitted movement has for months pushed Democratic leaders to implement an arms embargo to Israel and work toward a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Delegates from the group organized a sit-in outside of the convention on Wednesday, saying they would stay put until Harris' campaign allowed a Palestinian speaker on stage.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
— Karissa Waddick
In the story of Kamala Harris’ life, her mother steals the show. The vice president would have it no other way.
“Mommy, you are the star of this book because you are the reason for everything,” Harris wrote in her 2019 memoir “The Truths We Hold.” “There is no title or honor on earth I’ll treasure more than to say I am Shyamala Gopalan Harris’ daughter.”
Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher who died in 2009 at age 70 of colon cancer, won't see her daughter accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president on Thursday, but she will be a strong presence.
Gopalan set out on her own across the world at the age of 19, defying her native culture. She raised two girls to identify both with her own background and one that was totally alien to her. She encouraged them to excel and exceed expectations but not leave others behind. And she did it all while performing important scientific work of her own.
Read more on Harris and her mother's legacy in her life.
— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
DNC schedule Thursday: See full list of events, where to watch Democratic convention
Fresh off his convention floor speech, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joked with Minnesota Democrats that Thursday was an important day.
"Look, it's an important day. The eyes of the world are focused on this day because it's the day that the Minnesota State Fair opens up," Walz told delegates at the Fairmont Chicago.
Walz thanked his home-state delegates for supporting him and his wife Gwen in recent weeks.
"We're ready to take the Minnesota values that you all taught us," Walz said. "Everybody who I talk to across this country, when I talk to them, they want to be Minnesota."
— Jessie Balmert
Polls suggest millions of Americans are changing their presidential voting plans with Harris currently topping the Democratic ticket, signing up for who she is and what they feel she represents.
Many voters interviewed by USA TODAY find themselves surprised to be supporting the new Democratic candidate for president this year, swept up in the excitement and "vibes" of her campaign.
There are at least four distinct groups of Harris supporters: The Democrats who would have voted for whoever their party put at the top of the ticket; the Democrats who weren't sure they would have bothered to vote for Biden, but are enthusiastically behind Harris; the undecideds who have come down on the side of Harris; and the former Trump supporters who are excited about someone new.
Read what Americans are saying about the Harris campaign.
— Terry Collins, Deborah Barfield Berry and Trevor Hughes
Amanda Gorman, the country's first national youth poet laureate, delivered a poem that drew applause and cheers from the audience at the Democratic convention on Wednesday night.
Gorman debuted a new poem called "This Sacred Scene".
“Only now approaching this rare air are we aware that perhaps the American Dream is no dream at all, but instead a dare to dream together,” she said in one of her lines.
Comedian Kenan Thompson took the stage to continue criticizing Project 2025, a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation for potential new Republican administration, though Trump has continually denied association with the it.
“You ever seen a document that can kill a small animal and democracy at the same time?” the comedian said while holding a large hardback copy of the project.
— Sudiksha Kochi, Amaris Ecinas and Savannah Kuchar
As President Joe Biden gave a tearful goodbye to the Democratic Party this week, a liberated Kamala Harris stepped out of his shadow and commandeered the national stage .
The handoff at the Democratic convention, one of several Biden farewells, was a visceral example of how the country is changing, with the first Black and Asian American woman topping a presidential ballot.
Now, Harris has less than three months to convince the rest of America to entrust her with a four-year presidential term. She has raced to lay out an agenda that hits on Americans’ most pressing problems that excites the party’s base and is palatable to moderates.
After years of quiet inroads on issues she cares about without undermining the president’s agenda, the pressure is on for Harris to provide a detailed vision of her own coming out of the party’s four-day gathering in Chicago.
Read more as Harris prepares for her acceptance speech tonight.
— Francesca Chambers and Rebecca Morin
Donald Trump wouldn't say whether he has spoken with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in recent days, but made clear he would welcome an endorsement from the independent candidate.
"If he endorsed me, I would be honored by it — I would be very honored by it," Trump said during an early morning interview on "Fox & Friends" otherwise devoted to attacking Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Trump praised Kennedy during the Fox interview, quite a change from earlier this year when he denounced the independent candidate as a "Radical Left Liberal" whose candidacy would hurt him and help the Democrats.
Kennedy is expected to withdraw from the presidential race later this week.
Jewish Democrats have had their party loyalties tested this election year as the left flank's support for the plight of the Palestinians has, at times, seemed to have taken on anti-Semitic undertones in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent Gaza war that's led to an estimated 40,000 Palestinian deaths .
The pushback from the left has been on display during protests at this week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago , where Democrats nominated Vice President Kamala Harris for president .
The split among Democrats and progressives over the war in Gaza is partly generational − with even some young Jewish Americans opposing Israel's war in Gaza. The right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has caused some younger Jewish Americans to push back at Israel.
A Pew Research Center poll in March found that 42% of American Jews between the ages of 18 years old and 34 believe the way Israel is carrying out its war against Hamas is "unacceptable." Only 27% of Jewish Americans ages 50 to 64 years old said it is "unacceptable."
Read more on the divisions facing some Democrats.
— Joey Garrison and Rebecca Morin
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz , the vice-presidential running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris , has spoken openly and lovingly about his neurodivergent 17-year-old son Gus, who has ADHD , along with a non-verbal learning disorder and an anxiety disorder. Walz and his wife, Gwen, both former teachers, said recently in a statement to People magazine that they never considered Gus’ conditions an obstacle.
When Walz delivered his acceptance speech inside the packed United Center arena Wednesday night, Gus watched from the audience with his mother and sister, Hope, and sobbed.
“Hope, Gus and Gwen – you are my entire world, and I love you,” Walz said.
Gus Walz sprung from his seat, moved by his father's words.
He pointed his index finger, saying "I love you, dad."
Read more about Gus and how advocates for Americans with learning disabilities believe the Walz family's openness about their son and their willingness to speak publicly about the experience will raise much-needed visibility that could help others who are going through similar issues.
— Michael Collins
Walz hometown view: Locals at DNC watch party cheer on their former football coach
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz played up his role as the everyman on the Democratic ticket on Wednesday night by talking about his time as a high school teacher and coach while accepting his party's nomination for vice president.
Taking the stage as the night's keynote speaker, Walz revved up the crowd by bragging about his policy record as governor. He talked up cutting prescription drug costs and establishing free school lunch for students while defending abortion rights and establishing firearm regulations. But the 60-year-old Democrat also underscored how the heart of his progressive values — and differences with the Republican ticket — are about respecting others.
Here are the key takeaways from Wednesday night:
— Phillip M. Bailey and Joey Garrison
Call him Coach.
Never mind that Tim Walz has been governor of Minnesota for the past five years and a congressman for a dozen years before that. As he seeks a promotion to vice president, he chose a folksier introduction Wednesday to Americans who had no idea who he was until Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate two weeks ago.
Not a pol, not at heart. Instead, a husband and father, a deer hunter and a car guy, a social studies teacher and a basketball coach from the Gopher State who helped turn his high-school team from losers to state champions.
"I haven't given a lot of big speeches like this, but I have given a lot of pep talks, so let me finish with this," Walz declared to cheers as he accepted the vice-presidential nomination on the third night of the Democratic National Convention. "It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal, but we're on offense and we've got the ball."
Read more on Walz and his acceptance speech.
— Susan Page
Chicago Police and the FBI are investigating if saboteurs placed bugs in a breakfast buffet prepared for delegates at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.
One witness told USA TODAY the creatures appeared to be crickets while other reports suggested maggots. The incident took place at Fairmont Hotel, where delegates from Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri and South Dakota are staying.
"Multiple unknown female offenders are alleged to have entered a building...and began placing unknown objects onto tables containing food," the convention's information center said in a statement.
— Dan Morrison and Trevor Hughes
The biggest name, of course, is Vice President Kamala Harris who will give her acceptance speech as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.
Other speakers include a group of Tennessee lawmakers known as the Tennessee Three, who rose to national prominence last year after facing an expulsion vote from legislative Republicans in the Volunteer State.
— Duane W. Gang
Here's a look at the full schedule for the 2024 DNC for Thursday .
Note: All times listed are in Central Time.
— Gabe Hauari
The DNC is scheduled to run August 19-22 at the United Center in Chicago.
The convention is in Chicago, just 90 miles south of Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention was recently held.
The Democratic Party has held a national convention every four years since 1832 to nominate its chosen candidates, and Chicago has a storied history of hosting conventions on both sides of the political aisle dating back to 1860, with the nomination of Abraham Lincoln.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times , this will be the Windy City’s 26th political convention.
— Maya Homan
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Write down any relevant achievements, expertise, or credentials to include in your speech. Encourage the audience to connect with you using relatable anecdotes or common interests. Rehearse and Edit. Practice your introduction speech to ensure it flows smoothly and stays within the time frame.
9. It's in the news. Take headlines from what's trending in media you know the audience will be familiar with and see. Using those that relate to your speech topic as the opening of your speech is a good way to grab the attention of the audience. It shows how relevant and up-to-the-minute the topic is. For example:
Example: "Good afternoon, everyone.". 2. Self-Introduction (if introducing yourself) State your name and your role or position. Example: "My name is [Your Name], and I am [your position, e.g., 'the new marketing manager'].". 3. Purpose of the Speech. Explain why you are speaking and the context of the event.
3. Inspire your audience with storytelling. A particularly powerful way to start is to share a story or personal real life experience with your audience at the beginning of your presentation. With a personal story, you create compelling moments and build an emotional connection with your audience.
The job of an introduction speech is to: introduce your guest speaker, give them a warm welcome, and create ready-and-motivated-to-listen anticipation in the audience. Essentially you are the warm-up act. Your task is to focus and unite the audience members, to get them ready for what is to come. Return to Top.
4. Make them laugh. Injecting a little humor into your opening line puts everyone at ease and makes your speech more memorable. Just make sure your joke is relevant and doesn't offend your audience. Example: "They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit!". 5.
The introduction of a speech is incredibly important because it needs to establish the topic and purpose, set up the reason your audience should listen to you and set a precedent for the rest of the speech. ... As public speaking professors and authors, we have seen many students give otherwise good speeches that seem to fall apart at the end ...
Here are 26 different techniques for beginning your speech: 1. Use a quote. One method of starting a speech and gaining the audience's attention is to use a famous or relatable quote. This approach can give your audience context for your topic and connect it to something they recognize. For instance, if you plan to give a speech on a political ...
1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557. William N. Pennington Student Achievement Center, Mailstop: 0213. [email protected]. (775) 784-6030. Get tips for creating a great introduction to your speech from the Writing & Speaking Center at the University of Nevada, Reno.
1) Thank the Organizers and Audience. You can start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak. Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience. This compliments them, makes them feel proud and happy about your presence, and ...
4) Give Them a Roadmap of Your Journey Together. So let's review. You've hooked your listeners' attention, made your topic sound intriguing, and told them how it's going to improve their lives. You're ready for the final part of your introduction: giving them a roadmap of where you'll be going together.
Establishing how your speech topic is relevant and important shows the audience why they should listen to your speech. To be an effective speaker, you should convey all three components of credibility, competence, trustworthiness, and caring/goodwill, by the content and delivery of your introduction.
See the examples below to give you an idea of how to introduce yourself while still having effective attention-getters (e.g., a rhetorical question, an anecdote, a statistic, or a bold statement). "Good morning/afternoon/evening. I'm X, and I'm here to talk about Y. To begin, I'd like to share a story…".
Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary. Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you. 4. Mohammed Qahtani.
Typical Patterns for Speech Openings. Get the audience's attention-called a hook or a grabber. Establish rapport and tell the audience why you care about the topic of why you are credible to speak on the topic. Introduce the speech thesis/preview/good idea. Tell the audience why they should care about this topic.
5. Keep it brief and simple. It's usually a good idea to keep your introductory speech brief and simple so listeners can remember what you say more easily and stay focused on your presentation. Try to use language familiar to your audience, and offer brief explanations of jargon that may be unfamiliar to them.
Download Article. 1. Make an outline of your speech. Start by making a skeletal draft of your main points. Strip the speech down to its bare bones to determine what is most important to say, and in what order you should deliver those facts. This is the basic structure which you will build your speech around.
Begin your introduction speech with an attention-grabbing statement that shocks the audience into focusing on what you have to say. Sometimes called the pace and lead approach, you issue a startling statement and then lead your audience to how such a statement can be resolved. "When I was 15 I was in an auto accident that left me unable to ...
The speech introduction is the first part of a speech and the first opportunity to grab the audience's attention. The speaker should state the topic, make it relatable to the audience, establish credibility and preview the main points. ... Tell the audience members the point of view you want them to adopt, and give them a preview of the main ...
If you can, try to visit the venue where you will be delivering the speech ahead of time. You will get a sense of the placement of the audience, the lighting and any necessary technology beforehand. 4. Reduce any stress. Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, but it is easily mastered with practice.
Full Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLALQuK1NDrgwpES8nSyafhfg6MOAhk7k--Watch more Public Speaking Training videos: http://www.howcast.com/v...
The best way to introduce a speaker, and pro tips for when you have to provide or write your own introduction. Public Speaking Coach Marianna gives you easy, straightforward methods for both. ... 2-Minute Tips: How to Introduce Yourself (and Other People) Before a Speech. Pro Tips Public Speaking Presentation Skills 2-Minute Tips Voice Memos ...
Self introduction speech tutorial including twelve speech topics for effective presenting and a sample outline to introduce your personal features briefly to all intents and purposes. In other words: tell who you are and what you are about, and what you desire greatly they know about you. ... Give some background information. Tell why it is ...
1: Giving an Introduction Speech 3 Organizing Your Speech Organizing a speech is probably the single most important task of a good presenter. If your speech is well organized, the audience members will likely be able to follow you, even if your grammar and pronunciation are not totally accurate. As you work
Self-Introduction Speech for High Schoolers. Give new classmates an in or let people know that you're just like them so you can make friends once you find the cafeteria. "Hey everyone, I'm [Your Name]. I'm new here, so please go easy on me if I can't find my way to the cafeteria. A few facts about me: I love music and play the guitar -- it's ...
Rather, she turned her wrath most on Donald Trump in her 35-minute speech — roughly a third of the length of his rambling, discordant convention address — painting in granular detail an ...
1. Harris introduced herself to America. This was, by far, the most important speech of Harris' political career, and it was in front of the biggest audience she's ever spoken to — not the ...
In his subsequent speech, Mr. Obama continued the attack, comparing Mr. Trump to "the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day," constantly ...
'A dad in plaid' Walz speech: Democrats went into overdrive to convey that Walz is a regular small-town dude living down the road, with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar introducing her home-state ...