Hillary Clinton has been on this stage before. Eight years ago, she was the star of the Democratic National Convention, earning her spot in history as the first woman to lead a presidential ticket for one of the nation’s two major political parties. When she took the stage in 2016, she was leading in all the major polls and seemed destined to break the ultimate glass ceiling.
After recalling her loss to , on Monday night she warned an energized DNC against complacency as . “No matter what the polls say, we can’t let up,” Clinton said. Clinton said after her loss in 2016, “we refused to give up on America.
Millions marched. Many ran for office. We kept our eyes on the future.
Well, my friends, the future is here.” And in that future, Clinton is working hard to help Harris make history as the first woman president. Early in her speech, she pointed out that Trump is making some history of his own — as the first convicted felon on the ballot.
“Lock him up,” the crowd started to chant. At first, Clinton continued to talk through it. She had been the subject of those chants at Trump rallies throughout 2016, 2020 and some this year.
But then Clinton started to nod, seemingly in agreement with the crowd that Trump should be jailed for the multiple criminal cases he’s facing. Before she left the stage, she called on voters and supporters to put the work in to ensure Harris is elected and Trump is defeated. “On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office,” Clinton said.
“This is our time, America. The future is here. It’s in our grasp.
Let’s go win it! But the indictment of Trump didn’t stop when she left the stage. A video played, showing Trump’s convictions and criminal charges, and comments from his rally before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
U.S. Rep.
Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who served on the special House committee that investigated the Capitol attack, gave a blistering review of Trump as a “career criminal” and “sore loser.” As the night continued, Democrats used the primetime hours to paint Trump as not just a criminal, but the owner of abortion bans across the country. Videos and speakers who took the stage described the danger and near-death experiences they faced because of abortion bans that were enacted after Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices voted to overturn Roe v.
Wade in 2022. Perhaps the most searing comment came from Hadley Duvall of Kentucky. She described years of heart wrenching abuse, rape at the hands of her stepfather that resulted in a pregnancy when she was 12.
At the time, she had options. Now, girls in many states across the country don’t have the same options because of abortion bans. “He calls it a beautiful ban,” Duval said of Trump’s comments after Roe was overturned.
“What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent’s child?” Though most legal actions against Trump are delayed until after the election, Democrats clearly used their opening night to put him on trial..
