Pro-Palestine protesters outside DNC ‘have a point’, says Biden

Joe Biden speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago
Joe Biden speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrating outside the Democratic National Convention “have a point”, Joe Biden said as he took to the stage to give an emotional farewell speech on Monday night.

Hundreds of activists marched to the United Centre in downtown Chicago to protest against Kamala Harris’s stance on the war in Gaza, with some accusing the vice president of “genocide”.

Four people were detained by the police when they managed to break through a security perimeter that the city’s police had set up around the venue.

Mr Biden, who has faced backlash from parts of the Democratic party’s base for sending military aid to Israel, struck a diplomatic tone on the protests while delivering the headline speech of the first day of the convention.

“Those protesters out in the streets, they have a point,” the US President said, adding: “A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.”

Biden gestures after addressing the audience during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention
Biden gestures after addressing the audience during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention - Shutterstock

An estimated 1,000 protesters gathered for the march to the convention centre, although organisers claimed that up to 15,000 people turned up.

Some held signs which read “Abandon Harris”, while others are reported to have chanted “Harris, Harris you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” and “US out of the Middle East.”

JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, said the breach of the security perimeter had been “brief” and that the police had done a “great job”.

Pro-Palestine protesters march through the streets of Chicago
Pro-Palestine protesters march through the streets of Chicago - Getty Images

Ms Harris has tried to chart a middle ground on the issue of Israel and Gaza, but is struggling to keep young, Muslim and Arab American voters onside without distancing herself from the US President or isolating the wider electorate.

She drew fire from different parts of the political spectrum when she did not appear in Congress for a speech by Benjamin Netanyahu last month, but met the Israeli prime minister in private instead.

Elsewhere in his speech, Mr Biden vowed he would “keep working” to return Israeli hostages home from Gaza and “bring peace and security to the Middle East”.

“Two days ago, I put forward a proposal that brought us closer to doing that than we’ve done since Oct 7,” he said, referring to the attack on Israel by Hamas which killed an estimated 1,200 people. “We’re working around the clock.”

Joe and Jill Biden wave as his speech concludes
Joe and Jill Biden wave as his speech concludes - Reuters

Mr Biden’s speech was largely free of the gaffes that have bedevilled his recent public appearances.

At the Nato anniversary summit in July, where he touted his foreign policy experience, he referred to Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader, as “President Putin”.

However, he stumbled over his words and talked about the “electrical” power of women before appearing to realise his error.

“Women are not without electrical – not allowed, not without electoral or political power,” he said, raising his eyebrows and prompting laughs from the crowd. “No kidding.”


06:29 AM BST

That’s all for today

Thank you for following our live blog on the Democratic convention.


05:20 AM BST

Biden: I’m too old to stay as president

Joe Biden said he was “too young to be in the Senate” because he was elected at the age of 30, and was “too old to stay as president”.

“May God bless you all, and may God protect our troops,” the 81-year-old concluded. He was then joined onstage by Jill Biden, the First Lady, as he soaked up the applause from the crowd.

Joe Biden kisses his wife
Joe Biden kisses his wife - AFP
Biden and Harris smile as they raise their arms on stage
Biden and Harris smile as they raise their arms on stage - Reuters

05:16 AM BST

Biden: Harris is tough and experienced

“The ancient Greeks taught us that character is destiny,” Joe Biden said, paying tribute to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as “people of great character”.

“Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made when I became a nominee and it was the best decision I made in my whole career,” Mr Biden continued.

“We’ve become close friends - she’s tough, she’s experienced and she has enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story.

“And like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president - that’s a joke.” Mr Biden served as vice president for eight years.

Biden embraced Harris at the end of his speech
Biden embraced Harris at the end of his speech - AFP

05:12 AM BST

‘Trump created the largest debt of any president’

Trump “created the largest debt any president had in four years with his $2 trillion tax cut for the wealthy,” Joe Biden said, claiming the Republican would “put us further in debt” if he returned to office.


05:11 AM BST

Biden: Harris will fight corporate greed and Big Pharma

“With all this talk about how I’m angry, all those people said I should step down, that’s not true… We need to preserve our democracy in 2024,” Joe Biden said.

Moving on from his record to Kamala Harris, he added that Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, would “take on corporate greed”,  tackle “Big Pharma”, and make housing more affordable.


05:09 AM BST

Biden’s anger towards Trump is ‘palpable’

Joe Biden’s anger is palpable when he discusses Donald Trump.

This is a very different figure to the one we saw on stage at his ill-fated debate against the Republican in June.

Then, it was almost impossible to hear Mr Biden at times. Tonight, his voice is ringing through the Chicago stadium, even shouting at times.


05:08 AM BST

Pro-Palestinian protesters ‘have a point’, says Biden

“Those protesters out in the streets, they have a point,” Joe Biden said, referring to the hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who marched to the convention centre on Monday.

“A lot of innocent of people are being killed on both sides.”


05:07 AM BST

Trump ‘isn’t worthy to be president’

“I’m so proud of my son’s service,” Joe Biden said, before pivoting to an attack on Donald Trump. “We get it but guess who doesn’t get it? And not respect our veterans.”

He repeated a claim by Trump’s former chief of staff that the Republican called soldiers “suckers and losers”, shaking his fist and shouting: “Who in the hell does he think he is?”

“They are not the words of a president, not worthy of being commander-in-chief.”

Mr Biden accused Trump of “bow[ing] down to Putin - I never have and I promise you Kamala Harris will never do it.” He added that his predecessor left Europe and Nato “in tatters”.


05:01 AM BST

Biden mistakenly refers to women’s ‘electrical power’

Joe Biden slipped into one of the gaffes for which he has become well known in recent years, mistakenly referring to the “electrical” power of women. He paused and corrected himself: “Electoral or political power.”


04:59 AM BST

Is Biden jumping ahead of the auto cue?

From my perch in the convention centre it appears Joe Biden is frequently ad libbing and jumping ahead of the auto cue.


04:58 AM BST

Biden: I never thought I’d call a former president a liar so much

“I never thought I’d stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a former president as a liar so many times,” Joe Biden told the DNC.

“I’m not trying to be funny. It’s sad. Trump continues to lie about the border.

“I’ll tell you what he won’t tell you - Trump killed the strongest bipartisan border deal in the history of the United States that we negotiated with the Senate Republicans.”


04:55 AM BST

Trump is a loser and talks down America, says Biden

“Donald Trump calls America, failing nation,” Joe Biden said.

“When he talks about America being a failing nation, he says we’re losing - he’s the loser, he’s dead wrong.”

He said: “Trump continues to lie about crime in America like everything else. Guess what? On his watch, the murder rate went up 30 per cent - the biggest increase in history.”

Mr Biden predicted that voters would “put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.”


04:51 AM BST

Biden ‘outlines legacy before he leaves the stage - for good’

When it comes to delivering convention speeches, Joe Biden has more experience than most.

The US president was once one of the party’s promising future stars not unlike many of the speakers that graced the stage before him tonight.

It was a bitter twist of fate that the one Democratic convention where he secured the party nomination came during the pandemic, and robbed him of the opportunity of doing a live acceptance speech.

Just a few weeks ago he thought he would have a second chance to do so. Now, he’s outlining his legacy before he walks off the political stage for good.


04:49 AM BST

‘American manufacturing is back’

“American manufacturing is back,” Joe Biden declared, saying that 800,000 new manufacturing jobs had been created on his watch.

“With every new job with every new factory, pride and hope is being brought back to communities throughout the country that were left behind.

“You know what it’s like when that factory closed, where your father, your father, your grandmother, grandfather, worked.

“And now you’re back, providing once again proving that Wall Street didn’t build America, the Middle Class built America. And the unions built the working class.”


04:46 AM BST

Biden shares credit for record with Harris

“Thank you - Kamala too,” Joe Biden said, as the crowd broke into a pro-Biden chant, once again sharing the spotlight with his former running mate.


04:43 AM BST

‘The most extraordinary four years of progress’

Joe Biden said he had delivered “the most extraordinary four years of progress ever”, before sharing the credit with his vice president.

“When I say me I mean Kamala and me,” he said, before launching into a list of economic successes during his four years in the White House.


04:41 AM BST

Biden is playing the classics tonight

Joe Biden is using some of his favourite lines tonight, in what is surely his last significant speech of this election cycle.

He has told the audience that he thinks the country is living through a “turning point...one of those rare moments in history” and that he thinks “our best days are not behind us...they’re ahead of us”.

He then told delegates that he decided to run for president after watching the racist Charlottesville marchers in 2017. “I could not stay in the sidelines, so I ran,” he said.


04:41 AM BST

Biden: I lost part of my soul when my son died

Joe Biden said he “lost part of his soul” when his son, Beau, died, but ran because he was disgusted by Donald Trump’s response to the white supremacist rally at Charlottesville.

Joe Biden speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago
Joe Biden speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago - Win McNamee/Getty Images

“I had no intention of running again. I just lost part of my soul, but I ran with a deep conviction in America,” he said.

“I know and believe in an America where honesty, dignity, decency still matter, and America where everyone has a fair shot, and hate, has no safe harbor.”


04:37 AM BST

Biden: Democracy has prevailed

“The winter has passed,” Joe Biden told supporters at the DNC, after recalling taking the oath of office in January 2021, days after the storming of the Capitol.

“With a grateful heart I stand before you now, on this August night, to report that democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered. And now democracy must be preserved.”


04:31 AM BST

Hillary Clinton says Democrats have Trump ‘on the run’

Hillary Clinton claimed that Democrats have Donald Trump “on the run now” in a fiery address to the Democratic national convention.

The former Democratic nominee for president, who suffered a shock defeat to Trump in the 2016 election, fired off a salvo of attacks on her one-time rival and urged Democrats to “fight” to stop him regaining the White House.

“It is no surprise, is it, that he is lying about Kamala’s record, he’s mocking her name and her laugh – sounds familiar,” Mrs Clinton said. “But we have him on the run now.”

Polls show that Trump is lagging behind Ms Harris by a couple of points nationally, after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race last month and endorsed her as his successor.

Mrs Clinton claimed that Trump “only cares about himself” and mocked the Republican for appearing to fall asleep during his “hush money” trial earlier this year.

“As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety,” she told the crowd at Chicago’s United Centre.

“Donald Trump... fell asleep in 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.”


04:27 AM BST

Joe Biden is making his way onto the stage

Joe Biden is making his way onto the stage, having been introduced by his daughter, Ashley. The two share a long embrace and the US President dabs at his eyes.

Joe Biden wipes his eyes upon arriving on stage to speak on the first day of the Democratic National Convention
Joe Biden wipes his eyes upon arriving on stage to speak on the first day of the Democratic National Convention - KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images

04:22 AM BST

Biden ‘is the OG girl dad’

“Joe Biden is the OG girl dad,” Ashley Biden said, pumping her arms and prompting cheers from the crowd.

“He told me, I could be anything and I could do anything,” she said. “As a child, I would sit on the leather chair in his office, doing my homework, and he would sit next to me doing his work, drafting the Violence Against Women Act.

Ashley Biden, daughter of US President Joe Biden, speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention
Ashley Biden, daughter of US President Joe Biden, speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention - MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

“And he wasn’t just a girl dad, I could see that he valued and trusted women, how he listened to his mother, how he believed in his sister.

“And most of all, how he respected my mother’s career.”


04:20 AM BST

Second Biden family member makes speech

Ashley Biden is the second member of the Biden family onstage, after her mother, First Lady Jill Biden, concluded her speech to the DNC.


04:17 AM BST

Biden ‘dug deep into his soul’ before dropping out

Joe Biden had to “dig deep into his soul” before making the decision to drop out of the presidential race last month, Jill Biden told Democrats in Chicago.

“I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris,” she said, before paying tribute to the Vice President.

“Joe and I know Kamala, we have seen her courage, her determination and her leadership up close. Kamala and Tim [Walz], you will win.”


04:15 AM BST

Jill Biden makes her way onstage

Jill Biden, the First Lady, has made her way onstage to the DNC and is paying tribute to her husband, US President Joe Biden.


04:09 AM BST

Democrats ‘lean into the theme of breaking barriers’

Democrats are really leaning into the theme of breaking barriers tonight.

Earlier Hillary Clinton spoke of female candidates breaking the glass ceiling.

On stage now is the man who holds Rev Martin Luther King Jr’s pulpit at the storied Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

He also happens to be Georgia’s first African American senator.

Reverend Raphael Warnock invokes his skills as a preacher as he talks about the choice facing the country.

He described his mother, a woman who “used to pick somebody else’s cotton”, watching her son win election to the US Senate in a special election on Jan 5, 2021.

The following day was the Capitol riots. “Donald Trump’s America is the America of January 6,” he said.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, he added, are “the new way forward”.


03:56 AM BST

Biden ‘might not reach the stage until midnight’

There are reports that the DNC speakers’ schedule is 90 minutes behind tonight.

Joe Biden was due to speak at 10pm, local time, (4am UK time) but may not be on stage until midnight if we carry on the way we’re going.

Having the incumbent president, who is running on a tight schedule, wait in the wings for over an hour before speaking would be a very controversial decision by the convention organisers.

There is no word yet on what is going to happen next.


03:52 AM BST

Kentucky governor: Trump has no empathy

Andy Beshear, the governor of Kentucky, attacked Donald Trump on abortion and told Democrats that “we must tear away any chance he can ever be president ever again”.

Accusing Trump of lacking “any underlying empathy” for women, he said Trump had installed the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v Wade and “got us into this mess”.

Mr Beshear, a Democrat twice elected in a deep-red state whose name was floated as a running mate for Ms Harris, attempted to reach across the political aisle to Republicans and independents.

“In the parable, the Good Samaritan says we are all each other’s neighbours. So I want anyone watching tonight, Republican, Independent, Democrat, to know that you are welcome here,” he said.


03:45 AM BST

Trump posts AI image of fake Taylor Swift ‘endorsement’

Donald Trump has posted a fake social media image of Taylor Swift asking people to vote for him in the November election.

A Sunday entry by the Republican candidate on Truth Social showed Swift dressed in red, white and blue with a caption that said “Taylor Swift Wants You To Vote For Donald Trump.”

“I accept!” Trump wrote.

Swift has not publicly endorsed a candidate in the 2024 race but has supported Democrats in the past.

Read the full story here.


03:39 AM BST

Convention stage is packed with young Left-wingers tonight

There is an interesting mixture of speakers on the stage tonight. The latest, Jasmine Crockett, is the third member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to be given a speech, and the second from the most recent intake of representatives, after Jamie Raskin.

The CPC is the most left wing grouping of congressmen in the House of Representatives, and choosing speakers from that group could be an attempt by the DNC to placate some of the more sceptical delegates in the room.

US Representative Jasmine Crockett speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention
US Represenative Jasmine Crockett speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention - REUTERS/Mike Segar

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who also spoke tonight, is now a big name in the party but once occupied the same position of a young liberal.

Ms Crockett received a standing ovation from the room when she left the stage.


03:23 AM BST

‘Movie-style trailer’ about Trump’s legal woes played at DNC

Convention delegates have just been treated to a movie-trailer style video about Donald Trump’s legal woes.

“For the first time in history, we have a convicted felon running for president,” said an intense voiceover. “We the people have the chance to render our own verdict on Donald Trump. We are the jury he most fears.”


03:22 AM BST

‘It’s hard to imagine Biden matching Clinton’s energy’

Hillary Clinton may be a warm up act for Joe Biden tonight, but it is hard to imagine the US president delivering his speech with the same fluency or energy.

The crowd has been on its feet several times throughout her address. There is a real sense of nostalgia in the arena as she not only salutes Mr Biden’s legacy, but her own.

Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during the Democratic National Convention
Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during the Democratic National Convention - AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Mrs Clinton was once again wearing white, drawing an explicit line from the suffragettes to Shirley Chisholm, Geraldine Ferraro, her own failed 2016 White House bid, and now Kamala Harris’ 2024 run.

She said: “The future is here. It’s in our grasp. Let’s go win it.”


03:20 AM BST

Hillary Clinton can’t move on, says Trump campaign

Trump’s press spokesman, Steven Cheung, has responded to Hillary Clinton’s attacks just now ─ accusing her of being deranged and not being able to move on from the result of the 2016 election.

“Crooked Hillary is a sore loser who suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome and simply can’t move on with her life because of that devastating defeat at the hands of President Trump,” he said.


03:19 AM BST

Harris thanks Biden for his ‘historic leadership’ in surprise speech

Kamala Harris paid tribute to Joe Biden’s “historic leadership” as she made a surprise speech on the first night of the Democratic party convention.

“This is going to be a great week and I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight,” she said.

“Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.”

Mr Biden ducked out of the presidential race last month after coming under pressure from senior Democrats, endorsing Ms Harris as his successor. He will deliver the headline address later this evening, where he is expected to say the Vice President is the best candidate to carry on his legacy.

In a speech that lasted under two minutes, Ms Harris welcomed “people from every corner of our country and every walk of life” to the United Centre in Chicago as she was given a rapturous reception by supporters.

“We all have so much more in common than what separates us,” she declared, hours after hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists marched on the convention centre to protest her stance on the war in Gaza.


03:07 AM BST

‘We have Trump on the run now’

“Kamala cares about kids and families. Donald only cares about himself,” Hillary Clinton continued.

“He’s mocking her name and her laugh - sounds familiar. But we have him on the run now.”

Urging Democrats not to get complacent, she added: “No matter what the polls say we can’t let up. We can’t get driven down crazy conspiracy rabbit holes. We have to fight for the truth. We have to fight for Kamala as she will fight for us.”

Returning to an image she often used in her 2016 campaign, Mrs Clinton declared: “We put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest, glass ceiling.”


03:04 AM BST

Clinton: Trump fell asleep at his own trial

Donald Trump’s name drew boos from the crowd as Hillary Clinton attacked her 2016 election rival.

“As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety,” she said.

“Donald Trump... fell asleep in his own trial,” Mrs Clinton continued, referring to the former president’s “hush money” trial.

Hillary Clinton waves as she arrives on stage to speak on the first day of the Democratic National Convention
Hillary Clinton waves as she arrives on stage to speak on the first day of the Democratic National Convention - KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images

“And when he woke up, he made his own kind of history. The first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.”

The former secretary of state continued firing attacks at Trump, saying: “Kamala, won’t disrespect our military and our veterans.

“She reveres our Medal of Honour recipients. She won’t be sending love letters to dictators. She will defend democracy and our Constitution and will protect Protect America from enemies, foreign and domestic.”


03:01 AM BST

Harris ‘has the character, experience and vision’

“The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible but not guaranteed,” Hillary Clinton told the DNC.

“We have to fight for it and never, ever give up. There is always a choice.

“Do we push forward or pull back? Come together as we the people, or split into us versus them?

“That’s the choice we face in this election. Kamala, has the character, experience, and vision to lead us forward.”


03:00 AM BST

Clinton gets hero’s welcome

The cheers in the hall for Hillary Clinton were absolutely deafening as she walked onto the stage just now. Even she looked surprised at the reception she received, with at least three rounds of cheers from the thousands of people in this hall. Then the “HIL-A-RY” chanting started.

“Thank you, my fellow Democrats. Thank you my fellow Americans,” she said. “There is a lot of energy in this room, just like there is across the country. Something is happening in America. You can feel it.”


02:59 AM BST

Clinton: We are writing a new chapter

Hillary Clinton is emphasising the fact that Kamala Harris will be the first women elected president if she wins in November - a point that the Harris campaign has steered clear of.

“We are writing a new chapter in America’s story,” the former secretary of state says.

“You know, my mother, Dorothy, was born right here in Chicago before women had the right to vote. That changed 104 years ago yesterday. Think about it.”

Mrs Clinton said it was the “honour of my life” to become the Democratic nominee in 2016 and declared: “The future is here.”


02:55 AM BST

‘Something is happening in America’

“Something is happening in America,” Hillary Clinton began. “You can feel it. Something we worked for, and dreamed of for a long time.

Hillary Clinton speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center
Hillary Clinton speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“First though, let’s salute President Biden. He has been democracy’s champion at home and abroad. He brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House.”

She thanked Mr Biden for his “lifetime of service and leadership”, prompting the crowd to chant: “Thank you Joe.”


02:52 AM BST

Hillary Clinton about to speak

Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, is making her way onto the stage and is about to address the crowd.


02:51 AM BST

Chaos in the queues at the DNC

The queues to get into the DNC this evening took more than an hour to clear, as security was overwhelmed by thousands of people travelling into the convention centre for Joe Biden’s speech.

There was plenty of grumbling from delegates, who were concerned they would not be able to get into the United Center where tonight’s action is taking place. A rumour spread in the queue that other entrances to the convention had been closed off because of protests, leaving everyone scrambling through the same door.


02:35 AM BST

Union boss calls Trump a ‘scab’

Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers union, pulled off his suit jacket to reveal a T-shirt reading: “Trump is a scab.”

“It’s getting hot in here,” he announced, to cheers from the crowd. Ella Emhoff, daughter of Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, could be seen laughing.


02:31 AM BST

Pro-Palestinian protesters rail against Kamala Harris

Pro-Palestinian protesters accused Kamala Harris of “genocide” in a demonstration outside the Democratic national convention in Chicago.

Hundreds of activists marched towards the convention venue where Joe Biden, the US President, will address his party this evening. Ms Harris is expected to formally accept the Democratic nomination for the presidency on Thursday.

Roughly 1,000 protesters had gathered for the march, some of them holding signs which read “Abandon Harris” - a sign of discontent with her stance on the war in Gaza.

After being addressed by Cornel West, an independent presidential candidate who favours removing military aid from Israel, the group made its way towards the United Centre in downtown Chicago.

Some are reported to have chanted “Harris, Harris you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” and “US out of the Middle East.”

Mr Biden, who has already endorsed Ms Harris as his successor, will say his former running mate is best placed to continue his legacy in his speech tonight.


02:13 AM BST

Harris pays tribute to Biden as she appears at DNC

Kamala Harris has paid tribute tribute to Joe Biden as she appeared onstage at the DNC in Chicago.

Kamala Harris walks onto the stage during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention
Kamala Harris walks onto the stage during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention - MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

“This is going to be a great week and I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight,” she said.

“Joe thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.”


02:05 AM BST

Pictures: Democrats crowd into convention centre for first night of DNC

A pro-abortion attendee stands during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at Chicago's United Centre
A pro-abortion attendee stands during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at Chicago's United Centre - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Attendees hold USA signs during the first day of the Democratic National Convention
Attendees hold USA signs during the first day of the Democratic National Convention - Alex Wong/Getty Images

01:48 AM BST

Walz greets supporters on convention floor

Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor and Kamala Harris’ running mate, has arrived on the convention floor and is going around greeting supporters.

Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris' husband and the US Second Gentleman, shakes hands with Tim Walz
Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris' husband and the US Second Gentleman, shakes hands with Tim Walz - CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

01:35 AM BST

Pelosi: I want Biden to ‘feel the love’ at the DNC

Nancy Pelosi has said she wants Joe Biden to “feel the love” among Democrats, days after the US President said she had forced him to end his campaign.

Ms Pelosi, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, said Mr Biden should take “such pride in all that he has accomplished” when he delivers his speech this evening.

“We are here to talk about his legacy, and I want him to talk about it as well, and also the comfort level that he had with passing the baton to another generation,” she told CNN.

“I want him to feel the love that is in this room, that it is just overwhelming.”

Mr Biden told CBS News this month that disquiet from Ms Pelosi and other senior Democrats had become a “distraction” that had hamstrung his campaign.


01:16 AM BST

Could Biden’s speech be a ‘death embrace’ for Harris?

Joe Biden’s speech could be a “death embrace” for Kamala Harris if he ties he too closely to his own record in office, a former adviser to Barack Obama has warned.

David Axelrod, a frequent critic of Mr Biden, said ahead of the US President’s speech this evening: “You want it to be hand-off, not a death embrace.

“You don’t want him to so make her a part of his legacy that it seems like a seamless hand-off, but not a change in direction”.

The New York Times reported earlier today that Mr Biden would praise Ms Harris as the candidate best placed to continue his legacy when he leaves office after a single term.


01:05 AM BST

Why Kamala Harris is not making the mistake that Hillary Clinton did

Susan Sheehan did not want to vote for Joe Biden even before his disastrous presidential debate in June.

“I was concerned about his mental abilities,” Ms Sheehan, 61, from Ogunquit, in Maine, told The Telegraph.

A self-described “old-school Republican”, she had no intention of voting for Donald Trump who, she added, was “horrible to women”.

Upset by the overturning of Roe v Wade, Ms Sheehan was one of millions of women energised by Kamala Harris’s entry into the race.

She is not alone. The latest polls show a surge in support for Ms Harris among women voters with the four-point lead the Democrats had under Joe Biden jumping to 11 points.

Read the full story from US Correspondent David Millward here.


12:43 AM BST

Trump attacks Democrats’ ‘foolish’ platform mistake

Donald Trump has attacked the Democrats for mistakenly referring to Joe Biden’s second term in the party’s policy platform.

“His [Mr Biden’s] name is mentioned 21 times, and yet they threw him out of office, it was a vicious coup,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“Such a foolish thing to miss... If I had made such a mistake, it would be the biggest story in America.”


12:30 AM BST

Harris campaign co-chair ‘unconcerned’ by protests

One of Kamala Harris’ campaign chairs has said he is “not concerned” about pro-Palestinian protesters after activists broke through a security fence at the DNC earlier today.

Cedric Richmond told Fox News: “I’m not concerned about protests. Look, I fundamentally believe people have a right to protest.

“People have a right to be mad. People have a right to do whatever they want to do.

A protester confronts police during a demonstration at the Democratic National Convention
A protester confronts police during a demonstration at the Democratic National Convention - AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

“But they don’t have a right to destroy property. They don’t have a right to be violent.

“And I believe that the mayor of this city has sent that message that we will respect your right to exercise your First Amendment right to free speech, but you will not destroy property. You will not hurt police. You will not engage in violence.”


12:28 AM BST

Security perimeter breach was ‘brief’, says Illinois governor

J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, said there was a “brief” breach of the DNC security perimeter by protesters earlier today.

“There was a breach at one of the fences, but it was brief that breach, and the police actually stepped in, did a great job. The superintendent of police came and backed up his own men,” he told CNN.

“And frankly, that’s the way it’s going to be...  We’ve got people who are concerned about the war in the Middle East. They’re expressing themselves.”

“We’re going to protect their right to express themselves, but we’re not going to see it for any mayhem.”


12:04 AM BST

Chicago police assessing DNC security perimeter amid protests

Chicago police are assessing the state of the DNC’s security perimeter after four pro-Palestinian protesters broke through it earlier today.

“That’s an assessment we are going to make once we clear everything,” Larry Snelling, the city’s police superintendent, told reporters.

Chicago police watch as protesters gather during the Democratic National Convention
Chicago police watch as protesters gather during the Democratic National Convention - Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

11:58 PM BST

Harris ‘shows leadership and toughness’, says Chicago mayor

Brandon Johnson, the mayor of Chicago, has kicked off the Democratic national convention by praising Kamala Harris’ “leadership” and “toughness”.

“What will it take to build the middle class and make it easier for families, not only to get by, but to get ahead?” he asked the crowd.

“It will take someone with toughness... and let me tell you America, Kamala’s got it.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are pictured inside the pocket of the jacket of a California delegate on the first day of the Democratic National Convention
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are pictured inside the pocket of the jacket of a California delegate on the first day of the Democratic National Convention - CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

“What will it take to defend our fundamental rights and out freedoms? It will take someone with leadership who would fight for us?

“And let me tell you America, leadership, Kamala, she’s got it.”


11:50 PM BST

US national anthem plays before evening’s speeches

The Soul Children of Chicago choir is singing the Star-Spangled Banner before the speeches begin on the first night of the Democratic national convention.


11:43 PM BST

‘I found myself next to Joe Biden’s motorcade’

The Democratic Convention is just getting under way at the United Center in Chicago.

Party delegates are pouring into the venue, but the floor is still less than half full.

I found myself next to Joe Biden’s motorcade as I navigated my way through several layers of security barriers earlier.

The US president was clearly visible in the “Beast”, the bulletproof black limo he travels in.

He was wearing his trademark Aviators and looked relaxed, a big smile on his face.

He later did a dry-run of his walk onto stage ahead of tonight’s speech.

Reporters asked if tonight would be bittersweet. ”It’s a memorable moment,” Mr Biden replied.


11:36 PM BST

DNC begins

The Democratic national convention has officially begun. Minyon Moore, a former aide to Bill Clinton who now chairs the Democratic national committee, is on the stage.

Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Jaime R. Harrison, addresses the attendees on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Jaime R. Harrison, addresses the attendees on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention - CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

11:17 PM BST

Report: Four protesters detained after breaking through security

Four protesters who broke through the security perimeter gates on the outskirts of the DNC have been detained by police, The New York Times reports.

The area is now said to have been largely cleared of demonstrators wearing helmets and wielding batons, after several people lobbied cans at officers.


11:13 PM BST

Trump attacks Harris as ‘non-fracker’ as DNC gets underway

Donald Trump has claimed that Kamala Harris would ban fracking at a campaign stop in a battleground state as the DNC gets underway.

The former president said told a crowd in York, Pennsylvania - a state where thousands of jobs depend on the fracking industry - that Ms Harris was “totally a non-fracker”.

“There will be no fracking if she’s elected in Pennsylvania or anywhere else,” he claimed.

Ms Harris had pledged to ban fracking while campaigning in the Democratic primaries in 2020, but quietly dropped the proposal when she became the party’s presidential candidate last month.


11:00 PM BST

Democratic party platform ‘talks about Biden’s second term’

The Democrats’ party platform refers to Joe Biden’s second term more than a dozen times, despite the US President dropping out of the election race a month ago.

A source told the New York Post that the document had been approved shortly before Mr Biden stepped aside and endorsed Kamala Harris as his successor on July 21. It also makes no mention of Ms Harris’ recently-announced plan for price controls on groceries.

“Kamala doesn’t even have a policy page on her website,” Donald Trump’s campaign said, painting the Vice President as a continuity candidate despite her recent entry into the race.

“She is simply a puppet to the same radical and insane class of socialists and communists who have been running the country into the ground under Biden.”


10:53 PM BST

Biden says his DNC speech will be ‘memorable’

Joe Biden has said that his speech to the DNC tonight will be “memorable” as he went on a walkthrough of the convention centre with Jill Biden, the First Lady.

Mr Biden is expected to talk about the successes of his four years as US president and endorse Kamala Harris as the candidate who is best placed to continue that legacy.

US President Joe Biden does a stage check before the start of the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago
US President Joe Biden does a stage check before the start of the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago - MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

While walking through the United Centre, the 81-year-old denied Donald Trump’s claim that he had been pushed off his party’s ticket in a “coup”.

“His stability is in question,” he told CNN, adding that he was feeling good about his speech.


10:38 PM BST

Chicago ‘won’t tolerate violence’ amid pro-Palestine protests

Chicago police have warned they will not “tolerate violence” or “intimidation” as the city was braced for 20,000 pro-Palestine protesters arriving at the opening of the DNC on Monday.

Joe Biden was due to kick off the four-day gathering on Monday night with the first prime time address before party grandees to formally pass the torch to Kamala Harris, his vice-president.

However, tens of thousands of demonstrators angered by the president and his party’s stance on Israel’s war in Gaza have vowed to continue with their plans despite the switch at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Read the full story from Rozina Sabur, our deputy US Editor, here.


10:10 PM BST

Pictured: Jill Biden appears at DNC ahead of speech tonight

US First Lady Jill Biden does a stage check before the start of the first day of the Democratic National Convention
US First Lady Jill Biden does a stage check before the start of the first day of the Democratic National Convention - MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

10:08 PM BST

What will Biden say in his convention speech?

Joe Biden will say Kamala Harris is the best candidate to carry on his legacy when he headlines the Democratic national convention tonight.

The US President will say her position as the Democrats’ new standard-bearer is the natural result of him selecting her as his running mate four years ago, The New York Times reports.

He will also review his domestic accomplishments from his term in the White House, and warn that Donald Trump poses as “existential threat” to the US if he returns to office.


10:03 PM BST

Exclusive poll: Swing states trust Trump more on economy

Swing state voters still trust Donald Trump more on the economy than Kamala Harris, in a blow to her strategy to win support with a plan to tackle inflation.

Exclusive polling for The Telegraph shows that the largest group of voters in all seven swing states trust Trump more to bring down the cost of household essentials.

The survey shows that the economy is the most significant issue in battleground states, following years of high inflation.

Ms Harris has launched a plan to build an “opportunity economy”, which would include a federal ban on unjustified price increases that Trump has described as “communist”.

Read the full story from Tony Diver, our US Editor, here.


10:01 PM BST

Trump: Democrats are ‘weak’ on protests

Donald Trump has claimed that pro-Palestinian protesters are rallying outside the DNC because the Democrats are “weak” and ready to swing to the Left.

He wrote on his Truth Social Platform: “The Radical Left protesters in Chicago are going after the Democrat Party because the know they are weak and ready to break into a full blown party of Socialism or, if they really do their job, and with a little bit of luck, the Communist Party of the United States of America.”

“They are already very close,” he added, attacking “Comrade Kamala Harris” as “Marxist trained” with a “Marxist professor” for a father.


09:57 PM BST

Pictures: Pro-Palestinian protesters rally outside DNC

The March on the DNC protest group rallies in downtown Chicago ahead of a march on the United Centre
The March on the DNC protest group rallies in downtown Chicago ahead of a march on the United Centre - ZUMAPRESS.com/MEGA
Protesters march on the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park
Protesters march on the Democratic National Convention after a rally at Union Park - AP Photo/Julio Cortez

09:53 PM BST

Welcome

Hello and welcome to the live blog. Benedict Smith here. We’ll be bringing you all the updates from the first day of the Democratic national convention, where Joe Biden, the US President, and Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, are expected to speak this evening.

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