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Here are the key moments of the first night.
Michelle Obama: ‘Going high is the only thing that works’
Michelle Obama made a passionate call for a Biden presidency, criticizing Trump as president and urging Americans to rise above the politics of division.
Wearing a necklace spelling out “VOTE,” the former first lady urged Americans to vote, by mail or in person, for Biden “as if our lives depended on it.”
In a speech that largely avoided mentioning the incumbent’s name, Obama called Trump the bad president for the country.
“He’s had more than enough time to prove he can do the job, but he’s clearly over his head. He can’t meet that moment, ”Obama said resignedly. “He just can’t be the one we need for us. It is what it is.”
“Going high is the only thing that works,” Obama said in retaliation for his hallmark, “when they go low, we go high” mantra from 2016.
George Floyd’s family make a surprise appearance
Opening night was marked by a moment of silence for George Floyd, the black man killed by Minneapolis police in May, delivered by his brother Philonise. Philonise Floyd hailed the nationwide protests against racial injustice as a fitting tribute to her late brother and listed the names of other black Americans killed by police.
“For the names we don’t know, the faces we’ll never see, the ones who can’t cry because their murders haven’t gone viral, join me in a moment of silence to honor George and the many other souls. that we have lost to hatred and injustice, ”said Philonise Floyd. “And when that moment is over, let’s make sure we never stop saying their names.”
DC Mayor Muriel Boswer introduced Philonise and her brother Rodney as they stood on a balcony overlooking the new “Black Lives Matter Plaza” – a few blocks from the White House.
“We can’t just paint these words behind me, we can’t just say these words. We have to live those words, ”Bowser said. “We must overturn the laws and systems that have codified racism for far too long.”
Cuomo: US division created Trump
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has criticized Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his failure to unite the nation.
“Only a strong body can fight the virus. And American divisions weakened it, ”Cuomo said. “Donald Trump did not create the initial division. The division created Trump.
Cuomo, who has seen his national stockpile increase during the pandemic thanks to his frequent press conferences and aggressive measures to deal with the outbreak, said the Trump administration’s incompetence led to its weak defense against the epidemic. virus.
“Now we need a leader as good as our people, a leader who appeals to the best in us, not the worst, a leader who can unify, not divide, a leader who can uplift us, not tear us down.” , Cuomo told me. “This man is Joe Biden.”
Biden says most cops are good
In a brief panel focusing on police violence, Biden said that “most cops are good. The point is, the bad have to be identified, prosecuted and kicked out, period.
The message is in stark contrast to repeated calls from Trump’s camp that Biden wants to “dispel the police” and anti-police chants ringing during protests in cities across the country. Biden told reporters in July that he disagreed with the postponement of funding for police services, but that officers should “meet basic minimum standards of decency.”
Biden called for reform in police-community relations and asked panelists what the best way to do it was. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has insisted on the need for economic opportunity in struggling communities, and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo has suggested a nationwide ban on strangulations.
“ His only pre-existing condition was to trust Donald Trump ”
Kristin Urquiza’s father voted and supported Trump. But she said Trump’s response to the coronavirus was the reason his father died.
“His only pre-existing condition was to trust Donald Trump, and for that he paid with his life,” said Urquiza.
Urquiza, which has gone viral for a breathtaking obituary condemning the response of elected officials to the coronavirus, blasted Trump for his handling of the crisis during a brief appearance at the DNC. She highlighted the inequalities in care that particularly affect communities of color. She pitted Trump and Biden against each other, saying Trump refused to heed advice from health experts and exacerbated the pandemic.
Urquiza said her father regretted voting for Trump when he died and dedicated his vote for Biden to him.
“The coronavirus has clearly shown that there are two Americas: the America in which Donald Trump lives and the America in which my father died.”
Republicans promote Biden
John Kasich, the former governor of Ohio and one of Trump’s main challengers in 2016, stood at a literal crossroads as he spoke about his choice to vote for Biden, despite being a Republican of long time.
“I have been a longtime Republican, but this attachment comes second to my responsibility to my country,” he said. “That’s why I chose to participate in this convention. In normal times, something like this would probably never happen. But these are not normal times. “
Kasich was the first person to run for president and then speak at the opposing party’s convention four years later, since former Senator Joe Lieberman spoke on behalf of Republican candidate John McCain in 2008.
During his brief speech, Kasich highlighted Biden’s reputation as a moderate Democrat. “I’m sure there are Republicans and Independents who couldn’t imagine crossing over to support a Democrat. They’re worried that Joe will suddenly turn left and leave them behind. I don’t believe him because I know the measure. of this man, “he said.
Kasich was joined along with other longtime Republicans including former Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman, former New York Rep. Susan Molinari and former New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman, who has been a critic. voice of Trump and supported Kasich in the 2016 GOP primaries.
Cortez Masto: Trump tries to withdraw the vote
Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto called Trump for denigrating postal voting, noting that the president himself had requested postal votes twice this year.
Cortez Masto’s home state of Nevada became the subject of Trump’s ridicule when he decided to expand postal voting amid the coronavirus pandemic. She criticized Trump for trying to undermine those efforts in court and cutting back on postal services.
“My home state took the advice of scientists and medical experts and listened to the people of Nevada to set up a postal voting system so voters have plenty of options this fall,” he said. she declared. “But Donald Trump is trying to divide us by undermining this right.”
Trump and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy have faced fierce criticism for changes to the U.S. Postal Service which they touted as cost-cutting measures, but which have resulted in serious delays. A group of voters tabled a trial Monday against DeJoy and Trump, accusing them of conspiring to undermine the election by gutting mail services.
Former Democratic rivals praise Biden
The Democratic field has seen fierce clashes this election cycle as candidates vied for the nomination. But these conflicts were nowhere to be found at the party convention.
A consortium of former Democratic rivals of Biden entered the convention for a montage praising the candidate as the future of the party. Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand and a number of other former candidates have spoken of their time on the grueling campaign trail, including their interactions with Biden. They all portrayed Biden as a strong character candidate who contacted them as a friend, despite the fierce competition for the nomination.
Booker spoke of a special moment in the debate stage: “What was remarkable for me was in the commercial break, he puts his arm around me and starts telling me how good my ideas are” , he said. “And the next thing you know, I feel like he’s giving me a pep talk and literally telling me how important it is, how really important it is that I am on this stage.” .
Andrew Yang was among the candidates to congratulate Biden, although he has previously expressed disappointment at not being on the list of speakers for the convention.
“Joe called me the night I suspended my session and was extraordinarily kind and heartwarming, and he told me I should be proud of myself,” he said. “I said that I have done myself and my family a real service and the country a service.
Bernie puts policy differences aside to support Biden
Biden’s biggest main rival, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Has described Trump as an authoritarian threat to the United States and urged his supporters to elect Biden.
“The future of our democracy is at stake. The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake,” Sanders said. “My friends, the price of failure is just too high to imagine.”
In a rare mention of political details overnight, the Vermont senator noted that he and Biden differ over how to provide health care to all Americans – the defining issue of the primary campaign. But in a sign of unity, Sanders said Biden’s plan would nonetheless expand coverage, lower prescription drug prices and enroll more Americans in Medicare.
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