DNC 2024 live updates: Former President Barack Obama gives keynote speech, urges Dems 'get to work' on supporting Kamala Harris

Former President Barack Obama closed out the second night of the DNC with his rallying speech.

"Let's get to work," he told the crowd, to roaring applause.

Obama invoked the 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address that helped propel his career forward in national politics. It was an optimistic note.

"Here's the good news, Chicago," Obama said Tuesday night.

"All across America, in big cities and small towns, away from all the noise, the ties that bind us together are still there," he continued. "We still coach Little League and look out for our elderly neighbors. We still feed the hungry in churches and mosques and temples. We share the same pride when our Olympic athletes compete for the gold. Because the vast majority of us do not want to live in a country that's bitter and divided."

The lines were similar to what Obama said when he was an Illinois state senator speaking on behalf of John Kerry at the 2004 DNC. In that speech, he sought to undercut the intense polarization afflicting the nation:

— Former President Barack Obama

Former President Barack Obama blasted his successor, former President Donald Trump, for continuing to litigate a "stream" of various complaints.

"Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that's actually been getting worse now that he's afraid of losing to Kamala," Obama said.

"There's the childish nicknames. The crazy conspiracy theories. This weird obsession with crowd sizes," he said to laughs, apparently using Democrats' new favorite attack line.

"It just goes on, and on, and on. 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. From a neighbor, that's exhausting. From a president, it's just dangerous. "

— Former President Barack Obama

Former first lady Michelle Obama closed her rallying speech Tuesday night by introducing her husband, former President Barack Obama.

"Before I go, I have one more job tonight," she said as the crowd started to cheer.

"Thank you for all of the love, but it is now my honor to introduce somebody who knows a whole lot about hope, someone who has spent his life strengthening our democracy, and let me tell you as someone who lives with him: He wakes up every day — every day — and thinks about what's best for this country. Please welcome America's 44th president and the love of my life, Barack Obama."

They then hugged.

"It's good to be home," Barack Obama said to more cheers.

Toward the end of her speech, Michelle Obama did a call-and-response with the DNC crowd, saying, "Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or independent, this is the time to stand up for what is right."

The audience started to chant "Do something! Do something!," a callback to earlier in her speech when she said, "We put our heads down, we get to work. In America, we do something!"

— Former first lady Michelle Obama

Former first lady Michelle Obama energized convention delegates on Tuesday by hailing Kamala Harris's record as a prosecutor, senator and vice president.

"From a middle-class household, Kamala worked her way up to become vice president of the United States of America," Obama said.

"My girl, Kamala Harris, is more than ready for this moment. She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency. And she is one of the most dignified. A tribute to her mother, to my mother and to your mother too. The embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country."

— Former first lady Michelle Obama, on Trump

Former first lady and Chicago native Michelle Obama was welcomed to the stage with a standing ovation.

"Something magical is in the air, isn't it?" she asked. "A familiar feeling that's been buried too deep for far too long — you know what I'm talking about. The contagious power of hope."

— Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, recalling his first phone conversation with Kamala Harris.

— Second gentleman Doug Emhoff

Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman of the U.S., addressed his wife directly from the stage Tuesday night.

"Honey, I can't wait for you to come back to Chicago because we're having a great time here," he said to Harris, who held a campaign rally and a convention watching event in nearby Wisconsin that night. "I love you so much. I am so proud of how you're stepping up for all of us."

"Kamala rises to the occasion," he told the delegates. "She did it for me and our family," he added. "And now that the country needs her, she's showing you what we already know: She's ready to lead. She brings both joy and toughness to this task. And she will be a great president we will all be proud of."

— Cole Emhoff

In her combative speech at the DNC on Tuesday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois zeroed in on Republican opposition to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

"I went to war to protect America's rights and freedoms. So I take it personally when a five-time draft-dodging coward like Donald Trump tries to take away my rights and freedoms in return, especially when it concerns my daughters," she said, adding that they "would never have been born without reproductive care."

"After 10 years of struggling with infertility, I was only able to have them through the miracle of IVF," Duckworth added.

"But now, Trump's anti-woman crusade has put other Americans' right to have their families at risk," Duckworth said.

Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic Senate nominee in Maryland and a longtime friend of Kamala Harris, got the convention delegates chanting that “we are not going back” after delivering a rousing speech about her prosecutorial record and their 14-year relationship.

“I’ve always been inspired by women like my grandmother, women who imagine a better future and then have the grit to make it a reality,” said Alsobrooks. “One of them is a friend, a mentor and a role model. That woman is Kamala Harris. Let me tell you about the Kamala I know.”

Alsobrooks met Harris after embracing some of the then-San Francisco district attorney’s policy approaches on crime. At the time, in 2009, Alsobrooks was also seeking a state’s attorney office in Maryland. She praised Harris as a “superbad district attorney” who could hold violent criminals accountable while also pursuing programs to end recidivism.

“Crime went down and economic growth went up,” Alsobrooks said. “Kamala Harris knows how to keep criminals off the streets. Come November, with your help, she’ll keep one out of the Oval Office.”

Alsobrooks is running against former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of Trump’s more prominent GOP critics. If she wins, she would be the first Black senator to represent Maryland and one of the only Black women in the Senate. (California’s Laphonza Butler is not seeking reelection this year, and Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester is also seeking the Senate in Delaware.)

Harris herself was the second Black woman to ever be elected to the Senate, in 2016.

John Giles, the mayor of Mesa, Ariz., kicked off his DNC speech with a confession: "I'm a lifelong Republican.

"So, I feel a little out of place tonight," he said. "But I feel more at home here than in today's Republican Party," which Giles went on to describe as "the cult of Donald Trump."

"John McCain's Republican Party is gone," Giles concluded. "And we don't owe a damn thing to what's been left behind."

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker dedicated a good portion of his address to trashing Donald Trump as a "con artist."

Pritzker started off by quoting Bulls legend Michael Jordan, who once played in the Chicago arena where the convention is being held:

"Donald Trump once called Chicago embarrassing. To quote a great Chicagoan who won six world championships on these very grounds: 'We take that personally!'" he declared.

He had a few more zingers later in his speech as well.

"Illinois invested in clean energy and the jobs it brings. Donald claimed the windmills in the ocean made the whales a little batty," he said.

Pritzker, a billionaire in his own right, also added: "Donald Trump thinks we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich, but take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is rich in only one thing: stupidity."

During his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont sought to knock down Trump's criticism of Harris as a "radical" by contrasting her priorities with what he called "Trump's Project 2025."

"Let me tell you what a radical agenda is, and that is Trump's Project 2025," Sanders said. "At a time of massive income wealth inequality, giving more tax breaks to billionaires is radical. Putting forth budgets that cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is radical. Letting polluters destroy our planet is radical. And, my friends, we won't let that happen."

Project 2025 is a policy blueprint for the next Republican administration that was written by conservative think tanks like the Heritage Foundation.

During the ceremonial roll call vote, protesters in the Minnesota delegation held up signs in protest of the Israel-Gaza war.

Outside the convention arena, crowds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators are protesting the Biden administration's support for Israel.

— Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

Immediately following the conclusion of a ceremonial roll call vote at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Harris took the stage at a large rally in Milwaukee, a choreographed one-two punch in the Midwest.

"It's good to be back in Milwaukee," Harris told her audience of more than 15,000, according to her campaign.

While Harris will not deliver her acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination until Thursday, she addressed the DNC on Monday and used Tuesday's speech to continue to try to ramp up energy for her campaign in a crucial swing state. Her entrance in Milwaukee was also broadcast over the video screens at the United Center in Chicago.

In Milwaukee, Harris said that her campaign was about the future of the country, while Trump's was about the past.

"This is about two very different visions for our nation," she said. "One, ours, is focused on the future. The other on the past. And Wisconsin, we fight for the future."

After each of the 57 delegations weighed in on the raucous, DJ-hosted ceremonial roll call, two states notably declined to endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on the first pass through: California and Minnesota.

California, of course, is Harris's home state, and Walz is governor of Minnesota.

The convention then returned to the two states, starting with Minnesota. Hans Storvick, a former student of Walz's, and John Randle, a former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle, offered their support for his candidacy.

Then came California. Gov. Gavin Newsom hailed it as the "great state of Nancy Pelosi" as "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar played.

"Kamala Harris has always done the right thing. ... It's time for us to do the right thing, and that's to elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States of America!" Newsom declared to cheers.

Kate Cox made headlines in January after she sued the state of Texas for denying her access to an abortion. She and her husband found out their third child had a genetic condition and would likely not survive more than a year after birth. There were also major health risks involved for Cox to keep the baby until term.

Cox, who has since advocated against abortion bans, announced Texas's votes during the DNC roll call and shared she was pregnant again.

Filmmaker and proud New Yorker Spike Lee was seen standing alongside Henry Garrido, the executive director of New York City's largest municipal employees union, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as she cast the state's delegate votes.

On July 21, Lee publicly endorsed Kamala Harris on his Instagram account.

On the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz held a large rally 90 miles away in Milwaukee.

As the DNC conducted its ceremonial roll call, Walz took the stage at a packed Fiserv arena, where Trump and the Republicans held their convention in July.

"That convention and the energy over there is like nothing you've seen," Walz said of the scene at Chicago's United Center. "Here's what I'm really excited about. Not only do we have massive energy at our convention, we've got a hell of a lot more energy at where they had their convention."

As the ceremonial roll call continues, more celebrities are speaking out on behalf of their states. The Goonies and Stranger Things actor Sean Astin spoke on behalf of Indiana, while The Wire and Treme actor Wendell Pierce spoke up when Louisiana cast its delegate votes.

The delegations of California and Minnesota dramatically "passed" instead of throwing their support to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz during the ceremonial roll call. Those are Harris's and Walz's home states and are expected to weigh in at the end of the process.

During the DNC's ceremonial roll call on Tuesday night, rapper Lil Jon made a sudden appearance and performed a segment of his 2013 hit "Turn Down for What." The rapper, who hails from Atlanta, appeared in the stands before the Georgia Democratic Party Chair Nikema Williams announced the state's ceremonial votes for Kamala Harris.

The Democratic National Convention hosted a ceremonial roll call to nominate Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the party's presidential and vice presidential nominees. It process is ceremonial because the party already officially endorsed the candidates prior to the convention in a virtual roll call.

The convention roll call has traditionally made for rather boring television, as each of the 57 state and territory delegations cast their votes one by one.

This year, according to the Chicago Sun Times, the Democrats will instead feature "a DJ on the stage with music, lights and surprise guests. ... The vibe, planners say, will be that of a celebration before the prime-time speakers take the stage."

Nabela Noor, a Muslim American content creator, spoke out about her struggles with infertility. With more than 11 million followers across her social media platforms, Noor has been outspoken about her journey to motherhood and the challenges she's experienced along the way.

"Today, we have two beautiful daughters," she told the crowd at the United Center. "But this is not everyone's ending. For many women, IVF is the only choice. That choice and more is at stake in November. The freedom to plan your family, the hope of having a family at all. I am here to stand with everyone fighting for our reproductive freedoms."

Common, a Chicago-born rapper, performed his 2024 song "Fortunate" featuring Pete Rock during the second night of the DNC.

In 2011, Fox News described the rapper-turned-actor as a "controversial" figure after he was invited to then-first lady Michelle Obama's White House Poetry Jam.

The "Never Have I Ever" actor, who released his latest album earlier this summer, was a vocal supporter of former President Obama. He has also been involved in raising awareness about gun violence.

Former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday,

"I wasn't just a Trump supporter, I was a true believer," Grisham said.

Grisham went on to describe how Trump privately mocked his supporters as "basement dwellers" and boasted about telling lies.

"Say it enough and people will believe you," Grisham said Trump told her.

Grisham resigned from her role in the Trump administration just hours after the former president's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“Jan. 6, of course, was my breaking point,” she said her decision to step down. “And I was really proud that I was, well, the first in the administration to resign.”

Grisham also testified before the House Jan. 6 Select Committee.

"Now here I am behind a podium, advocating for a Democrat," Grisham said Tuesday, "and that's because I love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people and she has my vote."

Kyle Sweetser, a former Trump supporter, took to the stage to explain his conversion to the Harris campaign.

"I voted for Trump, not once, not twice, but three times. You see, I work in construction. I work with my hands. He told us he'd look out for blue-collar workers," Sweetser told delegates. "I donated to him many times throughout his presidency."

However, he said he "started to see Trump's tariff policy in action. Costs for construction workers like me were starting to soar. I realized Trump wasn't for me."

Sweetser said he wasn't "left-wing — period." But, he added, Harris is "going to tackle inflation. Trump will make it worse. I'm voting for Kamala Harris because she'll make us proud to be an American again."

Malcolm Kenyatta, a state representative for Pennsylvania, brought out the oversize Project 2025 book that Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow displayed during the first night of the DNC. According to organizers, the Project 2025 prop will be brought out and discussed every night of the DNC this week.

"It's our turn to make history," Kenyatta said.

Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, and Jason Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, took the stage in succession to share their support for Harris. Carter's grandfather, 99, said he intends to vote for Harris.

Schlossberg, who has gone viral on social media and has worked as a political correspondent for Vogue, called Harris "a leader who shares my grandfather's energy, vision and optimism for the future."

Singer Patti LaBelle took the stage at the start of night two of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, serenading the crowd with an "In Memoriam" tribute to fallen leaders with the 1978 track "You Are My Friend."

LaBelle, who has previously voiced her support for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, gave a shout-out to Harris at the end of her performance.

"God Bless America, Kamala Harris," she said to cheers.

A major talking point that will come up every night of the DNC is Project 2025. The conservative-led effort is, essentially, a 922-page wish list for the next Republican administration and would radically reshape how the American government works.

Harris and her allies have leveraged Project 2025 as an attack against the Trump campaign, although Trump has publicly distanced himself from the project and claimed he has nothing to do with it.

Some of its initiatives include eliminating the Department of Education, having the federal government promote “biblically based, social science reinforced” heterosexual marriages, imposing wide restrictions on abortion access and allocating funding for more border walls.

Read more from Yahoo News: Project 2025 takes center stage at the DNC. What to know about the conservative policy plan Kamala Harris and other Dems keep attacking.

According to released excerpts from second gentleman Doug Emhoff's speech later tonight, he will call Harris a "joyful warrior" — aligning with the campaign's message of optimism.

“Kamala is a joyful warrior," he plans to say. "It's doing for her country what she has always done for the people she loves. Her passion will benefit all of us when she's our president.

"Here’s the thing about joyful warriors: They’re still warriors. And Kamala is as tough as it comes.”

As the second day of the DNC gets underway, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will not be in attendance at Chicago's United Center. Instead, they will be holding a massive campaign rally in nearby Milwaukee. The decision to campaign at a separate location is highly unusual, especially since it could set up a split-screen moment with high-profile speakers who are scheduled to appear at the DNC.

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, a key witness his former boss's New York criminal trial, is attending of the DNC on its second day.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a live appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” from the DNC this week. The "Veep" actress said that while her fictional character Selina Meyer was a female vice president, that's the only similarity the character and Vice President Kamala Harris share.

Variety reports:

Read more from Variety: Julia Louis-Dreyfus says Kamala Harris is not a ‘narcissistic, megalomaniac sociopath’ like her ‘Veep’ character: That ‘might be another candidate’

Former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham will speak Tuesday evening at the DNC.

"I never thought I'd be speaking at a Democratic convention. But, after seeing firsthand who Donald Trump really is, and the threat he poses to our country, I feel very strongly about speaking out," Grisham told NBC News.

Grisham is one of several Republicans who are expected to appear at the DNC in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, including:

Conservative political commentator Ana Navarro. The co-host of ABC's The View will host the second night of the DNC on Tuesday. In the 2016 election cycle, she was notably critical of Trump. As of 2020, she was still a member of the Republican Party but did not support the party's nominee. Navarro has endorsed Harris.

Mayor of Mesa, Ariz., John Giles: He endorsed Harris last month and is set to speak Tuesday night at the DNC. "I do not recognize my own party. The Republican Party has been taken over by extremists that are committed to forcing people in the center of the political spectrum out of the party," Giles said at a Harris-Walz rally this month. "Please join me in putting country over party and stopping Donald Trump."

Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger: He is expected to speak at the DNC on Thursday, according to CNN. Kinzinger voted to impeach Trump in 2021 in relation to his role in allegedly inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Kinzinger didn't seek reelection and left Congress in 2023. He endorsed Harris for president and is part of the "Republicans for Harris" group that aims to entice voters who don't want to vote for Trump.

Former lieutenant governor of Georgia, Geoff Duncan: He has shown his support for Harris and is expected to speak this week at the DNC. "Just because you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 doesn't mean you're a Democrat. It just means you're a patriot. You're doing your duty as an American to step up to the plate and reclaim this country's future," Duncan told CNN.

Former Trump White House national security official Olivia Troye: She is also expected to speak at the DNC this week. Troye previously joined Harris on the campaign trail in Michigan just before President Biden dropped out of the presidential race.

The DNC has released the speaker lineup for the second night of the convention.

• Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter

• Jack Schlossberg, grandson of the late President John F. Kennedy

• Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta

• Kyle Sweetser, former Trump voter

• Stephanie Grisham, former Trump White House press secretary

• Nabela Noor, content creator

• Michigan Sen. Gary Peters

• Kenneth Stribling, retired Teamster

• Ana Navarro, The View co-host who is host of night 2

• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

• Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders

• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker

• Ken Chenault, American business executive

• New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham

• Angela Alsobrooks, Democratic Maryland Senate candidate

• Mesa, Ariz., Mayor John Giles

• Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth

• Second gentleman Doug Emhoff

• Former first lady Michelle Obama

• Former President Barack Obama

Former President Barack Obama gave Vice President Kamala Harris some advice after she secured the Democratic presidential nomination, which was to take advantage of the talent available to run her campaign, Reuters reports.

"[Obama] just wanted her to know that she was in a position to recruit anyone she thought they needed," a source familiar with Obama and Harris's conversation told Reuters.

High-profile alumni of Obama's successful 2008 and 2012 election efforts, including former campaign manager David Plouffe, have now joined Harris's election campaign.

Obama, who is expected to speak at the DNC on Tuesday night, has known Harris for two decades.

At least 13 people were arrested Monday during protests related to the Democratic National Convention, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Tuesday.

Charges ranged from criminal trespass to aggravated battery of police officers, Snelling said.

A major performer has yet to be announced for this year's Democratic National Convention, fueling fan speculation that Beyoncé or Taylor Swift could make an appearance in Chicago because both artists endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020.

In this election cycle, Beyoncé gave the Harris campaign permission to use her hit song "Freedom" for the vice president to walk out to on the campaign trail. Harris also walked out to the song while making a surprise appearance to kick off the DNC on Monday.

Meanwhile, Swift has not made a presidential endorsement this election cycle and is currently in London finishing off the European leg of her "Eras Tour" on Tuesday. Fans speculate in theory she could make it back to Chicago in time for the final two nights of the convention.

But Deadline has quashed any Swift rumors, reporting that a DNC insider said a Swift appearance would overshadow Harris at the Democratic convention.

Vice President Kamala Harris has revealed some of her proposed policies for next year if she wins the White House. But some of her biggest agenda plans will need Democrats to have control of the House and Senate if they want to see the light of day, like a child care tax credit for middle-class families and extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.

NBC News reports:

Read more from NBC News: Harris is rolling out her agenda. She'll need a Democratic Congress to pass it.