Aug. 22 (UPI) — At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver her acceptance speech, capping a whirlwind ascension to the presidential nomination that began with President Joe Biden‘s July decision not to seek re-election.
The speech comes on the same date as the vice president’s tenth wedding anniversary.
Harris’ acceptance speech, according to a campaign official, will focus on three things — sharing her story and record, contrasting her vision of America with Donald Trump‘s and grounding her vision in patriotism.
The speech will prosecute the case against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. It is expected to bring into stark relief the contrast between a prosecutor topping the Democratic presidential ticket while Republicans have chosen a convicted felon to top theirs.
Harris worked on her speech at a downtown Chicago hotel Wednesday. According to sources, it includes sharing how she grew up middle-class and made her decision to become a prosecutor in order to protect people.
A Harris campaign official told CNN Harris will say that the right-wing Project 2025 plan for Trump, should he win a second term, would take away freedoms of Americans.
“She will point out the dangers posed by Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda that would rip away people’s freedoms, increase the cost of living, and take the country backwards,” the campaign official said.
The theme of the final night will be “For Our Future.” It’s a piece of the overall theme of the DNC of “freedom” and the idea that the Harris-Walz ticket stands for expanding freedom, not taking it away.
The musician Pink will headline the last night of a DNC convention, which — in contrast to the Republicans’ convention in Milwaukee in July — has been amped up with music and celebrity appearances, creating a festive party-like atmosphere.
The Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, will sing the national anthem at the DNC Thursday. They suffered a backlash from many country music fans and radio stations who boycotted them in 2003.
At the time, lead singer Natalie Maines had said from the concert stage that the band was “ashamed” of then-President George W. Bush over the impending invasion of Iraq.
DNC speakers Thursday night include: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mark Kelly of Arizona; the Rev. Al Sharpton, and former Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a member of the House Jan. 6 Committee.
Kinzinger was one of ten House Republicans to voted to impeach Trump and he is supporting the Democratic ticket now.
“To every American of every political party, and those of none: I say now is not the time to watch quietly as Donald Trump threatens the future of America,” Kinzinger said.
Other Republicans who spoke at the DNC in support fo Harris-Walz included former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former Trump White House national security official Olivia Troye, former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, and Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona.
Other Democratic Party speakers planned for the night are Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress, and former Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona, Sen. Kelly’s wife.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said her speech at the DNC will be “relatively short” and she will talk about the stakes in this election and the fundamentals of what’s need for Democrats to win in November.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in an interview with PBS, “Kamala has a long history of fighting for families, and particularly fighting for women and access to health care overall.”
She said America has changed substantially since 2016 and a woman can be elected president now.
“I think this is not just Kamala Harris’ moment, I think this is the moment for the United States of America, and I’m loving it,” Warren said.