Kamala Harris, Joe Biden Speak

Joe Biden took the stage as the final speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday night, to more than three minutes of applause and repeated chants of “We love Joe” from the crowd. The 49-minute speech continued into a night that was already behind schedule.

During the speech, attendees held up a sign reading “Stop Arming Israel,” several attendees reported, and others tried to tear it down. The disturbance did not cause much of a stir due to the sheer size of the square.

“We are in a battle for the soul of America,” Biden said, listing a long list of his administration’s achievements in infrastructure, health care, climate, jobs and manufacturing. The crowd chanted “Union atmosphere” as Biden spoke of his support for unions.

As several delegates began to leave the room while Biden continued his speech, he declared: “I know more foreign leaders by their first names and I know them better than anyone alive, just because I’m so old.”

Biden then addressed the issue of reproductive rights, saying, “Donald Trump will discover the power of women in 2024,” ignoring his statement that “women are not without electoral power” and instead using the phrase “electric power.”

“America, I have done my best for you,” he concluded. “We just have to remember who we are.”

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton, who failed to become the first female president of the United States, told Democrats that she believes America is on the verge of a breakthrough and the election of Kamala Harris.

In her speech at the Democratic convention in Chicago, Clinton drew on the legacy of women on the national stage, from Shirley Chisholm to Geraldine Ferraro, and said Harris would make history.

“I want my children and grandchildren to know that I was here in this moment,” she said. “We were here. We were with Kamala Harris every step of the way. This is the moment when we are going to make progress. The future is here. Let’s go win it.”

Kamala Harris

Harris opened the convention with a brief appearance, sparking a wave of enthusiasm among the delegates in attendance. The first-night crowd at the United Center was ecstatic about the historic prospect of electing the first female president. The sense of historic progress was reinforced later in the night — the program ran long — when attendees began to leave well before President Joe Biden spoke.

“This is going to be a great week!” Harris said during her brief appearance Monday, offering her heartfelt thanks to Biden. “We are eternally grateful to you.”

Harris' appearance was followed by a short autobiographical video, narrated by Jeffrey Wright and accompanied by Beyoncé's song “Freedom.”

tony goldwyn

The vice president then made way for host Tony Goldwyn, the actor who played the president on ABC's “Scandal.” Goldwyn was among a handful of performers on stage, following Jason Isbell, who sang “Something More Than Free,” and Mickey Guyton, who sang “Aren't We All Americans?”

Goldwyn promised that the week would provide an introduction to Harris and a clear contrast between Donald Trump's agenda and her vision for the future.

“It’s a message of joy, not malice,” Goldwyn said. “Public service—not self-service, optimism and opportunity, not chaos and division. It’s a message that has awakened us to who we are.”

Democratic speakers praised Biden and Harris, but also sought to pursue the case against Trump. Several in the audience were heard talking in the hallways about Trump’s latest scandal — falsely claiming that Taylor Swift had endorsed them.

Alexandria Osaka Cortez

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat who has become one of the party’s younger faces, was one of the most anticipated speakers on the schedule and was effective in galvanizing the crowd. Earlier in the day, Donald Trump’s campaign sought to tie Harris to Ocasio-Cortez’s positions on issues like defunding the police and the Green New Deal.

When it was her turn on stage, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wasted no time in attacking Trump as a rich man. Ocasio-Cortez showed her mettle as one of the brightest young Democratic stars to emerge in years, and her speech was drowned out by shouting and applause on several occasions—especially when she took aim at Trump.

“I personally am tired of hearing how a union destroyer thinks he is more patriotic than the woman who fights every day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed that are trampling on our way of life,” she said. “The truth is, Don, you can’t love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big corporations. Loving this country means fighting for all people, working people, everyday Americans.” Osaka-Cortez also reminded the crowd of the importance of supporting House and Senate elections. “We can’t send Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to Washington alone,” she said.

Reply to Trump

Clinton did not hesitate to attack Trump, saying that he had “slept through his trial” and woke up to find himself convicted of 34 felonies. In a historical irony, the crowd chanted “Lock him up!” — an echo of the chants at Trump rallies eight years ago calling for Clinton to be jailed.

Clinton also pointed to similarities between Trump's attacks on her and those on Harris.

“He makes fun of her name and her laugh — it sounds familiar,” Clinton said. “But we’re going after him now.” Clinton may have lost the 2016 race to Trump, but she remains a rock star with hard-line Democrats.

Conference scene

Marisa Tomei, J.J. Abrams and producer Bruce Cohen were spotted in the basement of the United Center. They said they had “high hopes” for the campaign. Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath, have donated more than $3 million to Democratic committees this cycle. Cohen is also a prolific donor.

With convention speeches delayed, James Taylor was dropped from his scheduled performance before Biden's speech.

As Democrats prepared for opening night, downtown Chicago was abuzz Monday with flags, banners, counterfeit T-shirt vendors and all the usual political circus that has come to town.

Delegates from across the country took time before the keynote address at the United Center this evening to tour the city. Organizers of the Coalition for the March to the Democratic National Convention told ABC News in Chicago that the march in support of Palestinians in Gaza drew about 15,000 people.

But overall, the scene downtown seemed quiet. To the south, near the cluster of hotels housing the delegations, it was quiet even outside the gleaming silver Trump Tower overlooking the city’s River Walk.

Another hub of activity was on the city’s east side at the sprawling McCormick Place Center, which hosted the Dem Palooza, a showcase for left-leaning organizations and causes. There were panels and Q&As, but few attended. The five-mile distance between McCormick Place and the United Center has obvious advantages in terms of security and crowd control. But it also leaves attendees heavily dependent on Democratic Party buses that run between hotels and the two venues. The security perimeter around the United Center is so large that ride-share drivers and even public transportation can’t get very close.

Elections are often defined by slogans, and there were plenty of slogans displayed on delegates' jackets, polo shirts and sweatshirts, from “Remember January 6” to “Keep Kamala and Keep Going,” “Another Cat Lady for Kamala” and “Make Lying Wrong Again.”