DNC Night 1: Biden says "I love the job, but I love my country more" in keynote speech

After President Biden wrapped his speech, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff joined him on stage. Harris and Mr. Biden embraced after his speech, giving one final image of unity. 

Mr. Biden's family also joined him on stage, including daughter Ashley and son Hunter. 

As the president concluded his speech, he looked back on his ascension to the highest office, saying "nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings" in Pennsylvania and Delaware towns "grow up to sit behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office."

"That's because America is and always has been a nation of possibilities," Mr. Biden said. "We must never lose that — never."

Mr. Biden said Harris and Walz "understand that this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities, not just for the few of us but for all of us." And he urged Americans to "join me in promising your whole heart to this effort."

The president promised to be the "best volunteer" the Harris-Walz campaign has "ever seen."

As he wrapped his speech, Mr. Biden quoted the song "American Anthem," recalling his 50 years in Washington working for Americans, where he said he's "given my heart and soul to our nation."

"Let me know in my heart, when my days are through, America, America, I gave my best to you," he said.

President Biden noted that the 2024 election will be the first election since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

"On that day, we almost lost everything about who we are as a country," Mr. Biden said. "And that threat is still very much alive."

Mr. Biden's run in 2020 had highlighted the threat to democracy, something he had highlighted earlier this year when he was running for reelection before he dropped his bid. 

"Donald Trump says he will refuse to accept the election results if he loses again," Mr. Biden said, adding Trump has called for a "bloodbath" and "we cannot let that happen again." 

After detailing a long list of what his administration has accomplished, the president said he intends to accomplish more in the remaining five months of his presidency. 

"I intend to get it done," he added.

The president highlighted what was among Democrats' strongest issues in the last election in reproductive rights, saying "MAGA Republicans found out the power of women in 2022."

"And Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024," he added. 

Mr. Biden said he believes in protecting Americans' freedoms, including their "freedom to choose." The issue was a key motivator for voters in the midterm elections, which came months after the Supreme Court overturned a constitutional right to abortion that had been the law of the land for nearly five decades. But the president has often shied away from the issue in speeches, ceding the issue to Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Mr. Biden highlighted the drop in crime during his time in office, saying he and Harris' investment in public safety had led to violent crime and the murder rate dropping.

"Crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office, rather than a convicted felon," he said, in a dig at Trump. 

President Biden rebuked former President Trump for his outlook on the nation, saying "Donald Trump calls America a failing nation."

"He says we're losing," Mr. Biden said. "He's the loser — he's dead wrong."

"Name me a country in the world that doesn't think we're the leading nation in the world," Mr. Biden said. "Who can lead the world other than the United States of America?"

The president said "America is winning," adding that the world is "better off for it." He said Trump "continues to lie" about issues like crime and immigration.

Mr. Biden celebrated the more than 80 million Americans who voted for him in 2020, saying he had run with a "deep conviction" in a nation where "honesty, dignity, decency" still mattered. Where "everyone has a fair shot, and hate has no safe harbor."

"Because of all of you in this room and others, we came together in 2020 to save democracy," Biden said. "As your president, I've been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back."

Mr. Biden touted his time in office as "one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever," citing the pandemic recovery, economic growth and work to lower drug prices, among other things. And he credited Vice President Kamala Harris as a major player in those efforts.

"We are a united country, we're growing our economy, we're improving our quality of life, and we're building a better America," Mr. Biden said. "That's who we are."

The president quickly drew back on the circumstances at hand when he took office in 2021, recalling the political violence and tension in the aftermath of the 2020 election. 

 "I knew then from the bottom of my heart as I do now, there is no place in America for political violence, none," Mr. Biden said. "You cannot say you love your country only when you win." 

Employing a familiar line, the president said the nation is in a battle for the "soul of America."

"We're facing an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history where the decisions we make now will determine the world for decades to come," Mr. Biden said. 

President Biden took to the stage at 11:25 p.m. ET to a standing ovation and cheers of "thank you, Joe." 

He thanked his daughter Ashley for her introduction, as well as son Hunter Biden and "our rock, Jill, and those of you who know us, she still leaves me breathless and speechless." 

Recalling his father saying "family is the beginning, middle and end," he said "I love you all" and then added, "America, I love you." 

Ashley Biden, the president's daughter, gave sentimental remarks about her father before introducing him at the convention on Monday night, flipping between memories of her childhood spent with her father, whom she called the "OG Girl Dad," and his accomplishments on the world stage. 

"As a child, I would sit on the leather chair in his office doing my homework, and he would sit next to me doing his work — drafting the Violence Against Women Act," she said. 

"Dad, you always tell us, but we don't tell you enough, that you are the love of our lives, and the life of our loves."

Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a long-time friend of President Biden, paid tribute to the president in remarks ahead of Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden's speeches, recalling Mr. Biden's accomplishments throughout his time in office — from the recovery from the pandemic to infrastructure gains and advancing gun safety, among other things. 

"I have never known a more compassionate man than Joe Biden," Coons said. "I have never known a man who has taken from his own loss and his own faith and delivered for the future of so many others."

Coons thanked Biden for elevating "a great leader in Kamala Harris."

"On behalf of our nation, Joe, for your courage in fighting for our democracy, we thank you," Coons said. "On behalf of our Democratic Party, for your loyalty in fighting for our democratic values, we thank you. And on behalf of Delaware, thank you Joe and God bless you. We love Joe."

First lady Jill Biden said her and President Biden's son Beau, who was Delaware attorney general at the same time that Harris served as California attorney general, told them that Harris was "special."

"He told me that at the dinner table one night, Mom, she's special — someone to keep your eye on," Jill Biden said. "And he was right." 

In a touching tribute, Jill Biden talked about moments when she falls in love with her husband anew — when he helps a child with a stutter to find confidence, stops to talk with someone grieving on a ropeline, and, "weeks ago, when I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris."

"Joe knows that our nation's strength doesn't come from intimidation or cruelty," she continued. "It comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds, from service to the communities that make us who we are, from love of a country that shines with promise and renewal. Kamala Harris knows that, too."

Jill Biden emphasized that she and Mr. Biden know Harris personally, and "we have seen her courage, her determination and her leadership up close." 

"Kamala and Tim, you will win," Jill Biden said. "And you are inspiring a new generation. We are all a part of something bigger than ourselves, and we are stronger than we know. The future of our country is in the hands of those in this room and all of you watching at home. It's going to take all of us. And we can't afford to lose."

First lady Jill Biden took to the stage in a long-sleeve sequin blue dress, saying she's been with her husband for nearly 50 years. And yet, there are "moments when I fall in love with him all over again."

She recalled some of those moments, such as when, after a long day in the Senate, he read one more bedtime story to the kids at their home in Delaware because they asked. Or when he stops on a rope line to speak with someone grieving. Or when he stepped aside to let Harris become the nominee. 

"Those moments, when I'm reminded of all he's accomplished in the name of something bigger than himself," she said. 

Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia contrasted what he views as the optimism of his election to the Senate with the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — events that occurred merely a day apart, as he characterized the two sentiments as the nation's choices going forward. 

Warnock recalled his election in 2021, when Georgia voters elected him and his counterpart in the upper chamber, Sen. Jon Ossoff, to the halls of Congress in a runoff election on Jan. 5. 

"The people of Georgia did an amazing thing — they sent a Black kid who grew up in public housing and the Jewish son of an immigrant to the United States Senate in one fell swoop."

Warnock thanked Americans for using their voices, saying "a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and for our children and our prayers are stronger when we pray together."

He went on to detail the events of Jan. 6, 2021, lambasting former President Donald Trump and what he saw as his influence on the day. 

"Elections are about the character of a country," Warnock said. "We must choose between the promise of Jan. 5 and the peril of Jan. 6… A nation that embraces all of us or just some of us."

Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas briefly choked up while giving an emotional address at the Democratic National Convention as she recounted meeting Vice President Kamala Harris for the first time. Crockett also compared the backgrounds of Harris and her GOP rival, former President Donald Trump.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland dubbed the convention the "democracy convention" and the "freedom convention," urging that Democrats are fighting to defend Americans' freedoms from Republicans that have converted the GOP into a "dangerous cult of personality."

The Maryland Democrat, who served on the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and served as an impeachment manager in former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, recalled the events of the day in vivid detail, including chants from Trump supporters to "hang Mike Pence" for refusing to reject the certification of the 2020 election results. 

"Someone should have told Donald Trump that the president's job under Article II of the constitution is to take care that the laws are faithfully executed, not that the vice president is executed," Raskin said. 

Raskin quipped, "JD Vance, do you understand why there was a sudden job opening for running mate on the GOP ticket?"

"They tried to kill your predecessor," he said. 

Two women who were denied medical care while undergoing miscarriages and another who became pregnant at the age of 12 due to incest spoke Monday to highlight Democrats' stance on abortion rights. 

Amanda Zurawski, a Texas woman who suffered a miscarriage and was part of an ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit to clarify the state's medical exemptions for abortion, spoke with her husband, Josh. "I was lucky: I lived," Zurwaski said.

"I'll continue sharing our story, standing with women and families across the country," Zurawski said. "Today, because of Donald Trump, more than one in three women of reproductive age in America lives under an abortion ban. A second Trump term would rip away even more of our rights." 

Kaitlyn Joshua was expecting her second child and getting ready for her 4-year-old daughter's birthday party when she sensed something was wrong. But two emergency rooms sent her away. 

"Because of Louisiana's abortion ban, no one would confirm that I was miscarrying," Joshua said. "I was in pain, bleeding so much my husband feared for my life. No woman should experience what I endured. But too many have. They write to me saying, 'What happened to you happened to me.'"

Hadley Duvall, the young woman who became an abortion rights activist taping an ad for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, retold her story. Her ad became powerful, not just in Kentucky, but across the country. 

"I was raped by my stepfather after years of sexual abuse," Duvall said. "At age 12, I took my first pregnancy test. And it was positive. That was the first time I was ever told, 'You have options.' I can't imagine not having a choice. But today, that's the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trump's abortion bans. He calls it a beautiful thing. What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent's child? There are other survivors out there who have no options. And I want you to know that we see you. We hear you."

Delegates in the crowd rose to give Duvall a standing ovation. 

"Kamala Harris will sign a national law to restore the right to an abortion," Duvall said. "She will fight for every woman and every girl. Even those who are not fighting for her." 

Beshear took the stage next, calling Duvall "one of the bravest people I've ever met." 

Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, whose endorsement in 2020 was instrumental to President Biden moving on to the Democratic nomination, sought to contrast Trump and Harris. 

"While Trump falsely pleads ignorance of Project 2025, which in my opinion is Jim Crow 2.0, Kamala has been offering the American people enlightened proposals and visionary leadership," Clyburn said. Now 84, Clyburn is a storied civil rights activist who was heavily involved in the civil rights movement. 

Clyburn quoted a passage from the Bible about being persecuted, but not forsaken, and cast down, but not destroyed. 

"Our great democracy has been tested," Clyburn said. "And so has the basic goodness of the American people. But our resolve to remain a great country with freedom and justice for all will not falter. We will continue our march toward a more perfect union, united in our common purpose and emboldened by our resolve to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the next president and vice president of these United States of America." 

Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton spoke as the only other woman who has been in Harris' place as a major party's presidential nominee.

Clinton expressed her hope and confidence that Harris will be the one to break that glass ceiling. 

"Together, we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling," she said. But the work, she said, is far from over. 

"On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States," Clinton said. 

Clinton began her remarks by praising Mr. Biden for his service to the country. 

"He has been democracy's champion, at home and abroad," Clinton said. "He brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House. And he showed what it means to be a true patriot. Thank you, Joe Biden, for your lifetime of service and leadership."

"And now we are writing a new chapter in America's story," she said. 

Clinton said her mother was born in Chicago before women had the right to vote. That changed 104 years ago Sunday, she said. 

"And then, there was 2016, when it was the honor of my life to accept our party's nomination for president," she said. 

Clinton encouraged Americans who are weary to keep going. 

"Women fighting for reproductive health care are saying keep going!" she said. "Families building better lives, parents stretching to afford child care, young people struggling to pay the rent, they're all asking us to keep going! So, with faith in each other and joy in our hearts, let's send Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to the White House!"

Clinton said both she and Harris began their legal careers fighting for the rights and protections of endangered children. 

"That kind of work changes a person," Clinton said. "Those kids stay with you. Kamala carries with her the hopes of every child she protected, every family she helped, every community she served. So as president, she will always have our backs. And she will be a fighter for us."

Clinton said, "We can't let up."

"We're not just electing a president, we're uplifting our nation," she said. "We're opening the promise of America wide enough for everyone."

Read more here.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared her story of the American dream, recalling how six years ago, she was taking omelet orders as a waitress in New York City. 

"Like millions of Americans, we were just looking for an honest shake," she said of her family's experience. "And we were tired of cynical politics that seemed blind to the realities of working people."

"I am here tonight because America has before us a rare and precious opportunity," Ocasio-Cortez said. "In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class."

Ocasio-Cortez said Harris understands the pressure of the prices of groceries and prescriptions. But the congresswoman from New York also made a point to highlight the Israel-Hamas war. 

Harris "is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing hostages home," she said. 

Ocasio-Cortez blasted Trump, calling him a "two-bit union buster." 

"In Kamala Harris, I see a leader who understands," she said. "I see a leader with a real commitment to a better future for working families. And Chicago, we have to help her win. Because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends."

Ocasio-Cotez said some Republicans have belittled her history working as a bartender. 

"Ever since I got elected, Republicans have attacked me by saying I should go back to bartending," she said. "But let me tell you, I'm happy to, any day of the week, because there is nothing wrong with working for a living. Imagine having leaders in the White House who understand that, leaders like Kamala and Tim." 

Ocasio-Cortez urged Democrats to leave no energy unspent over the next 78 days until the election. 

"We choose a new path, and open the door to a new day, one that is for the people and by the people," she concluded. 

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, wearing a t-shirt saying "Trump is a scab," positioned the election as a key choice for workers. He called Kamala Harris the "fighter" working class people need in the White House.

"For the UAW and for working-class people everywhere, this election comes down to one question — which side are you on?" Fain said. "On one side, we have Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, who have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the working class. On the other side, we have Trump and Vance, two lap dogs for the billionaire class who only serve themselves."

The union leader said "for us in the labor movement, it's real simple: Kamala Harris is one of us," adding that she's a "fighter for the working class," while calling Trump a "scam."

Fain, who leads the 400,000-member union, said he's "honored" to be able to support the Harris-Walz ticket on behalf of the union, while thanking President Biden for joining the picket line with union members last year, in a move unprecedented in modern presidential history. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul attacked former President Donald Trump, a fellow native New Yorker, in her five-minute speech that highlighted her and Harris' middle-class upbringing. 

Hochul shared the story of her parents, who rose from living in a trailer to the middle class. 

"They believed that with hard work, they could build a better future, not just for themselves, but for those with less hope and less opportunity," Hochul said.

Her parents had grit, determination and compassion, she said. 

"Kamala Harris and Tim Walz grew up with those same values," Hochul said. 

Hochul blasted Trump, honing in on his criminal record and charges. 

"If you're tired of Donald Trump, talk to a New Yorker," she said. "We've had to deal with him for 78 long years."

"America, we just can't afford another four years of that," she added. 

Hochul said Trump "talked big about bringing back manufacturing jobs, but you know who actually did it? President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Thank you, Joe. Thank you, Kamala." 

Harris made an unscheduled appearance on stage shortly after 9 p.m. ET, taking the microphone to "Freedom," by Beyonce.

Harris, wearing a tan suit, started her remarks by acknowledging the president for his "historic leadership" and "lifetime of service to our nation." 

"Looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation," she said. "People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here, united by our shared vision for the future of our country, and this November, we will come together and declare with one voice, as one people, we are moving forward!"

"With optimism, hope and father, guided by our love of country, knowing we all have so much more in common than what separates us, let us fight for the ideals we hold dear, and let us always remember, when we fight, we win!" she concluded. Harris is slated to speak on Thursday, the final night of the convention.

With the DNC back in Chicago, thousands are once again protesting. Mark Strassmann spoke with new organizers and those who took part in the infamous 1968 demonstrations about what they expect to see this year.

Continuing one of the Democratic party's lines of attack against the GOP ticket, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow made dire pronouncements about "Project 2025" on the first night of the convention, referencing the detailed blueprint for the next Republican president.

McMorrow dropped an oversized book version of Project 2025 onto the lectern as she outlined some of the policies in the nearly 900-page document, which was overseen by the conservative Heritage Foundation. The Trump campaign has distanced itself from the document.  

McMorrow focused on the elements of Project 2025 that she said "plan to turn Donald Trump into a dictator," pointing to proposed policies targeting federal agencies and plans to overhaul the Justice Department. She argued that the policies would allow Trump to "weaponize the Department of Justice to go after his political opponents," and turn the FBI into "his own personal police force."

"That is not how it works in America," McMorrow said. "That's how it works in dictatorships. And that's exactly what Donald Trump and his MAGA minions have in mind — an expansion of presidential powers like no president has ever had or should ever have."

Democrats are expected to continue to refer to Project 2025 policies throughout the week as they look to draw a stark comparison between Harris and Trump, despite the former president's efforts to distance himself from the policy framework.

A new CBS News poll shows more Democrats say they will definitely vote after Kamala Harris took over for President Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee. CBS News elections and surveys executive director Anthony Salvanto has more on the state of the race.

Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention features addresses from President Biden and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. CBS News political director Fin Gómez has more on Clinton's speech and other notes about the convention, including how it differs from last month's Republican National Convention.

One by one, a parade of union leaders came to the mic to praise Harris' investment in their industries and protection of union workers' interests. 

Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal County Employees, said Harris and Mr. Biden have been guided by a basic principle during their time in office — "more freedom for working people, including the freedom to join a union." 

"So this November, we're moving forward with Kamala Harris as our president," Saunders said. 

Service Employees International Union president April Verrett said, "We're all in for Kamala Harris because Kamala Harris has always been all in for us." 

Verrett said Harris has joined fast food workers on the picket line, and stood in the shoes of home health care workers. 

"She shares our vision for a modern day labor movement, a movement that meets the needs of workers in the 21st Century, and an economy that is ready for the future," Verrett said. "... We are going to build a younger, darker, hipper, fresher, sneaker-wearing labor movement"

AFL-CIO President Liz Schuler said "this election is about two economic visions," painting Harris' as one that would be better than Trump's. 

"Every step of the way, Kamala Harris has been there for us," said Kenneth Cooper, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. "She's bringing back American manufacturing to forgotten places throughout our country. She cast the deciding vote to save our pension plans."

"She has come through for us, and it's our turn to come through for her," Cooper added. 

Heading into the Democratic Convention, Kamala Harris is maintaining support for a traditionally crucial voting bloc in the Democratic coalition:  labor union households. The latest CBS News poll shows Harris winning this group nationally 58% to 41%, this is in line with the 56% that voted for Joe Biden nationally in 2020. 

Though their share of the electorate has dropped over the past 50 years  (union households made up a third of voters in 1976) they have been voting majority Democratic since 1984. Support dropped to just 51% when Hillary Clinton was the nominee, but rose back up  in 2020.

This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a representative sample of 3,258 registered voters nationwide interviewed between August 14-16, 2024. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and the U.S. Census Current Population Survey, as well as past vote. Respondents were selected to be representative of registered voters nationwide. The margin of error for registered voters is ±2.1 points.

As protesters gather in the thousands in Chicago to demand an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, support for the protestors is mixed among both the general public and Democrats, specifically. 

Among registered voters overall, more think Kamala Harris should condemn pro-Palestinian demonstrations than support them, but a plurality doesn't she should take a position either way. Support for the protesters is higher among Democrats — they think she should support rather than condemn them by almost two to one — but most would rather she not take a position.

 Among Democrats, views on how Harris should handle such demonstrations varies with age and ideology. Younger and more liberal Democrats are more likely to want Harris to actively support them, while older and more moderate Democrats would like her to avoid taking a position. Few Democrats want Harris to condemn them.

Democrats are more united when it comes to what the U.S. should do regarding the conflict itself: a large majority across age and ideological lines thinks the U.S. should encourage Israel to at least decrease its military actions in Gaza, and most Democrats think they should be stopped altogether, a far greater percentage than registered voters overall.

Not all Democratic voters think this is what Kamala Harris will do however. Just a third think so, though most think she will at least encourage Israel to decrease them.

This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a representative sample of 3,258 registered voters nationwide interviewed between August 14-16, 2024. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and the U.S. Census Current Population Survey, as well as past vote. Respondents were selected to be representative of registered voters nationwide. The margin of error for registered voters is ±2.1 points.

Democratic leaders lambasted former President Donald Trump for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic while heaping praise upon the Biden-Harris administration for its efforts once Trump left the White House. 

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan told a personal story of her brother, whom she said was the second person in Tennessee to die of COVID-19 in 2020. 

"We couldn't see him, we couldn't have a memorial, and millions of American families went through the same thing," Flanagan said. "Our communities were suffering, our economy was struggling and Donald Trump was playing games."

Flanagan said the nation was "brought to the brink" under Trump's leadership during the pandemic, but "the Biden-Harris administrations stepped in with quick and decisive action," adding that "under their leadership America began to heal."

Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois didn't mince words, saying "Donald Trump failed us" in the early days of the pandemic.

"He took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe," Underwood said. "We can never let him be our president again."

Underwood highlighted how four years ago, the last convention was held virtually due to the pandemic, celebrating that now, "thousands have gathered in this arena, in my home state of Illinois, to make sure Kamala Harris is the next president of the United States."

"We have come so far these past four years, and we're not going back," she said. 

Rep. Robert Garcia of California continued, saying "while schools closed and dead bodies filled morgues, Donald Trump downplayed the virus."

"We can all remember 2020, we can all remember the horrors of Donald Trump," Garcia said. "But let's remember most importantly tonight and every single day this week that we are not going back."

The delegates voted just after 7:30 p.m. ET to make Tim Walz, Harris' new running mate, the party's vice presidential nominee in a voice vote, with raucous applause as the Minnesota governor's nomination was affirmed. 

Though the delegates voted to select Harris as the party's nominee early this month in a virtual roll call vote and DNC leaders later certified Walz as her running mate, the ceremonial vote came as the party is gathering to rally around the new ticket this week. Walz will deliver a speech accepting the nomination on Wednesday. 

"While governor Walz's nomination has already been certified, we couldn't miss the opportunity to celebrate this future vice president's integrity, commitment, decency and service to our nation," said Minyon Moore, convention committee chair. 

The delegates also voted on other party business, including adopting the convention agenda, committee reports and party platform. 

Rev. Jesse Jackson, the renowned lifelong civil rights activist who ran for president in 1984, appeared on stage in a wheelchair, to applause from the audience. Jackson, 82, has been battling Parkinson's disease for years. 

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition held a celebration Sunday night in Chicago to honor Jackson and his life. Jackson's speech at the DNC in 1984 invoked the "Rainbow Coalition." 

When President Biden addresses the Democratic convention, it will be with the rank and file in his party feeling mostly upbeat about his presidency. 

Democrats nationwide are actually feeling more positively about Mr. Biden's presidency now than they were in March, when he was still running for reelection. Three in four describe his presidency as "excellent" or "good."

But these positive assessments do not extend much beyond the Democratic Party: Voters overall, including most independents and an overwhelming number of Republicans, view his presidency more negatively — either as "fair" or "poor."

What does this mean for Harris?

There is some connection between opinions of the Biden presidency and backing for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Perhaps not surprisingly, likely voters who view Mr. Biden's presidency as "excellent" or "good" are almost universally voting for Harris.  

And those who feel President Biden has been doing a "poor" job are backing former President Donald Trump in large numbers.

But what about the voters who are not entirely pleased with the Biden presidency so far, but don't feel extremely negative about it either - those who rate his presidency as "fair"?

Voters who feel this way are mostly made up of independents and disaffected Democrats, and Harris is getting the backing of a majority of them. 

So even though these voters may not be feeling especially positive about Biden's presidency, most of them are behind Harris over Trump right now.

This analysis is from a CBS News/YouGov survey conducted with a representative sample of 3,258 registered voters nationwide interviewed between August 14-16, 2024. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and the U.S. Census Current Population Survey, as well as past vote. Respondents were selected to be representative of registered voters nationwide. The margin of error for registered voters is ±2.1 points.

Battlegrounds are AZ, GA, MI, NC, NV, PA, and WI.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson introduced himself by harkening back to former President Donald Trump's recent remarks about "Black jobs." Trump has said immigrants are taking "Black jobs," which has prompted pushback. 

 "I'm Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, and I'm here to do my Black job," he said. 

Johnson acknowledged the historic nature of the convention, with the first female Black Democratic nominee, and all the Black Americans who fought for equality before it to make it possible. 

"Black history is American history," he said. "And in this historic moment, we will write the next chapter together." 

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson kicked off the convention speakers by welcoming delegates to his city, delivering energetic remarks about what the new Democratic ticket offers Americans. 

"Welcome to the greatest city in the world, Chicago," Johnson said. "This city of hard work and caring people is where Democrats will celebrate Joe Biden and nominate Kamala Harris for president of the United States of America."

Johnson outlined Harris and Walz's records, saying "as the son of a family that worked to make ends meet, I know that Kamala Harris – the daughter of a mom who worked hard every single day — she is going to look out for the interests of everyday people."

Johnson, a former teacher, said that he knows "as a fellow former social studies teacher, that Gov. Tim Walz will never shrink from standing up for our democracy and for those most in need."

"Together we can build a better, brighter future, and there's no better place to start that than right here in the greatest freaking city in the world, the city of Chicago," he said. 

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told CBS Chicago that four people were arrested Monday when protesters breached a security fence at the DNC.

According to CBS Chicago, the official protest had moved away from Park 578 by just after 5:30 p.m. ET, but a faction stayed behind and broke through the fence about two blocks from the United Center. 

Read more at CBS Chicago. 

Brakkton Booker, national political correspondent for Politico, and Shelby Talcott, politics reporter for Semafor, joined CBS News to discuss what they expect Democrats to focus on during the DNC and what they think will differentiate Kamala Harris' campaign from Hillary Clinton's 2016 run for the White House.

President Biden is set to headline Monday night, after remarks by first lady Jill Biden and an introduction from their daughter Ashley Biden. 

Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic nominee, will also speak tonight. 

Other speakers include Jaime Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and a host of nationally known Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Raphael Warnock of Georgia.

A number of labor union leaders will also speak, including Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers. 

And a number of women from states with abortion restrictions will have speaking time to share their stories, as the party seeks to focus attention on support for reproductive rights.

See the full list of speakers here.

The convention gaveled in at 6:30 p.m. ET. 

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said all the conventions past have led to this moment — a Black Democratic National Committee chair and a Black Democratic National Convention chair staging the convention for the first Black woman as their party's presidential nominee. 

Convention chair Minyon Moore also gave a nod to the night's headliner, Mr. Biden, saying, "In a true act of patriotism, he passed the torch to the next generation."

In an exclusive TV interview with CBS News' Caitlin Huey-Burns in Pennsylvania on Monday, Trump defended his attacks on Harris' intelligence. Asked by Huey-Burns if that's the right message to win over moderate voters, the kind of voters Trump will need in key battleground states, he responded that no, "the message is what a bad job they've done."

Asked for specifics, Trump couldn't point to evidence or examples of deficits in Harris' intellect.

"Our country needs a very smart person, and I don't think she's a very smart person," Trump replied. "So, I'm not looking to — I don't consider that an insult — that's just a fact."

"What evidence do you have for that?" Huey-Burns asked. 

"I looked at the things that she's said, I looked at the way she deals, I looked at her record — her crazy record — I look at her policies. I just don't happen to think so," Trump responded. "Now, I could say she is and I know that would be very nice. And the other thing, we have to win this election." 

In the interview with Huey-Burns, Trump also discussed whether he'd accept the election outcome and whether he'd release his medical records.

Cedric Richmond is the Kamala Harris campaign co-chair and a former senior adviser to President Biden. Richmond joined "America Decides" to discuss the role Harris played in the Biden administration and the party's transition to Harris from Biden.

Each day of the convention features a theme related to the tagline, "For the People, For Our Future." Monday's theme is centered on the "For the People" element, where the party will argue Democrats have put the people first under the Biden-Harris administration. 

Mr. Biden's decades in office will also be featured prominently Monday, as the party honors the president and his decision to step aside while celebrating its new standard bearer.

Anita Dunn, a former senior adviser to Mr. Biden who left the White House last month to join the main super PAC supporting Harris, said the president sees his role in the campaign as "volunteer-in-chief" and is determined to ensure Trump is defeated in November.

—   Kaia Hubbard, Aaron Navarro 

Protesters breached a security fence into the security perimeter for the Democratic National Convention Monday afternoon.

The official protest had moved away from Park 578 by just after 4:30 p.m., but a faction stayed behind and broke through the fence at Washington Boulevard and Wolcott Avenue. This group made it through the first line of the perimeter, and was trying to make it through the second fence—which would allow them access to the United Center.

Read more at CBS Chicago. 

— Dave Savini, Charlie De Mar