The opening night of the Democratic National Convention wasn’t just a celebration of Vice President Kamala Harris, who quickly rose to the top of the ticket after President Joe Biden ended his campaign last month.
It was also about going on the offensive against Donald Trump.
Biden himself brought the heat when he closed out the night with a rousing speech passing the torch to his veep. At one point, he noted that the crime rate is falling, and will drop again after the election for one very specific reason:
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) called Trump a “plague on the American conscience.”
Warnock, who is also a pastor, noted the $60 “God Bless The USA Bible” that Trump has been hawking.
“He should try reading it,” Warnock said, then quoted a few lines of scripture that Trump isn’t exactly known for following:
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, drew a sharp contrast between Harris and the former president, who was convicted earlier this year on 34 felony charges.
“Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety,” Clinton said. “Donald Trump fell asleep at 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.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Tex.) also got the audience cheering with a reference to Trump’s criminal convictions.
“America, looking at the two choices before you, who would you hire: Donald Trump or Kamala Harris?” she asked the crowd. “Kamala Harris has a resume. Donald Trump has a rap sheet. She presides over the Senate, while he keeps our national secrets next to his thinking chair.”
Cases of sensitive documents were found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, including some next to a toilet:
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) gave Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), a reminder on why the number two spot on the GOP ticket was even available to him:
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr borrowed a phrase used by NBA superstar Steph Curry:
Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, let his T-shirt do some of the talking on Monday night.
“In the words of the great American poet Nelly, ‘It’s gettin’ hot in here,’” Fain said, then removed his jacket to reveal a shirt reading “TRUMP IS A SCAB.”
The UAW filed unfair labor practice charges against Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk after a conversation in which the two spoke positively about firing workers who are on strike.