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Moments Away, Final Night of DNC Kicks Off; DNC Official Says, 100,000 Balloons Set to Drop at End of Harris Speech; Tonight, Harris Accepts Historic Nomination at DNC. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired August 22, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In America's second city, a historic first, a woman of color set to accept a major party's presidential nomination, reintroducing herself to the nation and offering new hope for Democrats on election day.
Tonight in Chicago, Kamala Harris puts forward her vision for America. One of the most consequential and tradition-shattering presidential contests ever entering an urgent new phase, with these high-profile speakers in the spotlight, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Vice President Harris accepting her nomination.
The final night of the Democratic National Convention begins on CNN right now.
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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We are live here in Chicago for the convention finale, the high-stakes speech by Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris. Delegates are gathering -- thousands of delegates are gathering inside the hall where tonight's climactic session is about to get underway.
Welcome to this special edition of The Situation Room. I'm Wolf Blitzer near the convention floor along with Erin Burnett in the CNN Skybox above the convention hall. Erin, after three nights of very powerful appeals on behalf of the Democratic ticket, Vice President Harris will get the last word tonight.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: That's right, Wolf. In just hours, then, as this campaign begins the final night of the convention, they say the vice president has three main objectives in her speech tonight, which she has been working on.
First, she wants to share her personal story and her record with people. She also wants to contrast her vision with that of Donald Trump's and underscore how her policies and views are rooted in patriotism. But Democrats, Wolf, want to seize the concept, idea of patriotism back for the Democratic Party. Now, warming up the crowd before Harris' speech will be pop superstar Pink. We had the honor of seeing her do her sound check, which was really special. It is the first time Pink has ever performed in a political setting like this. And, Wolf, we're going to see more celebrities and political stars on this closing night.
BLITZER: And we're all anxious to see if there's a big surprise coming up tonight as well. Our CNN team will cover it all for us, including Jeff Zeleny, who's near the convention stage, Sara Sidner and Kaitlan Collins, they're reporting from the convention floor.
Let's go to Kaitlan right now. Kaitlan, set the scene for us on this huge night for Kamala Harris.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, let me tell you, I have been on this convention floor every single night since Monday when things got started here at the United Center in Chicago. Tonight, it is already filling up in here, more packed than it has been at this hour than any other night this week. You can see all of the delegates here, all of the surrogates, all of the allies that have been invited here to attend this convention already filling up.
You'll notice a lot of people here are wearing white, Wolf, including me. I did not know, but everyone is wearing white in honor of the fact that it is a female nominee who is going to be speaking tonight, making her case to the American people, not just the delegates here who obviously clearly support her. We've seen the joy and just the real momentum behind her this week from the stage, but they are wearing white, the color of the suffragette movement.
It is not just women. We have seen a lot of men wearing white suits here as well, Wolf, it is definitely as well. Wolf. It is definitely the color. There's even some white hard hats for union workers who are supporting Harris, as you can see here. And, Wolf, yes, it's just so much more crowded here than it has been every other night.
The last thing, Wolf, of course, it is the final night of the convention, which means that after Vice President Harris finishes speaking from that stage tonight, there is going to be the balloon drop. And what we're told right now, if you look up at the rafters, you can see all of the balloons that are up there. And we're told by a DNC official it is 100,000 red, white and blue balloons that a team of staffers have been working on. They actually put them together on the second floor put them into the nets and then hoisted them up to the top. So, you will see that the classic convention ending after Vice President Harris finishes making her speech.
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She'll be joined by her family on stage. Then you will see the balloon drop.
But, Wolf, of course, it is that speech that everyone is watching so closely. We've heard from her friends, her allies, her surrogates, her running mate, her husband. Tonight, it is Harris' turn to make her case to the American people, Wolf. BLITZER: All right. Kaitlan, thank you very much.
M.J. Lee is also here in the convention hall. M.J., you just got, I understand, some new information on Vice President Kamala Harris' speech tonight.
M.J. LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. In her acceptance speech tonight, the vice president is going to be paying tribute to one man who will not be in the arena, and that is President Joe Biden. We are told by sources that she is going to be honoring the president, but exactly how she is going to do that, they would not say. Of course, her remarks, which I was told, was done as of this afternoon, really have been kept under tight wraps heading into this evening.
The president, of course, is not going to be here. He spoke on the first night of the convention to pass the proverbial torch to the vice president and is currently vacationing in Southern California.
Now, somebody else that the vice president is going to be paying tribute to tonight is her mother, Shamala. This is no surprise. She often speaks about her mother and the profound influence that she has had on her life, every big decision she has had to make, very influential in how she sees the world. A campaign official telling us that the vice president is going to tell her story of being raised by a working mother in a middle class neighborhood.
This is just a good reminder, Wolf, heading into tonight, that despite the fact that Harris has been vice president for the last three and a half years, she really does see tonight as an opportunity to tell her story in her own words. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right, M.J., good reporting. Thanks very, very much.
And let's discuss what's going on. Kasie, let me start with you, first of all. What are the main themes you think she wants to say tonight in trying to reintroduce herself to the American people?
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Wolf, I think it's important to remember this is the biggest stage that Kamala Harris is going to have all to herself before voters go to the polls in November. We're likely to see her on a debate stage with Donald Trump, but that's just not going to be the same kind of opportunity she has here to speak directly to millions.
And we know from her team that she's got a couple significant themes that she wants to lay out. I think the one that I'm most interested in hearing is her biography, her background. She's going to portray herself as someone who grew up with a middle class life, who worked at McDonald's, who didn't go to fancy Ivy League schools. Some of the things in her background and her way of being are simply a contrast to what the other side of the aisle potentially offers.
And to the extent that she is able to make sure that she delivers on what this convention has provided her an opportunity to do, which is to continue this enthusiasm, to not make any significant mistakes or anything along those lines, she, I think, has the real possibility to come out of this convention with the enthusiasm as high as it's ever been.
CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: I think that's going to be the first part of the speech intro. You say, reintroducing herself, to a large degree, introducing herself because people didn't pay all that much attention to her, even when she was the vice presidential nominee.
The second part of the speech, aides say, is going to be called new way forward. And, you know, that's very important. They really want to give the sense. They're turning the page, not just on Donald Trump and his time in office, but to a certain degree, in a loyal way, on Joe Biden and his administration.
So, they're going to have a sharp contrast with Donald Trump, especially the 2025 Project. But in addition, I think she's going to set some markers out in terms of policy on immigration, on economics, on crime, kinds of issues that we know that Donald Trump is going to hit her on, on how she would be different than a second Joe Biden term.
The other thing that's so interesting, she's been working really hard on this speech. She's also been working really hard on delivering this speech. And I'm told that she has had a set of teleprompters and that she's been traveling the country going to all these swing states, they set up the teleprompters at a podium in her hotel suite and she gives the speech. And she's been under a lot of coaching about, you know, how to give a speech.
Interestingly enough, we were told that Tim Walz, the vice presidential candidate, had never spoken with a teleprompter, and I thought he hit it out of the park last night. So, Kamala Harris has got a show with a lot more experience with a teleprompter. She can do as well as a running mate.
HUNT: After that, I thought, man, has he really never used a teleprompter before? Because you're right, it is a good story.
Wolf, I think one of the things here on her performance, right, I mean, one of the reasons why President Biden took as long as he did, the reporting is that he was concerned about how Kamala Harris would perform. He was asking, initially telling aides, Kamala Harris can't win. And then that evolved into asking people, can Kamala Harris win?
And I think one of the things, if you covered -- I covered her bid when she was running in the primary in 2019, I covered her in the Senate before that when she first came to Washington, you could see the evolution.
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You could see how she got better at answering reporters' questions in the hallways in the Senate, where initially she was nervous about doing it. And then she started stepping out farther and farther.
And there were a lot of questions, I think, about how much she had learned since her primary bid in 2019. Was she ready for a campaign for a moment like the one that she's going to have tonight? And I think so far on the trail, the answer has been yes. And I think if she can answer that again with a yes tonight, it's going to put a lot of those concerns to rest.
WALLACE: Well, I just want to report, one of the services I've been providing to you each night is what the ratings are at this convention as compared to the Republican Convention. The ratings are in -- the overall ratings for all the networks, all the cable news channels for day three last night, 20 million people watched the Democratic National Convention night three of the Republican Convention in Milwaukee, last month, 18 million. So, three nights in a row, more people watched the Democratic Convention than watched the equivalent night of Donald Trump's convention, which, I suspect, and for a guy that pays a lot of attention to T.V. ratings, is driving him nuts.
BLITZER: Yes, I think you're absolutely right. He's not very happy about those ratings, to be sure.
The curtain goes up very, very soon on this closing night of the Democratic Convention. We're standing by for the call to order just minutes from now, and it's all leading up to Kamala Harris' historic acceptance speech. You'll see every big moment. That's all coming up live.
Stay with us. You're watching the DNC on CNN.
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BURNETT: And it is here. It is the final night of the Democratic National Convention about to kick off here in Chicago. And it is the big finale. Kamala Harris just hours away from formally accepting the nomination for the Democratic Party just one month after launching her campaign. Every single aspect of this is history-making.
Let's go to CNN's Kaitlan Collins down on the convention floor, joined by the Democratic senator, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. Kaitlan?
COLLINS: Yes. Thank you, Erin. I am here with the senator. We are standing in the Nevada delegation, so this is where she will be watching all the speeches tonight.
You spoke on stage the other night, and it was really interesting because what we're going to hear from Vice President Harris tonight, a lot of people in this room know her, but a lot of people at home may not. You know, she has been in Biden's shadow for four years. Obviously, that is the role of a vice president. You have known her personally for a really long time. How do you want to talk about her bio, her personal life to get Americans to be more familiar with her tonight on that stage?
SEN. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO (D-NV): Yes. I, what you're seeing now and the information that is coming out is the Kamala that I know, strong. She's has the ability to lead this country. She's capable, she's intelligent, but she's also compassionate and she cares about people and she cares about our working families. She wants to make sure everybody has that opportunity to get ahead.
That's the Kamala I worked with as attorney general as we were fighting the big banks to help our families that were losing their homes or protecting our communities from the drug smugglers and human traffickers. It was about who was being victimized, who was being hurt, and how do we ensure that they have every opportunity. So, really, that's what you see playing out in this convention.
But along with that, there's this hope and joy that we've got a future to look forward to, where an administration is really going to fight for our families, create jobs, grow our economy, and really address the issues that working families and individuals are dealing with right now.
COLLINS: Yes. Thank you so much, Senator. And, Erin, as the Senator was just noting, you were standing here in the Nevada delegation, you can see how crowded this convention hall is already. It has not been like this every other hour at this time of day, but you can see everyone is here filling in their seats, because they are all here to see the headliner tonight. Erin?
BURNETT: All right, Kaitlan, thank you very much. And, John King, that is what it comes down to. As Kaitlan said, it is full down there and it is full earlier than it has been, because nobody wants to miss the main event because they're stuck in a security line.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rule number one on the final night, this is my 20th convention, the fire marshal's going to have to close that floor at some point. It's going to reach capacity. So, you show up early. And why do you show up? Because this -- one thing matters tonight. No offense to anybody else speaking tonight, anyone else who has spoken, the rest of the days, they are --
BURNETT: Or anyone else performing, no matter how superstar they may be?
KING: Well, they're important for the energy. They are important for the energy. But the most important thing tonight is Vice President Harris takes step one of the most critical two-step process of her life. She has the ball right now. To borrow Coach Walz's metaphor last night, the Democrats do have the ball. Their convention was later, which has shortened the clock and has shortened the field. She has the ball and she's the quarterback. Think of it that way in the sports metaphor. They have a slight lead maybe in the race, or they're tied, if you look at the battleground states. They're raising money off the charts, new donors, small donors. It's mind blowing and breathtaking.
Can she present herself as a center left president, as an acceptable president tonight? That is the challenge. And she does it solo tonight. She has an hour or so on that stage to reintroduce herself to the American people to say, despite what Donald Trump says, I'm not scary. This is what I'll continue from Joe Biden. Here's what I'll be different. She has to address the economy. She has to address immigration. And if she can do that tonight, present herself as a reasonable, rational, center left president, then 19 days from now, she will have the second step of that process. She will stand next to Donald Trump on a debate stage.
And if she still has the ball then, if the Democrats still control the ball then, a lot of people, even Republicans are saying today, they're applauding what's happening here. They think the Democrats have run a good convention. Democrats are worried about the shorter field and the shorter clock, as long as she keeps the ball in her hands.
BURNETT: Jamie, you know, we have heard words to describe her. You just heard the senator there use the word strong. Laphonza Butler, who's known her for 15 years, had been appointed as senator from California. Just used the words for me, prepared, determined.
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She also added the word loving. It is so fascinating when you look at people describe a woman. How is it that you want to describe a woman who would take on the most powerful job in the world?
And one of the other words that we have heard again and again, like strong, is tough, from Tim Walz on, let's just listen to what we've heard on the stage this week.
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GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Kamala Harris is tough.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): She's tough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's tough.
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): Someone that is tough.
DOUG EMHOFF, U.S. SECOND GENTLEMAN: Kamala is as tough as it comes.
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BURNETT: It has been fascinating to watch this.
JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, we've had hope, we've had joy. Let me talk about tough for a minute. Forty years ago, this is the anniversary of Walter Mondale picking Geraldine Ferraro to be his vice president. And I will confess, I was one of the people, one of the reporters who asked Jerry Ferraro the question about, are you tough enough for this job, to have your finger on the button, to have the nuclear codes in your pocket? It does go along with the job.
BURNETT: It does.
DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And I think also, you know, poll after poll after poll that we've seen, Trump beats -- Republicans beat Democrats on who is stronger, who is tougher, who's better.
BURNETT: And that's good for the parties. That's why this, that they wanted to seize back the patriotism.
URBAN: They got to get that narrative. They got to get the, we're tough enough, we're strong, we could face down enemies. Don't worry about the national scene. Don't worry about the border. We are tough enough to handle these things. Trump has dominated that narrative to- date. That's why it's really important for her to come out here today and project that.
And at John's point, those 19 days from this convention to that first debate, she's going to have to answer some questions from reporters. So, can she do that as well? I'd say that's the second step, John, on the way to three. And if she can do that, if she can come out here and present an alternative, answer questions, show up in the debate, they're going a long way to making this an even closer race.
ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, she's tough, but more importantly, she's smart. And you want someone who can make smart decisions in really tough situations. And I think that is the contrast Kamala Harris will paint tonight. Because there's a lot of people looking at Donald Trump, say the things he says, attack people, and say, you may be tough, but it's kind of brutish. And it's not like the guy I want when we are really doing tough negotiations with our enemies or our friends.
So, I think Kamala Harris will -- the times I have been with her, she has grilled me to do the best job I can do because she expects nothing less, and the times I have been there a little bit doubtful of myself, she says, you can do whatever you want, pushing forward. When we heard Congressman Crockett talk about that story, many of us who have interacted with the vice president have that story. She is the leader we need in this moment.
BURNETT: All right. We all hit pause. I don't know if you could hear behind me, but they were telling everyone to take their seats as this final night begins. We are just moments away from things formally kicking off here with the gavel here in Chicago as we watch.
Our special coverage continues with Wolf and myself right after a quick break.
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BLITZER: Welcome back to Chicago where the final night of the Democratic National Convention is about to get underway. The ceremonial gavel will come down shortly. We're counting down to a truly historic moment in American politics, Kamala Harris formally accepting the Democratic nomination for -resident of the United States.
I want to bring in CNN's Sara Sidner. She's on the convention floor for us alongside a special guest. Sara?
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: We are here with Stacey Johnson-Batiste. She perhaps, in all of the people in this room, knows Kamala better than anyone. She is Kamala's best friend.
And you brought a little something with us today to show how long you two have known each other. It is adorable, I warn you, Friends from the Beginning, her book. Tell me who's who in this picture.
STACEY JOHNSON-BATISTE, LONGTIME FRIEND OF KAMALA HARRIS: Exactly. So, this is me. I must have been maybe five years old. And this is Kamala. She may have been four-and-a-half or five at that time as well.
So, we first met in kindergarten and we were each other's very first best friend.
SIDNER: Okay. So throughout the years, what can you tell us about Kamala that we don't know? Not putting you on the spot or anything.
JOHNSON-BATISTE: No. I mean, all I can think of are the things that people know that she's a terrific cook. She's a lot of fun. She's extremely brilliant and a very caring, you know, compassionate, inclusive person.
But probably most importantly is that she connects with everybody. She's always been able to really connect with people. She's always been special. She's always had a magnetic personality. People have always wanted to be around her. And you just feel really good when you're around her. You know, she's very positive. She's very wise. And she's a steadfast friend.
SIDNER: You talk about the Berkeley village that raised you and Kamala. I used to live in the Bay area. I interviewed her when she was the D.A. back in 2004 and remember her. But remember that she was also quite ambitious. She wanted to rise. She wanted to do something different. Did she ever say to you when you were kids or when you were teens or in college, you know what, I'm going to be president one day?
JOHNSON-BATISTE: I don't remember that, but I do -- so I was reminded by one of Mrs. Shelton's daughters just a couple of days ago at the Shelton's daycare. So after school, I -- so I went to a Catholic school from first grade through eighth grade while Kamala went to public school, but after school, we would meet up at the Shelton's.
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And she and I were old enough to help with the nursery school kids to wake them up and to give them snacks. Well, anyway, one of the songs that the kids would sing had to do with, I can be a fireman. Yes, I can. I can be a, you know, such and such, yes, I can. And it ended with, I can be the president. Yes, I can.
So, you know, all along we've just, we grew up in an environment that, basically, you know, taught us that you could be whatever you put your mind to be. And, you know, I've always just remembered Kamala being very, very sure of herself, very responsible and just on a track to do all the right things and to excel in school and just to be a good person, you know? SIDNER: It's a beautifully said thing. I know best friends know all each other's secrets. We'll talk off-camera. But thank you so much for taking the time and showing us this adorable picture of you and Kamala as kids.
Stacey Johnson-Batiste, I appreciate you so much.
JOHNSON-BATISTE: Absolutely. Thank you, Sara. It's an honor.
SIDNER: Back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Sara, thank you very, very much.
Kasie, when I spoke a little while ago Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, he said economic concerns will be a big part of his big speech later tonight, but he also anticipates that Kamala Harris will address the economic problems facing the country as well. What do you think?
HUNT: Yes, for sure. and I think that it ties into and we're likely to hear her tie into the background that Sara was just talking to her friend about, in that she comes from a place that is very kind of relatable for a lot of Americans. She didn't have the kinds of advantages that many of our presidents, quite frankly, have had over many years.
Obviously, there have been exceptions to that rule, people who have come from different backgrounds, like Barack Obama, for example. But she has a real unique story here to tell.
And, I mean, looking at that little girl, we haven't spent a lot of time during this convention because Kamala Harris hasn't spent a lot of time dwelling on the fact that she would be the first woman president, and there are a lot of women and girls out there who feel like that glass ceiling was almost broken in 2016. It was hard for them to see what happened if they were really pulling for a woman to win that election. And they have a second chance here with Kamala Harris.
BLITZER: We are also told, Chris, that gun violence will be a major theme coming up during the course of tonight. Gabby Giffords and other survivors of gun violence will be speaking. How do you think Kamala Harris will address this very, very sensitive, but critically important issue?
WALLACE: Well, it's interesting because they're giving the opening prayers, so I don't want to talk too loudly, but, you know, they've been talking about freedom a lot, and people immediately think of reproductive freedom. But, in fact, one of the things that some of the speakers have talked about is the freedom for your kids to be able to go to school without worrying about violence.
And one of the things that I thought that the Republican convention made more use of, and more effectively than the Democrats have so far, is what both sides call EDAs, every day Americans, and the idea of real people dealing with real problems. But they are going to do that tonight. And not only Gabby Giffords, who obviously suffered that horrific gun attack in Arizona a few years ago, but they're going to have other victims of gun violence to make the point that they believe the Democrats are much more proactive and forward-looking about controlling access to guns and access to guns by unstable people than the Republicans are.
BLITZER: Yes, it's a critically important issue.
Everybody stand by. We're standing by for new information on what Vice President Kamala Harris will say in her speech tonight, and how hard she will go after Donald Trump. Up next, we'll talk with one of tonight's prominent primetime speakers, former Republican Congressman and former January 6th Select Committee Member Adam Kinzinger.
There's much more coming up. We're live here in Chicago.
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BLITZER: You're watching the DNC on CNN, the final session of the week just dabbling in here in Chicago. We're standing by for a truly historic night, all culminating with Kamala Harris delivering the biggest speech of her political career.
When the vice president takes the stage, will Donald Trump be watching?
CNN's Kristen Holmes has the answer for us. Kristen, what are you hearing from your sources in the Trump campaign?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, if I'm told Donald Trump is expected to watch that speech in real time and respond on Truth Social in real time.
Now, I do want to give one caveat, which is that Donald Trump has said this before, that he's going to respond to something on a social media platform and then not done it. However, it seems as though he is very invested in Vice President Kamala Harris' speech. He has been watching several of the speeches, a lot of them taking place while he's been on the plane going home from his various events this week. He's also been shown clips of various speeches. We even heard him reacting earlier in the week to the Obama speeches, essentially saying that they were the ones who get personal. She's not the one -- he's not the one who actually gets personal.
So, we'll see if he responds, but we do know that he and his team are watching to see what she says very closely.
BLITZER: All right. Kristen Holmes reporting for us, Kristen, thanks very much.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins is on the convention floor with one of tonight's prime time speakers, the former Republican congressman, Adam Kinzinger. Kaitlan, go ahead. COLLINS: Yes, well, if you wouldn't typically see a Republican given a primetime speaking slot at a Democratic convention, but that is exactly what's going to happen here tonight, Adam Kinzinger, tell us who you're going to be trying to reach during your speech tonight.
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ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I'm going to be reaching out to independents and to disaffected Republicans. This is that group that, you know, 20 percent of Republicans that were still voting for Nikki Haley even after she dropped out that, you know, are struggling but just can't get on board with Donald Trump. There's a home for them here.
We don't have to agree on all the issues, we know. But democracy is at stake. That's a very important thing. And Ukraine is a very important issue as well.
COLLINS: And do you think those moderate Republicans are listening? I mean, I watched when Geoff Duncan, the former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, got up. This is the Georgia delegation right behind us. I mean, the cheers in here were so loud for him, which obviously typically would not be the case. And he was kind of making the argument that just because you vote for a Democrat in November doesn't mean you're a Democrat. It means you're a patriot. How do you make that argument, though, and drive it home with people who maybe have never voted for a Democrat in their life?
KINZINGER: Yes. I mean, look, it's tough to do because we've been, really through our society, kind of inculcated to believe you have to identify as a Republican or Democrat and you can never stray. Well, the Republican Party has left what the Republican Party used to be. Look at what I believe and how I would vote today, no different than what it would have been probably ten years ago. But the party's very different now. And so it's just -- yes, it's tough, but get there.
COLLINS: Yes, Congressman, stand by. I want to, we're going to listen to this video that's playing right here. We'll come right back in a moment.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- national model.
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: But, yes, you did commit a crime, accept it, own up to it, and then let's talk about what we can do to change the circumstances going forward.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lowering recidivism rates for nonviolent offenders from 54 percent to 10 percent, giving people the training they needed to find a job after their sentence.
ESTA SOLER, WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S ADVOATE: I remember being so struck by having a district attorney who cared both about justice, about safety and accountability, but figuring out how to stop that crime from happening again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As California's attorney general, she targeted transnational gangs and drug cartels, seized 10,000 kilos of cocaine and 12,000 pounds of methamphetamine, went after drug traffickers and took 12,000 illegal guns off the streets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The new foreclosure crisis threatens to freeze up --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She took on the nation's five largest mortgage banks that were stealing from homeowners.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Prosecutors claim they've duped desperate homeowners into paying thousands of dollars to get them out of foreclosure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She played hardball and delivered a landmark $20 billion settlement.
HARRIS: This represents one of the largest amounts to come to California.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And in 2016, the people of California sent her to represent them in Washington, D.C. In the Senate, she earned a reputation for taking on the tough fights on the judiciary and intelligence committees.
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): Kamala hit the ground running. She came in with confidence. She was always respectful, but she would not let a witness off easily.
WILLIAM BARR, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL: I wouldn't --
HARRIS: Yes or no?
WARNER: And if an argument didn't hold water, she could spot that flaw and get at it.
HARRIS: I do want you to be honest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not able to be rushed this fast. It makes me nervous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And when Joe Biden went looking for his vice president --
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I wanted someone who was strong and who was ready to be president on day one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As vice president, she worked to cap insulin costs for seniors at $35, to replace lead pipes and provide clean water for communities, and she helped create 16 million jobs.
JAMES WILLIAMS JR., GENERAL PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL UNION PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRADES: The Biden-Harris bipartisan infrastructure bill Has already created thousands of jobs for our members. That is what the future looks like under a President Kamala Harris.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She fought to reduce the trauma of gun violence that has devastated our nation.
HARRIS: How many of you guys as college students had to have a drill during high school or middle school or elementary school where you learned about how you need to hide in a closet or crouch in a corner in the event that there is a mass shooter roaming the hallways of your school? Look at that. Look at that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And she did more than talk the talk. She walked the walk, helping pass the first bipartisan legislation in 30 years to curb gun violence.
QUAVO, RAPPER: So, one thing I learned about working with Vice President Harris is she always stand on business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has traveled the world to strengthen our national security and restore our global leadership, meeting with more than 150 heads of state. She stood shoulder to shoulder with our allies and stood up to dictators helping to unite NATO behind Ukraine and impose punishing costs on Russia.
[18:45:06]
She's led the fight for reproductive freedom.
HARRIS: We have worked too hard and fought too long to see our daughters grow up in a world with fewer rights than our mothers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first vice president to visit an abortion clinic, she built a nationwide grassroots movement to ensure that access to abortion, IVF, and birth control would always be protected.
And in the halls of power, she's a tough prosecutor and effective policymaker, a powerful leader.
And at home, she's the center of her family.
CHRISETTE HUDLIN, BEST FRIEND: She's the best godmother, auntie, she's honest, she's loving, incredibly reliable. She's one of the most loyal people you'll ever meet.
DOUG EMHOFF, SECOND GENTLEMAN OF THE UNITED STATES: That is why I believe she is so prepared to be our next president. This love she has for her family, being there for all of us. That's how she will lead this country, being there for everyone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's a proud graduate of Howard University.
HARRIS: Thank you.
CROWD: You know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her campaign is a force of nature, generating the excitement we've all been yearning for. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A campaign of joy, of love, of care.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am so fundamentally inspired.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kamala Harris will be the next president because you know there's too much on the line to stay on the sidelines.
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Madam Vice President. Thank you for bringing back the joy.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: Sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open and sometimes they won't. And then you need to kick that door down.
We are not going back.
(CHEERING)
(CHANTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's a protector. A strong voice for common sense. A leader for tomorrow. Committed to healing our country, dedicated to doing the hard work to make us stronger.
HARRIS: I now declare you spouses for life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone who truly understands the struggles of everyday Americans, forged by the challenges of the past, ready for any challenge that may arise, now is the time, America.
The joy is back, the pride is back, the hope is back.
She's doing the work. She's fighting for us. She's the new way forward, our way forward.
She is the next president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: And we have been watching that is a biographical video for Vice President Harris, as everyone here in the convention hall prepares to hear her speak. Before she speaks, we'll hear from former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger.
And you are just talking about the people that you're trying to reach, the moderate Republicans, those people who are voting for Nikki Haley even after she dropped out.
Donald Trump had said he's going to be watching and live reacting to tonight's convention. He'll be listening to your speech. What would you say to him?
ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, what I'm going to say to him, which is totally unqualified. This guy is a small man pretending to be big. And, of course, he's going to watch because he can't help himself. I mean let's keep in mind. Donald Trump said after Nikki Haley dropped out that he didn't want those voters and, you know, the Democrats came out and said they did. So, oblige him.
He says he doesn't want Haley voters. Oblige him.
COLLINS: Adam Kinzinger, we'll all be watching your speech tonight. Thank you very much.
KINZINGER: Yeah, good to see you.
COLLINS: Wolf, back to you.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: All right. Kaitlan, thanks very much.
Sara Sidner is also watching this unfold here inside the convention hall.
Sara, what are you picking up?
(CROSSTALK)
SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What?
BLITZER: Sara, I don't know if you can hear me. Can you hear me, Sara?
SIDNER: One, two, three, four, five. I'm sorry. I'm live.
I apologize, guys.
We have been running up and downstairs because this place is getting packed and people are so excited. To lucky to be here because Steve is going to show you all the beautiful ladies wearing white. They are Kamala Harris's line sisters from Alpha Kappa Alpha which is the first Black sorority in the United States founded in 1908. And Howard University is where it was founded.
Can you, first of all, tell me your name and how you know Kamala?
[18:50:00]
KUAE NOEL KELCH, HARRIS' SORORITY SISTER: I am Kuae Noel Kelch. I'm one of Kamala Harris proud line sisters. I'm number 31 on the line. Kamala was number 15 on our line. We met when we were 19, 20 and 21 years old on the campus of Howard University 38 year ago.
Thirty-eight of us were initiated together into the sorority. It was an incredibly exciting time. And we knew back then that our line sister was so special. And had the leadership qualities to one day become president.
SIDNER: She could become the first African American and Indian president of the United States. The first female president of the United States. And the first immigrant president really from the United States. When you this think of all those things. What's in your mind as you
sit here 38 years later, sitting in this stadium, watching your sorority sister about to take the stage?
KELCH: I can tell you, this is the very emotional moment for us. We are nostalgic and we stand on the shoulders of so many incredible Black women and Black people, our parents, our families, our ancestors, who fought for our rights and who fought for what they believed in.
We see ourselves as an extension of our parents. We have the same hopes and dreams and we are fighting for the same rights.
And Kamala was doing that way back when in 1986, and she's doing it now and is such an honor to be here. I cannot tell you what it means to us. It touches our heart because we know Kamala's heart. We know that she is the right person for this role. And we cannot wait to be there on inauguration day.
SIDNER: Now I know one thing about the AKAs. I know you want to get up -- I know it's time. I know it's time. When your line sisters start dancing, the rule is, you got to dance with them.
So -- there they are. Kamala Harris line sisters. They all pledged together back in the day at Howard University, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and they are here representing their sister hoping that she will become the next president of these United States.
Thank you so much for joining us and I really appreciate it.
There you go Wolf. Now I can hear you and see them and it's a beautiful thing.
BLITZER: So touched, really, really moving moment, especially for those of us who have a history with Howard University in Washington, D.C. Three years ago, I got an honorary degree. I'm so proud of that.
Let's listen in on the floor right now.
BECKY PRINGLE, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: I am Becky Pringle, president of the largest labor union in this country, the National Education Association.
As an eighth grade science teacher for over 30 years, I can tell you that Kamala Harris and teacher Tim Walz understand when our public schools are strong, our nation is strong.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
PRINGLE: They know expanding free school meals, investing in health care and keeping our communities and our schools safe creates opportunity for everyone.
(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE)
PRINGLE: They will strengthen our schools, support our educators and help our students live into their brilliance.
Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are not just wrong. They're dangerous. It's all right there in Project 2025.
They will shut down the Department of Education and Head Start and make educators pay a higher percentage in taxes than billionaires.
(BOOING)
PRINGLE: But we are coming together to say not on our watch.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
PRINGLE: Not on our watch. So we will organize and we will mobilize and we will win all the things.
So come this January, we will have a president who sees us, who believes in us, and who knows the beauty and the power of this diverse democracy.
[18:55:02]
And her name is Kamala Harris!
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
RANDI WEINGARTEN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS: I'm Randi Weingarten, the president of the AFT, and a public schoolteacher.
One -- one of my first lessons, I taught my students, was about the social contract. How both individual freedoms and mutual responsibility are essential in our democracy.
This covenant underlies our commitment to public schools, where educators prepare students to spark innovations, steward the environment, create our arts and shape our democracy.
Now -- one of the first lessons my students taught me was you got to walk the walk. That means Donald Trump and J.D. Vance can't claim they're pro-child while gutting funding for public schools. That means that being pro family means we support access to good union jobs, affordable housing, health care, and higher education.
That's what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for and we are all in.
They have spent their lives making the promise of America real in the classroom and the courtroom.
America, with Kamala Harris as our president, our best days are ahead.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
ANNOUNCER: Please welcome California senator, Alex Padilla.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(MUSIC PLAYS)
SEN. ALEX PADILLA (D-CA): Good evening, Democrats. Buenas noches, Democratas.
My name is Alex Padilla and I'm so proud to represent the great state of California in the United States Senate.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
PADILLA: But the titles -- but the titles I'm most proud of are husband to my beautiful wife Angela and father to three young gentlemen.
Now, as a father when we talk about the future of our country, it's not just hypothetical. For me, it is very real. Every day, I go to work in Washington and I think about my kids, and the future we're building for their generation. And to show you how Kamala Harris will treat Americas kids as president, I'll tell you how she treats mine because whenever she sees Roman, Alejandro, and Diego, she greets them with kindness and respect, literally meeting them on their level, to speak to them and to listen.
And every fight that Kamala and I have taken on together has been about making life better for this generation and the next. As a state senator, I stood with then Attorney General Harris as she took on the big banks, to keep kids and their families in their homes. As California's secretary of state, I knew her as a fearless United States senator, and my partner in defending our sacred right to vote. That's right.
And when Kamala became vice president, I was honored to fill her seat. But I knew I had big Chuck Taylors to fill.
But I was proud to carry on legislation that she championed to protect workers, to safeguard public lands, to provide kids with more access to quality education.
You see, Kamala --
