CHICAGO (AP) 鈥� The kicks off Monday in Chicago, just four weeks after President shuttered his campaign and made way for Vice President to ascend to the top of Democrats' ticket.
The political transformation just months before the election matchup with the Republican nominee, former President , has meant for Democrats' 2024 calculus in general 鈥� making the convention all the more noteworthy.
Here's what to watch on the first day:
Biden will speak Monday night
Up until a month ago, Biden had been expected to take the convention stage Thursday night, as is tradition for the party's nominee. Now, Biden will give a speech on the convention's opening night of Monday, as will his wife, Jill Biden.
Biden is expected to use his keynote address as of his party to Harris, capping five decades in Democratic politics and pressing the case for what he says is the threat to the country if Trump returns to the White House.
Harris will be on hand to watch the president's speech. Signs in the arena will feature a Biden-ism: 鈥淪pread the faith.鈥� While Harris is expected to stick around through the week's events, before her own speech, officials say Biden isn't planning to be in Chicago past his own appearance.
Former Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Biden adviser, said it's important for Biden to answer the age-old questions from voters, 鈥渨hat have you done for me lately and why bother to go out and vote?鈥�
鈥淧oliticians worry about the next election; statesmen worry about the next generation,鈥� said Richmond, who called Biden 鈥渁 statesman who will pass the baton on to Kamala Harris to continue to put this country first.鈥�
A focus 鈥榝or the people鈥�
According to convention organizers, the theme for Monday鈥檚 events is 鈥淔or the People,鈥� a callback to the theme of Harris鈥� 2020 presidential campaign, and a phrase she鈥檚 been incorporating into her new one, starting with a fundraising email the very night Biden departed the race.
The phraseology hearkens to , at which Harris 鈥� a longtime prosecutor and California's first woman to serve as attorney general 鈥� recalled introducing herself in court as 鈥淜amala Harris, for the people," adding, 鈥淚n my whole life I鈥檝e only had one client, the people.鈥欌�� Throughout that campaign, Harris returned to the phrase time and again, in speeches but also on signs and T-shirts, and as part of her principal campaign committee's .
But much of the night's focus will also be on Biden's policy wins while in office, when he signed a flurry of legislation that Democrats have dreamed about enacting for a generation.
鈥淲e would not be here without him," said Alex Hornbrook, the convention鈥檚 executive director. 鈥淗is historic record of accomplish with Vice President Harris by his side is unmatched by any presidential administration in modern history."
At the convention's opening night, organizers note that speakers will aim to make the argument that, 鈥渨hile Donald Trump puts himself first, Democrats are fighting for the American people,鈥� something they say is reflected in Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. .
Among the luminaries to speak Monday night: Hillary Clinton, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
In addition to the elected officials and party leaders, Democrats also plan to showcase 鈥渆veryday Americans鈥� and some performers during each night.
Protests are planned around town
Thousands of activists are expected to converge on Chicago, hoping to call attention to abortion rights, economic injustice and the . Demonstrations are expected every day of the convention and, while their agendas vary, many activists agree an immediate ceasefire in the is the priority.
There have been months of preparation for the tens of thousands of activists expected in town. on constitutional policing, county courts say they are opening more space in anticipation of mass arrests and hospitals near the security zone are beefing up emergency preparedness.
Chicago Mayor , who is among the speakers expected to take the stage on the convention's opening night, said on ABC's 鈥淭his Week鈥漷hat the city was prepared for the thousands of activists expected to participate in protests around the DNC.
鈥淥ur local police department has worked with the Secret Service as well as other local agencies to ensure a safe, peaceful yet vibrant, exciting convention,鈥� he said.
Trump's counterprogramming
As Democrats laud their top-of-the-ticket selectees, Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. , have a full week of their own events stumping across battleground states. Like the Democrats 鈥� and as at 鈥� the Republicans are adding a theme to each day's events, with Monday intended to focus on the economy.
On Monday both Trump and Vance are in Pennsylvania, the Rust Belt battleground where both men have . Each day of the DNC, Trump's allies will also be holding a news conference in Chicago, a prebuttal to what's expected from the stage at the United Center.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at
Meg Kinnard, The Associated Press
