Election 2024: Harris and Walz make final campaign stops ahead of the convention

Lawmakers defended Harris’ economic plan against the Washington Post editorial board’s characterization of it as “populist gimmicks.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said the plan’s goal was to put working families first.

“This is part of that messaging that that she started with her economic speech. I think she’s going to get into more details here, and then we’re going to carry that message on forward,” she said.

The Democratic National Committee is projecting messaging onto Trump Tower in Chicago.

The messages include "Project 2025 HQ" and "Trump-Vance out for themselves."

Trump has disavowed Project 2025 in recent weeks, saying he knows "nothing" about the sweeping conservative presidential transition plan, despite long-standing ties to some of its key architects.

The projection on the Trump International Hotel and Tower changed every few seconds. Another phrase read "Trump-Vance 'weird as hell.'"

At the Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws march in Chicago on the eve of the DNC, a number of protesters are carrying signs bearing Biden's face with the caption "international terrorist."

The march is advocating for a broad list of topics, including an end to the war in Israel and Gaza, reproductive justice and LGBTQ rights.

It’s one of at least six major demonstrations planned this week.

The march has reached its endpoint, with protesters turning into Grant Park, near the John Alexander Logan monument, not far from the Field Museum.

The crowd has thinned out considerably, even though organizers are holding a concluding rally.

Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws organizers said they were happy with the turnout and their message.

“It was the spirit of our march that made it,” said Andy Thayer, an organizer with the group.

He said that it was “important” that his group get a message out that “people are so angry with the Democrats.”

Thayer accused party leaders of “only being interested in taking action on these things that matter” — he mentioned issues like reproductive rights and the climate — “when they see them as vote-getters.”

The Harris campaign criticized Trump's decision to hold a campaign event in Howell, Michigan, where white supremacists reportedly held a demonstration just last month.

"We love Hitler! We love Trump," said demonstrators, who had no known affiliation to the Trump campaign, according to local news reports.

"Trump’s actions have encouraged them, and Michiganders can expect more of the same when he comes to town next week," Harris campaign Michigan spokesperson Alyssa Bradley said in a statement.

Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt criticized coverage of Trump's visiting Michigan after the white supremacist demonstration, saying "The media serves as a divisive, anti-Trump mouthpiece for the Democrat Party."

A skirmish broke out on the sidelines of the march moments ago after a police officer on a bicycle assigned to usher the protest appeared to inadvertently make contact with a protester.

The contact set off a brief but tense round of shouting, with some protesters yelling anti-police slogans.

The protest continued forward after the apparent altercation.

Cedar Larson, who attended the protest with a sign that read “Reproductive Freedom for All,” said it was really important for people to understand “that no matter who the political party is that’s in charge, there’s still a genocide happening in Gaza right now.”

Larson said protesters were calling for an embargo on arm sales to Israel. 

She said her advocating for Gaza also overlapped with fighting for reproductive rights, “the safety needed to undergo pregnancy itself is becoming a threat in Gaza.”

Carri Stevens said, “Just because we don’t want Trump doesn’t mean we don’t have other requests.”

She said that Biden’s stepping aside from his candidacy “gave me a little bit more hope” but for that Harris, “she’s got a long way to come.”

She said Harris could gain a lot if she is willing to listen to the protesters.

“I will hold out hope,” she said.

The Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws march is nearing its end at Grant Park.

The group’s one-mile march has been entirely peaceful, with protesters chanting pro-Palestine slogans and cheering for reproductive rights.

There’s been a minimal counter-protest presence tonight, with, so far, just one small anti-abortion group lined up on the sidelines march route.

Four celebrities will host the Democratic National Convention, according to convention officials. Tony Goldwyn will host tomorrow, followed by Ana Navarro on Tuesday, Mindy Kaling on Wednesday and Kerry Washington on Thursday, according to convention officials.

"These hosts were selected because they are known, trusted, and authentic voices who have a proven track record of supporting the Democratic Party as we fight for a better and fairer future for the people," convention officials said.

Democrats have worked with celebrities this cycle to host major fundraisers, and stars were also involved in the 2020 DNC.

"In 2020, we had a range of entertainers who lended their voices and their platforms to our convention — and we are excited to bring back this successful practice this year as we capture and leverage the energy inside the historic United Center," convention officials said.

After nearly an hour and a half of speakers, singing and chanting, the Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws protest tonight in downtown Chicago is in motion.

Police have closed off a route allowing the crowd of several hundred to march south, about 1 mile, to Grant Park.

Abby Stein, a rabbi who is protesting against the upcoming convention in Chicago, says antisemitism is not limited to just one political party.

Stein did not protest the Republican National Convention, arguing that Republicans are less capable of understanding the “atrocity that’s going on.”

“I think we’re protesting the DNC not because we think it’s a lost cause, but because we know that it isn’t,” Stein said. 

At least 60 police officers on bicycles — in addition to dozens of other officers — are here in anticipation of any unrest.

At the moment, none seems likely. Some organizers estimated the Bodies Outside Unjust Laws crowd at 300 to 600, while others felt it was closer to 1,000.

Nearly an hour into the event, attendees are chanting and peacefully listening to speakers who are talking about public education, abortion rights and the Israel-Gaza war.

Ahead of the convention in Chicago, five women dressed up as mifepristone and misoprostol tablets, both of which can be used to terminate pregnancies, at a reproductive rights rally.

The Supreme Court recently rejected a challenge to mifepristone, meaning the commonly used drug can remain widely available, though laws about access still vary by state.

Protesters turned out for a variety of causes, including the war in Gaza and global warming.

Neal Resnikoff, 88, joined Sunday night’s march to “draw attention to” what he said was “the fact that Biden and Harris” were “colluding with the bloodshed of the Palestinians.”

Resnikoff, a member of a group called the Chicago Anti-War Coalition, said he was also here to help highlight “climate change and global warming.”

“We need to be giving serious attention to all of these things,” he said.

Lelia Purky, 25, a student in nearby Evanston, said she came down for the protest tonight to “speak out” against “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.”

She is part of a group called “Songs for Liberation,” which is leading the crowd in song. She said, “Israel must be held accountable.”

Police have closed off a stretch of Wacker Drive — where it intersects with Michigan Avenue, on the Chicago River — allowing the crowd of a few hundred to chant in support of reproductive rights and a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

Organizers have set up a small stage where a band of singers and flutists are leading the crowd in an improvised song with lyrics that include “my body, my choice, my body” and a chant of “Free Palestine.”

It’s the night before the formal kickoff of the Democratic convention — but protesters haven’t wasted any time making their presence known in Chicago. 

Demonstrators with a group called Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws began assembling in downtown Chicago this afternoon with plans to march about a mile from the Chicago River to Grant Park. It was the first of at least six major demonstrations planned this week. 

Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws describes itself as a coalition of leftist groups advocating for a broad list of topics, including reproductive justice, an end to the war in Israel and Gaza and LGBTQ rights. 

The group was expected to begin its march at 5 p.m. local time. About 30 minutes ahead of the start, several hundred people had gathered, some singing “which side are you on” and banging drums, others wielding signs reading, “Free Palestine.” About two dozen police officers on bicycles looked on from a distance.

Daniel Rochman, 63, of Chicago, said he came tonight to “criticize and protest Israel’s occupation of Gaza.”

Rochman, wearing a pink tank top, described himself as a “secular Jew” and “bi guy” and said he is “just trying to bring attention to several issues that are important to me.”

Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H., said in a CNN interview that he believes there is "no doubt" that it would be harder for Trump to defeat Harris than Biden, noting that "she was able to kind of establish this resurgence."

"Her team has done a very good job of kind of avoiding the issues, trying to make people believe that she hasn’t been there for four years," said Sununu, who backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley during the Republican primaries. "And they have done a very good job of that, at the same time kind of capitalizing on Trump’s reaction, right? They knew that the former president can be a very reactionary person."

Sununu said that if Trump focuses on political issues, "this should be an easy race for Donald Trump."

Harris seemed to refer to Trump's recent personal attacks on her at a stop in Pennsylvania today.

"Anybody who's about beating down other people is a coward," Harris emphatically told about 150 supporters outside the campaign's Beaver County field office in Rochester.

Across the state in Wilkes-Barre yesterday, Trump levied personal attacks on Harris, taking issue with a claim that Harris' biggest strength is that she is a "beautiful woman." This follows a familiar playbook of his going after Harris' laughter and calling her "crazy."

"This campaign is about a recognition that, frankly, over the last several years, there’s been this kind of perversion that has taken place, I think, which is to suggest, which is to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down when what we know is the real and true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up," Harris told the Rochester crowd.

Harris, Walz and their spouses participated in a phone bank at the campaign’s Beaver field office in Rochester, Pennsylvania, during the first stop of their bus tour.

After the phone bank, the vice president, her running mate and their spouses each made brief remarks, with Harris telling attendees, “You’ve got a lot of work, Pennsylvania, that you’re carrying right now ... and we’re going to get it done."

She also shouted out Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Chris Deluzio, two Democrats running for re-election in Pennsylvania this year.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker dismissed comparisons between the 1968 DNC and the convention this week as more than 20,000 protesters are expected to descend upon the city.

Asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” how worried he is about protesters disrupting the convention this week, Pritzker said “it’s a whole different ballgame” and there is a “very different situation” in the Democratic Party because it has “coalesced” around Harris’ presidential campaign.

“That was not the case in 1968. Policing is all different now, and we have got technology at work. And, really, the protesters are protesting something that is very far away from here, very important, but it’s not about people getting drafted from here going abroad,” he said, referring to pro-Palestinian protesters expected to be in Chicago this week versus police clashes with demonstrators against the Vietnam War during the 1968 convention.

“So it’s a whole different situation,” he added. “And, honestly, I expect that we’re going to have peaceful protests, we’re going to protect the protesters, but also protect all the people visiting, 50,000 people coming to Chicago, and the residents of Chicago. So the plan’s been in place for a year and a quarter now already. We’re going to execute on that plan the next four days.”

Biden's friends and former staffers took out a one-page ad in a local Delaware newspaper this weekend, saying: "Thank you, Boss."

The ad, which ran in the Delaware News Journal, thanked Biden for “the honor and privilege of working for” him in official and campaign offices over the last several decades.

"You asked us to work our hardest for the people entrusted to our care, but you insisted we never miss our kids’ dance recital or our parents’ birthday party. You expected much of us because our constituents ‒ the residents of Delaware and the citizens of this nation ‒ deserved our very best," the letter added.

Trump will be traveling across multiple swing states this week while Democrats gather in Chicago for their national convention.

On Monday, the former president starts his week in Pennsylvania, with an event in York focused on energy and the economy.

On Tuesday, Trump heads to Michigan for an event billed as having a focus on safety and crime before heading to North Carolina on Wednesday, where he'll host an event alongside Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump's running mate.

On Thursday and Friday, the former president will be in Arizona. The Thursday event in Montezuma Pass will focus on immigration and border security, while the Friday rally will take place in Glendale.

Organizers for the DNC announced that Tuesday’s nomination roll call votes will include both in-person and remote elements designed to highlight the diversity of the party, indicating efforts to blend elements of the traditional arena gathering and some of the innovations they felt were effective from the 2020 convention that was largely held virtually amid the pandemic.

The roll call will begin with Delaware — a tribute to President Joe Biden's state of residence — and end with California and Minnesota, the home states of Harris and her running mate Walz, respectively, according to convention organizers.

A “diverse mix of storytellers” will participate in the delegation-by-delegation voting, with some in-person and some at remote sites.

A mad scramble is underway to introduce Vice President Kamala Harris to Americans who know little about her, with both campaigns vying to leave a vivid impression that sinks in before voters start casting ballots this fall.

In the 11-week sprint to the election, Harris’ campaign is pouring tens of millions of dollars into an ad blitz meant to humanize a candidate whom the electorate may know only as the understudy to Joe Biden.

The ads have stressed the parts of her biography they believe match up well against Donald Trump, framing her as a prosecutor who has cracked down on fraudsters and stood up for victims of sexual abuse.

But Harris’ best chance to pique the interest of a mass audience comes this week. Political conventions have long been a forum for nominees to reassure voters who may have doubts about their candidacy, and the need may be more acute for Harris, who rose to the top of the ticket without winning a single primary.

Read the full story here.

In early 2020, Bernie Sanders had just won two back-to-back primaries and progressives appeared on the cusp of conquering the Democratic Party. But after losing that contest to Joe Biden and facing recent setbacks, the movement is recalibrating its ambitions in anticipation of a Kamala Harris victory this fall.

Gone are the skyscraping demands for Medicare for All and a Green New Deal to transform the health care and energy sectors, which Harris endorsed in her failed 2020 bid and is now backtracking from. Progressives are instead homing in on a more pragmatic and economy-focused agenda that includes a minimum wage hike, child care funding and new Medicare benefits for seniors.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who has endorsed Harris, said progressives are playing the cards they’ve been dealt.

“I don’t think that perfection is ever on the ballot. But real progress is,” Jayapal told NBC News in an interview. “Unless Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren were elected president, we still have work to do to get those full things to be mainstream.”

Read the full story here.

Harris and Walz are in western Pennsylvania today, kicking off a bus tour near Pittsburgh before heading to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not express confidence that a Republican-led House would certify the 2024 election results in January.

“I’m confident that we’re going to do everything that we need to do over the next few months to make sure that House Democrats take back the majority, so that the American people do not have to encounter that question,” Jeffries said during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” 

Jeffries pointed to Trump’s congressional allies who boosted his baseless claims of a stolen 2020 election and the former president's refusal to concede his loss to Biden.

“It is a reality that far too many of my extreme MAGA Republican colleagues in the House have engaged in election denial conspiracy theories, and have tried to undermine the very fabric of our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power,” he said.

In an interview Sunday with ABC News' "This Week" ahead of the Democratic National Convention, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said, "Our local police department, along with the local police agencies as well as the Secret Service, we are ready for this convention."

As the convention gets underway on Monday, organizers expect major protests to take place against the Biden administration's stance toward the Israel-Hamas war.

"This is a party that can handle protest and protecting the First Amendment right, which is fundamental to our democracy, while also strengthening our democracy and speaking to the future of our country," Johnson added.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, defended the former president’s campaign tactics after former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said that the party must “make a serious shift” in its messaging if it wants to win in November.

In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Vance said Haley “is right that we have to reach a broader group of voters,” but argued that the campaign is “doing exactly that” by hitting Harris on her economic record.

Vance added that he and Trump have been making the argument that Harris and Biden have “caused policies that led to a rapid increase in inflation and a rise in chaos around the world.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that former President Donald Trump, “the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election.”

The South Carolina Republican’s admission came after moderator Kristen Welker asked whether Trump should continue personally attacking his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail.

“President Trump can win this election. His policies are good for America, and if you have a policy debate for president, he wins. Donald Trump the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election,” Graham told Welker.

“I’m looking for President Trump to show up in the last 80 days to define what he will do for our country, to fix broken borders, to lower inflation,” Graham added.

Read the full story here.

Former first lady Michelle Obama will address the Democratic National Convention in her hometown of Chicago on Tuesday night, multiple sources confirm to NBC News. Her husband, former President Barack Obama, will also deliver remarks at the DNC on Tuesday.

Two sources familiar with the planning also confirmed to NBC News that her address is scheduled for Tuesday night.

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Sunday said that she has concerns that Trump would seek to subvert a peaceful transfer of power from Biden to Harris if Trump loses the election.

"I think [Trump's] already trying to stoke the, you know, suspicions of people, and I think that's an effort directly to play into his ability to discount the outcome of this upcoming election if he doesn't like the outcome," Whitmer told moderator Kristen Welker.

Earlier this month, Biden told CBS News that "if Trump loses, I’m not confident at all" that there would be a peaceful transfer of power in 2025.

Whitmer said that "we should all be very concerned" about "what that could mean for the safety, for the integrity of our democratic institutions, and the future of this country."

During an interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press" Sunday morning, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke about Harris' handling of pro-Palestinian protesters at her Detroit rally earlier this month.

"I can tell you this: Kamala Harris cares about every person. She cares about Arab-American voters and Muslim voters and Palestinian voters. She cares about Jewish voters and Jewish Americans as well," Whitmer said during an interview with moderator Kristen Welker.

The remarks came after she watched a video of Harris telling protesters who interrupted her speech in Detroit: "If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking."

In response, Whitmer also lauded Harris for wanting "peace in the region and a cessation of violence and the return of hostages."

"We are a country that continually falls into these false choices. You can do both, and I think that’s why we need a leader like her," Whitmer added.

Housing is a huge pain point for voters, but the issue has only just begun to move off the margins of the presidential campaign. The tricky politics of real estate is a key reason why.

On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris shared new housing plans in her economic agenda, which includes efforts to help struggling renters, crack down on corporate landlords and spur the construction of 3 million new homes in four years.

Read the full story here.