What to expect from the Democrat Conference in Chicago
From the Obamas to the Clintons, expect big name Democrats and pop star royalty at the party convention in Chicago. But how will Donald Trump feel about all this?
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In brief…
- The Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago between 19-22 August
- Kamala Harris will be formally nominated and a host of stars will be in attendance
- Donald Trump will not be happy as all the attention will be on the Democrats and not him, The News Agents say.
The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee may have dominated headlines in the US last month, with Donald Trump being formally nominated as the party’s presidential nominee just hours after an assassination attempt on his life.
It was all eyes on Trump and the Republicans, just what he will have wanted amid his presidential campaign.
But this month, it’s the Democrats’ turn.
And with momentum already shifting after Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden as the new face of the party, the spotlight will likely stay on the Democrats no thanks to the Convention in just a few week’s time.
So what will be taking place during the event in Chicago? And how will Donald Trump feel about all this?
Here’s what will happen at the event
It has been clear for some time since Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race that Kamala Harris is replacing him.
But the convention is when she will be formally nominated.
Democrats will be rallying behind Harris and whoever she picks as her running mate, who if they win the election will become her vice president.
Up to 50,000 visitors and 5,000 delegates are expected to attend a series of events and speeches .
Who will be there?
“The convention itself will be royalty”, says Emily Maitlis.
Emily adds: “You can expect to see Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Joe Biden, probably both Clinton's
“It will be like a sort of royal wedding”, she says.
Jon says: There'll be Hollywood royalty there. There will be pop music royalty there, you can be sure that they're going to put on quite a show."
What to watch and when
The News Agents will be in Chicago next week to cover all the major events at the convention, but here is a rundown of the key highlights.
Joe Biden is set to speak on Monday, with Obama giving a talk on Tuesday and Kamala Harris on Wednesday.
The Clintons are also set to speak, but haven't been given a "night of it", according to Emily.
It will also be interesting, Emily says, to see which Democrat former leaders are "more in fashion than others".
Emily adds: "Is Hillary Clinton seen as an asset, or is she a reminder of the last time a woman stood?
"Is Bill Clinton seen as a bit sleazy nowadays, or is he seen as a brilliant orator and speaker and winner? I'll be really interested to see how that goes down."
The relationship between Biden and Obama will also be one to keep your eyes on, says Emily.
She notes: "That's the other photo that you really want to have. Do they hug? Do they kiss?"
Thursday is when Harris does the "show piece" and accepts the nominations.
"The balloons come down to the ceiling, and it's a moment of culmination", Emily says.
How will this affect Donald Trump?
Jon says: “There's going to be a month where Donald Trump is going to be sort of chewing the shag pile carpets at Mar a Lago furious that they're all this attention is going to the Democrats, and the potential risk of him becoming evermore shrill to get attention from the media, which might be counterproductive.
Emily says: “For about the last month, no one has mentioned Donald Trump's court cases. And partly that's because the Democrats feel they've come to a dead end…there probably won’t be another case anywhere near November.
“In a way it's playing to the Democrat's strength because it allows them just to concentrate on the person in front of them."
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