Democratic convention live: second night begins with Jill Biden to speak

Hi there, it’s Maanvi here – chiming in.

One notable moment from Sally Yates’ address: She clearly referred to Donald Trump’s travel ban — which she defied as acting attorney general — as a “Muslim travel ban.”

Trump’s supporters, and the Supreme Court — which upheld the president’s ban on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries — have maintained that the ban is in the interest of national security and insisted that such a justification for the ban shouldn’t be undermined by the president’s racist and xenophobic statements about Muslims.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer delivered a harsh rebuke of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Echoing Michelle Obama’s speech last night, Schumer criticized Trump for previously saying of the country’s coronavirus death toll, “It is what it is.”

“America, Donald Trump has quit on you,” Schumer said.

The New York senator argued Trump’s inadequate response to the crisis underscored the need to elect a president with the experience and abilities to lead the country.

“That man is my friend, Joe Biden,” Schumer said.

The Senate leader also pledged Democrats would take back control of the chamber and enact “bold and dramatic change to our country”.

Former acting attorney general Sally Yates, who served under Democratic and Republican administrations, opened her speech by noting she never expected to address a political convention.

Yates, who gained prominence after she was fired for refusing to defend Trump’s executive order banning travel from several predominantly Muslim countries, said the president’s “relentless attacks on our democratic institutions” should alarm every American.

“We need a president who respects our laws and the privilege of public service,” Yates said. “We need Joe Biden.”

Actress Tracee Ellis Ross praised the rising stars’ keynote address and argued this moment represented a turning point for the Democratic party.

Ross said Black woman had served as the backbone of the party for decades “without being acknowledged or valued.”

“But we are turning the tide,” Ross said. “Hello, Kamala.”

Vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris is the first Black woman and the first Asian-American to join a major party’s presidential ticket.

The second night of the Democratic convention kicked off with a keynote speech from 17 of the party’s rising stars.

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Texas congressman Colin Allred and Navajo Nation president Robert Garcia, among others, offered criticism of Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and praise for Joe Biden.

“This nation belongs to all of us,” Abrams said. “This year’s choice could not be more clear.”

Abrams warned that the country faced a “triple threat” of the coronavirus pandemic, a suffering economy and widespread racial injustice.

“We know Joe Biden. America, we need Joe Biden,” Abrams said. “We stand with Joe Biden.”

The second night of the virtual Democratic convention has now started, with a virtual recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and a video looking back at past keynote addresses.

Former acting attorney general Sally Yates will also speak tonight, three and a half years after Trump fired her for refusing to defend his executive order banning travel from several predominantly Muslim countries.

According to excerpts of her remarks released by the DNC, Yates will use her convention speech to accuse Trump of politicizing the justice department.

“Public servants promise to defend our Constitution. Uphold our laws. And work on behalf of the American people. But from the moment President Trump took office, he has used his position to benefit himself rather than our country,” Yates will say.

“He’s trampled the rule of law, trying to weaponize our Justice Department to attack his enemies and protect his friends. …

“We need a president who respects our laws and the privilege of public service. Who reflects our values and cares about our people. We need a president who will restore the soul of America.”

Jill Biden will address the Democratic convention tonight, and the former second lady (and potential future first lady) will point to her husband’s personal losses to demonstrate his commitment to the country.

Excerpts released by the DNC indicate Biden will specifically reference the deaths of her husband’s first wife and one-year-old daughter in 1972.

“How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love and understanding — and with small acts of compassion. With bravery. With unwavering faith,” Biden will say.

“There are times when I couldn’t imagine how he did it — how he put one foot in front of the other and kept going. But I’ve always understood why he did it … He does it for you.”

Hello, live blog readers, and welcome to the second night of the virtual Democratic convention.

Democrats kicked off their nominating convention last night with a memorable and widely praised speech by Michelle Obama, who warned Americans about the dangers of re-electing Donald Trump in November.

Tonight’s events include another round of speeches from prominent Democrats, including the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former president Bill Clinton and former second lady Jill Biden.

Democratic candidate Joe Biden will also receive another endorsement from a high-profile Republican tonight. The Democratic National Committee has just released a video of former secretary of state Colin Powell endorsing Biden’s presidential bid.

In the video, Powell says: “The values I learned growing up in the South Bronx and serving in uniform, were the same values that Joe Biden’s parents instilled in him in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

“I support Joe Biden for the presidency of the United States because those values still define him, and we need to restore those values to the White House.”

This is not the first time Powell has supported a Democrat, as he publicly endorsed Barack Obama’s bids in 2008 and 2012 and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016.

However, the endorsements of Powell and other well-known conservatives could sway centrist Republicans who supported Trump in 2016, and that should alarm the president.