On July 15, the Republican National Convention opened in Milwaukee, preparing to host thousands of people. Five weeks later, on August 19, the Democratic National Convention began in Chicago, showing equally energetic crowds and speeches. During both conventions, the presidential and vice presidential candidates were formally nominated at their respective events, and each convention boasted popular music stars performing.
Republic National Convention (RNC) Speeches and Highlights:
President Elect Donald Trump appeared on the first day of the convention, with a bandage on his ear as a result of the assassination attempt earlier that month. “Let me begin this evening,” he stated, “ by expressing my gratitude to the American people for your outpouring of love and support following the assassination attempt at my rally on Saturday.” He also recalled the incident in November during his acceptance speech.
Senator JD Vance was also at the convention, and was announced as Trump’s running mate on the same day.
Despite previously being critical of Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley announced in May that she would be voting for him. At the Republican National Convention, she spoke specifically about “unity.” “My fellow Americans,” she began, “President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity. It was a gracious invitation and I was happy to accept. I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear, Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period.”
Contrary to the tradition of a candidate’s spouse making a speech at the convention, former first lady Melania Trump did not speak to the crowd. She did, however, make an appearance on the fourth day of the event.
Speakers of the Democratic National Convention (DNC):
The convention was important for the Democratic Party, which transitioned from being worried about President Biden’s slim election prospects to extremely enthusiastic about Vice President Harris’ recent popularity surge. This was a direct result of Biden dropping out of the presidential race and Harris bringing new energy to the race in light of his withdrawal. While Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, her running mate, spotlighted the event, other notable figures appeared, including former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, and Senator Bernie Sanders. Biden also delivered an emotional speech on the first day of the convention and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Michelle Obama delivered a long and energetic speech endorsing Harris. “Hope is making a comeback,” she promised – both hope and the idea of progress were highlights of Harris’ campaign. The audience seemed very enthusiastic both during this speech and throughout the event.
Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, did participate in the speeches and spoke highly of Harris’ dedication and leadership. He specifically mentioned how she “rises to the occasion” whenever she is needed.
Bands and Rappers at the Conventions:
While the speeches were the main focus of the conventions, there were also exciting performances from artists at both the DNC and the RNC. Inviting artists to play at political events like these bring a lively energy to the space and allow crowds to feel more at ease.
Playing rock covers at the RNC was Sixwire, a band from Nashville. The crowd was excited and dancing for this five-member group. During the roll-call at the DNC, Grammy-award winning rapper Lil Jon performed a modified version of his song “Turn Down For What,” generating lots of enthusiasm in the crowd. Many voters noticed the contrast between this enthusiastic performance during roll-call and the much quieter and more subdued roll-call at the RNC. Overall, both Sixwire and Lil Jon brought good energy and music to crowds in Milwaukee and Chicago.
Thoughts from the SHC Community:
Comments from SHC students and teachers when asked about thoughts on these separate events, and how we can relate them back to the SHC community.
“We can relate this back to SHC because of the government. SHC might not have [political parties], but we do however have elections for school government. America elects our president in a similar way as we elect our SHC presidents… For example both of us vote on our presidents and both give speeches on how they will improve America or SHC. Finally, America and SHC also have a similar form of government, whether that be president or someone like a treasurer” (Noah Wong ‘27).
“The Republicans were not as interesting as the Democrats, but they stayed very traditional. The Democrats also had better celebrity representatives” (Jisu Lee ‘28).
“These political conventions reinforce and amplify existing ideologies. Might our country be better served by instead providing venues for dispassionate dialogue between—rather than within—parties? As it stands, a fertile cross pollination of ideas seems precluded” (Mr. Mullally).
What We Can Take Away:
As always, these conventions not only allow party members to speak to voters, but also help swing undecided voters. If voters pay attention to the speakers and information provided at both events, they will hopefully be able to make their decision. Of course, both parties aimed to win over the undecided, but being able to see candidates display their views and goals is what’s so important about these annual conventions.
