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      Tim Walz accepts VP nomination and pitches voters: ‘We have the right team’

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      Minnesota governor Tim Walz accepted the Democratic party’s vice-presidential nomination by emphasizing his rural bonafides and Americana background as a teacher and coach in a more sweeping speech than the unassuming midwesterner has given before.“You might not know it, but I haven’t given a lot of big speeches like this,” Walz said as he closed out Wednesday’s Democratic convention in Chicago. “But I have given a lot of pep talks.”The former football coach laid out the metaphor as the crowd again chanted: “It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal, but we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball. 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.”The pep talk capped off a well-received speech full of Walzian refrains – that he knows what small-town neighborliness is, that his time in the classroom taught him about public service. He walked out to John Mellencamp’s Small Town, amid a sea of signs that said “Coach Walz”. The crowd chanted “coach” as Walz put his hand to his heart.Almost immediately, Walz leaned in to his rural upbringing. “I grew up in Butte, Nebraska, a town of 400 people. I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale,” Walz said, taking a swipe at Donald Trump’s vice-presidential pick, JD Vance.He described growing up in a small town and the tolerance that was required for respecting your neighbors. “We’ve got a golden rule,” he said, as the crowd began to finish one of his common lines on the campaign trail. “Mind your own damn business.”Walz also focused on his background in the military service, which Republicans have attacked in recent days, and as a public school teacher in Mankato, Minnesota, where he taught social studies and coached the high school football team. “Never underestimate a public school teacher,” he said.Like many other speakers on Wednesday night, he built on the days’s theme of freedom and pointed to the conservative manifesto backed by Trump allies, Project 2025.“That’s what this is all about, the responsibility we have to our kids, to each other and to the future that we’re building together, in which everyone is free to build the kind of life they want,” Walz said. “But not everyone has that same sense of responsibility. Some folks just don’t understand what it takes to be a good neighbor. Take Donald Trump and JD Vance.”“Their Project 2025 will make things much, much harder for people who are just trying to live their lives. They spent a lot of time pretending they know nothing about this. But look, I coached high school football long enough to know and trust me on this. When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re going to use it,” he said.During Walz’s speech, his family was visibly moved, with clips of his emotional son circulating as his father spoke.The main stage speech came at the end of another dynamic night at the convention. The audience heard from former president Bill Clinton and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi as well as rising stars in the party, Maryland governor Wes Moore and transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg. And there were interludes from comedian Kenan Thompson and actor Mindy Kaling.But perhaps the most rousing speech was from a surprise guest, Oprah Winfrey, the Chicago-based talk show host and political independent who called on fellow independents to rally around the Harris-Walz ticket. “Values and character matter most of all. In leadership and in life”, she said. “And more than anything, you know this is true: decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024.”Meanwhile, Walz’s place on the ticket has catapulted Minnesota to the forefront. The state isn’t a swing state, but his record is notable for Democrats. A trifecta in the Minnesota house, senate and governorship has allowed the party to pass a spate of progressive policies, including universal free school meals, gun safety measures, clean energy mandates, child tax credits and more.The North Star state featured heavily on Wednesday’s stage before Walz’s speech. John Legend and Sheila E performed a tribute to Prince, a Minneapolis native near-synonymous with the state, playing Let’s Go Crazy as the room was lit up purple.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionKeith Ellison, the Minnesota attorney general and a Walz friend, said Walz called him after the murder of George Floyd by police and asked him to prosecute the case. Walz and Harris “know that nobody is above the law, and nobody is below the law”, Ellison said.Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar introduced Walz, alongside Ben Ingman, a former student and neighbor of the Walzes. Football players and the former head coach from Walz’s Mankato West teams joined Ingman on the stage. “Tim Walz is the kind of guy who will push you out of a snowbank,” Ingman said. “I know this because Tim Walz pushed me out of a snowbank.”Klobuchar talked about how Walz’s attributes, such as how he has a viral video about changing a headlight and that he’s a “dad in plaid”, make him perfect for the VP role. “A former public school teacher knows how to school the likes of JD Vance,” she said.Elementary students from Moreland Arts & Health Sciences magnet school in St Paul, Minnesota led the pledge of allegiance; the students benefitted from the universal free school meals program that has become a key accomplishment of the Walz administration. And Jess Davis, a math teacher who was Minnesota’s teacher of the year in 2019, sang the national anthem.After the speech, the Minnesota delegation celebrated on the convention floor, chanting Walz’s name and cheering.Democratic convention highlights:

      Tim Walz rallies Democrats: ‘We’re gonna leave it on the field’

      Watch speeches from Bill Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Josh Shapiro

      Oprah Winfrey takes swipe at Vance’s ‘childless cat lady’ comment in surprise appearance

      Here are the rising stars and politicians to watch this week

      What to know about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz More

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      Nancy Pelosi thanks Biden at convention and says Harris will ‘take us to new heights’

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      Democrats rose to their feet when Nancy Pelosi walked on stage at the United Center in Chicago for the Democratic national convention. They applauded, and then applauded louder. Pelosi waved before quieting the room.The former House speaker began by expressing her gratitude to Joe Biden, calling his term “one of the most successful presidencies of modern times”. even though she had pushed subtly but forcefully for the president to step aside.“Thank you, Joe,” she said, before turning to Kamala Harris, a fellow California Democrat who Pelosi proclaimed was “ready to take us to new heights”.Pelosi may have retired as House Democratic leader, but the convention has proven – if proof were needed – that the veteran congresswoman remains one of the most consequentially and uniquely influential power brokers in the party who can make – or break – a US president.Earlier on Wednesday, Pelosi, now House speaker emerita, was reluctant to reveal details of her conversation with Biden just over a month ago, during the deeply agonizing period before he decided to abandon his re-election bid and endorse Harris.Speaking at the University Club of Chicago, in a room paneled with stained glass, Pelosi insisted that the monumental decision was Biden’s alone to make. But pressed by Democratic strategist David Axelrod, she conceded that she believed it “essential” Democrats deny Donald Trump a second term. The cost was denying Biden one, too.“I wanted very much to protect his legacy,” she said. But her highest priority was to win the election – and not just the White House, but the House and the Senate.“A great sacrifice was made here,” said Pelosi, who will seek another term – her 20th – in November’s elections.The former speaker appeared uncomfortable with the insinuation that she was a central figure in pushing Biden to end his re-election campaign, a decision that has transformed the presidential race. Harris’s ascent has electrified Democrats and unified the party behind the new presidential ticket, which includes her running mate, Tim Walz, a former Minnesota congressman who Pelosi had also advocated for.“You have to make the decision to win, and you have to make every decision in favor of winning,” she said.Biden has denied that any one person had pushed him out of the race. Speaking to reporters on Monday, after delivering what amounted to a farewell speech at the Democratic convention, he said: “No one influenced my decision. No one knew it was coming.”Pelosi and Biden, devout Catholics who have known each other for decades, have not spoken since he ended his campaign. The rupture has weighed on Pelosi, she said. “I’ve cried over this. I’m sad about this,” she said.During his remarks in Chicago, Biden said: “All this talk about how I’m angry at all those people who said I should step down, it’s not true.”Pelosi, the daughter of a longtime Baltimore mayor and student of the city’s brass knuckle politics, shared anecdotes from her new book, The Art of Power, about her extraordinary career arc that she described as: “housewife, House member, House Speaker.”She was the first – and so far only – female speaker of the House, and was the highest ranking woman in US politics until Harris was elected to serve as the nation’s first female vice-president.“You have to be able to take a punch, you have to be able to throw a punch … for the children,” she said, a Pelosi-ism that drew laughs from the packed audience.Asked by Axelrod whether Harris should emphasize the history-making possibility of her candidacy, Pelosi said breaking what Hillary Clinton once called the “highest hardest” glass ceiling in US politics was important, but not a political message.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionThe prospect of Harris becoming the first woman president “brings tears to my eyes” Pelosi said, but it doesn’t necessarily bring “votes to the ballot box”.“It’s icing on the cake,” she said. “But it ain’t the cake.”Now considered one of the most powerful House speakers in modern political history, Pelosi said it wasn’t her ambition to become a member of the party leadership when she first arrived in Washington.“I became interested in running because we kept losing the elections, 94, 96, 98 and then it was 2000 I thought: ‘I’m so tired of losing,” she said.Soon after, when she made her decision to run known, Pelosi said she was met with incredulity by male colleagues, who admonished her to wait her turn.“Who said she could run?” Pelosi recalled them saying. She was told there was a “pecking order” and she wasn’t in it.“They said: ‘These people have been waiting a long time,” Pelosi recounted. “So I said: ‘Was it over 200 years?’”Democratic convention highlights:

      Tim Walz rallies Democrats: ‘We’re gonna leave it on the field’

      Watch speeches from Bill Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Josh Shapiro

      Oprah Winfrey takes swipe at Vance’s ‘childless cat lady’ comment in surprise appearance

      Here are the rising stars and politicians to watch this week

      What to know about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz More

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      Walz, Bill Clinton and surprise Oprah: Democratic convention day three key takeaways

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      The third night of the Democratic national convention featured a surprise speech from Oprah Winfrey, along with scheduled remarks from Bill Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Tim Walz and other major party figures, many emphasizing the “joy” of Kamala Harris’s campaign.Here are some key takeaways:1. Tim Walz’s pitch to voters: ‘We’ll turn the page on Donald Trump’Kamala Harris’s running mate gave his keynote pitch to supporters at the end of the third night of the convention, talking about his military service, coaching and teaching days, and his family’s fertility journey. He leaned into his humble roots and deployed repeated football metaphors: “I haven’t given a lot of big speeches like this, but I have given a lot of pep talks … It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal, but we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball. We’re driving down the field, and boy do we have the right team.”He called on his supporters to step up with urgency: “We got 76 days. That’s nothing. There’ll be time to sleep when you’re dead. We’re going to leave it on the field. That’s how we’ll keep moving forward. That’s how we’ll turn the page on Donald Trump. That’s how we’ll build a country where workers come first, healthcare and housing are human rights, and the government stays the hell out of your bedroom. That’s how we make America a place where no child is left hungry, where no community is left behind, where nobody gets told they don’t belong.”2. Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Kenan Thompson and other celebrities invigorate the crowdThe convention continued with a packed celebrity lineup. Oprah Winfrey earned huge cheers when she made an unannounced appearance. She denounced “people who would have you believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe” and took a swipe at JD Vance’s “childless cat lady” comment. She put Harris’s candidacy into the historical context of other trailblazing Black women, including Tessie Prevost Williams, one of the “New Orleans Four” who helped integrate public schools. And she roused the audience with her call to action, singing the word “joy”.Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson had a lively appearance, entering with a large Project 2025 book and virtually interviewing Americans who would be harmed by the rightwing agenda: “You ever see a document that can kill a small animal and democracy at the same time?”Musician Stevie Wonder urged the crowd to choose “joy over anger”. Actor Mindy Kaling gave a personal account of cooking with Harris. And musicians John Legend and Sheila E performed at the end of the night.3. Bill Clinton: ‘We need Kamala Harris, the president of joy’Bill Clinton, the 42nd president, addressed his 12th Democratic convention, reading off written notes, not the teleprompter, suggesting the speech was edited last-minute. He warned Democrats against complacency: “We’ve seen more than one election slip away from us when we thought it couldn’t happen, when people got distracted by phoney issues. This is a brutal business.” He mocked Trump for his narcissism and obsession with crowd sizes, following Barack Obama’s widely cited joke on Tuesday: “[Trump] mostly talks about himself … his vendettas, vengeance, his complaints, his conspiracies.”Clinton preached a message of unity, echoing Obama’s comments, encouraging supporters not to demean or disrespect neighbors they disagree with. He praised Joe Biden for “voluntarily” giving up power and celebrated the hope Harris has injected into the race: “If you vote for this team … you will be proud of it for the rest of your life.”4. Parents of a Hamas hostage were featured while protesters and AOC pushed for a Palestinian speakerJon Polin and Rachel Goldberg gave emotional remarks about their son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is held hostage by Hamas. Polin praised the White House and said they had met with Harris and Biden: “They’re both working tirelessly for a hostage and ceasefire deal that will bring our precious children, mothers, fathers, spouses, grandparents and grandchildren home, and will stop the despair in Gaza.”Members of the uncommitted movement, who have been advocating for a ceasefire and arms embargo on Israel, said they welcomed the speech, but continued to advocate that a Palestinian leader get an opportunity to address the crowd. Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan, a doctor who has treated patients in Gaza, spoke on a Democratic convention panel centered on Palestinian human rights, but there hasn’t been a Palestinian American on the main stage. Gaza solidarity protesters staged a sit-in outside the convention, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on the convention to “center the humanity of the 40,000 Palestinians killed under Israeli bombardment”, posting: “To deny that story is to participate in the dehumanization of Palestinians. The @DNC must change course and affirm our shared humanity.”5. Pete Buttigieg went hard after JD Vance: ‘Doubling down on negativity’Pete Buttigieg, the US secretary of transportation, went hard after Donald Trump’s running mate: “JD Vance is one of those guys who thinks if you don’t live the life that he has in mind for you, then you don’t count, someone who said that if you don’t have kids, you have ‘no physical commitment to the future of this country’ … When I deployed to Afghanistan, I didn’t have kids … but our commitment to the future of this country was pretty damn physical. Choosing a guy like JD Vance to be America’s next vice president sends a message … They are doubling down on negativity and grievance, committing to a concept of campaigning best summed up in one word: darkness.”6. Prominent Republicans again rallied for Harris: ‘Our party acts more like a cult’Prominent Republicans and former Donald Trump supporters continued to earn loud applause at the convention, arguing that GOP voters should reject the former president, even if they don’t agree with all of Harris’s positions. “If Republicans are being intellectually honest with ourselves, our party is not civil or conservative, it’s chaotic and crazy, and the only thing left to do is dump Trump. These days, our party acts more like a cult, a cult worshiping a felonious thug,” said Geoff Duncan, former lieutenant governor of Georgia.Olivia Troye, a former homeland security adviser to then vice-president Mike Pence also spoke, saying: “Being inside Trump’s White House was terrifying. But what keeps me up at night is what will happen if he gets back there.”7. Speakers uplifted LGBTQ+ rights: ‘Trump wants to erase us’Speakers repeatedly promoted LGBTQ+ rights, offering a sharp contrast to the Republican national convention which continually featured extremist, anti-trans rhetoric. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ organization, warned: “Trump wants to erase us … He would ban our healthcare, belittle our marriages, bury our stories. But we are not going anywhere. We are not going back.”Jared Polis, Colorado’s governor and the first gay man to serve as a US state governor, highlighted the anti-LGBTQ+ agenda of Project 2025: “Democrats welcome ‘weird’, but we’re not weirdos telling families who can and can’t have kids, who to marry or how to live our lives.” Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said LGBTQ+ Floridians were enduring “endless state-sponsored hate”. And Michigan’s attorney general, Dana Nessel, earned loud applause when she said: “I got a message for the Republicans and the justices of the United States supreme court: you can pry this wedding band from my cold, dead gay hand.”Democratic convention highlights:skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotion

      Tim Walz rallies Democrats: ‘We’re gonna leave it on the field’

      Watch speeches from Bill Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Josh Shapiro

      Oprah Winfrey in surprise speech

      Here are the rising stars and politicians to watch this week

      What to know about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz More

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      What to know about Bill Clinton and Tim Walz’s speeches tonight at Democratic convention

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      Bill Clinton and Tim Walz will headline the Democratic national convention Wednesday night.The former president will give an address before the vice-presidential hopeful – Clinton’s 11th Democratic convention speech.In 2020, he tore into Donald Trump, remarking: “If you want a president who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media, he’s your man.” In 2016, he made the case for his wife, Hillary Clinton, to be elected, and in 2012, he made a passionate and clear case for why Barack Obama deserved a second term.Walz, the Minnesota governor, will close out the night by officially accepting his party’s nomination for vice-president.Walz’s speech is an opportunity for him to introduce himself to a much wider audience of voters as he seeks to build on the intense enthusiasm surrounding his campaign with Kamala Harris.Here’s what we know about tonight’s speeches from Bill Clinton and Tim Walz.When is Bill Clinton’s convention speech?Bill Clinton is expected to deliver remarks on Wednesday during the 6pm-10pm main programming block.When is Tim Walz’s convention speech?Tim Walz will close out the third night of the convention with a primetime address in the same main programming block.After delays on Monday saw Joe Biden’s address knocked out of prime time, Tuesday’s keynote speech from Barack Obama started earlier, around 10pm ET.How can I watch the speech?The party will livestream the convention on its Democratic national convention website and on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.The Guardian has a team of reporters in Chicago and will be covering the speech in depth, including on a live blog.Major news networks are likely to carry primetime programming. PBS will have live coverage beginning at 8pm each night.What will Walz talk about?Wednesday’s theme is “A Fight for Our Freedoms”, mirroring a message that Harris has embraced in her campaigning. The Democratic nominee has invigorated crowds with her argument that fundamental freedoms are on the line this year, telling voters: “We won’t go back.”Walz may use his speech to highlight how he has similarly embraced that message during his gubernatorial tenure. Since Minnesota Democrats won a legislative trifecta in 2022, Walz has signed a series of bills to enshrine abortion rights into state law, protect access to gender-affirming care and make it easier for people with a felony conviction to vote.“The story here is simple and it’s one that will resonate with Americans across the country,” Minyon Moore, the convention chair, said on Sunday. “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for the American people and America’s future – Donald Trump is only fighting for himself.”Who else is speaking Wednesday?In addition to Walz and Clinton, Wednesday’s programming will include some of the best-known names in the Democratic party, including Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker. Top congressional Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader; Cory Booker, senator of New Jersey; and Amy Klobuchar, senator of Minnesota, are slated to speak as well. Some of the party’s biggest rising stars – including Pete Buttigieg, the US transportation secretary; Wes Moore, the Maryland governor; and Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor – will address the convention.Who else is speaking at the convention?The full lineup of speakers has not yet been released, but several big names – plus many new lawmakers and rising stars – are expected to appear.

      Thursday, 22 August: Vice-president Kamala Harris will close out the fourth night of the convention.
      What else has happened so far at the convention?The first night of the convention included speeches from Biden, Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the convention.Joe Biden closed out the first night, delivering a reflective and optimistic 50-minute address, urging the nation to elect Kamala Harris to protect American democracy.Both Barack and Michelle Obama gave full-throated endorsements of Kamala Harris Wednesday night, with Michelle arguing: “Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment.”“America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris,” Barack Obama said in his keynote address. More

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      ‘Yes she can’ and the ‘comeback’ of hope: six key takeaways from day two of the Democratic convention

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      The second night of the Democratic national convention in Chicago featured Barack and Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, some notable Republicans and other Democratic heavy-hitters. Here are the key takeaways from the day:1. Barack Obama’s keynote speech: ‘Yes she can’The former president ended the second night of the convention with a characteristic call to action: “We’ll elect leaders up and down the ballot who will fight for the hopeful, forward-looking America we believe in. And together, we too will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal and more free. So let’s get to work.” His speech prompted repeated throwbacks to his own campaign slogans, with the crowd chanting, “Yes she can!” and Obama telling the crowd, “Do not boo, vote!”He mocked Trump for his “childish nicknames”, “crazy conspiracy theories” and “weird obsession with crowd sizes”: “It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that Trump is afraid of losing to Kamala … The other day, I heard someone compare Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day.” Of Walz, Obama said, “I love this guy,” and of Harris, he said: “She had to work for what she’s got and she actually cares about what other people are going through. She’s not the neighbor running the leaf blower – she’s the neighbor rushing over to help when you need a hand.”2. Bernie Sanders laid out a progressive agenda and reiterated ceasefire callsThe Vermont senator Bernie Sanders detailed an extensive progressive agenda that he said Democrats must enact if Harris and Walz take the White House. Sanders mentioned Harris’s name only a handful of times and instead focused his forceful speech on the need to expand healthcare access, reduce the cost of higher education and raise the minimum wage. In a nod to big money that has targeted progressives in primaries, Sanders said: “Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections, including primary elections.” He also earned cheers when he said: “We must end this horrific war in Gaza, bring home the hostages and demand an immediate ceasefire.”A group of uncommitted delegates earlier in the night told reporters that they still hadn’t heard back from the Democratic convention on their demand to have a Palestinian American leader speak on stage.3. Michelle Obama energized the crowd: ‘Hope is making a comeback’The former first lady had one of the most energetic receptions of the night. She reflected on how the GOP nominee had attacked her family: “For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking and highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black.” She offered heartfelt praise for the vice-president, praising the “steel of her spine, the steadiness of her upbringing, the honesty of her example, and yes, the joy of her laughter and her light.“Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open to others. She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth,” Obama said.The former first lady described “a deep pit in my stomach, a palpable sense of dread about the future”. But she got a standing ovation when she said, “America, hope is making a comeback.”4. Harris made another surprise appearance – from MilwaukeeAlthough Harris’s big speech is scheduled for Thursday, she made a surprise appearance at the convention when her large Milwaukee rally with Tim Walz was live-streamed in Chicago. The moment allowed her to energize two large crowds at the same time. On Monday at the start of the convention, Harris also made a surprise speech on stage to thank Joe Biden.In Milwaukee, Harris criticized Trump for comments earlier in the day saying he had “no regrets” about Roe v Wade. She also told her supporters: “We know this is going to be a tight race until the very end.”5. Republicans, including a former Trump aide, support Kamala HarrisThe DNC brought out Stephanie Grisham, Donald Trump’s former press secretary, to offer a firsthand account of the Republican nominee’s character. Grisham, a Republican operative who also served as spokesperson for former first lady Melania Trump, said Donald Trump “has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth”. Behind closed doors, she said, “Trump mocks his supporters. He calls them basement dwellers. On a hospital visit one time when people were dying in the ICU, he was mad that the cameras were not watching him.”Before Grisham, Kyle Sweetser, an Alabama voter, told the convention crowd he previously voted for Trump and donated to his campaign, but was now supporting Harris: “I’m not leftwing, period. But I believe our leaders should bring out the best in us, not the worst. That’s why I’m voting for Kamala Harris.” John Giles, mayor of Mesa, Arizona, said: “I have a confession to make. I’m a lifelong Republican. But I feel more at home here than in today’s Republican party.”6. Lil Jon, Spike Lee and other celebrities appear at roll callTuesday night featured the ceremonial roll call when delegates from each state announce their support for the nominees. This portion of the event was led by Grammy-nominated DJ Cassidy and had party vibes as each state had its own song.Celebrities made surprise appearances – film-maker Spike Lee with the New York delegation; rapper Lil Jon with Georgia; the Stranger Things actor Sean Astin with Indiana; and actor Wendell Pierce with Louisiana. Lil Jon sang a spin on his hit, Get Low, saying, “VP Harris … Governor Walz” to the tune of the “To the window … to the wall.”Joan E Greve and Chris Stein contributed reporting More

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      Trump calls his supporters ‘basement dwellers’, says former press secretary

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      Stephanie Grisham, Donald Trump’s former press secretary, excoriated the Republican presidential nominee at the Democratic national convention on Tuesday, saying: “He has no empathy, no morals, and no fidelity to the truth.”Grisham, a Republican operative who also served as a spokesperson to Melania Trump, offered firsthand accounts of the former president’s behavior behind closed doors.“I wasn’t just a Trump supporter, I was a true believer, I was one of his closest advisers. The Trump family became my family,” she said, saying she spent her holidays at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. “I saw him when the cameras were off … Trump mocks his supporters. He calls them basement dwellers. On a hospital visit one time when people were dying in the ICU, he was mad that the cameras were not watching him.”She continued: “He used to tell me: ‘It doesn’t matter what you say, Stephanie, say it enough and people will believe you.’” She repeated a story she has told before: that during the January 6 insurrection, she asked Melania Trump whether she could tweet that there was “no place for lawlessness or violence”, and the first lady gave a one-word reply: “No.”Grisham earned applause when she said she was the first senior staffer to resign that day. She ended her short speech with an endorsement of Kamala Harris, saying: “I love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people and she has my vote.”The Harris campaign and the Democratic national convention have been highlighting Republican voters who oppose Trump and are supporting the Democratic ticket.Before Grisham, Kyle Sweetser, an Alabama voter, told the convention crowd that he voted for Trump three times and repeatedly donated to the Republican: “He told us he’d look out for blue-collar workers.” But Trump’s tariffs policy negatively affected him, he said: “Costs for construction workers like me were starting to soar. I realized Trump wasn’t for me. He was for lining his own pockets.”Sweetster added: “I’m not left wing, period. But I believe our leaders should bring out the best in us, not the worst. That’s why I’m voting for Kamala Harris. She’s tough. She’s going to tackle inflation. Trump will make it worse. I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she’ll make us proud to be American again.”Other Republicans due to speak at the convention include Olivia Troye, a national security staffer who worked for Mike Pence, the former vice-president; Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican representative who has been a vocal critic of Trump; John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa, Arizona; and Geoff Duncan, the former lieutenant governor of Georgia.Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, also showed up at the convention on Tuesday night. He and Trump have fallen out, and Cohen served as a witness for the prosecution in Trump’s hush-money trial in New York. It was not exactly clear why he showed up, but when a reporter asked if he would speak at the convention, he responded, “Only if they let me” and, “Of course I would.”skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionDemocratic convention highlights:

      Six key takeaways from day two of the Democratic convention

      Michelle Obama lauds Kamala Harris and takes swipe at Trump

      Bernie Sanders urges Democrats to improve lives of ‘struggling’ Americans

      Trump calls his supporters ‘basement dwellers’, says former press secretary

      Here are the rising stars and politicians to watch this week

      What to know about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz More