Returning to the Chicago convention stage where he was re-nominated in 1996, former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday seemed to bask in his return to the spotlight as he praised Kamala Harris as someone “who has the vision, the experience, the temperament, the will and yes, the sheer joy” to lead the country.
Clinton’s speech came on a star-studded night intended to spotlight Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and introduce his biography as a former teacher, military member and congressman.
Ahead of Walz’s speech, Oprah Winfrey, a surprise guest, spoke about the need to protect freedoms in America. She also spoke directly to independent and undecided voters and implored to them that “values and character matter most of all” and “decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024.”
“Let us choose common sense over nonsense,” Winfrey said.
Clinton, the “explainer in chief” — as former President Barack Obama called him — went off script for much of his 28-minute speech on the third day of the Democratic National Convention, offering up anecdotes and jokes — about former President Donald Trump’s age and his obsession with crowd sizes.
The 78-year-old former president, who is about two months older than Trump, quipped “the only personal vanity I want to assert is I’m still younger than Donald Trump.”
He said a second Trump presidency would focus on his own needs — while a Harris presidency would focus on improving the lives of Americans. He offered up details of Harris’ background as a former prosecutor, attorney general and senator as proof that she would create a “more inclusive, more future-focused” country.
“Look. What does her opponent do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself. So, the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the ‘I’s,” Clinton said.
Clinton said Trump “creates chaos, and then he sort of curates it as if it were precious.” He accused Trump of “dodging, distracting and diverting us.”
“He is like the tenors opening up before he goes on stage, like I did, by saying, ‘me, me, me, me, me.’ When Kamala Harris is president, every day will begin with you, you, you, you,” Clinton said.
Earlier, Clinton praised President Joe Biden on “an improbable term” that started in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. “He healed our sick, and he put the rest of us back to work.”
A lengthy list of speakers including several celebrities on Day Three focused on protecting freedoms, including abortion rights. It also featured segments about Jan. 6 and highlights of Project 2025, a GOP blueprint for a second Trump administration that Trump has worked to disassociate himself from.
“Civilized debate is vital to democracy, and it is the best of America,” Winfrey said.
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Harris “a courageous leader, a compassionate leader and a commonsense leader who will deliver real results for all Americans.”
Jeffries likened Trump to “an old boyfriend who you broke up with, but he just won’t go away.”
“Bro, we broke up with you for a reason,” he said to cheers. “Donald Trump can spin the block all he wants, but there’s no reason for us to ever get back together. Been there, done that.”
And quoting pop superstar Taylor Swift, Jeffries declared: “We are never, ever, ever getting back together.”
Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, widely viewed as the key power player in persuading Biden to drop out of the race, started by thanking him and asserting Harris “is ready to take us to new heights.”
“I know her as a person of deep faith, which is reflected in her community care and service,” Pelosi said. She praised Walz for turning a red district blue, and then turned her ire to former President Trump.
“Let us not forget who assaulted democracy on Jan. 6. He did. But let’s not forget who saved democracy that day. We did. Thank God, we had a Democratic House of Representatives that day,” Pelosi said.
“We gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,” she said. “Now in this election we are called upon to do the same … to choose democracy.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — who was shortlisted by Harris along with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for VP — said the top of the Democratic ticket promises “a path of decency, honor and continued progress.
“Donald Trump, a man with no guardrails, wants to take away our rights and our freedoms,” Shapiro said. “We are the party of real freedom.”