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The 2024 Democratic National Convention is underway this week.
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On night one, President Joe Biden took the stage to tout his accomplishments and cement his legacy.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton, and Jill Biden also spoke on the first night.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention is underway in Chicago, and there have already been several standout speeches and memorable appearances.
Rising stars in the Democratic party, as well as venerated public servants, took the stage to pay tribute to President Joe Biden’s legacy and support Vice President Kamala Harris‘ four-week-old presidential campaign following Biden’s exit from the race.
Here are some of the biggest moments from the convention in photos.
Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the first night of the convention.
“Looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation, people from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here, united by our shared vision for the future of our country,” she said.
She ended her brief remarks with one of her signature lines: “When we fight, we win.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery speech in support of Harris and Tim Walz.
“I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed, trampling on our way of life,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Hillary Clinton spoke about her vision for what lies beyond that “hardest, highest glass ceiling.”
“On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as the 47th president,” Clinton said.
Clinton’s speech also included a nod to “Suffs,” the Broadway show she co-produced about the women’s suffrage movement, with a line from one of its songs: “Progress is possible, not guaranteed.”
Kentucky resident Hadley Duvall introduced Gov. Andy Beshear with her powerful testimony in support of reproductive freedom.
Duvall shared her story of being impregnated by her stepfather at age 12.
“I can’t imagine not having a choice, but today, that’s the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trump’s abortion bans,” Duvall said.” “He calls it a beautiful thing. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent’s child?”
Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia quoted the Bible in his address and said Donald Trump should “try reading it.”
“A vote is a kind of prayer for the kind of world we desire for ourselves and for our children, and we are stronger when we pray together,” Warnock, a Baptist pastor, said.
First lady Jill Biden paid tribute to her husband’s legacy.
“With faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country. We will fight, and we will win together,” Jill Biden said.
She also spoke about how her late son, Beau Biden, knew Harris while they both served as attorneys general of their respective states.
“He told me at the dinner table one night, ‘Mom, she’s special someone to keep your eye on,'” she said Beau Biden told her. “And he was right. Joe and I know Kamala. We have seen her courage, her determination, and her leadership up close.”
President Joe Biden wiped away tears after his daughter Ashley’s introduction.
Ashley Biden described her father as “the OG girl dad.”
“Dad, you always tell us, but we don’t tell you enough, that you are the love of our lives and the life of our love,” she said.
In his speech, President Joe Biden touted his administration’s accomplishments while passing the torch to Harris and the next generation.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you,” he said in his DNC speech.
Biden also spoke highly of Harris, saying that choosing her as his vice president was “the best decision” he’s made in his career.
“Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president,” he quipped.
Read the original article on Business Insider
