The final night of the Democratic National Convention took place Thursday evening, with observers on the edge of their seats after a “massive surprise guest” — which never came to fruition — was teased.
On social media, rumors swirled that the DNC had blocked out time in the evening’s schedule for a surprise, last-minute guest to stump for Vice President Kamala Harris. Guesses ranged from Beyonce to Taylor Swift, and from former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush.
However, no special guest materialized.
In a speaker list that included Govs. Maura Healey (D-MA), Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), and Roy Cooper (D-NC), as well as Sens Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the highlight of the evening was Vice President Harris officially accepting the party’s nomination for President.
In her speech, the Democrat nominee continually stated “We are not going back,” in continual rebukes of opponent Donald Trump, who she labeled “an unserious man.”
“In the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand. And I know where the United States belongs,” the nominee said.
She argued that several important items are at stake in the upcoming election, including “the freedom to live safe from gun violence, in our schools, communities, and places of worship. The freedom to love who you love openly and with pride. The freedom to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis. And the freedom that unlocks all the others: The freedom to vote.”
As expected, reaction from news media members was drawn mostly along party lines, with conservatives labeling the speech a “disaster”, while others applauded the nominee.
Celebrities once again made prominent appearances during the final evening of the convention. After guests like Jason Isbell, John Legend, Mindy Kaling, Tony Goldwyn, Kerry Washington, and Stevie Wonder made appearances, pop star Pink and country band The Chicks both performed at the Democratic National Convention.
Those musical guests led observers to believe that either Beyonce or Taylor Swift would make a grand appearance to conclude the event. TMZ erroneously reported that Beyonce would be in attendance, but her representatives shared that “she was never scheduled to be in Chicago.”
