According to two people familiar with the planning, NBC News has received confirmation that a number of well-known Democratic luminaries will be speaking during this month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Speakers confirmed for the convention include President Joe Biden, former Presidents Bill and Barack Obama, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. At the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC), which was mostly conducted virtually to stop the spread of Covid-19 during the epidemic, Obama and the Clintons gave addresses.
According to a reliable source, Jason Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, is officially speaking on his grandfather’s behalf.
The convention, which is set for August 19–22 in Chicago, comes only weeks after Biden declared his departure from the race in response to numerous requests from Democrats to do so following his appalling performance in the June debate against former President Donald Trump. Significant financial losses were incurred by his campaign, and in the aftermath, numerous supporters stopped endorsing the president.
After Joe Biden withdrew from the contest, Vice President Kamala Harris ran unchallenged for the Democratic presidential candidacy. Earlier this month, during the virtual voting process, she won the nomination with the support of the majority of delegates. Last Monday, the Harris team declared that Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota will be her running partner.
At the convention, Harris—the first Black woman and Indian American to win a major party’s presidential candidacy in American history—will formally accept the Democratic Party’s nomination.
According to people close to the convention and event planning, since Harris declared her candidacy for president last month, there has been a noticeable spike in the number of requests for admission into the United Center’s main arena and other convention-related events in the city.
Prior to announcing Walz as her running mate, Harris’ campaign raised an unprecedented $310 million last month, and an additional $36 million in just one day.