joe biden, kamala harris, and a convention unlike any we've ever seen. >> this is a battle for the soul of the united states of america. >> in the midst of a pandemic, the democrats take on donald trump and make their case for winning back the white house. >> the president is supposed to care, to lead, to take responsibility. >> we'll hear this week from barack obama, bill and hillary clinton, jill biden, and from the candidates themselves. >> we have a chance to choose a better future. >> announcer: from nbc news, the

democratic national convention. here are lester holt and savannah guthrie. >> good evening, everyone. welcome to nbc news live coverage of the 2020 democratic national convention. >> good evening, everybody. the pandemic has forced both parties to change their convention plans in a big way. the democrats are up first and they are going all virtual tonight. >> and already tonight we've seen speakers share remarks from remote locations across the country, many of them in their own homes. many of the speeches are coming in from feeds provided by the dnc either live or on tape. right now you're seeing some of that feed. we've seen music, we've seen stirring tributes. the sort of things we would typically see in a regular convention. >> what's a convention without big speeches and we'll have them tonight. senator bernie sanders will take the mic in just a few moments from now and the headliner of the evening, former first lady michelle obama, she taped her remarks before tonight's event. we're also going to dip in and give you some analysis about this convention week as well as what you, the voter, needs to

know ahead of the november election. the first live speaker we're expecting in this hour is michigan's governor, gretchen whitmer. she's expected to appear any moment now and a focus on one of the big themes tonight, the coronavirus pandemic. >> over the course of the night the democrats will also be talking about the tens of millions of americans who are unemployed right now, also the racial injustice that has plagued our country. we have our team of correspondents and analysts in place to cover it all. before governor whitmer takes the mic, let's check in with nbc news political director and moderator of "meet the press," chuck todd. chuck, what should we be listening and looking for this week? >> well, look, joe biden's lead has been powered by anti-trump fervor. this week is a chance for joe biden and kamala harris and the campaign to provide material, to make the case of why people should be voting for their agenda. they're doing well right now by being anti-trump and we're going to hear a lot of anti-trump, but this week for it to be a

success, they need people to start thinking about being for joe biden. >> let's go michigan's governor gretchen whitmer is addressing the convention live. let's watch. >> hello, america. i'm governor gretchen whitmer or, as donald trump calls me, that woman from michigan. tonight i'm here at uaw local 652 in lansing, michigan. autoworkers in this union and across our state could have lost their jobs if not for barack obama and joe biden. in 2009 the obama/biden administration inherited the worst economic crisis since the great depression. the auto industry on the brink of collapse. a million jobs at stake. but president obama and vice president biden didn't waste time blaming anyone else or

shirking their responsibility, they got to work. they brought together union members, companies and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and they saved the auto industry. and wouldn't you know just a few months ago as our nation began battling covid-19, autoworkers across michigan sprang into action. they started making protective equipment for doctors and nurses on the front lines. let me break it down. president obama and vice president biden saved these autoworkers' livelihoods. then these workers did their part to save american lives. that's the story of this great nation. action begets action. progress begets progress. and when we work together, we can accomplish anything. after all, democracy is a team sport, especially now. it's crucial that we rally

together to fight this virus and build our economy back better. from the jump, we took this pandemic seriously in michigan. we listened to medical experts, we planned, and with a lot of work from the autoworkers and too little help from the white house, we executed our plan. we saved thousands of lives. just imagine if we had a national strategy, so everyone who needs a test gets one for free, so everyone has access to a safe vaccine, so our kids and educators have the resources they need to safely get back to school. with joe biden and kamala harris in the white house, we will. joe biden and kamala harris will lead by example. it will be science, not politics or ego that will drive their decisions. they know the health of our people goes hand in hand with the strength of our economy. they know action begets action. over the past few months, we

have learned what's essential, rising to the challenge, not denying it. we've learned who is essential too. not just the wealthiest among us, not a president who fights his fellow americans rather than fight the virus that's killing us and our economy. it's the people with their own health at risk to care for the rest of us, they are the mvps. the nurses and the doctors, the utility workers, truck drivers and grocery clerks, the child care workers, the parents, the teachers, the mail carriers and the autoworkers. so many of these essential workers have lost their lives to covid. nearly a thousand health care workers. more than 170,000 people across america. including a 5-year-old girl named skyler from detroit whose mom is a police officer and dad

is a firefighter. generation after generation our nation has been defined by what we do or what we failed to do. so for skylar, for her parents and in the memory of all those we've lost, let us act. let us heal as one nation. let us find strength to do the work. >> governor gretchen whitmer, the first speaker of this hour. the michigan governor has received a lot of attention certainly for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic. also some criticism. joining our coverage, senior washington correspondent andrea mitchell. andrea, she said she didn't want to leave michigan even though her name appeared on that vp list. what is her future in this party? >> oh, she's got a great future in the party and joe biden really, really liked her and was very inclined to go with her as a running mate. but first she has a lot of credibility for the way she handled the pandemic in

michigan. that's what she was really aiming at today -- tonight. that and also trying to reach out to those trump democrats, the autoworkers and other union members. they lost michigan by 10,000 votes and this is a critical state for them to reclaim and that's why she was given such a great platform tonight. >> absolutely. and speaking of a big platform, tonight is michelle obama's night. she is essentially the keynote speaker. we await any moment someone you might not expect to see at a democratic convention, former republican governor of ohio john kasich. that's coming up next as we keep our eye on that democratic convention feed. but we want to turn now for more analysis to nbc news krrkts senator claire mccaskill, former senator of missouri, and the editor of the national review, rich lowry. senator mccaskill, you're a democrat so you get to go first tonight. let's pick up on where andrea first left off. it's no accident that democrats are launching in michigan with the governor of michigan.

that is a must-win state. democrats have to reclaim this rust belt midwest territory that you know so well. >> yeah. i think you're going to see pennsylvania, you're going to see michigan, you're going to see wisconsin over and over again in this convention. but i'm struck by how this first night of the convention is dominated by women. the vast majority of the speakers are women, anchored by michelle obama. joe biden enjoys a huge lead among women right now, and i think he is nodding to the fact that he knows that the path to the white house for him is paved with women's votes. >> and, rich, lester holt here while we wait for governor kasich. i just want to get your thoughts on what we've seen so far in terms of the production of this. no one knew going in what a virtual convention would look like. >> yeah, i think it's hard. it's hard to substitute the energy of a crowd of thousands of people, it's hard for any speaker to really blow the roof

off the joint. good politicians feed off a crowd and that's just not going to be there. it's not going to be there all this week for the democrats and not next week for republicans either. >> it's going to be very interesting. speaking of republicans, we are hearing from them right now actually. what you see on your screen is a spate of republicans who said they will vote for joe biden. about to speak is john kasich who ran against donald trump, he's been a frequent critic. now he's going to make a direct appeal to republicans, disaffected republicans saying it is time to put country over party. >> a choice we make as individuals and as a nation about which path we want to take when we've come to challenging times. america is at that crossroads today. the stakes in this election are greater than any in modern times. many of us have been deeply concerned about the current path we've been following for the past four years. it's a path that's led to

division, dysfunction, irresponsibility, and growing vitriol between our citizens. continuing to follow that path will have terrible consequences for america's soul, because we're being taken down the wrong road by a president who has pitted one against the other. he's unlike all of our best leaders before him who worked to unite us, to bridge our differences, and lead us to a united america. i'm a lifelong republican, but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country. that's why i've chosen to appear at this convention. in normal times, something like this would probably never happen. but these are not normal times. i'm proud of my republican heritage, it's the party of lincoln, who reflected its founding principles of unity and a higher purpose. but what i have witnessed these past four years belies those principles.

many of us can't imagine four more years going down this path, and that's why i'm asking you to join with me in choosing a better way forward. i believe the best of america lies ahead, but only when we rediscovered our shared belief in the united states of america, for our children's future, which can be bright, hopeful and inspired if we choose to make it so. i've known joe biden for 30 years. i know his story of profound grief that has so deeply affected his character. i know joe is a good man, a man of faith, a unifier, someone who understands the hopes and dreams of the common man and the common woman. a man who can help us to see the humanity in each other. he knows that the path to a restored and rejuvenated america lies in respect and unity and a common purpose for everyone. yes, there are areas where joe

and i absolutely disagree, but that's okay. because that's america. because whatever our differences, we respect one another as human beings. each of us searching for justice and for purpose. we can all see what's going on in our country today and all the questions that are facing us and the answers. but what we do know is that we can do better than what we've been seeing today for sure, and i know that joe biden with his experience and his wisdom and his decency can bring us together to help us find that better way. i'm sure there are republicans and independents who couldn't imagine crossing over to support a democrat. they fear joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind. i don't believe that, because i know the measure of the man. he's reasonable, faithful,

respectful, and you know, no one pushes joe around. 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 for ourselves and of course for our children. 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. >> not a democratic convert, but for the time being he is putting his republican stripes to the side. not a surprise for anyone who's followed him. he's been a frequent and long critic of donald trump, but indeed there were some people probably looking -- double taking when they saw his name. >> this is a night we'll see the entire ideological spectrum of the democratic and sort of not the democratic party as well. we've seen a republican now, a few republicans, and we're also going to hear from bernie sanders who represents the left wing of the democratic party. so all bases covered tonight. >> nbc's garrett haake has been

talking to voters in milwaukee about the economy. garrett, what have you been hearing? >> reporter: lester, i was talking to voters today, primarily african-american voters here, and i heard two themes over and over again. first, the lack of economic opportunity that still exists in this country, predating the pandemic, but so exacerbated by it, folks who perhaps supported donald trump, were willing to look at supporting him, hoping he would bring industrial jobs back, jobs back to some of these cities in the midwest who were left disappointed. and then the other thing that kept coming up in my conversation with african-american voters today was the killing of george floyd and the police reform movement that came out of it. a lot of folks participating in those protests, finding their voices for the first time politically, and choosing to engage in this moment in service of those goals and reaching out for more of that economic opportunity at a time when a lot of folks even in 2016 in these communities were willing to sit on the sidelines.

>> and we should note, garrett, you're in the city that had thought it would be hosting this four-day event. obviously it can't, but still being embraced. it was important for democrats to try to make a move in wisconsin and place that as a location. but as the host said this evening, they wanted to be responsible and have a virtual convention. >> now both conventions, republicans and democrats, are largely virtual and that's the new normal we find ourselves in in the midst of a global pandemic. let's go to nbc's geoff bennett who's been reporting on this controversy over the kbcut back and service disruptions at the post office and the president's campaign against mail-in voting. this is a big issue right now. geoff, what can you tell us? >> reporter: hey there, savannah. in the face of president trump's unprecedented and unfounded attacks on mail-in voting, house democrats are fighting back. nancy pelosi has summoned her members back to the hill where they will have a rare weekend saturday session and they're going to vote on legislation

that would provide the postal service with a cash infusion and roll back the changes put in place by the new postmaster general, a man named louis dejoy, who is a republican mega donor, prolific trump fund-raiser, who put in place these changes that have slowed mail delivery. this is a huge issue because the postal service has now warned some 46 states that their mail-in ballots may not be received in time. as you can see on our website, most of the country you can vote absentee without an excuse. there's another point here that's important too because there's so much information about what the post office is prepared to do. can they handle it, are they up to the job come november? the president says they can. but the postal service and post office workers i've talked to say they are 100% up to the job. they have the capacity to handle billions of greeting cards at the holidays. i'm told that they can handle a few hundred million mail-in ballots. it's a question not of capacity but of them being empowered to

do the work and they want these onerous restrictions rolled back, savannah. >> geoff, thank you very much. >> you had that map up there of the voting in various states, mail-in voting. chuck todd has been looking at his own map studying the electoral landscape, if we will, and the latest for us on those battleground states. chuck, what do you see? >> look, i think tonight we're getting an education and i think you'll see this all week. there's two groups of swing states, there's the northern tier of swing states and the southern tier of swing states. in the northern tier it's not an accident that the first person we heard from, the governor of michigan. where's this convention supposed to be taking place? in the state of wisconsin. who's the first republican that they got to switch over and talk? the former governor of ohio. the point is you can see a pattern, particularly tonight, even with michelle obama who speaks really well to those obama/trump voters, or bernie sanders who also speaks well to those working class white voters

who voted for him in primaries but seemed to support trump in '16. there is a -- there is a sort of targeting with tonight and you can see it. it is in the industrial midwest. you can tell they really want to talk to those voters almost more so than any tonight. not to say they're not talking to swing voters in florida, arizona, north carolina, as this convention goes on. but tonight in particular i see a real concentrated effort about those three states that they lost in '16 that they didn't think they would lose, michigan, wisconsin and pennsylvania. >> and we should note senator amy klobuchar of minnesota will be our next speaker. >> another midwesterner. >> the midwest is where the action is for the democrats in terms of the battlegrounds. for the republicans as well that's the hard-fought territory. tonight's marquee event is a speech by the former first lady michelle obama. we turn to kristen welker, our white house correspondent. just judging by the excerpts that have already been released, we're seeing a side of michelle

obama we haven't really seen before. >> reporter: that's right, savannah. the former first lady is going to cast this as a referendum on president trump. she will characterize this as a state of failed leadership on the issue of covid, on the issue of the economy as well as race relations. she's going to make the case for joe biden. she will say that he was a fantastic vice president and that he knows what it takes to get the economy back on track. now, that's significant because in national polls, joe biden is leading, but president trump gets higher marks on that critical issue of the economy. so no mistake there that the former first lady is raising that issue. she's also going to speak in very personal terms. she's going to try to make the case that joe biden is someone who knows how to listen because he has experienced loss in his own life. now, earlier today president trump tried to engage in a little bit of counterprogramming and he essentially dismissed the speech and said who wants to

hear a taped speech by the former first lady, michelle obama? well, the reality is if you look at the polls, she is one of the most popular political figures in the entire country, and i can tell you i have spoken with white house and campaign officials. they believe she has a very powerful voice. they also believe she's someone who could potentially not only help to unify the democratic party but to reach across the aisle and win over some of those trump voters, savannah. >> kristen, thank you so much. that's a little later this hour. we are expecting to hear from senator amy klobuchar who was one of the many primary competitors in the primary campaign that biden ultimately won. you see eva longoria right there, the actress, on the screen. she's the moderator for the dnc for tonight's event. in a moment we'll hear from senator klobuchar of minnesota where the president visited today actually. he's doing some of this counterprogramming that kristen talked about. >> we've seen him in the past to counterprogram. i know it gets a little busy on that screen, but that upper right corner, that's the running

feed of the dnc from the events there and of course we'll be carrying amy klobuchar, the senator from minnesota, who is beginning her remarks now. >> hello, america. like my friend, katherine, i believe that the right to vote is fundamental and the post office is essential. you know the president may hate the post office, but he is still going to have to send them a change of address card come january. donald trump just happens to be in my state today trying to divide people instead of responding to the pandemic and the significant needs of our economy, but democrats, independents and, yes, many republicans have had enough of his divisiveness. tonight, my friends, in contrast we've heard a lot about how we can unite as americans, about our shared values, our shared e in the face of crisis. but i want to be clear, unity isn't about settling, it's about

striving for something more. it isn't the end, it's the means. it's how we get stuff done. unity is about reaching up toward a higher purpose, a better future for all of us. e pluribus unum. it is more than a motto, it is the north star for our democracy. now more than ever we need a president that will unite this country. we need a president who in george floyd's memory, instead of using the bible as a prop will heed its words, to act justly. we need a president for the workers who have lost their jobs because this administration is selling american workers out when we need to buy american, for the farmers and manufacturers and the people of rural america who are sick and tired of reaping what he's sown. we need a president who will look out for the seniors like my dad, whose families now visit them through glass windows,

never knowing if it will be the last time they see them. we need a president for all of america. i come from the middle of this country, where we believe in people joining together to solve problems. we seek common ground to reach higher ground. that's been joe biden's life's work. he's a man of scrappy, working class roots, a man whose own hardships have only made him more determined to lift up those who have been left out. he understands redemption and he knows resilience. joe biden is a man of deep experience. barack obama, better known tonight as michelle's husband, he leaned on joe for his strength and decency and you can too. you know most candidates, when they end their campaign, that day is a hard one. for me it was a moment filled with great joy, because the day i ended my presidential campaign

was also the day i endorsed joe biden. joe ran for the same reasons i did when i announced my campaign in the middle of that blizzard on the banks of the mississippi river, to cross the river of our divides, to bring this nation together, to be a president for all of america. as i said the day i endorsed him, if you feel stuck in the middle of the extremes in our politics, if you are tired of the noise and the nonsense, you have a home with me, and you have a home with joe biden. that's why i was so proud to stand with him then and across this great country. that's why we are all now standing united behind joe and my friend, kamala. our nation's motto is out of many, one. and as you're about to see, it's also the story of the democratic primary.

thank you, america. >> we all ran for president motivated by the same reason. >> as i watched president trump divide this country more and more, i thought to myself, what are you willing to do to stop him? >> you had the most destructive, hateful, racist president in the history of this country, who is literally tearing apart the fabric of the united states of america. >> donald trump is a failed businessperson, and desperately failed us as a president. >> we will run. >> i ran for president because i think it's urgent that we heal the divisions in this nation. >> we are still in control of our own future. >> we need to provide millions of americans a real path forward. >> a green jobs program. >> increasing the minimum wage. >> passing the national paid week bill. >> student debt. >> mental health, starting with our veterans. >> economic justice. >> racial justice. >> and there is so much a new president can do to bring us

together. >> it's time to get up. >> starting a presidential campaign is daunting. i mean you have to reach hundreds of millions of people. >> you have these incredibly long days, often capped off by these evening events that go on for hours and hours. >> your challenge as a candidate is to be true to yourself and true to why you ran in the first place. that is something, by the way, that i really admire about joe biden. he really is his own man. he knows who he is. >> joe biden is somebody who deeply cares about people, people who are marginalized, who are being left behind, who are being ignored. >> i'm a daca recipient and i owe you everything. thank you so much. >> and you're staying, man. >> he's had some hard times in his life. he's had some losses in his life. i think that is something that people relate to. >> are you doing okay? >> yeah. close to 15 years cancer-free. >> god love you. >> i was in service in afghanistan and soldiers, i saw

those families who were so comforted by joe biden. when they walked out, they knew someone cared for them and could relate to the own pain they were having. we need that in the white house. >> i still remember standing side by side with him on the debate stage and we were having a go of it. but what was remarkable to me was in the commercial break, he puts his arm around me and starts telling me how good my ideas are. and the next thing you know, i feel like he's giving me a pep talk and literally telling me how important it is, how really important it is that i'm on that stage. >> joe called me the night i suspended and was extraordinarily gracious and comforting. he told me i should be proud of myself. he said that i did myself and my family a real service and the country a service, and that meant a lot coming from joe. >> look, it's not easy to unite the democratic party. we're a rambunctious group. joe biden has pulled it off. >> he wants to get the best ideas on the table so we can

move forward in the best way possible. >> he's included my family bill of rights. >> he has unified our group around a clean energy strategy. >> the domestic workers bill of rights, i'm very excited that that's in there. >> he's the kind of leader that brings other leaders in. >> this is a guy that's going to walk into the oval office and not have to find his way around, but will actually walk in and have already sort of honed the instincts you need to lead the most powerful nation on earth through a crisis. >> on the other side, donald trump does not understand who we are as americans. he really doesn't. >> this is a guy that blames everyone for everything. you know, he blames the city of baltimore, he blames the country of denmark, he blames the prime minister of canada for cutting him out of the canadian version of home alone 2. who does that? >> there are no sidelines.

there's no sitting this one out. there's no hoping that someone else is going to come in and save the day. there is no cavalry. we are the cavalry. >> the moment has found the person. that person is joe biden. >> joe has my vote because he will bring decency and dignity back to the white house. >> we've got one shot to make donald trump a one-term president. and that shot is right now. >> it's joe time! it's joe time! >> the next president right here. >> and that, of course, is from the democratic national convention. recognize some of those faces? those are the candidates that faced off, remember, lester? >> the first debate in miami. >> two nights, 20 candidates. >> i just remember the names and the faces laid out in front of me, there was so many. >> there were so many and it all boils down to one, joe biden. now it's his convention, it's his party, it's his night. and yet tonight we're still going to hear from vermont senator bernie sanders. >> who was not a part of that video. >> that's right. because he's about to have his say. we'll join that live. also former first lady michelle

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so before the break, we saw that video of all the democratic challengers and a moment of unity. we didn't hear from vermont senator bernie sanders because we are about to hear from him in a speech. he won more than a quarter of the votes cast in the democratic primaries but he has since endorsed joe biden who will need those progressive sanders voters come this fall. it will be interesting to hear the tone, the difference in tone this time as opposed to four years ago where he really expressed his disappointment and some might call bitterness over his loss. >> bernie sanders issin kred fully influential in this party and he knows it. four years ago that was a hard-fought primary and it showed in the speech we saw. tonight we're expecting bernie sanders to be striking that note

of unity, expecting a direct appeal to his supporters. he's going to be speaking live from a restaurant in his home state of vermont in burlington, and people will be listening very closely to exactly how he reaches out to progressives in the party. >> yeah, that's obviously been the big difference is the progressive moderate wing of the party, would we see that on display. this is a night of unity. remember the theme is we the people, and we would expect him to offer a calmer tone, if you will, while still giving voice to his group. >> good evening. our great nation is now living in an unprecedented moment. we're facing the worst public health crisis in a hundred years and the worst economic collapse since the great depression. we are confronting systemic racism and the enormous threat to our planet of climate change.

and in the midst of all of this, 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. let me take this opportunity to say a word to the millions of people who supported my campaign this year and in 2016. my friends, thank you for your

trust, your support and the love you showed jane, me and our family. together we have moved this country in a bold, new direction showing that all of us, black and white, latino, native american, asian american, gay and straight, native born and immigrant yearn for a nation based on the principles of justice, love and compassion. our campaign ended several months ago, but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day. many of the ideas we fought for that just a few years ago were considered radical are now mainstream. but let us be clear, if donald trump is re-elected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy. and it's most basic, this election is about preserving our

democracy. during this president's term, the unthinkable has become normal. he has tried to prevent people from voting, undermined the u.s. postal service, deployed the military and federal agents against peaceful protesters, threatened to delay the election and suggested that he will not leave office if he loses. this is not normal, and we must never treat it like it is. under this administration authoritarianism has taken root in our country. i and my family and many of yours know the insidious way authoritarianism destroys democracy, decency and humanity. as long as i am here, i will work with progressives, with moderates and, yes, with conservatives to preserve this

nation from a threat that so many of our heroes fought and died to defeat. this president is not just a threat to our democracy, but by rejecting science, he has put our lives and health in jeopardy. trump has attacked doctors and scientists, trying to protect us from the pandemic, while refusing to take strong action to produce the masks, gowns and gloves our health care workers desperately need. nero fiddled while rome burned. trump golfs. his actions fanned this pandemic resulting in over 170,000 deaths and a nation still unprepared to protect its people. furthermore, trump's negligence has exacerbated the economic

crisis we are now experiencing. since this pandemic began, over 30 million people have lost their jobs and many have lost their health insurance. millions of working families are wondering how they will feed their kids, and they're worried that they will be evicted from their homes. and how has trump responded? instead of maintaining the $600 a week unemployment supplement that workers were receiving and the $1,200 emergency checks that many of you received, instead of helping small businesses, trump concocted fraudulent executive orders that do virtually nothing to address the crisis while threatening the very future of social security and medicare. but the truth is that even before trump's negligent response to this pandemic, too many hard-working families have

been caught on an economic treadmill with no hope of ever getting ahead. together we must build a nation that is more equitable, more compassionate and more inclusive. i know that joe biden will begin that fight on day one. let me offer you just a few examples of how joe will move us forward. joe supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. this will give 40 million workers a pay raise and push the wage scale up for everyone else. joe will also make it easier for workers to join unions, create 12 weeks of paid family leave, fund universal pre-k for 3 and 4-year-olds and make child care affordable for millions of families. joe will rebuild our crumbling

infrastructure and fight the threat of climate change by transitioning us to 100% clean electricity over the next 15 years. these initiatives will create millions of good-paying jobs all across our country. as you know, we are the only industrialized nation not to guarantee health care for all people. while joe and i disagree on the best path to get universal coverage, he has a plan that will greatly expand health care and cut the cost of prescription drugs. further, he will lower the eligibility age of medicare from 65 down 60. to help reform our broken criminal justice system, joe will ending private prisons and detention centers, cash bail,

and the school-to-prison pipeline. and to heal the soul of our nation, joe biden will end the hate and division trump has created. he will stop the demonization of immigrants, the coddling of white nationalists, the racist dog whistling, the religious bigotry, and the ugly attacks on women. my friends, i say to you, to everyone who supported other candidates in the primary and to those who may have voted for donald trump in the last election, the future of our democracy is at stake. the future of our economy is at stake. the future of our planet is at stake. we must come together, defeat donald trump, and elect joe biden and kamala harris as our next president and vice president. my friends, the price of failure is just too great to imagine.

thank you. >> vermont senator bernie sanders on night one of the democratic national convention, a searing indictment of the incumbent president, president trump, and also a call to unity and common cause across the ideological spectrum for democrats. the next speaker, we expect michelle obama, the former first lady. we have a moment to pause before that starts and go to senior washington correspondent andrea mitchell with what we are expecting from the former first lady tonight. >> well, what we're expecting from her is a much more political speech than we usually hear from her. we know that michelle obama hates politics, but she is going to be political tonight, taking on donald trump, but also telling the country and telling democrats about the joe biden that she knows. she will be validating him in a very personal way, and that's an important endorsement from the most popular democrat in the democratic party. >> she was famous, of course, for the line "when they go low, we go high."

the question is how high will she go and how will she temper those remarks going after donald trump tonight. >> she has said that going high means getting involved, and that is what she's going to be talking about tonight, calling them to action. >> do you think it was difficult getting her to speak tonight? >> i don't think it is difficult. i think she is in this to win it. she has been talking about voting rights, getting people out to vote, that is her big vision. she has been very outfront and defending kamala harris from racist attacks last week. >> there is the former first lady about to appear. eva longoria is the celebrity host tonight. there's a select host every night but she is preparing the introduction for michelle obama who is, as andrea pointed out, tremendously popular in this party and a voice that people often want to hear and we will see what she will bring now on this night in which democrats have gone with the title of "we the people." >> good evening, everyone.

it's a hard time and everyone is feeling it in different ways. and i know a lot of folks are reluctant to tune into a political convention right now, or to politics in general. believe me, i get that. but i am here tonight because i love this country with all my heart, and it pains me to see so many people hurting. i've met so many of you. i've heard your stories. and through you i have seen this country's promise. and thanks to so many who came before me, thanks to their toil and sweat and blood, i've been able to live that promise myself. that's the story of america. all those folks who sacrificed and overcame so much in their own times because they wanted something more, something better for their kids.

there's a lot of beauty in that story. there's a lot of pain in it too. a lot of struggle and injustice and work left to do. and who we choose as our president in this election will determine whether or not we honor that struggle and chip away at that injustice and keep alive the very possibility of finishing that work. i am one of a handful of people living today who have seen firsthand the immense weight and awesome power of the presidency. let me once again tell you this, the job is hard. it requires clear-headed judgment, a mastery of complex and competing issues, a devotion to facts and history, a moral compass and an ability to listen.

and an abiding belief that each of the 330 million lives in this country has meaning and worth. a president's words have the power to move markets. they can start wars or broker peace. they can summon our better angels or awaken our worst instincts. you simply cannot fake your way through this job. as i've said before, being president doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are. well, a presidential election can reveal who we are too. and four years ago, too many people chose to believe that their votes didn't matter. maybe they were fed up. maybe they thought the outcome wouldn't be close. maybe the barriers felt too steep. whatever the reason, in the end,

those choices sent someone to the oval office who lost the national popular vote by nearly 3 million votes. in one of the states that determined the outcome, the winning margin averaged out to just two votes per precinct, two votes. and we've all been living with the consequences. when my husband left office with joe biden at his side, we had a record-breaking stretch of job creation. we had secured the right to health care for 20 million people. we were respected around the world, rallying our allies to confront climate change. and our leaders had worked hand in hand with scientists to help prevent an ebola outbreak from becoming a global pandemic. four years later, the state of

this nation is very different. more than 150,000 people have died, and our economy is in shambles because of a virus that this president downplayed for too long. it has left millions of people jobless. too many have lost their health care. too many are struggling to take care of basic necessities like food and rent. too many communities have been left in the lurch to grapple with whether and how to open our schools safely. internationally, we've turned our back not just on agreements forged by my husband, but on alliances championed by presidents like reagan and eisenhower. and here at home, as george floyd, breonna taylor, and a never-ending list of innocent people of color continue to be murdered, stating the simple

fact that a black life matters is still met with derision from the nation's highest office. because 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. empathy, that's something i've been thinking a lot about lately. the ability to walk in someone else's shoes, the recognition that someone else's experience has value too. most of us practice this without a second thought. if we see someone suffering or struggling, we don't stand in judgment, we reach out, because there but for the grace of god go i. it is not a hard concept to grasp.

it's what we teach our children. and like so many of you, barack and i have tried our best to instill in our girls a strong moral foundation to carry forward the values that our parents and grandparents poured into us. but right now kids in this country are seeing what happens when we stop requiring empathy of one another. they're looking around wondering if we've been lying to them this whole time about who we are and what we truly value. they see people shouting in grocery stores, unwilling to wear a mask to keep us all safe. they see people calling the police on folks minding their own business just because of the color of their skin. they see an entitlement that says only certain people belong here, that greed is good and winning is everything, because

as long as you come out on top, it doesn't matter what happens to everyone else. and they see what happens when that lack of empathy is ginned up into outright disdain. they see our leaders labeling fellow citizens enemies of the state, while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists. they watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protesters for a photo op. sadly, this is the america that is on display for the next generation. a nation that's underperforming not simply on matters of policy but on matters of character. and that's not just disappointing, it's downright infuriating. because i know the goodness and

the grace that is out there in households and neighborhoods all across this nation, and i know that regardless of our race, age, religion or politics, when we close out the noise and the fear and truly open our hearts, we know that what's going on in this country is just not right. this is not who we want to be. so what do we do now? what's our strategy? over the past four years, a lot of people have asked me when others are going so low, does going high still really work? my answer, going high is the only thing that works, because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading

and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that's drowning out everything else. we degrade ourselves. we degrade the very causes for which we fight. but let's be clear, going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. going high means taking the harder path. it means scraping and lclawing our way to that mountaintop. going high means standing fierce against hatred, while remembering that we are one nation under god. and if we want to survive, we've got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences. and going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free.

the cold hard truth. so 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. now, i understand that my message won't be heard by some people. we live in a nation that is deeply divided and i am a black woman speaking at the democratic convention. but enough of you know me by now. you know that i tell you exactly what i'm feeling. you know i hate politics. but you also know that i care about this nation. you know how much i care about

all of our children. so if you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this. if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can and they will if we don't make a change in this election. if we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for joe biden like our lives depend on it. i know joe. he is a profoundly decent man, guided by faith. he was a terrific vice president. he knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic and lead our country. and he listens. he will tell the truth and trust science. he will make smart plans and manage a good team. and he will govern as someone who's lived a life that the rest

of us can recognize. when he was a kid, joe's father lost his job. when he was a young senator, joe lost his wife and his baby daughter. and when he was vice president, he lost his beloved son. so joe knows the anguish of sitting at a table with an empty chair, which is why he gives his time so freely to grieving parents. joe knows what it's like to struggle, which is why he gives his personal phone number to kids overcoming a stutter of their own. his 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. now joe is not perfect. and he'd be the first to tell you that. but there is no perfect candidate, no perfect president.

and his ability to learn and grow, we find in that the kind of humility and maturity that so many of us yearn for right now. because joe biden has served this nation his entire life without ever losing sight of who he is. but more than that, he has never lost sight of who we are. all of us. joe biden wants all of our kids to go to a good school, see a doctor when they're sick, live on a healthy planet. and he's got plans to make all of that happen. joe biden wants all of our kids, no matter what they look like, to be able to walk out the door without worrying about being harassed or arrested or killed. he wants all of our kids to be able to go to a movie or a math class without being afraid of getting shot.

he wants all our kids to grow up with leaders who won't just serve themselves and their wealthy peers, but will provide a safety net for people facing hard times. and if we want a chance to pursue any of these goals, any of these most basic requirements for a functioning society, we have to vote for joe biden in numbers that cannot be ignored, because right now folks who know they cannot win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting. they're closing down polling places in nority neighborhoods. they're purging voter rolls. they're sending people out to intimidate voters and they're lying about the security of our ballots. these tactics are not new. but this is not the time to