2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Home Ministry's meeting
On the morning of 25 February 2020, the Chief Minister Kejriwal chaired an urgent meeting of all party MLAs from the violence-hit areas and senior officials. Several MLAs raised concerns on the lack of deployment of enough policemen. The concerns were raised by Kejriwal in the subsequent meeting chaired by Home Minister Shah and attended by Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal and senior police officials. The meeting concluded with the decision to take all possible steps to contain violence. Kejriwal stated that Shah had assured the availability of an adequate number of policemen.


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Home Ministry's meeting
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was given the responsibility of restoring peace in the region. On 26 February, Doval travelled to the violence-hit regions and spoke to locals, assuring them of normalcy.


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Relief measures
On 27 February, Kejriwal announced free treatment for the injured in government as well as private hospitals under the Farishta scheme. The government had made arrangements with the help of NGOs to supply food in areas where a curfew had been imposed. He also announced a compensation amount of ₹1 million (US$14,000) to affected people, ₹100,000 (US$1,400) ex-gratia, and ₹500,000 (US$7,000) in the case of a death of a minor. He also announced that the Delhi government had set up nine shelters for the people affected by the riots. For people whose houses were completely burnt, immediate assistance of ₹25,000 (US$350) was announced.


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Relief measures
Food and other relief materials were distributed with the help of resident welfare associations and NGOs. BJP leaders Tajinder Bagga and Kapil Mishra collected ₹7.1 million (US$100,000) for the Hindu victims of Delhi riots via crowdfunding.


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Reactions
AAP leader Sanjay Singh released a video in which BJP MLA from Laxmi Nagar, Abhay Verma, was seen leading crowds that raised slogans Jō Hindū hit kī bāt karēgā, vahī dēś pē rāj karēgā (transl. "Whoever talks about the welfare of Hindus, only they will rule the country") and Jai Śrī Rām (transl. "Hail Lord Rama"). Singh accused Home Minister Amit Shah of holding an "all-party meeting, pretending to restore peace and their MLA is engaged in inciting riots." Verma meanwhile defended himself claiming the slogans were raised by civilians.


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Reactions
Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi held a press conference at which she said that Shah should resign for failing to stop the violence. She asked for the deployment of an adequate number of security forces. Gandhi's press conference was followed by a press conference by Prakash Javadekar; he said that there is "selective silence" from AAP and Congress and he added that they are politicising violence.


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Reactions
After three days of violence with 20 deaths, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, shared a message on Twitter asking people to maintain peace. Commentators said that he reacted only after the departure of President Trump, whom he had been hosting on a state visit while the riots began.


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Reactions
On 26 February, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) conveyed "grave concern" over the riots and requested the Indian government to provide protection to people, no matter which faith they belonged to. US Senator and 2020 US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and other American politicians expressed their concerns over the events. In response, on 27 February 2020, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, stated that these remarks were "factually inaccurate", "misleading" and "aimed at politicising the issue". BJP general secretary BL Santhosh threatened Sanders with election interference due to his condemnation. The US issued a travel advisory for its citizens to exercise caution.


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Reactions
On 27 February, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, stated, "Indians in huge numbers, and from all communities, have expressed—in a mostly peaceful manner—their opposition to the Act, and support for the country's long tradition of secularism". She expressed concern on the citizenship law and reports of "police inaction" during the communal attacks in Delhi. Twelve eminent citizens of Bangladesh also expressed grave concern over the communal clashes on that day.


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Reactions
They expressed fear that India's failure to handle the situation could create a volatile environment in its neighbouring countries, which could destroy peace, democracy, development and communal harmony in the region. The Governor of Meghalaya, Tathagata Roy, wanted lessons to be learned from Deng Xiaoping's handling of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests for ways to handle the riots. Also on the same day, Turkish president Erdogan criticised the violence. He said, "India right now has become a country where massacres are widespread. What massacres? Massacres of Muslims. By who? Hindus."


2020 Delhi riots, Response and reactions, Reactions
On 2 March, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, alleged that the Delhi riot was a "planned genocide". On 5 March, Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, asked the Indian Government to confront extremist Hindus and their parties and stop the massacre of Muslims of India, to prevent India from being isolated from the world of Islam.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation
On 27 February 2020, the Delhi Police reported that two Special Investigation Teams (SIT) had been formed to investigate the violence. DCP Joy Tirkey and DCP Rajesh Deo were appointed head of these SITs respectively, along with four Assistant Commissioners in each team. Additional Commissioner of crime branch, B.K. Singh, was announced to be supervising the work of the SITs. On 28 February 2020, the police also called in forensic science teams, who visited the crime scenes to collect evidence.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation
As of 7 March 2020, police had registered 690 FIRs and around 2200 individuals involved in the violence were taken into custody. Some activists were charged with offences under the Indian Penal code and the Arms Act. Their friends and relatives alleged that they were tortured in custody. During a parliamentary debate over the riots on 11 March, Home Minister Amit Shah stated that rioters who had come from Uttar Pradesh had been identified.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, Supreme Court hearing
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, along with former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah and social activist Syed Bahadur Abbas Naqvi, filed an appeal in the Supreme Court requesting that the police be directed to file reports over cases of violence that had occurred since the night of 23 February. The petition also accused Mishra of "inciting and orchestrating the riots". During the hearing held on 26 February, the Supreme Court criticized the Delhi Police for not having done enough to stop the violence. However, the bench, consisting of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K. M. Joseph, did not entertain the plea, stating that the case was already in the Delhi High Court.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing
Activists Harsh Mander and Farah Naqvi filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, demanding that the police report and arrest those involved in the violence on 25 February. The plea further demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be set up to investigate the incident and that compensation be provided to those killed and injured. It also requested for the immediate deployment of the Indian Army in the affected areas.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing, Court hearing on 26 February
At midnight on 26 February, the court bench, consisting of Justices S. Muralidhar and Talwant Singh, heard the emergency plea, following which, the court ordered the police to safeguard and help all victims to reach their nearest hospitals.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing, Court hearing on 26 February
In the hearing during the morning, DCP of crime branch, Rajesh Deo, and the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, surprised the court by admitting that they had not watched the video of the inflammatory speech given by Kapil Mishra. However, Deo admitted to have watched the videos of Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma. The Court then played the video clip of Kapil Mishra's speech.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing, Court hearing on 26 February
The bench expressed "anguish" over the inability of the Delhi Police to control the riots and its failure to file FIRs against four BJP leaders, Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma for their hate speeches. The bench also noted that incidents like the 1984 anti-Sikh riots must be prevented from ever occurring again in Delhi.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing, Transfer of Justice Muralidhar
Late on the night of 26 February, Justice S. Muralidhar, who had presided over the plea hearing, was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This was the same day on which he had condemned the Delhi Police for its failure in controlling the riots or filing cases against BJP leaders for hate speech. However, the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that this was a routine transfer which had been recommended by the Supreme Court a fortnight before. BBC News reported that Muralidhar's "biting comments could have hastened his transfer". The news of his removal from the case was criticised by many Indians who expressed concern. The Congress party called his transfer a move to protect the accused BJP leaders. The Delhi High Court Bar Association criticised the transfer and asked the Supreme Court collegium to revoke it.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing, Court hearing under new bench
On 27 February, the court resumed the hearing with a new bench consisting of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar. During the previous hearing, the Delhi police were given 24 hours to decide on the filing of FIRs over hate speeches by four BJP leaders. The government's lawyer claimed that the situation was not "conducive" and that the government needed more time before it could take appropriate action.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing, Court hearing under new bench
The new bench accepted the same arguments that the previous bench had rejected and agreed to give the government more time to decide on filing of the cases for hate speech. The petitioners' lawyer requested an earlier hearing, citing the increasing number of deaths, but the court set 13 April as the date of the next hearing.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing, Court hearing under new bench
On 28 February, the court issued notices to the local and central governments seeking their responses on registering FIRs on Congress party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi on the charges of delivering hate speeches. Hearing another plea, the bench also issued notice to the Delhi police and the central government for their response on registering FIR on AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, actress Swara Bhaskar, activist Harsh Mander and on AIMIM leaders like Akbaruddin Owaisi, Asaduddin Owaisi, and Waris Pathan. The court later posted the matter to be heard again on 13 April.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing, Court hearing under new bench
AAP leader Tahir Hussain was denied bail. The court said there's enough material on record to presume the former councillor was present at the spot of crime and was instigating the rioters.


2020 Delhi riots, Investigation, High Court hearing, Court hearing under new bench
In September 2021, Justice Subramonium Prasad noted that the protesters' conduct "was a calculated attempt to dislocate the functioning of the government as well as to disrupt the normal life of the people in the city."


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
In the aftermath of the riots, many Muslims who had been living in the riot-affected neighbourhoods left with all their belongings. Even in areas of Delhi which were not affected by the violence, many Muslim families packed up their belongings and left for their ancestral villages, showing no intention of ever coming back. According to complaints received by lawyers representing Muslim victims of the riots, the police had threatened to falsely implicate the victims in police cases if they filed any complaints against the rioters.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
As of October 2020, many Muslim survivors of the riots reported harassment and humiliation within their immediate neighbourhoods and many even started selling their properties below the market price so as escape from this ordeal. According to Zafarul Islam Khan, former chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission, 1,300 Muslim youth have been arrested since the riots began and pressure has been constantly mounted on the Delhi police to create a fabricated narrative that these youths started the riots.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
The Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) had written in an order dated July 8 to senior officers heading probe teams and asked them to “suitably” guide the Investigating Officers to note that the arrests of “some Hindu youth” from riot-hit areas in Northeast Delhi has led to a “degree of resentment among the Hindu community” and “due care and precaution” must be taken while making such arrests.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
This was despite the fact that the Delhi Police Crime Branch investigations into the murder of nine Muslims at and around Bhagirathi Vihar in North-East Delhi on February 25 and February 26 had led to a WhatsApp group named "Kattar Hindu Ekta", which was created to mobilise rioters. The investigators had filed three chargesheets in connection with three of the murder cases and nine people were chargesheeted.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
According to Hisham ul wahab, "it has been a pattern in almost all the anti-Muslim violence in India that to call it “communal riots” in order to avoid the supposed blame over the perpetrators from the Hindu fold as well as to narrate it in a balanced/neutral way as both the communities involved in it are occupying equal and parallel power. However, an assessment of such a narrative with the help of various reports including the Sachar Committee report would be sufficient to explore the historical disparity and discrimination against the Muslim community in terms of socio-political-economic and educational parameters".


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
For those left homeless or who had run away from their homes out of fear, temporary relief camps were set up in houses, temples, madrasas and the Al-Hind Hospital. Camps housing larger numbers were erected in areas like Idgah, the Mustafabad prayer ground. The Idgah camp was the largest among nine others and was funded by the government. However, it soon grew crowded. Volunteers helped victims by distributing carts to vendors and providing others with legal aid or even simple help in filling forms. Doctors volunteered to provide medical attention to people suffering from injuries.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
Most of the refugees were reported to suffer from skin rashes and the common cold. Many others, including the children, were reported to be suffering from anxiety and mental trauma. They reported to have lost their homes and their livelihoods and were awaiting government help to rebuild their lives. In another camp in Khajuri Khas, a team of paralegals ran a relief assistance booth of the government. These victims then faced the threat of coronavirus, with social distancing being impossible given the number of people crowded in these camps. Following this, the Delhi government forcefully evicted the residents of the Idgah camp by 30 March, leaving many homeless. The victims were promised rations and a sum of ₹3,000 (US$42) to rent rooms for themselves, but not all were able to avail of these relief measures.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
Archbishop Couto of Delhi stated that churches were using their resources to help those affected by the 2020 Delhi riots; the Holy Family Hospital, for example, engaged physicians, nurses, as well as ambulances to provide relief to affected people. He further stated that Catholic churches would accept those affected by the riots, especially with it being the season of Lent.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
Hindus and businesses run by them in the riot-affected areas began boycotting traders and refused to hire workers who were Muslims. They alleged that the Muslims had started the riots and had then blamed the Hindus for the violence. As a result of the growing distrust between the two communities in these areas, the Hindus and Muslims would avoid each other during the day and block the lanes to their respective neighbourhoods with barriers at night. Neighbourhoods of both communities put up metal gates to slow down the passage of rioters in the future, with some keeping themselves permanently armed with wooden lathis (batons).


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
Hindu politicians paraded injured victims with bandages wrapped around their heads in multiple "peace marches", alleging that they were victims of violence at the hands of Muslims. This incited more hatred towards Muslims. One such rally held on 29 February was organised by the Delhi Peace Forum, an NGO backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, with people holding placards that said, "Delhi against jihadi violence". Kapil Mishra was seen at the rally, while inflammatory slogans inciting people to "shoot the traitors" were heard. Gangs of Hindus later appeared in multiple neighbourhoods and threatened the Muslims living there to abandon their homes before the Hindu festival of Holi, which was celebrated on 9 March 2020.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
Malayalam news channels Asianet News and MediaOne TV were banned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for 48 hours on 6 March for broadcasting about the Delhi riots and the lack of action taken by the police. However, the ban was soon reversed by I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar, following multiple complaints.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
During a parliamentary debate over the riots on 11 March, Home Minister Amit Shah gave his condolences to the families of those who died due to the violence and assured them of justice. He went on to commend the Delhi Police for their efforts and blamed Muslim leaders and members of the Congress party for instigating the riots. Another BJP MP, Meenakshi Lekhi, accused ISIS elements of having organised the riots. Members of the opposition like Kapil Sibal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the government for its lack of timely action.


2020 Delhi riots, Aftermath
In response to an RTI application on 13 April, the Delhi Police stated that 23 people had died and 48 people had been arrested in connection with the riots. This was in stark contrast to the report of 52 deaths and 3,304 arrests submitted by Junior Home Minister G. Kishan Reddy on 18 March, who had obtained the figures from the Delhi Police.


2020 Delhi riots, Fact Finding Reports of the Violence
Various Fact Finding reports have been released about the Delhi Violence 2020.


2020 Delhi riots, Books on the riots
In August 2020, a book titled Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story by advocate Monika Arora and academics Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra was scheduled to be published by Bloomsbury India, which however withdrew the book after facing criticism from other writers and activists. The new publishers Garuda Prakashan said that by 24 August, they had received 15,000 pre-orders.


2020 Deloitte Tankard
The 2020 Deloitte Tankard, the provincial men's curling championship of Nova Scotia, was held from January 20 to 26 at the Dartmouth Curling Club in Dartmouth. The winning Jamie Murphy rink represented Nova Scotia at the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier in Kingston, Ontario and finished with a 3–4 record. The event was held in conjunction with the 2020 Nova Scotia Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the provincial women's curling championship.


2020 Deloitte Tankard
Jamie Murphy won his sixth Nova Scotia Men's provincial title when he defeated Kendal Thompson's team 10-4 in the final.


2020 Deloitte Tankard, Round Robin Results
All draw times are listed in Atlantic Standard Time (UTC-04:00).


2020 Delray Beach Open
The 2020 Delray Beach Open was a professional men's tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 28th edition of the tournament, and part of the 2020 ATP Tour. It took place in Delray Beach, United States between 17 February and 23 February 2020.


2020 Delray Beach Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received entry into the singles main draw using a protected ranking:


2020 Delray Beach Open – Doubles
Bob and Mike Bryan were the defending champions and successfully defended their title, defeating Luke Bambridge and Ben McLachlan in the final, 3–6, 7–5, [10–5].


2020 Delray Beach Open – Singles
Radu Albot was the defending champion, but lost in the first round to Jack Sock.


2020 Delray Beach Open – Singles
Reilly Opelka won the title, defeating Yoshihito Nishioka in the final, 7–5, 6–7(4–7), 6–2.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires
The 2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires is a series of wildfires that are burning across the Delta del Paraná in Argentina, affecting mainly the Entre Ríos and Santa Fe provinces, but also Buenos Aires, including major cities as Rosario.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires
The first outbreaks were detected in February 2020, and new ones keep emerging until August 2020 at least. Previously, this same area had suffered the 2008 Delta del Paraná wildfires.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires
As of August 2020, 90,000 hectares (220,000 acres) had burned, in over 8,000 detected fires. A 10 million pesos (US$137,934) daily cost was estimated.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires, Context
During the first months of 2020, the Río de la Plata river basin received an unusually low amount of rain, including the Iguazú and Paraguay rivers. This even caused the Iguazú Falls to dry for a time, what created a diplomatic conflict between Argentina and Brazil, over the several dams the country operates in the northern area of the basin. Brazil ultimately decided to open the open the floodgates of the dam for 12 days on 18 May 2020.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires, Context
This drought, which conjugated with the La Niña phenomenon, brought an historical low for the Paraná river level (the lowest level in 51 years). Every watercourse in the De la Plata river basin registered very low levels and droughts, caused by rainfall anomalies in the northern area of the basin.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires, Context
This low water level caused several problems, including trouble for big ships to navigate and export the harvest, water intakes in several cities unable to soak any water, and a big fish mortality. It also made several environment-harming activities easier, such as illegal fishing and hunting, activities which in some cases involve engaging in illegal fires as well.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires, Context
But mainly, this lack of rainfalls caused a drought in the Delta del Paraná, and a lack of moisture in its abundant available plant biomass that stimulates the start and fast expansion of fires.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires, Causes
During the summer, it was thought that the fires could be caused by people putting out cigarettes or leaving bonfires lit while on the Delta del Paraná islands, as well as by cattle ranchers trying to gain terrain.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires, Causes
Meanwhile, during 2020 farmers and ranchers in Argentina were subject of several kinds of sabotages, including silobolsas being shattered and fields set into fire. The agricultural sector pointed that the fires were a consequence of the higher amount of public visiting the islands (both tourists and poachers), the high number of available plant biomass, and even some political intentionality, linked to the sabotaged suffered by them during the year.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires, Causes
Also, ranchers explained that it would be of no use for them to set their ranches on fire (which account for about 20 or 30% of the islands area, the rest being public lands), since soybean prices didn't make farming on the Delta attractive, and the fires damage the land for its use for livestock grazing.


2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires, Causes
On the other hand, several Environmental organizations pointed that the fires were started by ranchers to renew graze, as they do every year, but with the difference that in 2020 the drought made those fires bigger and easier to grow, which caused the shift so rapidly. The government credited this theory, blaming the fires on ranchers.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress
The Democratic Alliance (DA) held its leadership conference virtually between 31 October and 1 November 2020. It was originally scheduled to be held in May 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The previous congress was held in 2018. In October 2019, then-party leader Mmusi Maimane announced that the party would seek to hold a policy conference and early elective congress in 2020. Maimane and former party chair Athol Trollip have since resigned from their positions. The party elected John Steenhuisen and Ivan Meyer as their interim successors, respectively.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Background
Mmusi Maimane was re-elected as leader of the Democratic Alliance in 2018. He led the party to see its first decline in its history at the May 2019 general election. This, as a result, caused factionalism and leadership uncertainty within the party. Maimane established a panel consisting of former party leader Tony Leon, former party CEO Ryan Coetzee and Capitec founder Michiel le Roux to come up with an independent report detailing the faults and conflicts within the party. Federal Council chair James Selfe announced in June 2019 that he would retire in October of the same year, opening up a senior leadership position within the party.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Background
As Selfe's retirement neared, multiple candidates declared their candidacies. Former party leader Helen Zille announced on 4 October 2019 that she would run for the post. DA CEO Paul Boughey stepped down on 17 October. The DA's Federal Council gathered on 19–20 October and elected Zille as the party's chair on 20 October 2019. She defeated Athol Trollip, Mike Waters and Thomas Walters. At the gathering, Maimane proposed that the party should head to an early elective congress and policy conference in 2020. At the same meeting, the panel's report was discussed. The report recommended that senior leadership should resign. Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba announced his resignation the next day due to irreconcilable differences with party leadership following Zille's return.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Background
On 23 October, Mmusi Maimane resigned as party leader. Party chair Athol Trollip also stepped down. Both positions were consequently vacant, and the party set 17 November as the date to elect interim leadership.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Background
In the run-up to 17 November, both vacant posts became contested. Newly-elected parliamentary leader John Steenhuisen, Western Cape DA provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela, and Gauteng MPL Makashule Gana, all declared their candidacies for interim leader. Deputy federal chair Ivan Meyer, DA Women's Network leader Nomafrench Mbombo, Gauteng MPL Khume Ramulifho, and Buffalo City councillor Dharmesh Dhaya announced that they would contest the election for interim chair.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Background
Madikizela soon withdrew his candidacy and Dhaya followed. On 17 November, Steenhuisen was elected interim leader with Meyer as interim chair. They vied for full-terms at the party's congress.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Background, Postponement
The party's elective congress was set to be held in May 2020, but this was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. The policy conference, that was supposed to be held in April 2020, was also postponed. Steenhuisen temporarily suspended all campaign activities on 16 March. Moodey and Ntuli soon followed. In April 2020, the party announced it was considering holding a virtual policy conference. It was agreed to by the party's leadership structures and held on 29 May 2020.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Background, Postponement
In May 2020, some party officials proposed that the elective conference be held virtually in October 2020, however, this was met with disapproval since critics argued that it would favourable to Steenhuisen's campaign. The party's Federal Executive, highest decision-making body, approved the decision on 17 May 2020. In July 2020, the Federal Council, second-highest body, endorsed the proposal and announced that it would be held between 31 October and 1 November 2020.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Candidates for federal leader, Declared
Gauteng DA leader John Moodey was a candidate for federal leader, but he resigned from the party in September 2020.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Results
On 1 November 2020, John Steenhuisen was announced as the new federal leader with Ivan Meyer as the federal chairperson.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Results
Refiloe Nt'sekhe, Anton Bredell and Jacques Smalle were announced as the first, second and third deputy federal chairpersons, respectively. Annelie Lotriet was unsuccessful in her campaign.


2020 Democratic Alliance Federal Congress, Results
Helen Zille was re-elected as chairperson of the Federal Council, defeating Gauteng DA provincial chairperson Michael Moriarty. Thomas Walters and James Masango were announced as two her deputies. They were elected unopposed.


2020 Democratic National Convention
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by GoodDay (talk | contribs) at 14:15, 3 September 2021. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


2020 Democratic National Convention
The 2020 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that was held from August 17 to 20, 2020, at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and virtually across the United States. At the convention, delegates of the United States Democratic Party formally chose former vice president Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris of California as the party's nominees for president and vice president, respectively, in the 2020 United States presidential election.


2020 Democratic National Convention
Originally scheduled to be held July 13–16, 2020, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, the convention was postponed to August 17–20, 2020, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States. The convention was ultimately downsized, with its location shifted to the city's Wisconsin Center and most of the convention presenting remotely from sites across the United States.


2020 Democratic National Convention
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the format was substantially different from previous conventions, with the duration of each day of the convention being significantly shorter than in past conventions, and with most of the convention being held remotely from many venues across the country. While being a largely virtual convention, it was officially centered at the Wisconsin Center, which is where its production was headquartered, where its roll call was directed from, and where a limited number of speeches (primarily those by Wisconsin politicians) were staged. Both Biden and Harris made their respective speeches remotely from the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris went on to win the 2020 election, defeating the Republican party ticket of incumbent President Donald Trump, and vice president Mike Pence.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
Bids on the site for the convention were solicited for the convention by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in late 2017. Preliminary requirements for host cities that the DNC laid out included that they should have between 17,000 and 18,000 hotel rooms (including 1,000 luxury suites) located within 30 minutes of the convention venue.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
The Democratic National Committee made the bids public in the spring of 2018. Las Vegas withdrew and decided to focus on the 2020 Republican National Convention, for which its bid was subsequently defeated by Charlotte. In April 2018, the Democratic National Committee sent requests for proposals to the eight remaining cities that had expressed interest in hosting the event (Atlanta, Birmingham, Denver, Houston, Miami, Milwaukee, New York City, and San Francisco).


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
On June 20, 2018, the Democratic National Committee announced four finalists for the convention site (Denver, Houston, Miami, and Milwaukee). Immediately following the announcement, the finalist city of Denver withdrew from consideration due to apparent scheduling conflicts.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Tom Perez announced on March 11, 2019, that Milwaukee would host the convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
The selection of Milwaukee made this the first Democratic National Convention to be hosted in the Midwestern United States since Chicago hosted the 1996 Democratic National Convention, and the first to be hosted in a midwestern city other than Chicago since St. Louis hosted the 1916 Democratic National Convention. This was the first major party convention held in Milwaukee. It was also the first major party convention to be held in any city in the state of Wisconsin.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
Milwaukee is smaller than other metropolitan areas that had hosted recent major party conventions. Milwaukee is among the smallest metropolitan areas to have hosted a major party convention. Milwaukee's success in bidding for the convention was viewed in some circles as an upset, as the other two remaining finalist cities were not only larger metropolitan areas, but also had significant experience hosting major events such as Super Bowls.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
Milwaukee's selection was seen, in part, as emphasizing party's desire to place an focus on winning Midwestern states like Wisconsin, and its desire to win back "blue wall" states in the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
The swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin had been the states which the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and Mike Pence had won by the narrowest margins in the preceding 2016 election, and had these states been instead won by the 2016 Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine, they would have delivered the Democratic ticket an electoral college victory in 2016. The 2016 election had also been the first time since the 1980s that any of these three states had voted Republican. The three aforementioned "blue wall" states were, ultimately, won by the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
Some sources cited DNC chairman Tom Perez's personal connections to Milwaukee as a factor that aided Milwaukee's selection. His wife had originally been from nearby Wauwatosa, they had held their wedding in Milwaukee, and their daughter was a current student at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection, Bids
Several venues in a variety of cities made to efforts to be selected as the location of the 2020 convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection, Bids
Atlanta had previously hosted the 1988 Democratic convention. New York City had previously hosted the 1868, 1924, 1976, 1980, and 1992 Democratic conventions, as well as the 2004 Republican convention. San Francisco had previously hosted both the 1920 and 1984 Democratic conventions (and bordering Daly City had also hosted the 1956 and 1964 Republican conventions).


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection, Change of venue
On June 24, 2020, it was announced that the convention had been downsized and would be held at Milwaukee's Wisconsin Center instead of its originally planned venue, Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum. The change of location made this the first major party convention held in a convention center since the 1996 Republican National Convention, and the first Democratic convention to be held in such a venue since the 1984 Democratic National Convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Role of superdelegates
Superdelegates are delegates to the convention who are automatically chosen by the party, rather than by the results of primaries and caucuses. While technically unpledged, in the past many of them have informally pledged themselves to a predesignated front-runner in previous elections. The superdelegate system is controversial among Democrats, and supporters of both Clinton and Sanders have called for their removal in 2020.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Role of superdelegates
The Unity Reform Commission, created after the 2016 election, recommended that the number of 2020 superdelegates be drastically reduced. In July 2018, the DNC revoked the voting rights for superdelegates on the first ballot, unless a candidate has secured a majority using only pledged delegates.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Role of superdelegates
Except for the presidential nomination, superdelegates will vote on all issues.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Selection of pledged delegates
The number of delegates allocated to each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., are based on, among others, the proportion of votes each state gave to the Democratic candidate in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 presidential elections. A fixed number of pledged delegates are allocated to each of the five U.S. territories and Democrats Abroad.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Background, Selection of pledged delegates, Qualification of suspended campaigns
The Democratic National Committee's 2020 selection rules state that any candidate who is no longer running loses the statewide delegates they have won and those delegates are then reallocated to candidates still in the race. However, the interpretation of this rule in 2020 races might be different than the interpretation in past races. In previous elections, such as the 2008 presidential primary, candidates would suspend their candidacies rather than formally withdraw, allowing their already pledged delegates to attend the convention and pick up new ones along the way. They would then formally withdraw when it was too late to reallocate the delegations.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics
Before it was downsized, 50,000 people had been expected to attend the convention. 31 state delegations were to stay in 2,926 Milwaukee-area hotel rooms and 26 delegations were to stay in 2,841 hotel rooms in Lake County and Rosemont, Illinois. Another 11,000 hotel rooms were to house volunteers, members of the media, donors, and other attendees.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics
Milwaukee had been planning an extension of its streetcar line to be completed in advance of the convention. However, these plans faltered, and the expansion was not completed in time for the convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics
The firm Populous was named as the event architect. Populous was assigned to work in partnership with Milwaukee firm American Design Inc. In February 2020, Milwaukee-based JCP construction was awarded the contract to be the construction general contractor for the convention. Hargrove LLC was, at the same time, awarded the contract to serve as the convention's event management firm.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Host committee
The Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee was established to organize the convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Host committee
In October 2019, the Host Committee announced its leadership team. The president of the Host Committee was Liz Gilbert. Leadership included a board of directors. Further leadership included co-chairs and vice chairs, as well as honorary vice-chairs. The co-chairs of the Host Committee were Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett and Congresswoman Gwen Moore. Vice chairs included Milwaukee County executive Chris Abele, U.S. senator Tammy Baldwin, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin Mandela Barnes, Governor of Wisconsin Tony Evers, former U.S. senator Herb Kohl.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Host committee
Honorary vice chairs included Milwaukee Common Council president Ashanti Hamilton and Wisconsin state treasurer Sarah Godlewski, Democratic leader for the Wisconsin State Assembly Gordon Hintz, Attorney General of Wisconsin Josh Kaul, Congressman Ron Kind, Wisconsin secretary of state Doug La Follette, Congressman Mark Pocan, and Wisconsin State Senate minority leader Jennifer Shilling. Additionally, the Host Committee's honorary finance chair was Alex Lasry, the senior vice president of the Milwaukee Bucks.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Host committee
In early February 2020, Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee president Liz Gilbert and her chief-of-staff Adam Lonso were both fired after an investigation found that the committee's "work environment did not meet the ideals and expectations" of the organization's board (with allegations of a "toxic" work environment). Acting as interim leader of the Host Committee was Teresa Vilmain. In late February, new leadership team was announced with Raquel Filmanowicz serving as CEO and Paula Penebaker serving as COO, with both taking these positions formally on March 2, 2020.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Host committee
The host committee raised $40 million to stage the convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Delay
The convention was originally scheduled to be held July 13–16, 2020,


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Delay
On April 2, 2020, it was announced that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the convention would be delayed to August 17–20.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
As early as April 2020, the Democratic Party had been bracing for the possibility of a virtual convention. On May 12, 2020, the Democratic National Committee authorized the convention planners to research alternative methods for participants to cast votes, considering the possibility that the Democratic National Committee may decide to hold the entire convention virtually.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
On June 24, 2020, it was announced that the convention was to be downsized. The venue was shifted from the Fiserv Forum to the Wisconsin Center. But, instead of the entire convention being held in Milwaukee, it would now feature Milwaukee as merely a hub city for the major convention events. The convention was now planned to instead consist of what the DNC said would be "curated content from Milwaukee and other satellite cities, locations, and landmarks across the country". All official business will now be conducted remotely. Organizers canceled official parties and events scheduled to be held in Milwaukee before and coinciding with the convention. Delegates were asked to no longer travel to Milwaukee, and plans were now formally made to implement a system for them cast their votes virtually.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
In mid-July, members of Congress were told not to travel to attend the event in Milwaukee.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
At the announcement of the downsizing it was declared that Biden would accept his nomination in Milwaukee. It was later announced on July 30, 2020, that his running mate would also accept her nomination in Milwaukee. However, on August 5, 2020, it was announced that Biden no longer planned to travel to Milwaukee to accept his nomination, and would instead do so from Delaware. It was also announced then that the other scheduled speakers, including Biden's running mate, will also be addressing the convention remotely. This is seen as, effectively, moving to make the convention almost entirely virtual. This was the first time that a major party presidential candidate has accepted their nomination remotely since Franklin D. Roosevelt did so in 1944.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
The convention was first shrunk to feature only 5,000 attendees in its Milwaukee hub venue. It was later further shrunk to feature only 1,000 attendees there. It was further shrunk to include just 300 people, including both attendees and media granted access. Due to an order by the Milwaukee Health Department barring gatherings over 250 people, the total number of people permitted to gather at the Milwaukee convention hub was capped at that number. There were no delegates in the Wisconsin Center.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
While speakers were not traveling to Milwaukee, it was still planned for Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Tom Perez and Secretary of the Democratic National Committee Jason Rae (also secretary of the convention) to be in Milwaukee.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
The Wisconsin Center was used for the convention's broadcast and production. It acted as the control room and "hub" of the convention production. The convention saw a mix of pre-recorded segments and live broadcasts from sites across the United States. The convention organizers designated a custom video control room designed to handle hundreds of feeds from across the country, in order to accommodate the remote speeches. The control room was located in the exhibit hall on the third floor of the Wisconsin Center.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
A stage had been set up in a conference room on the second floor of the Wisconsin Center. The stage at the Wisconsin Center saw limited use, with a number participants from Wisconsin using it as the venue for their participation in the convention. Speakers from Wisconsin delivered their speeches from the stage at the Wisconsin Center. Convention secretary Jason Rae also directed the roll call from the Wisconsin Center stage.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
In addition to the physical aspects of the convention being downsized, the duration was also significantly downsized. The convention's program was downsized from one that was originally expected to total 24 hours over the four days, to one that would total only eight hours.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
The downsizing led the convention organizers to need far fewer volunteers than the 15,000 they had originally been trying to recruit.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Downsizing
The owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Fiserv Forum threatened to sue the Democratic Party, which had paid only $5.5 million of the $7 million rent on the abandoned venue.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Health protocols
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a number of protocols have been put in place.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Health protocols
Participants at Wisconsin Center were required to self-quarantine for at least 72 hours before arriving, wear personal protective equipment, undergo daily COVID-19 testing, partake in symptom tracking through a daily questionnaire, avoid bars and restaurants, and follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Security
As is routine for a major party convention, the event had been designated a National Special Security Event. Originally, the United States Department of Justice was to provide $50 million in security, but this was decreased to $40 million.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Security
The boundaries of the planned security footprint, in which increased security measures would be implemented, but in which individuals not attending the convention (including demonstrators) were still to be permitted, was announced in January 2020. The streets marking the boundary of the announced footprint were to be Cherry Street on the north, 10th Street on the west, Clybourn Street, and Water Street on the east.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Security
On July 24, 2020, the Milwaukee Common Council passed an ordinance that would ban a long list of items from the security footprint, including air rifles, nunchucks, drones, containers of bodily fluids, glass bottles, and coolers. On August 12, 2020, it was announced that the security footprint had been shrunk significantly. The security footprint ultimately encompassed almost only areas directly surrounding the convention center.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Security
Originally, the city originally budgeted to have approximately 3,000 law enforcement officers from outside the city assist the Milwaukee Police Department during the convention. This was decreased to approximately 2,000. By late July there were anticipated to be only 1,100 officers from outside the city assisting the department.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Security
However, in late July, more than 100 police agencies announced that they would be withdrawing from their contracts to provide personnel to aid in security during the convention after the Milwaukee police chief announced that their department would restrict the use of tear gas and pepper spray by law enforcement during demonstrations and protests. The Wisconsin National Guard then planned to provide hundreds of members to help with security.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Security
There had been talk of potentially limiting boat traffic on the Milwaukee River by placing a temporary stay on all bridge openings, but this security measure did not materialize.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Security
Temporary flight restrictions were in place each night from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. CDT. A ban on drones was also in place.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Programming
Entertainment was a major element of the event, which in past incarnations included a house band for the main venue, theater, culinary experiences, and hundreds of motivational speakers. Indeed, the convention experience for attendees at the venue itself was extremely different from that for the viewer at home. With live coverage of the event limited, outside of the three major news networks and C-SPAN, to the keynote and acceptance speeches, the challenge for the DNC was how to both boost ratings and increase nominee Biden's lead in opinion polls. With social distancing still paramount to ensure the safety of the tens of thousands of people who were due to attend the main venue in Milwaukee, alternatives were planned for a series of satellite venues across the country.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Programming
The official theme of the convention was "Uniting America". This generally took the form of speakers and videos emphasizing Biden's broad appeal, from primary opponent Bernie Sanders to Republican John Kasich, as well as several segments centered around Biden's empathy, which is widely perceived as his strong point as a politician.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Programming
The downsizing and coronavirus concerns also meant that the convention did not see the festive balloon drop often seen at such conventions following the presidential candidate's acceptance speech. First appearing at the 1932 Republican National Convention, a balloon drop later reappeared at the 1956 Republican National Convention and would become a staple of most major party conventions held since. However, not all Democratic conventions have featured balloon drops.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Programming
Most recently, both the 2008 and 2012 Democratic National Conventions did not see balloon drops, due to the fact that the final night of the 2008 edition was held outdoors in a stadium, and due to the fact that the final night of the 2012 edition had originally been scheduled to be held outdoors before being moved indoors. Other Democratic conventions that went without balloon drops included the 1984 and 1988 editions.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Satellite locations
When party officials concluded that the pandemic would make a traditional convention impossible, they decided to adopt a format that was dramatically different from past conventions. The event was officially dubbed a "Convention Across America".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Satellite locations
While the convention was anchored in Milwaukee, the events were held in a dozen or so satellite sites spread out across the nation. From there, the delegations transmitted their votes onto the floor of the Wisconsin Center, where a representative announced the votes to relevant officials at the chair in the main venue.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Satellite locations
It was announced that none of the speakers would have in-person crowds at their speaking locations.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Logistics, Satellite locations
There were key satellite locations located at studios in Los Angeles, New York City, and at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware. The emcees hosting each night were presenting from the satellite site in Los Angeles.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Platform
In April, shortly after Sanders endorsed Biden, the two created a "Unity task force" to draft a version of the party platform. The Democratic National Convention Committee set up a series of "virtual platform meetings" to garner input from the general public.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Platform
The Platform Drafting Committee Chair is Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. The Platform Standing Committee includes a number of party leaders and elected officials appointed by the DNC:


2020 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Drafting process
Public hearings were live-streamed on the DNCC's YouTube channel on the following topics:


2020 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Drafting process
The full Platform Drafting Committee met on July 15 and 27, where they submitted a finished product to be voted on via the internet from August 1–15.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions and ratification
After months of negotiations, Biden/Sanders platform task force issued its 110-page report on July 9 outlining platform recommendations. Convention delegates officially adopted the Democratic Party's 2020 platform on August 18, following delegate balloting by mail. The platform was divided into ten sections: "pandemic response, the economy, health care, criminal justice, climate, immigration, education, foreign policy, voting rights, and identity-related rights issues." The platform calls for:


2020 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions and ratification
The platform was the most progressive in Democratic Party history, and the most progressive for any major political party in U.S. history. However, there was some dissent from the party's left wing over the omission of platform planks supporting single-payer healthcare ("Medicare for All") or the Green New Deal. Prior to the convention, over 700 delegates, largely from Bernie Sanders' camp, previously signed a statement vowing to vote against the platform because it did not include a provision supporting Medicare for All; this included U.S. representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ro Khanna. Although the platform was adopted, a final vote count was not released.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Convention leadership
On March 26, 2019, Joe Solmonese, former president of the Human Rights Campaign, was named convention CEO.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Convention leadership
On June 1, 2020, the campaign of presumptive nominee Joe Biden named two advisers to the convention, naming Addisu Demissie as adviser for convention coordination and Lindsay Holst as senior adviser for convention and special projects.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Convention leadership
Programming was overseen by Ricky Kirshner, who acted as producer. In addition, Stephanie Cutter held the formal position of Program Executive. Glenn Weiss acted as the director. Jessica Jennings was the director of media logistics.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Convention leadership, Officers
On July 30, 2020, the officers of the convention were designated. Representative Bennie Thompson served as the permanent chair of the convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Convention leadership, Officers
Permanent co-chairs were Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, Rep. Tony Cárdenas of California, Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms, and New Jersey governor Phil Murphy. The convention's vice-chairs were Senator Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania, former representative Tony Coelho of California, Representative Sharice Davids of Kansas, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan Garlin Gilchrist, Congresswoman Donna Shalala of Florida, former Representative Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin Mandela Barnes, and Lieutenant Governor of Nevada Kate Marshall. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer served as honorary chairs.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Convention leadership, Officers
The convention's sergeant-at-arms was Representative Gwen Moore of Wisconsin. Jason Rae acted as secretary of the convention. The convention's parliamentarians were House majority leader Steny Hoyer, Helen McFadden, Sarah E. Merkle, and state senator Yvanna Cancela of Nevada.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Pre-convention delegate count
The table below reflects the presumed delegate count as per the 2020 Democratic primaries.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Pre-convention delegate count
As of July 2020, the following overall number of pledged delegates is subject to change, as possible penalty/bonus delegates (awarded for each state scheduled election date and potential regional clustering) may be altered.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Pre-convention delegate count
The 2020 Democratic Party rules state that, unless a candidate has secured a majority of delegates using only pledged delegates, the superdelegates will have no voting rights on the first ballot.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Pre-convention delegate count
Candidates who have suspended their campaigns without having received any pledged or superdelegate endorsements, as well as those who've suspended their campaigns and subsequently lost their endorsements to other candidates, are not included in the table below.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Pre-convention delegate count
The table below reflects the presumed pledged delegate count following the 2020 Democratic primaries. In addition to these, there will also be 771 superdelegate votes (including the eight half-votes belonging to Democrats Abroad superdelegates), making for 4,750 combined delegate votes.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Presidential balloting
In an email, DNC secretary Jason Rae wrote to delegates outlining the process for that year's convention, noting that the planning committee "concluded that state delegations should not plan to travel to Milwaukee and official convention business will be conducted remotely."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Presidential balloting
Delegates vote remotely using a system the planning committee crafted that allows them to cast their ballots via email, with unique identifiers for security. The DNC had plans to certify each delegate.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Presidential balloting
The party said delegates would be able to fill out the forms electronically, with no need for a printer or physical copy, according to the letter. The ballot, which includes questions about platform planks and the party's nominees, will be emailed to their state's committee. Once a state party had all the ballots from their delegation, the state delegation's chair would "submit a tally sheet to the Secretary's Office that formally records the number of votes cast on each item of convention business," The votes would be counted all at once on August 15, not as they come in.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Presidential balloting
Voting began August 3 and ended August 15, when the state delegation chairs were asked to submit their final tallies to the DNC secretary. That meant that the party knew the tally of votes for its nominee before the convention formally began.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Presidential balloting, Presidential roll call vote
The traditional roll call of the states was held on the second night of the convention. It was done remotely from each of the 57 delegations, including all 50 states and seven additional territories/jurisdictions (the District of Columbia, the five inhabited U.S. territories, and Democrats Abroad). Organizers planned for it to last approximately 30 minutes. Convention secretary Jason Rae directed the roll call from the Wisconsin Center.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Presidential balloting, Vice presidential nomination
The Rules Committee report which was passed by the convention addressed, among other things, the fiascos that occurred during the 1972 and 1980 conventions as regards selection of the vice-presidential nominee.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Nominating and balloting, Presidential balloting, Vice presidential nomination
In accordance with this provision, Biden submitted Harris' name to the chairman, Bennie Thompson, and after Thompson's public reading of the rule, she was declared nominated.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule
Each night of the convention was planned to last two hours. In addition to the convention's overall official theme of "Uniting America", each night had an official sub-theme of its own.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Tuesday, August 18
The second night of the convention included official business, such as the nominating roll call for president.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Speakers and other events
In the past, hundreds of people had addressed each convention, giving many local or statewide candidates a valuable photo op, a notable difference from this convention. Some of the speeches at this convention were pre-recorded.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Speakers and other events
The convention included performances by Leon Bridges, the Chicks, Common, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Billy Porter, Maggie Rogers, Prince Royce, Stephen Stills, and others.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Speakers and other events
A number of speakers at the convention included individuals who are everyday Americans, rather than officeholders or celebrities. A number of these speakers were dissatisfied Republicans, including individuals who had voted for Trump in 2016, but plan on voting for Biden in 2020.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Daytime events
Caucus meetings and other events were streamed on various platforms earlier on the days of the convention. Virtual policy roundtables were hosted in partnership with Business Forward. Many partner organization events were planned to be held, including a Protect Our Care health care panel with Nancy Pelosi, Xavier Becerra, Kathleen Sebelius, and three of the five health care activists featured in a conversation with Joe Biden on Night 2 of the convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Daytime events
Before the convention opened, an Interfaith Welcome Service was held virtually on August 16, a partner event to the DNC.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Official pre-show programs
Before the official convention broadcast started, each night there was an official pre-show.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Official pre-show programs
The first night featured a single pre-show program, the live special Behind The Rhyme presents Your Voice Your Vote. It was to be streamed exclusively on Twitch.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Official pre-show programs
The second night featured a single pre-show program, the live special Behind The Rhyme presents Your Voice Your Vote. It was to be streamed exclusively on Twitch.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Official pre-show programs
The third-night featured two pre-show programs. The first, running from 7:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. EDT, was scheduled to be the Democratic Governors Association-hosted panel "Bold Leadership: Women Governors Leading". The panel featured Oregon governor Kate Brown, Kansas governor Laura Kelly, New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Maine governor Janet Mills and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, and was be moderated by Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo. The second program, beginning at 8:00 p.m. EDT, was be the live special Behind The Rhyme presents Your Voice Your Vote. It was streamed exclusively on Twitch.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Official pre-show programs
The fourth night was to feature three pre-show programs. The first, running from 7 to 8 p.m. EDT was to be the Democratic Governors Association-hosted panel entitled "#DemGovsGetItDone: Progress in Red & Purple States". This panel featured Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, Wisconsin governor Tony Evers, and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, and would be moderated by Stacey Abrams. Two official pre-show events were to be hosted beginning at 8 p.m. EDT. The first was planned to be the live special Behind The Rhyme presents Your Voice Your Vote, streamed exclusively on Twitch.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Official pre-show programs
The second was to be the live special "Crooked Media presents Pod Save America Live from the Democratic National Couch-vention! ", featuring Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor, and Daniel Pfeiffer. The Pod Save America program was planned to include the world premiere of the documentary short "Dress Rehearsal".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, Official post-show programs
There was an official post-show edition of Behind The Rhyme presents Your Voice Your Vote each night of the convention streamed exclusively on Twitch. Each of these included panels followed by a set by a DJ. The first night's DJ was Beverly Bond, the second night's was Vashtie, the third night's was DJ Cassidy, and the fourth night's was Jermaine Dupri.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Jill Biden
How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness. With bravery. With unwavering faith.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Jill Biden
Jill Biden, the spouse of presidential nominee Joe Biden and the former second lady of the United States, delivered her speech on the second night of the convention from the classroom at Brandywine High School in Wilmington, Delaware, where she had been an English teacher from 1991 through 1993.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Jill Biden
Biden's speech was focused on both family and education. She discussed how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had impacted education, as well as families and the economy. She touted her husband as a candidate capable of tackling the pandemic.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Jill Biden
Biden also recounted the personal tragedies that her husband had endured, including the deaths of his first wife, Neilia, and first-born daughter, Naomi, in a 1972 automobile accident, and the 2015 death of his son Beau from brain cancer.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Joe Biden
Here and now I give you my word. If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I will be an ally of the light, not the darkness. It's time for us, for we, the people, to come together. And make no mistake. United we can and will overcome this season of darkness in America.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Joe Biden
Joe Biden, the 2020 Democratic nominee for president, delivered a speech on the fourth night of the convention from Wilmington, Delaware. A common motif emphasized throughout was the conflict between light, referring to himself, and darkness, referring to Donald Trump.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Joe Biden
Biden began his speech by quoting Ella Baker. Biden pledged to be a president for all Americans, regardless of whether or not they voted for him.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Joe Biden
Biden referenced the killing of George Floyd in his speech.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Joe Biden
While drawing a contrast between himself and Trump, Biden's speech did not include any utterances of his main opponent's name.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michael Bloomberg
The two people running for president couldn't be more different. One believes in facts. One does not. One listens to experts. The other thinks he knows everything. One looks forward and sees strength in America's diversity. The other looks backwards and sees immigrants as enemies and white supremacists as allies. Here's another difference. One has proven he knows how to handle a crisis by helping to lead the economic turnaround after the 2008 recession, while the other has not only failed to lead, he has made the current crisis much worse.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michael Bloomberg
Former mayor of New York City and candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination Michael Bloomberg delivered his speech on the final night of the convention from Colorado.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg laid contrast between incumbent Republican president Donald Trump and Biden.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg declared, "I'm not asking you to vote against Donald Trump because he's a bad guy. I'm urging you to vote against him because he's done a bad job."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg likened the prospect reelecting Trump to rehiring or working for, "someone who ran your business into the ground, and who always does what's best for him or her, even when it hurts the company, and whose reckless decisions put you in danger".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Pete Buttigieg
I trust Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to guide this nation toward that better future, because I have seen their commitment, and their empathy, up close. And I trust the capacity of America to grow more inclusive, because I have lived it.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Pete Buttigieg
Former mayor of South Bend, Indiana and candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination Pete Buttigieg delivered his speech on the final night of the convention from LangLab in South Bend, Indiana, where he and his husband, Chasten, had held their wedding reception years earlier.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg, himself openly homosexual, highlighted the progress that the United States had made on LGBT rights during his lifetime, pointing to his marriage (enabled by the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision) and the viability of his candidacy as an openly gay candidate for the presidency as two examples of such progress. He also mentioned how, earlier in his life, when he served in the military, the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy (since repealed in 2011 under the Obama administration) had barred him from being open about his sexuality while in service.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bill Clinton
Our party is united in offering you a very different choice: a go-to-work president. A down-to-earth, get-the-job-done guy. A man with a mission: to take responsibility, not shift the blame; concentrate, not distract; unite, not divide. Our choice is Joe Biden.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bill Clinton
Former president of the United States Bill Clinton delivered his speech on the second night of the convention from Chappaqua, New York.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bill Clinton
Clinton began his speech by declaring that he believed United States presidential elections to be, "the world's most important job interview".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bill Clinton
Clinton lambasted President Donald Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bill Clinton
Clinton praised Biden's work in the Obama administration on repairing the United States economy from the Great Recession. He praised Biden's plans to rebuild the United States economy from the downturn it experienced amid the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bill Clinton
He argued that Biden should be elected and that Trump should be denied a second term, declaring, "You know what Donald Trump will do with four more years: blame, bully, and belittle. And you know what Joe Biden will do: build back better."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
For four years, people have said to me, 'I didn't realize how dangerous (Trump) was,' 'I wish I could go back and do it over,' 'I should have voted.' This can't be another woulda-coulda-shoulda election. If you're voting by mail, request your ballot now, and send it back as soon as you can. If you vote in person, do it early. Bring a friend and wear a mask. Become a poll worker...Remember, Joe and Kamala can win 3 million more votes and still lose. Take it from me. We need numbers so overwhelming Trump can't sneak or steal his way to victory.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Former United States secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton delivered her speech on the third night of the convention from Chappaqua, New York.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Clinton praised Biden and Harris as, "leaders equal to this moment". She praised Biden's "thoughtfulness and empathy". She praised Harris as a, "daughter of an extraordinary mother," as well as, "relentless in the pursuit of justice, and uncommonly kind."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Clinton, herself a former First Lady of the United States, expressed joy towards Jill Biden's intentions to continue her work as an educator if she becomes First Lady.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Clinton urged voters not to repeat the result of the 2016 election in which Trump had defeated her in the United States Electoral College, thus winning the presidency.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Clinton criticized Trump's presidency, saying, "Remember in 2016 when Trump asked 'What do you have to lose?' Well, now we know. Our health, our jobs, even our lives. Our leadership in the world and, yes, our post office."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Clinton stated that she believes that it is morally wrong that the richest Americans saw their wealth increase during the pandemic while tens of millions of other Americans lost.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Clinton declared, reiterating an African proverb she had helped popularize in the United States, that "it still takes a village". Her speech invoked DREAMers, and reiterated support for Black Lives Matter, while invoking the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Clinton invoked the struggle for voting rights in the United States. She mentioned that the previous day had marked the centennial of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted nationwide women's suffrage. She also invoked John Lewis' participation in the Selma to Montgomery marches fighting against racial injustice, including the disenfranchisement of black voters.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Andrew Cuomo
Americans' eyes have been opened, and we have seen in this crisis the truth: that government matters and leadership matters.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Andrew Cuomo
Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo delivered his speech on the opening night of the convention from Albany, New York.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Andrew Cuomo
While referencing a number of issues that plagued the nation, Cuomo's speech primarily focused on criticizing President Donald Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Andrew Cuomo
Cuomo also declared that, "Only a strong body can fight off the virus, and America's divisions weakened it."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Brayden Harrington
Kids like me are counting on you to elect someone we can all look up to, someone who cares, someone who will make our country and the world feel better. We're counting on you to elect Joe Biden.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Brayden Harrington
Brayden Harrington spoke on the convention's closing night. Harrington, a 13-year-old New Hampshire boy who stutters, spoke about how, on the campaign trail during the primaries, Joe Biden had related to him about his struggles overcoming a stutter of his own, and had shared advice for how to persevere through such an impediment.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Brayden Harrington
Harrington's speech attracted significant attention, being seen as one of the highlights of the convention's final night.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Kamala Harris
Joe and I believe that we can build that beloved community, one that is strong and decent, just and kind. One in which we all can see ourselves...I pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly. We will speak truths. And we will act with the same faith in you that we ask you to place in us.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Kamala Harris
In her vice-presidential nomination acceptance speech on the third night of the convention, Kamala Harris declared that she and Biden will, if elected, tackle issues facing the United States, including racial injustices. Harris provided an autobiographical summary of her life and career.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, John Kasich
Joe Biden is a man for our times, times that call for all of us to take off our partisan hats and put our nation first.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, John Kasich
Republican former governor of Ohio and 2000 and 2016 Republican presidential candidate John Kasich delivered remarks on the opening night of the convention in a pre-recorded video filmed at a road junction near his personal residence in Westerville, Ohio.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, John Kasich
Kasich began his speech by declaring that, "America is at a crossroads." While calling himself a, "lifelong Republican", he declared that this came second to his sense of responsibility to the United States, which had compelled him to appear at the convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, John Kasich
Building on the opening metaphor of America being at a crossroads, as well as the visual metaphor of the speech's physical location at the divergence of two paths, in his closing, Kasich declared that, "When America chooses the right path and pulls together, like we've done so many times before, we can dream big dreams and we can see the top of the mountain as a United States of America, with a soul that is a beacon of freedom to the entire world"


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, John Kerry
Donald Trump pretends Russia didn't attack our elections. And now, he does nothing about Russia putting a bounty on our troops. So, he won't defend our country, he doesn't know how to defend our troops. The only person he's interested in defending is himself.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, John Kerry
On the opening night of the convention, former United States secretary of state and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry delivered a speech in Boston, Massachusetts, which heavily criticized Donald Trump's approach foreign policy, characterizing it as a nonstop "blooper reel".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, John Kerry
Kerry criticized Trump for denying the existence of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, and for what Kerry charged was Trump's failure to protect United States troops from the alleged Russian bounty program.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Barack Obama
Any chance of success depends entirely on the outcome of this election. This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that's what it takes to win. So we have to get busy building it up -- by pouring all our effort into these 76 days, and by voting like never before -- for Joe and Kamala, and candidates up and down the ticket, so that we leave no doubt about what this country we love stands for -- today and for all our days to come.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Barack Obama
Former United States president Barack Obama delivered his speech on the third night of the convention from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Barack Obama
During his speech, Obama broke with the customary practice of not criticizing his presidential successor by name.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Barack Obama
In his remarks, Obama declared, "Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't. And the consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
Whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy...Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
Former first lady of the United States Michelle Obama delivered her speech on the opening night of the convention from her personal residence in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
Obama reaffirmed her conviction in the motto she expressed during her 2016 convention speech, "when they go low, we go high".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
Obama declared her belief that, "being president doesn't change who you are; it reveals who you are."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
Obama touted what she felt were some the successes of her husband's presidency and Joe Biden's vice presidency, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, respect for the United States from the international community, and steps made internationally to address climate change. She contrasted these with what she felt were some of the failures of the Trump presidency. She characterized the United States under Trump's leadership as, "underperforming not simply on matters of policy, but on matters of character."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
One failure she charged Trump with was the United States' death toll and domestic economic damage of the COVID-19 pandemic, for which she faulted Trump's downplaying of the severity of the virus. Another aspect of the Trump presidency she criticized was its reneging on international agreements and its betrayal of alliances that had been championed by past presidents, including Republicans Ronald Reagan and Dwight D. Eisenhower. She also criticized what she regarded to be Trump's emboldening of "torch-bearing white supremacists" seen at the Unite the Right rally. Obama further criticized Trump's derision of the political catchphrase and movement Black Lives Matter.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
After declaring Trump an unfit president, Obama remarked, "it is what it is", echoing words that Trump had recently used about the COVID-19 death toll.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
Obama directly invoked the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, both of whom had been killed by law enforcement earlier in 2020, and whose deaths had become central flash points of ongoing protests and unrest that are considered part of the Black Lives Matter movement.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
Obama touted the virtues of Biden's character, declaring him a "profoundly decent man," that, "knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic, and lead our country."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
She recounted the personal tragedies that he had endured, including the deaths of his first wife, Neilia, and first-born daughter, Naomi, in a 1972 automobile accident, and the 2015 death of his son Beau from brain cancer, declaring that Biden's "life is a testament to getting back up, and he is going to channel that same grit and passion to pick us all up, to help us heal and guide us forward".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
Obama warned of potential voter suppression in the 2020 election, and urged citizens to collectively cast their votes for Biden, "in numbers that cannot be ignored".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
In the penultimate sentences of her speech, she quoted John Lewis as saying, "When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Nancy Pelosi
We will elect President Biden, whose heart is full of love for America, and rid the country of Trump's heartless disregard for America's goodness... Our mission and our pledge is to fight for a future equal to the ideals of our founders, our hopes for our children, and the sacrifices of our veterans, our brave men and women in uniform and their families.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi delivered her speech on the third night of the convention from San Francisco, California.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Nancy Pelosi
Pelosi began her speech by expressing her pride in the diversity of the Democratic majority she leads in the United States House of Representatives.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Nancy Pelosi
In her remarks Pelosi painted President Donald Trump and Republican United States Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell as dual obstacles to progress.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Nancy Pelosi
Pelosi praised Biden as, "battle-tested, forward-looking, honest and authentic" and Harris as, "committed to our Constitution, brilliant in defending it".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Colin Powell
Our country needs a commander in chief who takes care of our troops in the same way he would his own family...Joe Biden will be a president we will all be proud to salute. With Joe Biden in the White House, you will never doubt that he will stand with our friends and stand up to our adversaries... On day one he will restore America's leadership and our moral authority.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Colin Powell
Republican former United States secretary of state Colin Powell delivered his speech on the second night of the convention from Washington, D.C.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Colin Powell
Powell opened his speech by briefly recounting the stories of how each of his parents immigrated to the United States from Jamaica.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Colin Powell
Powell praised the sort of leadership he argued that Biden would bring to the United States as president. He argued Biden would, "restore America's leadership in the world and restore the alliances we need to address the dangers that threaten our nation, from climate change to nuclear proliferation."


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Colin Powell
He described the United States as "a country divided", and argued that President Trump is, "doing everything in his power to keep up that way", arguing that Biden would be a unifier as president.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bernie Sanders
We have a president who is not only incapable of addressing these crises but is leading us down the path of authoritarianism... This election is the most important in the modern history of this country. In response to the unprecedented crises we face, we need an unprecedented response—a movement, like never before, of people who are prepared to stand up and fight for democracy and decency—and against greed, oligarchy, and bigotry. And we need Joe Biden as our next president.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bernie Sanders
United States senator from Vermont and candidate for the 2016 and 2020 Democratic nominations Bernie Sanders spoke from Burlington, Vermont, on the opening night of the convention.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bernie Sanders
In his speech, Sanders urged his supporters to lend their support to Biden in order to oust Donald Trump. He conceded that, while he and Biden disagree on the specifics their plans to expand healthcare coverage and lower prescription drug costs, Biden still has a plan that greatly accomplish this. He also touted other issues for which Biden has plans.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Chuck Schumer
America, Donald Trump has quit on you. We need a president with dignity, integrity, and the experience to lead us out of this crisis, a man with a steady hand and a big heart who will never—ever—quit on America: that man is my friend Joe Biden. He will be a great president.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Chuck Schumer
United States Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer delivered his speech on the second night of the convention from the New York City, New York, borough of Brooklyn, with the Statue of Liberty in the background.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Chuck Schumer
Schumer invoked the memory of immigrants, such as his grandparents, who were greeted by the Statue of Liberty upon their arrival in the United States.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Chuck Schumer
Schumer argued that America will benefit from both electing the ticket of Biden and Harris, as well as from flipping control of the United States Senate from Republican to Democratic.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Kristin Urquiza
"My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life... The coronavirus has made it clear that there are two Americas; the America that Donald Trump lives in and the America that my father died in. Enough is enough. Donald Trump may not have caused the coronavirus, but his dishonesty and his irresponsible actions made it so much worse"


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Kristin Urquiza
On the opening night of the convention, Kristin Urquiza, who had lost her father Mark Urquiza to COVID-19, gave a speech, in which she said that her father, who believed Donald Trump and other Republicans that Urquiza blamed for downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, had disregarded his safety and went to a karaoke bar with friends, where he possibly contracted the disease he succumbed to.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Kristin Urquiza
Urquiza criticized Trump for "dishonesty" and "irresponsible actions", which she faulted with worsening the pandemic.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Kristin Urquiza
Urquiza also said that one of the last things her father, who she said voted for Trump in 2016, had told her before dying was that he "felt betrayed by the likes of Donald Trump", and that she therefore planned to cast her 2020 vote for Joe Biden in honor of her father.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Kristin Urquiza
Urquiza's speech was regarded by pundits to be one of the highlights of the convention's opening night.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Elizabeth Warren
We build infrastructure like roads, bridges and communications systems so that people can work... It's time to recognize that childcare is part of the basic infrastructure of this nation—it's infrastructure for families. Joe and Kamala will make high-quality child care affordable for every family, make preschool universal, and raise the wages for every child care worker.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Elizabeth Warren
United States senator from Massachusetts and candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination Elizabeth Warren delivered her speech on the third night of the convention from a classroom located in a Springfield, Massachusetts, early learning center that was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Warren's speech centered on the importance of passing legislation to provide universal child care.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Gretchen Whitmer
It's crucial that we rally together to fight this virus and build our economy back better... With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House, we will.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Gretchen Whitmer
Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer delivered her speech on the opening night of the convention from UAW Local 603 in Lansing, Michigan.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Gretchen Whitmer
Whitmer began by praising Barack Obama and Joe Biden's actions to rescue the auto industry amid its 2008–10 crisis. Whitmer then transitioned into discussing both the Michigan and national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. She argued that Biden and Harris would provide the leadership needed to address the pandemic.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Keynote address (various speakers)
Aiming to have a "new kind of convention keynote", the Democratic Party chose to have seventeen "rising stars" co-present the convention's keynote address.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Keynote address (various speakers)
The speakers were former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives and 2018 Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams; Tennessee state senator Raumesh Akbari; United States representative Colin Allred of Texas; United States representative Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania; Nevada state senator Yvanna Cancela; former Ohio State representative Kathleen Clyde; Florida commissioner of agriculture Nikki Fried; Mayor of Long Beach, California, Robert Garcia; Pennsylvania state representative Malcolm Kenyatta; South Carolina state senator Marlon Kimpson; United States representative Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, Michigan state representative Mari Manoogian; Texas state representative Victoria Neave; president of the Navajo Nation Jonathan Nez; Georgia state representative Sam Park; New Hampshire state representative Dennis Ruprecht; and mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, Randall Woodfin. This made Malcolm Kenyatta, Sam Park, and Robert Garcia the first openly gay speakers in a keynote slot at a Democratic National Convention. It also made Sam Park the first Korean-American to be part of a national party convention keynote address.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Keynote address (various speakers)
Garcia, Kenyatta, and Park became the first openly LGBTQ speakers to deliver a keynote address at a Democratic National Convention, with all three being openly-gay men.


2020 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Keynote address (various speakers)
Petula Dvorak of The Washington Post called the speech the "most realistic convention speech ever". Adam Harris of The Atlantic opined that the speech "fell flat".


2020 Democratic National Convention, Demonstrations and protests
There were some demonstrations and protests held outside of the convention venue in Milwaukee.