The Democratic National Convention will kick off its fourth and final night on Thursday.
After a week of the Democrats’ most prominent figures rallying the party faithful, US vice president Kamala Harris will accept her party’s nomination for president during a speech in which she is widely expected to offer her vision and policy agenda to the American people.
The theme of the final night is For Our Future, according to convention organisers.
Wednesday night’s convention theme was Freedom. Backed by Beyonce’s song of the same name, which the musician has authorised the Harris campaign to use, the word flashed on the video screen and in speech after speech at the United Centre.
The Democrats firmly tied it to the fight over reproductive rights that went into overdrive after the fall of Roe v Wade.
But the party also used the freedom argument to slam Republicans on other social issues, from gay rights to the spread of book bans in schools.
Also on Wednesday, more than 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched past a park where pro-Israel demonstrators had gathered near the United Centre.
The demonstration, which stayed largely peaceful, came a day after violent clashes between police and protesters led to 56 arrests.
As marchers passed under a new elevated train station near the centre that was completed just before the DNC, officers were seen bringing a person to the ground on the platform above.
In response, hundreds of protesters pushed against the edge of the station, banging on the glass with their hands and flag poles as they called on police to free the person.
The person left through the station’s emergency exit moments later, accompanied by officers but not in handcuffs, prompting cheers from the crowd.
Meanwhile, former president Donald Trump is taking issue with continued efforts by the Democrats to tie him to the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 at this week’s DNC.
Calling into Fox and Friends on Thursday ahead of the convention’s final night, Mr Trump called the efforts “disgraceful”.
“They know I have nothing to do with it. I had no idea what it was,” he said, despite the fact that the plan — which Mr Trump and his campaign have repeatedly disavowed — was written by many long-time former staffers. “I have no idea what Project 2025 is.”
Mr Trump also lashed out at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, who spoke at the convention on Wednesday night, calling him a “total lightweight”.
He also said Democrats were spending more time at DNC talking about him than issues.
“It’s like they’re having a party,” he said. “They don’t mention the border. All they do is make up lies about me.”
Mr Trump is set to visit the southern border in Cochise County, Arizona, on Thursday as he continues to criticise the Biden administration’s border policies.
He has been spending the week campaigning across battleground states.
Democrats on Wednesday night argued that they’re offering leadership on the US-Mexico border, working toward policy solutions rather than simply demonising immigrants and trying to use the issue as a political motivator for their base.
Texas representative Veronica Escobar, from the border city of El Paso, said, “Forget what you hear on the news, I’m from there.
“When it comes to the border, hear me when I say, you know nothing, Donald Trump.”
