DNC Day 3: Tim Walz accepts VP nomination, rallying Democrats to fight in November

Walz accused Trump and vice presidential nominee JD Vance of pushing an agenda that would make Americans' lives more difficult. While Trump has distanced himself from the policy proposals described in Project 2025, a presidential transition initiative overseen by the Heritage Foundation, Walz likened the guide to a playbook that will be put to use if Trump is elected to a second term.

"It's an agenda nobody asked for. It's an agenda that serves nobody except the richest people and the most extreme amongst us. And it's an agenda that does nothing for our neighbors in need," he said. "Is it weird? Absolutely. But it's also wrong. And it's dangerous."

Walz denounced Trump's understanding of leadership, and said good leaders "don't spend all day insulting people and blaming people."

"Leaders do the work," he said. "I don't know about you all, but I'm ready to turn the page on these guys. So go ahead, say it with me: 'We're not going back!'"

He then laid out his and Harris' agenda if they are elected president and vice president, which includes tax cuts for middle-class families, lower prescription drug costs and affordable housing.

"No matter who you are, Kamala Harris is gonna stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead," she said. "Because that's what we want for ourselves and it's what we want for our neighbors."

He closed his speech by drawing on his experience as a football coach.

"It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal. But we're on offense. We're driving down the field. And, boy, do we have the right team. Kamala Harris is tough, Kamala Harris is experienced. And Kamala Harris is ready," Walz said. "Our job, for everyone watching, is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling. One inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time."

He continued: "We got 76 days. That's nothing. There'll be time to sleep when you're dead. We're gonna leave it all on the field. That's how we'll keep moving forward. That's how we'll turn the page on Donald Trump."

Read more here.

Walz recited the main points of his background, recalling his childhood growing up in a small town in Nebraska, his 24 years of service in the Army National Guard and his career as a high school teacher and football coach. 

"It was those players and my students who inspired me to run for Congress. They saw in me what I had hoped to instill in them — a commitment to the common good. An understanding that we're all in this together. And the belief that a single person can make a real difference for their neighbors," Walz said. "So there I was, a 40-something high school teacher with little kids, zero political experience and no money, running in a deep-red district. But you know what? Never underestimate a public school teacher."

Walz served 12 years in the House before becoming governor of Minnesota. He touted some of his progressive accomplishments during his time in the governor's mansion, including middle-class tax cuts, paid leave and free lunch and breakfast in public schools. 

"While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours," he said. "We also protected reproductive freedom, because in Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make. Even if we wouldn't make those same choices for ourselves, we've got a golden rule: Mind your own damn business."

"That was a warm-up act!" Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said of the Prince cover. 

She didn't miss another opportunity to get in a Prince reference as she introduced Walz, who will accept the vice presidential nomination. 

"On behalf of the great state of Minnesota, where purple rains, I stand before you in support of our next vice president, Tim Walz," she said. 

She praised Walz's "Midwestern common sense," saying it enables him to find "common ground." 

"Who better to take on the price of gas than a guy who could pull over to help change your tire? Who better to serve our nation than a guy who has served in uniform?" she said. "A former football coach knows how to level the playing field, and a former public school teacher knows how to school the likes of JD Vance." 

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg opened his speech with a nod to his recent television appearances on Fox News, telling the crowd, "I'm Pete Buttigieg, and you might recognize me from Fox News."

He launched into criticisms of Trump and Vance, who he characterized as "one of those guys who thinks if you don't live the life he has in mind for you, then you don't count."

"Choosing a guy like JD Vance to be America's next vice president sends a message, all right: doubling down on negativity and grievance. A concept of campaigning best summed up in one word: darkness. That's what they are selling. But I just don't think America today is in the market for darkness," he said.

Buttigieg said he believes politics can be "empowering and uplifting," and accused Republicans of pushing a message that casts people of different political viewpoints as the enemy.

"I believe in a better politics, one that finds us at our most decent, and open, and brave," he said.

Buttigieg spoke of the nation's progress through his own story, where he and his husband, Chasten, are raising two children at their home in Michigan. 

"This November we get to choose. We get to choose our president, we get to choose our policies, but most of all, we will choose a better politics, a politics that calls us to our better selves  and offers us a better every day," he said. "That is what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz represent. That is what Democrats represent. That is what awaits us when America decides to end Trump's politics of darkness once and for all."

Oprah Winfrey riled up the crowd of Democrats with a surprise appearance, offering a full-throated endorsement of Harris.

"We're now so fired up, we can't wait to leave here and do something," she said. "And what we're going to do is elect Kamala Harria as the next president of the United States."

Winfrey warned of politicians who are seeking to sow division in the country and push a message of fear, but encouraged Americans to come together in unity.

"When we stand together, it is impossible to conquer us," she said.

Winfrey invoked the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat who was a civil rights activist, in speaking of the continued effort to protect freedom.

"When a house is on fire, we don't ask about the homeowner's race or religion. We don't wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No. We just try to do the best we can to save them," she said. "And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get the cat out too."

Winfrey's comment was a reference to television remarks Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance made in 2021 lamenting that the country is run by a "bunch of childless cat ladies."

The iconic talk show host accused Trump of using "old tricks and tropes" to distract Americans.

"But we are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery," she said. "These are complicated times and they require adult conversations."

Winfrey's speech evoked emotion from convention attendees, as cameras showed delegates wiping tears and breaking out into chants of "U-S-A."

"Soon, very soon, we're going to be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, two idealistic immigrants — immigrants — how this child grew up to become the 47th president of the United States," she said. "That is the best of America."

Winfrey rebuked Trump's comments about elections to demonstrate the importance of voting, and made a direct appeal to independent and undecided voters: "You know I'm telling you the truth that values and character matter most of all in leadership and in life."

She said "decency and respect," as well as common sense are on the ballot in November.

"We are Americans. Let us choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual because that's the best of America. Let us choose optimism over cynicism because that's the best of America. And let us choose inclusion over retribution, let us choose common sense over nonsense because that's the best of America. And let us choose the sweet promise of tomorrow over the bitter return to yesterday," she said.

Winfrey continued: "We won't go back. We won't be set back, pushed back, bullied back, kicked back, we're not going back. Let us choose truth, let us choose honor and let us choose joy because that's the best of America."

She concluded with a push for voters to elect Harris as the next president in November.

Amanda Gorman, who made history as the youngest-ever poet at a presidential inauguration in 2021, debuted a new poem called "This Sacred Scene."

"We gather at this hallowed place because we believe in the American dream," the poem began. "We face a race that tests if this country we cherish shall perish from the Earth, and if our Earth shall perish from this country."

The poem ended, "Let us not just believe in the American dream. Let us be worthy of it."

She rose to fame in 2021 when she performed "The Hill We Climb" at Mr. Biden's inauguration.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro praised Harris as a barrier-breaking candidate, and contrasted her with Trump and the policies he and fellow Republicans have advocated.

"Will we be a nation defined by chaos and extremism or will we choose a path of decency, honor and continued progress?" he said.

Shapiro was considered by Harris and her team to serve as her running mate, though the nod ultimately went to Walz.

"Kamala Harris, well she has spent her entire career making progress," he said. "Donald Trump, a man with no guardrails, wants to take away our rights and our freedoms."

Shapiro lambasted Trump and Republicans for their stance on abortion and education.

"It sure as hell isn't freedom to say, you can go vote, but he gets to pick the winner. That's not freedom," he said.

The Pennsylvania Democrat said while Harris and Walz are on the ballot, it is Americans' rights that are at stake in the November election.

"You have the power to shape the future of this country, just like our ancestors who fought for freedom on the battlefield and sat-in at lunch counters so their kids could stand up," he said.

He urged voters to "write the next chapter in our American story." 

"Are you ready to protect our rights? Are you ready to secure our freedoms? Are you ready to defend our democracy? And are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?" he said.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the inauguration of Mr. Biden and Harris was the start of "one of the most successful presidencies of modern times."

She ticked off the list of legislation enacted when Democrats controlled the House in the first two years of Mr. Biden's administration, including a sweeping infrastructure package and their signature climate, tax and health care plan.

"All thanks to President Biden's patriotic vision of a fairer America, doing so with liberty and justice for all. Thank you Joe," she said. "And I know that Vice President Harris is ready to take us to new heights."

Pelosi's comments about Mr. Biden come amid reports the president is upset she pushed him to exit the presidential race. As the president was working to bolster support for his candidacy from congressional Democrats last month, the California Democrat appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and declined to explicitly back his reelection bid.

During her convention speech, Pelosi praised Harris, calling her a "person of deep faith" and a "leader of strength, with wisdom and eloquence on policy."

The California Democrat invoked the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, and encouraged attendees to remember Trump's role in the attack.

"Never before had a president of the United States so brazenly assaulted the bedrock of our democracy, so gleefully embraced political violence, so willfully betrayed his oath of office," she said. "Let us not forget who assaulted democracy on Jan. 6. He did. But let us not forget who saved democracy that day. We did."

She said the events of Jan. 6 underscore the importance of electing leaders who support free and fair elections, and respect the peaceful transfer of presidential power.

"The choice couldn't be clearer. Those leaders are Vice President Harris and Governor Walz," she said. "When the sun rose on Jan. 7, as our national anthem declares, we 'gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.' Now, in this election, we are called upon to do the same, to stand together, to reject autocracy, to choose democracy."

She closed by saying the nation will do just that in electing Harris for president, Walz for vice president, and flipping control of the House to Democrats.

Former President Bill Clinton, whose wife Hillary lost to Trump in 2016 when she was widely expected to win, warned his fellow Democrats other elections have been lost due to overconfidence. 

"We've seen more than one election slip away from us when we thought it couldn't happen," Clinton said. 

The former president warned the audience that there are still "a lot of slips between today and Election Day that we have to navigate." 

"You should never underestimate your adversary, and these people are very good at distracting us," he said. 

The former president, 78, said he doesn't know how many more conventions he will be able to attend, having attended every four-year gathering since 1972. 

"We need Kamala Harris, the president of joy, to lead us," Clinton said. 

Clinton, beginning his 12th convention address, opened his remarks by thanking President Biden and praising Harris, before turning his focus to Trump. He asked viewers to consider who will work for them in the White House.

"In 2024, we have got a pretty clear choice, it seems to me. Kamala Harris, for the people. And the other guy, who's proved, even more than the first go-around, that he's about me, myself and I," Clinton said in Chicago, where he accepted the nomination in 1996 when he was running for reelection. 

"I know which one I like better for our country. Kamala Harris will solve problems, seize opportunities, ease our fears, and make sure every American, however they vote, has a chance to chase their dreams," he said. "Meanwhile, Donald Trump has been a paragon of consistency. He's still dividing, he's still blaming, he's still belittling other people. He creates chaos, and then he sort of curates it as if it were precious art." 

He continued: "He mostly talks about himself. So the next time you hear him, don't count the lies. Count the i's."

"He's like one of those tenors, opening up, before he walks out on stage, trying to get his lungs open by saying 'me, me, me, me, me,'" Clinton said. "When Kamala Harris is president, everyday will begin with 'you, you, you, you.'"

Read more here.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries began his speech praising Mr. Biden for his decision to step aside from the White House race and said Democratic lawmakers "could not have asked for a better leader to partner with."

He said Democrats will deliver for the American people on affordable housing, combating gun violence and ensuring affordable health care.

"Kamala Harris is a courageous leader, a compassionate leader and a common sense leader who will deliver real results," he said. "Kamala Harris is fighting for our freedom. Kamala Harris is fighting for our families. Kamala Harris is fighting for our future together. Let's make Kamala Harris the 47th president of the United States."

The New York Democrat turned his attention to Trump, calling him an "old boyfriend who you broke up with, but he just won't go away."

"Donald Trump can spin the block all he wants, but there's no reason for us to ever get back together. Been there, done that," he said.

Jeffries said Trump and his supporters want to divide the nation but encouraged unity.

"There's only 76 days left. We must continue to speak up. We must continue to show up. We must continue to stand up, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans," he said. "And when we do, nothing can stop Kamala Harris from becoming the 47th president of the United States of America. Nothing can stop House Democrats from taking back the majority. Nothing can stop the American people from continuing our march toward a more perfect union."

Mindy Kaling, who starred in "The Office," is the celebrity host for Wednesday's primetime programming. 

"I am an incredibly famous Gen Z actress who you might recognize from 'The Office,' 'The Mindy Project,' or as a woman who courageously outed Kamala Harris as Indian in an Instagram cooking video. You're welcome," she joked. 

It was a reference to a cooking video the two made in 2019 in which they made masala dosa. Trump recently used the video to question Harris' racial identity. 

Kaling talked about Harris coming to her home to cook the South Indian dish and how they connected over their mothers, who were both immigrants from India. 

"The thing I remember the most about the vice president is that Kamala Harris can cook," she said. "But she also knew that my family was watching. So as she gently corrected my sloppy dosa making, she was complimenting me every step of the way, making sure that my daughter, Kit, heard how good of a cook I am. She had no desire to be seen as better than anyone else.

"When she finally fit into my dosa, she looked at me and said, 'Really good!' and then never took another bite again." 

Each night has featured a different celebrity as the host of the final two hours. On Monday, it was Tony Goldwyn from "Scandal." "The View" co-host Ana Navarro was featured on Tuesday. 

Legendary musician Stevie Wonder told the convention crowd that he has prayed this year for peace in the country and said the 2024 election presents the nation with one clear path to take.

"We must choose courage over complacency. It is time to get up and go vote," he said. The choice is clear, clearer than anyone else is saying. … We need to choose joy over anger, kindness over recrimination and peace over war every time. We must choose to be above the ugly words, the hateful anger and the division those words and anger create. We must keep on keeping on until we truly are a united people of these United States and then, we will reach our higher ground."

He urged voters to elect Harris and Walz before performing for a raucous crowd.

The former president rewrote his convention speech after seeing the energy among Democrats on the first night of the convention, an aide told CBS News. 

"After being here for an afternoon it was clear to him that, in the spirit of Mario Coumo, we needed more poetry, not prose," the aide said, referring to the former New York governor who often repeated his mantra that "you campaign in poetry and govern in prose."

Cuomo's keynote address at the 1984 DNC is considered one of the best convention speeches in modern history.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, who chaired the House committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, walked out to chants of "lock him up." 

Before Thompson spoke, a video of violent scenes from that day played, ending with the message: "If reelected, [Trump] will never be held accountable." 

"They did it because Donald Trump couldn't handle losing," the Mississippi Democrat said. "He would rather subvert democracy than submit to it. Now he's plotting again." 

"Elections are about choice. Choose Democracy, not political violence," he said. "Choose Kamala Harris." 

Olivia Troye, who served as an adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Georgia Lieutenant Gov. Geoff Duncan, both Republicans, took to the convention stage to speak out against Trump and voice their support for Harris.

Troye said it is Trump's "M.O. to sow doubt and division."

"That's what Trump wants because it's the only way he wins," she said. "And that's what our foreign adversaries want, because it's the only way they win."

Both Troye and Duncan sought to assuage concerns their fellow Republicans may have for supporting Harris, a Democrat.

"You're not voting for a Democrat. You're voting for democracy," Troye said. "You're not betraying our party. You're standing up for our country."

Duncan criticized the GOP with Trump as its leader.

"Our party is not civil or conservative. It is chaotic and crazy," he said. "And the only thing left to do is dump Trump. These days our party acts more like a cult, a cult worshiping a felonist thug."

The former Georgia lieutenant governor called Harris a "steady hand" and said any Republican who backs her in November is not a Democrat, but a "patriot."

Duncan recalled having armed law enforcement outside his home in 2020 after he was attacked by Trump and his son, sharing a coaster he received from his father that included the message, "Doing the right thing will never be the wrong thing. Stay strong."

"To my fellow Republicans at home that want to pivot back toward policy, empathy and tone: You know the right thing to do. Now let's have the courage to do it in November," Duncan said.

Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the chair of the Democratic Caucus, focused his remarks on the Latino community and how the leadership of Harris and Trump could affect them.

"As the highest-ranking Latino in Congress, our community understands the stakes in this election, because we believe in the promise of this country," he said. 

"We believe our nation is stronger when we keep families together. We believe our union is more perfect when Dreamers become doctors, teachers, construction workers and military service members. Latinos believe in that American dream and a brighter future, one where we secure our border, fix our broken immigration system and unlock economic opportunity for all." 

He said Americans don't have to make a choice between "a secure border and building an America for all." 

"Under Harris, we can and will do both," he said. 

Oprah Winfrey is set to address delegates at the DNC tonight, CBS News has learned. Gayle King, the co-host of "CBS Mornings" and one of Winfrey's close friends, discussed the surprise appearance on CBS News' coverage of the convention.

"She was still tweaking this afternoon. She's been working on it for quite some time. And may I just say, I think it's quite good. But she's still tweaking, she wants to get it right, she wants to hit the right note," King said. 

"She hadn't intended to be involved, to be honest with you, she tries to stay out of politics, I think. When she endorsed Barack Obama, that was the first time she had ever done that," King continued, referring to Winfrey's endorsement before the 2008 Iowa caucuses, which became a turning point in Obama's campaign. "She'd always tried to stay out of the political fray, and I think now the thinking is, for her, she feels there's a lot at stake and she has some things to say tonight."

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut lambasted Trump for derailing an immigration deal that Murphy negotiated with GOP Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona earlier this year.

The deal's chances of passing Congress quickly fell after Trump urged congressional Republicans to oppose it. Senate Republicans twice blocked the measure from advancing following Trump's criticism of the plan, first in February and again in May.

"Hate and division, that's Trump's oxygen," Murphy said. "People like Trump and JD Vance, they need it to survive in politics."

He decried the former president and his running mate as "weak."

"Kamala Harris is not weak," Murphy said. "For 20 years, Kamala Harris has been tough as nails when it comes to securing our border."

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said the country has achieved more when Americans work together, adding that "Trump betrays these ideals." 

"American history, our common history, is a testimony to taking on the insurmountable and achieving the impossible that should bring us joy. Our progress never, ever came easy, but in America, we do hard things," he said. 

He named a number of accomplishments, including advancing civil rights, workers rights, LGBTQ rights and reproductive rights. 

"We did all of this in a way that didn't pit American against American. We did this by healing rifts, by bridging divides, by pulling people together. And all the while, we in this nation lived up to our calling and our creed to be a more perfect union, to make this one nation under God a little more indivisible," he said.

Booker said Trump thrives off "smear and fear, not inspiration and elevation." 

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 terror attack, delivered somber remarks to the convention and called for the release of hostages being held in Gaza.

They took the stage to chants of "bring them home."

"This is a political convention. But needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue," Polin said.

He offered gratitude to President Biden and Harris for their efforts to secure the release of their son and the others who remain held captive by Hamas.

"They're both working tirelessly for a hostage and cease-fire deal that will bring our precious children, mothers, fathers, spouses, grandparents and grandchildren home, and will stop the despair in Gaza," Polin said.

He continued: "In an inflamed Middle East, we know the one thing that can most immediately release pressure and bring calm to the entire region: a deal that brings this diverse group of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza. The time is now."

Goldberg-Polin closed with a message for her son, saying, "Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you, stay strong, survive."

Walking on stage to chants of "Dana," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel delivered a rousing speech that included a sharp message to Republicans who oppose same-sex marriage: "You can pry this wedding band from my cold, dead, gay hand."

Nessel was praising Harris for her stance on LGBTQ rights and refusal to defend California's Proposition 8 in court, which was a state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage. It was struck down by a federal court in 2010.

"Do we go back to the corruption, criminality and chaos of Donald Trump?" she asked. "Or do we move forward with Kamala Harris?"

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison recalled the murder of George Floyd in 2020, saying Harris and Walz "understand the legacy of George Floyd." 

"No one is above the law and no one is beneath it. No one is outside the circle of our compassion," the former congressman said. "In the Republican Party, everyone thinks they're above the law. Hell, nearly a dozen of their own lawyers are facing serious charges. Even their lawyers need lawyers." 

Ellison accused Republicans of being "con artists" who traffic "in the defective goods of division, exclusion and fear." 

"Selling defective goods is a scam," he said. "We won't be scammed again. We're not going back. We are going forward." 

Ellison praised Harris and Walz as fighters who listen. He mentioned the need for a cease-fire and the release of hostages in Gaza. 

"They're listening, friends. They agree with us," he said. 

As Walz prepares to officially introduce himself Wednesday night to the nation, Democratic voters are feeling good about his selection as Harris' vice presidential nominee. Sixty percent of Democrats say they are enthusiastic about the pick, and almost all are at least satisfied.

Enthusiasm for Walz matches closely the enthusiasm that met Harris when she was chosen to be Joe Biden's vice presidential running mate four years ago. Just before the Democratic National Convention in August 2020, 58% of Democratic voters said they were enthusiastic about her selection.

Read more here.

The enlarged Project 2025 policy book made its third appearance on the convention stage, as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis cited proposals outlined in the agenda about access to fertility treatments like IVF, abortion and families.

Polis put in his suit jacket pocket a page from the book that he said declares a "legitimate family is a married mother and father where only the father works." The policy book states "families comprised of a married mother, father, and their children are the foundation of a well-ordered nation and healthy society" and calls working fathers "essential to the well-being and development of their children."

"I'm going to take that one out. I'm going to put that in my pocket so I can share it with undecided voters so they better understand what's at stake this election," he said.

Polis then warned that the policy proposals outlined in the agenda would weaponize the government to "control our reproductive and personal choices."

"Let's stop Project 2025 and elect Kamala Harris president this November," he said.

Democrats turned to Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York to deliver a message on immigration and border security.

His focus on the issues won him a special election in February, replacing disgraced former Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from Congress last year and recently pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft. 

In his speech, Suozzi invoked his family's story, saying his father came from Italy, served in World War II and then was elected the youngest judge in the history of New York state. 

He called the polarization on immigration "painful." 

"Let's be clear, the border is broken," he said. "But this year, when Democrats and Republicans worked together to finally write new border laws, we were blocked. We all know who sabotaged us."

Republicans and Democrats reached a compromise in February that would have been the first comprehensive border security policy overhaul in decades. But Republicans ultimately blocked the bill after Trump announced his opposition to it. 

"We reject the divisiveness. We reject the dysfunction. We reject the deception," he said. 

Democrats put the spotlight on abortion once again with a series of speakers who lead pro-abortion rights organizations. The issue was a motivator for voters in the 2022 midterms, the first to take place after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and Democrats are hoping it will again help propel their candidates to victory in November.

"When abortion is on the ballot, we win," said Minnie Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, before ticking off the seven states where the pro-abortion rights position succeeded when the issue was directly on the ballot in 2022.

Voters in at least eight states will have the chance to weigh in on abortion ballot measures in November.  The second night of the convention featured remarks from several women who spoke about their experiences in states with abortion restrictions.

Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood, recalled a pregnant woman from Georgia who had to fly to California to get an abortion, and warned of the health care landscape in states with near-total bans or stringent restrictions.

"We cannot call ourselves a free nation when women are not free," she said.

Former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said politics shouldn't interfere with a patient's health care.

"When women are free to make their own decisions about their lives and follow our dreams, we are unstoppable," she said. "But when Roe v. Wade was overturned, a generation of women lost that freedom."

Jessica Mackler, who leads EMILYs List, recited from Justice Samuel Alito's majority opinion in the case that unwinded the constitutional right to abortion, in which he wrote, "Women are not without electoral or political power."

"Donald Trump and Republicans are about to find out just how true that is," Mackler said. "The opportunity is before us. The power is in our hands, and the time is now."

The Democratic National Committee released the full list of tonight's speakers:

• Alex Hornbrook, executive director of the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee
• Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey
• Sri Rakesh Bhatt of the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple
• Bishop Leah D. Daughtry, the House of the Lord Churches
• Jaime Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee
• Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All
• Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund
• Cecile Richards, former Planned Parenthood president
• Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign
• Jessica Mackler, president of EMILYs List
• María Teresa Kumar, founding President and CEO of Voto Latino
• Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York
• Mayor Aftab Pureval of Cincinnati
• Mayor Cavalier Johnson of Milwaukee
• Rashawn Spivey and Deanna Branch, lead pipe removal advocates
• Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware
• Rep. Grace Meng of New York
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis
• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida
• Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
• Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison
• Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel
• Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin
• Maren Morris, American singer-songwriter
• Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas
• Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut
• Sheriff Javier Salazar of Bexar County, Texas
• Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus
• Carlos Eduardo Espina, content creator
• Olivia Troye, former Trump administration national security official
• Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan
• Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi
• Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, retired U.S. Capitol Police officer
• Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey
• Olivia Julianna, content creator
• Performance by Stevie Wonder
• Kenan Thompson, American comedian and actor
• Mindy Kaling
• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York
• Former President Bill Clinton
• Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California
• Gov. Josh Shapiro Pennsylvania
• Alexander Hudlin
• Jasper Emhoff
• Arden Emhoff
• Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada
• Performance by Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate
• Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland
• Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
• Performance by John Legend and Sheila E.
• Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
• Benjamin Ingman, former Walz student
• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, vice presidential nominee
• Benediction by William Emmanuel Hall, lead Pastor of St. James Church in Chicago