Ex-Capitol Police officer recalls horrors of Jan. 6, says Trump 'betrayed us'
Aquilino Gonell, a former police officer who helped protect the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, said nothing could have prepared him for that attack.
"We were beaten and blinded," he said. "President Trump summoned our attackers. Incited with them. He betrayed us."
Gonell said he immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic as a child and became a citizen when he was 12. Now, still traumatized by what happened three years ago, he sees only one path forward: "Elect Kamala Harris, our first female commander in chief."
His speech was met with resounding applause, with some people standing to clap.
Former chair of Jan. 6 House committee warns Trump is 'plotting again'
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chaired the now-defunct House Jan. 6 committee, warned in his remarks that Trump is "plotting again" to undermine the election results.
Thompson said that his father never cast a vote because of Jim Crow laws and that that's why he has dedicated his career to protecting votes against violence and discrimination.
"You can imagine what I felt on Jan. 6 when I saw with my own eyes those insurrectionists trying to take that away. They did it to rob millions of Americans of their votes. They did it because Donald Trump couldn’t handle — he lied about the election fraud. He called his conspiracy-led mob to Washington," Thompson said.
He added, "He would rather subvert democracy than submit to it. Now he’s plotting again. His campaign proclaims that elections won’t end until the moment of inauguration. 'We will win, or it was rigged. We win, or else.' This is Donald Trump’s America."
Thompson said that elections are about choice and that his message for Americans is: "Choose democracy, not political violence. Choose the America we always call our children to love. Choose Kamala Harris."
Former Chicago mayor posts on social media telling Vance to 'shut up'
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, apparently unencumbered by her newfound life outside of elected politics, invoked an expletive when she posted criticism of Vance on X in response to Vance's recent swipe at Walz.
Lightfoot was elected mayor in 2019, but she lost her re-election bid last year.
Crowd chants 'lock him up' after video recapping Jan. 6 riot
After a video showed violent scenes from the Jan. 6 attack interspersed with Trump's comments praising the rioters, attendees across the convention center began to loudly chant, "Lock him up."
The clips ended with text on a screen that highlighted the indictments Trump faces for his actions on that day and leading up to it.
Former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan: Republican party is 'chaotic and crazy'
Former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan of Georgia, who endorsed Biden and then Harris, took the stage, telling the crowd that he was appearing as an American who "care[s] more about the future of this country than the future of Donald Trump."
"Our party is not civil or conservative. It's chaotic and crazy, and the only thing left to do is to dump Trump," he said, saying he was speaking to Republicans.
March peacefully returns to Union Park
Aside for a few brief moments of tension, the march has returned to Union Park, about 90 minutes after it left, intact and largely without incident.
Protesters have loudly chanted pro-Palestinian slogans during their circular route from and back to Union Park.
“We will fight day and night to protect our rights,” protesters chanted as they shuffled back into Union Park.
Marine veteran and social media influencer blasts Trump's comments on immigrants
Carlos Eduardo Espina, a social media influencer and Marine veteran, took aim at Trump over his remark about immigrants' "poisoning the blood" of the U.S.
Espina said that his parents immigrated to College Station, Texas, two decades ago to seek a better future and that Trump has portrayed them and many other immigrants who love America and pay taxes as a poison.
Trump said last year that immigrants were "poisoning the blood of our country," a comment that has been likened to a similar remark made by Adolf Hitler.
"We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people, our strength, from every country and every corner of the world," Espina said, adding that "welcoming immigrants is not a Democratic or a Republican value; it is an American value."
Former Pence aide warns Trump is laying the groundwork to undermine the election
Olivia Troye, who was an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence on national security and counterterrorism, warned in her remarks that Trump is laying the groundwork to undermine the 2024 election.
"I saw how Donald Trump undermined our intelligence community, our military leaders and, ultimately, our democratic process. Now, he’s doing it again — lying and laying the groundwork to undermine this election," said Troye, who eventually resigned from the Trump administration.
"It’s his M.O. to sow doubt and division. That’s what Trump wants, because it’s the only way he wins. And that’s what our foreign adversaries want, because it’s the only way they win," she said.
Troye said that it was "terrifying" being in the White House but that what keeps her up at night is "what will happen if he gets back there."
"So to my fellow Republicans, you aren’t voting for a Democrat. You’re voting for democracy. You aren’t betraying our party. You’re standing up for our country," she said, supporting Harris for president.
Speakers make pitches to Latino, immigrant voters
The U.S. is stronger with when immigrants and their children realize their potential, Latinos speakers said tonight.
"These values shared by Latino families across this country are what made my family's American dream possible, and only Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will protect the American dream so that every family can earn a living, own a home and reach their full potential," said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
"We believe our union is more perfect when Dreamers become doctors, teachers, construction workers and military service members," he went on. "Latinos believe in that American dream and a brighter future."
Carlos Eduardo Espina, an activist and social media star, echoed Aguilar when he stated simply: “To be pro-immigrant is to be pro-America.”
Teachers union president calls Walz a 'teacher’s teacher'
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said she is excited to hear from a former member of her union tonight — and even more thrilled about the possibility of Walz's becoming vice president.
Walz spent decades as a high school teacher and football coach in rural Minnesota, where, Weingarten said, he honed skills that would be useful in Washington.
"Classroom management is way harder than managing adults," she said.
Walz was a decorated educator, a "teacher’s teacher" and a "good dude," she said.
And Weingarten, who was the first openly gay person elected president of a national labor union, praised Walz for advising his school's gay-straight alliance "way before it was cool."