Convention Ends With Fireworks at a Drive-In: Convention Update
2020 Democratic National Convention ended with fireworks over an improvised drive-in being watched by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
(Bloomberg) -- The Democratic National Convention ended with fireworks instead of balloon drop. California Governor Gavin Newsom spoke near a wildfire. And the Biden campaign set up a drive-in movie theater-style watch party outside the venue where he will deliver his acceptance speech.
There are 75 days until the election.
Other Developments:
Democratic National Convention Ends With Fireworks at a Drive-In
The 2020 Democratic National Convention ended with fireworks over an improvised drive-in being watched by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and their spouses, all wearing masks.
It was, like much of the convention, a break with tradition driven by necessity, as the coronavirus pandemic made the traditional cheering crowds and cascade of balloons inside a packed arena too risky.
Instead, the candidates waved to carefully spaced cars from a stage set up outside as they stayed masked -- a surreal tableau that underscored the pandemic unsettling Americans’ daily lives and upending the economy.
As the fireworks shot into the sky over the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, Pitbull’s “I Believe That We Will Win” was blasted into the parking lot -- a song, built around a chant popular at men’s soccer games, that the Florida rapper released in April to inspire people during the pandemic.
Newsom Speaks From Near Wildfire (9:39 p.m.)
California Governor Gavin Newsom gave remarks to the convention from a very different location than expected.
In a short video at the beginning of the event, he spoke in front of some trees as he described the wildfires in the state, linking them to climate change.
Newsom canceled a planned convention speech amid the fires that have set more than 100,000 acres ablaze.
“I’ll confess this is not where I expected to be speaking here tonight,” he said in the two-and-a-half minute video, which appeared to have been shot on a smartphone. “I’m about a mile or so away from one of over 370 wildfires that we’re battling here in the state of California.”
He said that the wildfires were a result of a record-breaking heat wave this month that included temperatures in Death Valley well above 120 degrees, pointing out that Trump blamed the fires on California not cleaning up leaves and wood on the forest floor.
“If you are in denial about climate change, come to California,” Newsom said.
Biden Campaign Sets Up Drive-In Watch Party for Acceptance Speech (8:42 p.m.)
Biden’s campaign has built up a drive-in movie theater-style watch party outside the Wilmington, Delaware, venue where he will deliver his speech accepting the Democratic nomination on Thursday night.
While the Chase Center will be closed to the public as a precaution against coronavirus, about 100 cars were allowed to participate in the invitation-only event in the parking lot outside.
They began gathering at sunset with advance staff passing out signs that read “Biden-Harris,” “watching from Delaware” and “Dr. B,” a tribute to Jill Biden. When Jill Biden herself made an appearance just after 8 p.m. as she walked by, supporters blasted their horns for her.
There were also drive-in watch parties slated for New Hampshire, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Iowa, the Biden campaign said. -- Jennifer Epstein
Trump Says Biden ‘Abandoned’ Scranton at Age 10 (5:21 p.m.)
Trump argued again Thursday that Biden “abandoned” his oft-cited hometown of Scranton by moving away at age 10.
At a campaign event outside the city, Trump said that Biden will likely talk about the city in his remarks at the Democratic convention Thursday.
“I’m sure that he’ll just knock ‘em dead, and he’ll remind us that he was born in Scranton. But you know he left, like 70 years ago,” he said, adding “He abandoned Scranton!”
The visit came on the day that Biden will accept the Democratic nomination, a day when the convention features gauzy biographical videos about its nominee.
Biden was born in Scranton in 1942 and his family lived there until 1953, when they moved to Wilmington, Delaware, so his father could find work. Biden wrote in his autobiography, “Promises to Keep,” that it “felt like leaving home.”
In his speeches, Biden often uses Scranton as a touchstone, arguing that his policies will be “laser focused on working families” like his middle-class neighbors growing up.
Hunter Biden Will Be on Convention Stage Tonight (3:38 p.m.)
Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, will be among the many family members on the convention stage tonight, in his first major public appearance since being at the center of a political storm earlier this year.
President Donald Trump repeatedly sought to cast Hunter Biden’s involvement with a Ukrainian natural gas producer as nefarious, pressing the president of Ukraine to announce an investigation, a move that led to Trump’s own impeachment and acquittal.
Undeterred, Trump has repeatedly brought up Hunter Biden in recent months as he sought to undermine Biden’s campaign ”with unsubstantiated charges, some discredited, against him and his son.
Trump’s campaign on Thursday released a two-minute digital ad targeting Hunter Biden’s dealings with China.
Republican Party Raised $55.3 Million in July (10:04 a.m.)
The Republican National Committee brought in 55.3 million in July, part of a $169.3 million haul for President Donald Trump’s re-election effort.
The RNC ended the month with $109 million in the bank, according to figures it released to The Hill, putting Trump’s total war chest at more than $300 million. Biden and the Democratic National Committee announced earlier that they had $294 million cash on hand after raising $140 million in July.
While Biden and the DNC have closed the cash gap -- Trump’s re-election effort had $155 million more in the bank as recently at the end of April -- they did so in part by spending less. The Democrats spent roughly $88 million in July compared with $160 million for Trump and the RNC, based on figures both campaigns released. Presidential campaigns, party committees and most super PACs are due to file detailed reports on their fundraising and spending to the Federal Election Commission on Thursday.
The RNC is spending big on its data-driven ground game, which it’s relying on to get voters to support Trump and Republicans up and down the ballot, according to a statement from Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who added that the July numbers show the strength of the grassroots support for Trump. -- Bill Allison
Coming Up:
Hosted by actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Thursday’s virtual Democratic convention will feature speeches from Senators Cory Booker, Tammy Duckworth and Tammy Baldwin, California Governor Gavin Newsom, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Biden and performances by John Legend and the Chicks.
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