On the first night of their first virtual convention, Democrats made their case for Joseph R. Biden Jr. with a mix of recorded programming and notable speakers delivering live remarks.
On the first night of their first virtual convention, Democrats made their case for Joseph R. Biden Jr. with a mix of recorded programming and notable speakers delivering live remarks.
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transcript
Highlights From the Democratic National Convention: Night 1
On the first night of their first virtual convention, Democrats made their case for Joseph R. Biden Jr. with a mix of recorded programming and notable speakers delivering live remarks.
“We the people call the 48th quadrennial Democratic National Convention to order.” ♫ “... and the home of the brave.” ♫ “Welcome to our convention across America. We had hoped to gather in one place, but instead, we figured out a safe and responsible way to come together to share our ideas and talk about the future of our country.” “George should be alive today. Breonna Taylor should be alive today. Ahmaud Arbery should be alive today. Eric Garner should be alive today. Stephon Clark, Atatiana Jefferson, Sandra Bland. They should all be alive today. Please join me in a moment of silence.” “My dad, Mark Anthony Urquiza, should be here today. But he isn’t. He had faith in Donald Trump. He voted for him, listened to him, believed him and his mouthpieces when they said that coronavirus was under control and going to disappear, that it was OK to end social distancing rules before it was safe, and that if you had no underlying health conditions you’d probably be fine. My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump — and for that he paid with his life.” “I’m a lifelong Republican, but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country. That’s why I’ve chosen to appear at this convention. In normal times, something like this would probably never happen. But these are not normal times.” “At its most basic, this election is about preserving our democracy. During this president’s term, the unthinkable has become normal. He has tried to prevent people from voting, undermined the U.S. Postal Service, deployed the military and federal agents against peaceful protesters, threatened to delay the election and suggested that he will not leave office if he loses. Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfs. His actions fanned this pandemic, resulting in over 170,000 deaths and a nation still unprepared to protect its people.” “Empathy — that’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. The ability to walk in someone else’s shoes. The recognition that someone else’s experience has value too. But right now, kids in this country are seeing what happens when we stop requiring empathy of one another. They’re looking around wondering if we’ve been lying to them this whole time about who we are and what we truly value. They see people shouting in grocery stores, unwilling to wear a mask to keep us all safe. They see people calling the police on folks minding their own business just because of the color of their skin. So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is. So if you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this. If you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can and they will if we don’t make a change in this election.”
Highlights From the Democratic National Convention: Night 1
On the first night of their first virtual convention, Democrats made their case for Joseph R. Biden Jr. with a mix of recorded programming and notable speakers delivering live remarks.
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1:21
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2:19
Rusty Bowers Recalls Harassment After Rejecting 2020 Fraud Claims
0:40
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1:06
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2:52
‘Telling the Truth Shouldn’t Be Hard’: Officers Testify About Jan. 6 Riot
1:06
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1:06
Family of Fallen Officer Urges Senators to Back Jan. 6 Investigation
1:32
Arizona Republican Leaders Criticize Election Audit
8:54
‘We’ve Lost the Line!’: Radio Traffic Reveals Police Under Siege at Capitol
0:45
CPAC Crowd Cheers Josh Hawley’s Vote Against Election Results
1:19
Donald Trump ‘Lit the Flame,’ Rep. Castro Says