'The future is always worth fighting for:' Kamala Harris accepts nomination at DNC, watch
Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president Wednesday, saying she will be president for all Americans.
Harris' speech closed out the end of the Democratic National Convention that has been underway in Chicago since Monday. While daily protests over the war in Gaza have hummed outside, inside the United Center has been a big party with the likes of the Obamas, Oprah Winfrey, and Lil Jon taking the microphone.
Harris' speech was starkly different than the acceptance speech her opponent Donald Trump delivered a month prior at the Republican National Convention. She called Trump an "unserious man," but warned that the consequences of another Trump administration would be "extremely serious." She evoked conservative agenda Project 2025, which Trump has repeatedly tried to distance himself from.
Harris spoke of her working-class upbringing and her early career as a prosecutor, pleading with Americans to allow her to fight for them as she did for the people of California.
"These fights were not easy, and neither were the elections that put me in those offices," Harris said. "We were underestimated at practically every turn, but we never gave up, because the future is always worth fighting for."
DNC Day 4: Live coverage of speaker schedule, Kamala Harris to take the stage
Watch Kamala Harris' acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention
Kamala Harris at the DNC
- Former attorney general and U.S. Senator from California.
- Harris is the current Vice President under President Joe Biden and presidential candidate for just a month prior to the convention. Her candidacy has sparked waves of grassroots involvement and fundraising among the party.
- Key quotes: "I believe everyone has a right to safety, to dignity and to justice," she said, talking about her inspiration to become a prosecutor. "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 and always fights for the American people, from the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life's work," she said. "Building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency, and I'll tell you, this is personal for me, the middle class is where I come from."
When and where is the DNC
The Democratic National Convention will take place from August 19-22 in Chicago, Illinois.
The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC.
Chicago has hosted the Democratic Convention 11 times, most recently in 1996 when the United Center saw President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second time.
How to watch and stream the 2024 DNC
The convention will air live on its website, from the United Center in Chicago between 6:15 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern (5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m Central) on Monday, and 7 p.m to 11 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central) the other days.
USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube each night of the DNC, Monday through Thursday.
What are the themes for each night of the DNC?
The DNC announced nightly themes for the convention. The title of the convention is "For the People, For Our Future."
Here are the themes for each night:
- Monday: "For the People"
- Tuesday: "A Bold Vision for America's Future"
- Wednesday: "A Fight for our Freedoms"
- Thursday: "For our Future"
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kamala Harris acceptance speech at the DNC covers Trump, agenda: Watch