Protests erupt, Chicago businesses board up as the DNC kicks off Day 1 festivities

As Democrats gather to nominate Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee, delegates and attendees at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago weighed in on whether President Biden was abandoned by party leaders who pressured him to suspend his presidential campaign.

Reports have circulated about Biden feeling "bitter" toward the top Democrats who organized his ouster from the 2024 presidential race, even as the party prepared a massive sendoff at the DNC. Liberal pundits and columnists have deemed Biden's ouster a "coup" orchestrated behind the scenes by powerful party leaders, but some Biden supporters seemingly disagreed with that characterization.

Heather Pirowski, Indiana delegate and founder of Hoosier Breast Cancer Advocates, told Fox News Digital that Biden put his country above himself by passing the torch to Harris.

"He wasn't abandoned by us. We love Joe. I just think as a human, where's his ego…. honestly, for him to do this and to realize and put his country above himself… because this is [setting] precedence." she said.

Luciano Garza, a Texas delegate, replied "not at all" when asked whether Biden was hung out to dry by members of his own party.

"Tonight, we honor his legacy, and we're so excited to see him. We're sad to see him go but… his job was a battle for the soul of our democracy and that's exactly what he's doing by passing the torch to Kamala Harris tonight. So we are sad, but we're excited."

Tyrin Truong, a Louisiana delegate, said Biden made an "admirable" decision to step aside and endorse Harris in his place.

"We're just glad for the transition. We hate to see him go, but he's still going to be there to help us fight."

Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn, Yael Halon and Kira Mautone contributed to this report.

In what may be one of the last major speeches of his decades-long political career, President Biden on Monday night handed the reins of the party to Vice President Kamala Harris as he spotlighted their administration's accomplishments over the past three and a half years.

Speaking in front of a jam-packed United Arena, site of the Democratic National Convention, the president declared "America, I gave my best to you," as the crowd of party officials and delegates, activists, and supporters repeatedly gave Biden sustained ovations and chants of "thank you, Joe."

Praising his vice president, Biden said that "selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career."

"She's tough, she's experienced, and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story," the president highlighted.

And he asked the crowd are "you are ready to vote for freedom. Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, President and Vice President of the United States."

Biden repeatedly took aim at former President Trump and the threats he said the Republican presidential nominee posed to America's democracy and international alliances. And looking to his vice president and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, he pledged to be "the best volunteer Harris and Walz have ever seen."

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Former President Obama will headline the second night of the Democratic National Convention under the banner of the Democrats' "Bold Vision for America’s Future."

The convention, which is being held at United Center, started Monday and runs through Thursday, when Vice President Harris will formally accept the Democrat presidential nomination with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The Democrats’ theme Tuesday night is "A Bold Vision for America’s Future." The night is expected to focus on how the Harris-Walz ticket intends to present a "brighter vision where everyone will have a chance not just to get by, but to get ahead."

Tuesday's programming is also expected to include a speech from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker as well as an address by Harris' husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Sources told Fox News Digital it was a group of Obama allies and former advisers who helped to lead the charge in calling on President Biden to drop out of the race last month, including his former adviser, David Axelrod, George Clooney, a personal friend of the Obamas, and others.

Obama, who had Biden as his vice president for two terms, ultimately endorsed Harris after Biden exited the race, but not immediately.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Former President Obama said after the first day of the DNC Convention in Chicago that he values President Biden's "unshakable belief in the promise of our country."

"What I admire most about Joe is his decency, his resilience, and his unshakable belief in the promise of our country," Obama wrote on X. "Over the last four years, those are the values America has needed most. I am proud to call him my president, and I’m so grateful to call him my friend."

President Biden’s son Hunter Biden had a quiet presence during the first night of the Democratic National Convention, only appearing to embrace his father at the end of his speech.

Hunter’s lack of visibility comes a day after House Republicans released a long-awaited report that accused the president of engaging in “impeachable conduct,” arguing that there was "overwhelming evidence" that Biden participated in a "conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family."

It also comes a day after a federal judge rejected Hunter’s attempt to have his tax case dismissed over the role of the special counsel in the investigation.

Other Biden family members played a more prominent role in the first day of the convention, including speaking slots for First Lady Jill Biden and Ashely Biden, the president’s daughter.

The president himself delivered the keynote speech of the evening in what was seen as a passing of the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, who Biden endorsed after deciding to drop out of the race.

President Biden on Monday expressed his support for anti-Israel protesters, saying they "have a point" as he also said he was working for a ceasefire.

"Those protesters out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides," he said in reference to the Israel-Hamas war.

Protesters had broken through a barricade on the outer perimeter of the Democratic National Convention as they protested U.S. support of Israel. Many have been unhappy with Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"Now I'll keep working to bring hostages home and end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security. The Middle East. As you know, I wrote a peace treaty for Gaza a few days ago. I put forward a proposal that brought us closer to doing that than we've done since October 7th," he said.

"We're working around the clock...to prevent a wider war and reunite hostage to their families and surge humanitarian, health and food assistance into Gaza. Now. To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally deliver a cease fire and end this war," he said.

Officials at the Democratic National Convention blamed “raucous applause” for President Biden’s late speech on day one of the event in Chicago.

“Because of the raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker, we ultimately skipped elements of our program to ensure we could get to President Biden as quickly as possible so that he could speak directly to the American people,” convention officials told Fox News Digital.

The statement comes after an onslaught of criticism of the event, with many questioning why the party would allow Biden to speak so late.

"It says a lot about the Democratic party that it would not ask its abortion speakers to wait a while so that their President could speak at a reasonable hour on a night supposedly devoted to him," Fox News' Brit Hume said on Twitter.

But DNC officials reasoned that Biden was delayed by the convention’s “electric atmosphere.”

“We are proud of the electric atmosphere in our convention hall and proud that our convention is showcasing the broad and diverse coalition behind the Harris-Walz ticket throughout the week on and off the stage,” the officials continued.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was caught on camera chanting “we love Joe!” during President Biden’s speech on the first day of the Democratic National Convention.

Biden, who took that stage just before 11:30 p.m. Monday, reflected back on his first moments as president on Inauguration Day 2021, arguing that it was a day of “peril and possibility.”

But before Biden could finish his sentence, those in attendance broke out in a round of “we love Joe!” chants, interrupting his remarks and causing him to pause for a moment.

Cameras panning the scene eventually found their way to Pelosi, who was joining the crowd in the chants.

Pelosi was at the convention in support of the new ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in no small part because of her pushing the president to exit the race.

Speaking to reporters before the convention Monday, Pelosi defended her actions when asked about other members of the party who were upset with the president being pushed aside, arguing that she “just wanted to win this election.”

"So if they're upset, I'm sorry for them," Pelosi said. "But the country is very happy."

Biden would ultimately give in to the calls, dropping out of the race and quickly endorsing Harris to replace him at the top of the ticket.

President Biden was seen apparently wiping away tears on Monday night after his daughter Ashley addressed the Democratic National Convention.

Biden was being introduced by his family ahead of his speech to the convention in Chicago. As he greeted Ashley Biden, he could be seen wiping at his eyes.

Biden announced last month he was stepping aside as the Democratic presidential nominee and backed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was a visible campaign ally for President Biden when he was still in the race, vowed to be just as motivated to support Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Absolutely,” Newsom said when asked by Fox News Digital reporter Paul Steinhauser if he planned to be involved in the campaign. “We knew each other a decade before we both got into politics, one of my oldest friends, so it’s a no brainer.”

But Newsom also cautioned that he might not be as needed on the trail as he was before, pointing to the enthusiasm shift with Harris at the top of the ticket.

“I’m a solution in search of a problem, everyone and their mother is jumping on to help so I’m as needed but obviously all-in,” Newsom said. “Right now, everybody is out there for Kamala, the fundraising’s next level, the volunteers, next level, everybody’s jumping over each other to be out there on the campaign trail.”

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., is speaking at the Democratic National Convention -- one of many lawmakers speaking at the convention, and one of the senators from President Biden's home state.

Coons is the junior senator from Delaware. He was a Capitol Hill intern for then-Sen. Biden 35 years ago.

He has been in the upper chamber since 2010, and was once considered for secretary of state by Biden.

He speaks ahead of Biden's address to the convention on Monday evening.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is speaking at the Democratic National Convention, making him one of the many Democratic lawmakers to speak in Chicago this week.

Warnock was elected in 2021 after a runoff in the key swing state. His election, along with that of Sen. Jon Ossoff, swung control of the Senate into the hands of the Democrats.

Warnock won re-election in December 2022 and serve a full six year term as a result.

Warnock is also a church pastor, having served as the senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Critics took to social media to slam Democrats for how late in the evening President Biden will be forced to speak on the first day of the party’s convention.

“How late are Democrats going to make Joe Biden wait to speak? Lot of speakers left, if they keep them all in the lineup,” Washington Examiner Chief political correspondent Byron York said on Twitter.

York’s post came just after 10:30 p.m eastern, with several speakers still slated to take the stage before the president.

“Honest question: Is DNC running so late that Biden speech gets pushed out of prime time a strategic move by Harris/Dems?” wondered Republican strategist Alex Conant.

“For those keeping score, it’s 10:30 pm and there are still six solo speakers on the official DNC schedule before Joe Biden takes the stage, plus an additional trio of speakers taking the stage together,” wrote the National Review Twitter account. “Looking very likely Biden won’t even take the stage until we’re out of primetime.”

"We're 90 minutes behind schedule. It's unconscionable to have President Biden's address occur at midnight ET," Christopher Hale, a 2020 Democratic delegate from Tennessee, said. "We should postpone some upcoming folks and put the president up there soon."

"It says a lot about the Democratic party that it would not ask its abortion speakers to wait a while so that their President could speak at a reasonable hour on a night supposedly devoted to him," said Fox News' Brit Hume.

"Democrats mean-girl with the best of them. 'Fly on up, Joe! We’ll give you a speaking slot. Prime time! We are gonna give you your flowers," said Mary Katharine Ham, the host of the "Getting Hammered" podcast. "Nevermind, a bunch of C- and B-listers had to speak and now you speak at midnight. Good luck, sundowner.”

Biden’s speech on the first day of the Democratic National Convention is viewed as a passing of the torch of sorts after the president opted to drop out of the race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket, with Harris quickly solidifying the support of the party that has seemingly moved on from its incumbent president.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is speaking tonight at the Democratic National Convention, and was one of the candidates reportedly being considered for Harris' running mate.

Beshear had told CNN in July that he would join the 2024 Democratic ticket if it would help the interests of the people of his state.

"The only reason I’d ever consider something else is if I felt that I could help my people in Kentucky more in a different role or that there was a chance to move past the partisanship, the constant fighting," Beshear said.

However, Beshear also acknowledged that he had not received any vetting materials when asked by CNN, telling the outlet that he has "not been personally asked to submit information at this point."

Beshear is the 63rd governor of Kentucky and became governor of the Republican-leaning state in 2019. He previously served as the state's attorney general.

Fox News Michael Lee contributed to this report.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton smiled and nodded as attendees at the Democratic National Convention broke out in chants of “lock him up!” in reference to former President Donald Trump.

“As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers, she will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up he made his own kind of history, the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions,” Clinton said during her remarks Monday in Chicago.

Those in attendance began to boo at the mention of Trump before chants of “lock him up!” spread through the audience, with cameras showing people chanting and laughing before panning back to Clinton, who was seen smiling and nodding as the chants continued.

Chants of “lock her up” were targeted at Clinton during many Trump rallies during the 2016 campaign and later President Biden during his 2020 bid for president.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., spoke to Fox News Digital said that on Monday night, the convention will be about President Biden and the rest of the week will be about Vice President Kamala Harris.

"Tonight is all about Joe Biden and celebrating his life and the work he has done as senator, president and vice president, and obviously the rest of the week will be about Kamala Harris and the future of the country," he told Fox News' Julia Johnson.

Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, used her speech at the Democratic National Convention to tell attendees that the U.S. has a "rare and precious opportunity" in Vice President Kamala Harris -- saying she is "for the middle class."

"I am here tonight because America has before us a rare and precious opportunity," she said. "In Kamala Harris we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class, because she is from the middle class."

"She understands the urgency of rent checks and groceries and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is taking on corporate greed. And she is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza, and bringing hostages home," she said.

Ocasio-Cortez spoke at the convention in Chicago on the first night of the four night convention.

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, spoke to Fox News Digital about the enthusiasm he is seeing at the convention, saying Vice President Harris has unleashed a "tidal wave of energy" among Democrats.

"This one is at a 13 on a scale of 10 in terms of excitement, anticipation, expectation, of a victory this fall," he told Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson.

"Kamala and Tim Walz have unleashed a tidal wave of energy, of support and I think it's going to carry us right through election day," he said.

Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

Teamsters President Sean O'Brien has been “ghosted” by Democrats ahead of the party’s convention in Chicago, according to a report from Axios.

O’Brien, who became the first-ever union president to speak at the Republican National Convention last month said that the DNC has not responded to his request to speak this week in Chicago.

At least seven other union leaders and rank-and-file Teamsters retirees have been invited to attend the DNC, a sign that O’Brien’s lack of invite could be personal, Axios reported.

The Teamsters that O’Brien represents have historically supported Democratic candidates, but cracks in that support began to appear between the union and President Biden.

Those cracks at least opened the door for O’Brien to make a shocking appearance at the RNC, a move not well-received by many Democrats.

The Trump campaign has also sought to gain more votes from blue collar workers in critical Midwestern swing states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, support that O’Brien seemingly entertained during his appearance last month.