Quick summary:
From fiery speeches that roused crowds at the Democratic National Convention to Vice President Kamala Harris’ history-making acceptance speech for the party’s presidential nomination, it’s been a wild week in U.S. politics. URL Media was on the ground covering the convention live from Chicago. Here’s a recap of our takeaways, featuring original content from our network and reporting from WURD Radio, Prism, Capital B, and more.
Our network’s approach to covering this year’s Democratic National Convention (DNC) was dynamic.
Here’s what we saw on the ground this week as thousands of delegates, celebrities, and everyday people descended on Chicago’s United Center.
In case you missed it, on the first night of the convention, new stars of the Democratic Party like Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Sen. Raphael Warnock delivered fiery speeches. They targeted Donald Trump and the Republican Party with pointed criticism, while highlighting the values and leadership Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz would bring to the White House, and with each speaker in some fashion emphasizing that “when we fight, we win.”
That night, President Biden, who received an almost five-minute standing ovation from attendees, also strongly condemned the January 6 insurrectionists and Trump’s role in inciting division. He said that true patriotism isn’t conditional on winning.
Plus: Advocates are cautiously optimistic about the DNC platform (Prism)
On the second night of the Democratic National Convention, the Obamas stole the show, firing up the crowd and rallying support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. And let’s be honest: No one knows the historic nature of this current presidential election better than Barack Obama, 44th president of the U.S., whose history-making run Harris hopes to follow as the first Black and South Asian woman president.
Plus: WURD Radio host Solomon Jones interviews DNC Chair Jaime Harrison
Obama praised Joe Biden’s leadership and acknowledged that the “torch has been passed” to Harris, while taking some jabs at Trump’s antics. Michelle Obama, meanwhile, took direct aim at Trump, moving past her usual “when they go low, we go high” approach, and urged Democrats to get Harris elected.
“We can’t indulge our anxieties about whether this country will elect someone like Kamala, instead of doing all we can to get someone like Kamala elected.’”
Plus: ‘Uncommitted’ leaders call on Democratic Party to include Palestinian speaker on final night of the DNC (URL Media)
On Day 3 of the DNC, immigration and reproductive rights took center stage, with a moving video showcasing the concept of ‘freedom‘ and surprise appearances by notable figures like Chicago’s own Oprah Winfrey. Oprah stressed the crucial role of community support in a Harris-Walz administration, regardless of their reproductive choices.
“If you cannot control when and how you choose to bring your children into this world and how they are raised and supported, there is no American dream,” she said.
The evening also featured a dose of humor, with comedian and SNL star Kenan Thompson delivering a hilarious critique of #Project2025. (Watch the video here.)
Despite the upbeat atmosphere inside the United Center, tensions were high outside, where leaders of the Uncommitted National Movement staged a sit-in protest against the U.S.’ involvement in Gaza. They called for a Palestinian-American speaker to be given a platform at the convention, challenging the party to align its actions with its stated values on inclusivity and human rights.
More: URL Media talks to an uncommitted delegate at the DNC
And on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech officially accepted the Democratic presidential nomination to a roaring crowd at Chicago’s United Center, where she made campaign promises to pass a middle-class tax cut, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, a bipartisan border protection bill, and a bill to protect reproductive freedom, among other measures. She also addressed foreign policy, affirming her support for Ukraine and NATO while also speaking on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and said she’ll be a president for all Americans.
“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations. A president who leads and listens, who is realistic, practical and has common sense,” she said. “I promise to be a president for all Americans. You can always trust me to put country above party and self.”
We also live-tweeted the event, as well as posted takeaways from our coverage all week on our social media platforms X, Instagram and Facebook. Continue to stay tuned to reporting from us and our partners on url-media.com.
