DNC Night 3 speeches from Bill Clinton, Tim Walz, Oprah Winfrey and Wes Moore : NPR

The NPR Community might be reporting reside from Chicago all through the week bringing you the most recent on the Democratic Nationwide Conference.

Day 3 of the Democratic Nationwide Conference is a wrap. And whereas the night time was capped with Tim Walz accepting the get together’s vice presidential nomination, there have been a couple of different twists and turns alongside the best way.

Oprah Winfrey made a shock look and Stevie Surprise addressed the gang earlier than performing “Greater Floor.”

Reproductive rights was once more a spotlight of the night time, together with justice and the theme of “pleasure,” as senior Democrats sought to color an image of unity underneath Kamala Harris and chaos with Donald Trump.

Catch up and watch key speeches from the night time.

Tim Walz — Minnesota governor

Popping out to standing ovation and a sea of “Coach Walz” banners within the area, Tim Walz went on to ship a private and relatively quick handle to the DNC.

He spoke of his progressive insurance policies, his admiration for Vice President Harris and his love for his household.

He ended by rousing the gang right into a chant of, “Once we struggle, we win!”

Invoice Clinton — former president

Former President Invoice Clinton thanked President Biden for his service, praised Harris and emphasised the excessive stakes of the November election.

“Let’s lower to the chase. I’m too previous to gild the lily,” mentioned Clinton, who not too long ago turned 78. “However I am nonetheless youthful than Donald Trump,” he added, to raucous applause.

“In 2024, we have now a transparent alternative: ‘We The Folks’ versus ‘Me, Myself, and I,'” Clinton continued. “We The Folks” was the Wednesday theme of the conference.

Oprah Winfrey — media proprietor

Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul and influential discuss present host, gave a thunderous speech endorsing the Harris-Walz marketing campaign.

“We’re now so fired up, we will’t wait to depart right here and do one thing, and what we’re gonna do is elect Kamala Harris as the subsequent president of the US,” she mentioned.

Pete Buttigieg — transportation secretary

Earlier than a cheering crowd, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg homed in on the theme of “pleasure” that the Harris marketing campaign has been leaning into.

“The make-up of my kitchen desk, the existence of my household is only one instance of one thing that was actually inconceivable as not too long ago as 25 years in the past when an anxious teenager rising up in Indiana questioned if he would ever discover belonging on this world,” he mentioned.

He referred to as for “higher politics” and an finish to Trump’s “politics of darkness.”

Amanda Gorman — poet

Along with musical and comedic performances by the likes of Stevie Surprise and Kenan Thompson, Amanda Gorman delivered a poem to evoke the viewers in celebration of Harris. In tune with the night time’s theme of freedom, Gorman spoke of the “audacity of hope” and vitality of voting on this election.

Wes Moore — Maryland governor

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

medical deferment

“I joined the Military after I was 17. In truth, I used to be too younger to signal the paperwork. I needed to ask my mother signal the paperwork for me as a result of I haven’t got bone spurs,” he mentioned.

Trump’s Vietnam deferment was purportedly for bone spurs.

Stevie Surprise — musician

Stevie Surprise was on the docket to carry out, but additionally took to the rostrum to energise the gang and preach a message of peace.

“We should select braveness over complacency. It’s time to stand up and go vote,” the singer-songwriter mentioned. “Although our hearts have been overwhelmed and damaged, past prayer I do know the significance of motion. And now’s the time to know the place we’re and what it should take to win.”

Geoff Duncan — former Georgia lieutenant governor

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan joined a slate of fellow Republicans to pledge their assist to Harris on Wednesday, portray Trump as a elementary menace to American democracy.

“I’m a Republican, however tonight I stand right here as an American,” Duncan informed the cheering crowd. “An American who cares extra about the way forward for this nation than the way forward for Donald Trump.”

Duncan publicly distanced himself from the Republican Occasion in 2020 when he pushed again on Trump’s lie that the election had been stolen from him.

Olivia Julianna — content material creator

For the primary time, a whole lot of social media creators have been invited to cowl the DNC.

Amongst them is Olivia Julianna, who’s not simply making content material however spoke Wednesday night time on the conference. She informed All Issues Thought of that she does not fake to be unbiased, and as an alternative sees herself as an activist.

“My primary aim is to influence individuals to get entangled in politics, to assist them perceive how authorities works,” she mentioned.

Alexis McGill Johnson — Deliberate Parenthood president

Deliberate Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson took the stage following speeches from a number of leaders of distinguished advocacy teams, together with one in every of her Deliberate Parenthood predecessors, Cecile Richards.

“We can’t name ourselves a free nation when ladies are usually not free,” she mentioned, talking intimately concerning the challenges confronted by these in search of reproductive care and abortion entry in America.

Olivia Troye — former Trump administration nationwide safety official

Olivia Troye, a nationwide safety official within the Trump administration, mentioned being a part of his White Home “was terrifying.”

Troye, a Latina and baby of immigrants, mentioned she is now proud to assist Harris as a result of she believes in “defending our freedom.”

Troye was a Homeland Safety and Counterterrorism adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence however left the White Home in August 2020 after seeing what she mentioned have been the dangers Trump’s management posed to the nation.

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg — dad and mom of Hersh Goldberg-Polin who’s held hostage by Hamas

An emotional Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, dad and mom of Hersh Goldberg-Polin held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, took to the rostrum calling for a cease-fire deal in order that the 109 remaining Hamas hostages can return residence.

Polin and Goldberg have taken to sporting a chunk of tape with the variety of days their son has been held captive written in marker and positioned on their chest. Right now it learn: 320.

Goldberg struggled to talk as the gang chanted “Deliver them residence!”

NPR’s Bruce Grant helped produce this piece.