A decorated list of speakers had delegates feeling good on the opening night of the Democratic convention. Then Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took the stage in prime time and turned it up a notch — and ventured where no other speaker dared to go.
Calling her candidacy a “rare and precious opportunity,” Ocasio-Cortez praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ for “working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing hostages home.”
There was plenty of hand-wringing in the buildup to the convention over potential disruptions from activists protesting the war in Gaza. But inside the arena on day one, the demonstrators’ message seemed intentionally distant. Speakers vamped for Harris and Walz (and attacked Trump and Vance) on almost every political issue — except the war.