How to watch the 2020 Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is taking place virtually from August 17-20, with keynote speakers from 9-11 p.m. ET each night. Joe Biden will formally accept the nomination for president on Thursday night and Kamala Harris accepts the nomination for vice president on Wednesday.
Jill Biden and former President Bill Clinton are among those speaking Tuesday, and former President Obama addresses the virtual convention on Wednesday. Biden will accept the nomination virtually from his home state of Delaware, rather than traveling to Milwaukee.
Michelle Obama kicked off the convention Monday with a plea and a warning: "If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it," she said. She told voters that President Trump has shown he "cannot meet this moment," and that he can't be the president we need him to be.
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich was the most prominent of the four Republicans who spoke and endorsed Biden on the same night, making the argument to independents and Republicans that Biden won't "turn sharp left and leave them behind" if he wins the presidency, because he is "reasonable, faithful, respectful," and "no one pushes Joe around."
On the other side of the spectrum, Bernie Sanders urged his supporters, the most liberal in the party, to vote against President Trump. If he is reelected, "all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy," Sanders said.
CBSN will provide live coverage and analysis throughout the day all week, with full coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET on "Red & Blue," with Elaine Quijano. At 8:30 p.m. ET, tune in for an advance of each night's convention speakers, and again at 11 p.m. ET for post-convention analysis.
From 10-11 p.m. ET each night, CBS television stations will broadcast live coverage anchored by "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell.
Download the free CBS News app for full CBSN coverage and live convention updates. CBSN streaming is available on all major platforms, including iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon, Apple, Samsung and Pluto.
How to watch the Democratic National Convention
- What: Democratic National Convention
- Date: Monday, August 17 through Thursday, August 20, 2020
- Convention coverage on CBSN: 5 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Convention speakers live on CBSN: 9-11 p.m. ET
- Convention coverage on CBS television stations: 10-11 p.m. ET
- Post-convention coverage on CBSN: 11 p.m. ET
- Live blog updates: Follow along on CBSNews.com
- Online stream: Live on CBSN — in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.
CBS News' weeklong coverage will include "60 Minutes" correspondent and CBS News political analyst John Dickerson and CBS News contributors María Elena Salinas, Jamal Simmons and Leslie Sanchez, with ongoing perspective on CBSN from a range of political strategists, including Joel Payne, Antjuan Seawright and Lynda Tran.
CBSN coverage will include reporting by CBSN politics reporter Caitlin Huey-Burns, CBS News correspondents and campaign reporters, plus the latest on the state of the race from CBS News elections and surveys director Anthony Salvanto. Reporters from around the country will provide perspectives as part of CBSN's "Local Matters" series.
Special convention night coverage includes: Former Trump White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, former Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign manager Robby Mook, Democratic strategist Joel Payne, and former 2016 Marco Rubio campaign manager Terry Sullivan.
Here is who is slated to speak each day of the Democratic National Convention:
Monday
In order of appearance
- Congressman Bennie Thompson, convention chair
- Reverend Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition
- Gwen Moore, convention sergeant-at-arms
- Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser
- Performance by singer Leon Bridges
- Congressman James Clyburn
- Governor Andrew Cuomo
- Kristin Urquiza, whose father died from COVID-19
- Sara Gideon, speaker of the Maine House of Representatives
- Performance by Maggie Rogers
- Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
- Christine Whitman, Republican former governor of New Jersey
- Meg Whitman, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
- Susan Molinari, Republican former congresswoman
- John Kasich, Republican former governor of Ohio
- Senator Doug Jones
- Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
- Senator Amy Klobuchar
- Former 2020 presidential candidates
- Congressman Cedric Richmond
- Senator Bernie Sanders
- Former first lady Michelle Obama
- Performance by Billy Porter and Stephen Stills
- Reverend Dr. Jerry Young
Tuesday
- Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
- Former Secretary of State John Kerry
- Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
- Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester
- Former President Bill Clinton
- Former second lady Jill Biden
Wednesday
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
- Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
- Senator Elizabeth Warren
- Governor Tony Evers
- Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
- Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
- Senator Kamala Harris
- Former President Barack Obama
Thursday
- Senator Cory Booker
- Governor Gavin Newsom
- Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
- Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- Senator Tammy Baldwin
- Senator Tammy Duckworth
- Senator Chris Coons
- The Biden family
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
