By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice
President Joe Biden will highlight the speakers on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention.
He was expected to be the Democrats’ nominee for president, until a month ago, when he abruptly announced his decision not to accept the nomination. Some have called it a political coup, removing the nominee for Vice President Kamala Harris, who did not go through the primary process.
The Democratic National Convention in Chicago will be broadcast nightly from Aug. 19-22 on most major news networks.
“[Biden] sees it as an important moment to talk directly, not just to the party, the Democratic Party and delegates, but also, obviously, to the American people,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
The opening night of the convention will also feature Hillary Clinton, who lost her 2016 bid for the presidency to President Donald J. Trump.
Borrowing from the Republican National Convention, a union head will be one of the opening night speakers, when United Auto Workers head Sean Fain takes the stage. The opening night will also include “Squad” member and one of the most extreme Democratic Party members of Congress when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appears.
Other speakers on the opening night of the convention include:
Gov. Andy Beshear (Kentucky)
Sen. Chris Coons
Rep. Jasmine Crockett
Rep. Grace Meng
Rep. Jamie Raskin
Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock
Some have said placing the sitting president on the opening night of the convention is an insult to Mr. Biden. Typically, speakers of his stature are reserved for the third or fourth night.
Those who will speak later during convention week include two former Presidents — Barack Obama and Bill Clinton — Michelle Obama and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was selected by Harris as her vice-presidential running mate, will speak Wednesday. Kamala Harris will deliver her acceptance speech on Thursday, closing the convention.
On the Republican Party front, Trump and Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance will visit North Carolina this week. Also, the House Judiciary Committee released a report saying President Joe Biden “committed impeachable offenses” and evidence exists to “establish President Biden abused his office and violated his oaths of office,” dating to his time as vice president, an effort to engage “in a conspiracy to peddle influence to enrich his family.”