The first day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago saw a powerful display of female leadership within the party, culminating in the formal nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who in 2016 became the first woman to be nominated for president by a major party, took the stage to resounding cheers. In her stirring endorsement speech, Clinton acknowledged the historic significance of Harris’s nomination, emphasizing that she is only the second woman to achieve this distinction in the United States’ 248-year history.
“Something is happening in America. You can feel it,” Clinton declared, acknowledging the progress made by women in politics. “It was something we’ve worked for and dreamed of for a long time.” She proclaimed, “Well, my friends, the future is here.”
Clinton then turned her focus to former President Donald Trump, drawing a stark contrast between his record and Harris’s. “As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety,” Clinton stated, highlighting Harris’s experience in law enforcement.
In a pointed attack, Clinton referenced Trump’s recent legal troubles, stating, “Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history, the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.” This was one of the most prominent mentions of Trump’s felony convictions at the DNC stage, prompting the crowd to chant “lock him up” – a notable throwback to the “lock her up” chants that were prevalent at Trump’s 2016 rallies when he was running against Clinton.
Clinton continued her criticism of Trump, accusing him of engaging in “lowbrow attacks” on Harris, including mocking her name and laugh. However, she expressed confidence in the Democratic Party’s prospects, assuring the audience, “But we have him on the run now.”
Hillary Clinton’s endorsement speech, highlighting the historic significance of Kamala Harris’s nomination and her strong criticism of Donald Trump, served as a powerful moment on the first day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, setting the stage for a high-stakes election.
