The Democratic National Convention kicked off with some last-minute guests as the family of George Floyd led a moment of silence to mark the start of the first day, titled "We the People".
Michelle Obama headlined the evening's proceedings, ripping into the president's record saying "you simply cannot fake your way through this job" as she pleaded with Democrat voters not to stay at home or cast a protest vote in 2020. "Joe is not perfect, and he'd be the first to tell you that," Ms Obama says. "But there is no perfect candidate, no perfect president, and his ability to learn and grow, we find in that the kind of humility and maturity that so many of us yearn for now."
Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, said Nero fiddled while Rome burned, but Trump golfs while his actions fanned the coronavirus pandemic to kill more than 170,000 Americans in a nation unprepared to protect its people.
Mr Sanders made a direct appeal to his supporters to unify around Joe Biden, highlighting the candidate's progressive credentials on issues that only a few years ago would have been considered radical.
A running theme through the first night was on restoring the "Soul of America", as Democrats and Republicans alike devoted the majority of the virtual real estate to the current president.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser accused Donald Trump of 'plotting' with his bible photo at St John's Church as the daughter of a Covid-19 victim said her father's only pre-existing condition was a Trump presidency.
Republican leaders including former Ohio governor John Kasich, former New Jersey governor Christine Whitman, and former New York City congresswoman Susan Molinari lent their voices to their one-time rivals.
Democrat establishment figures like Andrew Cuomo, Jim Clyburn, and Amy Klobuchar all gave strong endorsements of their party's presidential nominee, even if some of their jokes and one-liners, aiming for inspirational resonance, seemed to linger without reaction in the virtual void of a Zoom meeting.
Mr Biden, meanwhile, appeared briefly during a round table on racism with Gwen Garner, mother of Eric Garner, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, and other social justice activists.
Biden still ahead of Trump in polls as convention commences
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden continues to lead Donald Trump in the polls by nearly double-digit margins as the first day of the Democratic National Convention commences.
A new NBC News/Wall Street Journalpoll released on Sunday showed Mr Biden with a 9-point lead nationally, although that advantage could be more fragile than it appears.
Fifty-eight per cent of Biden voters said their support for him is based more on their opposition to Mr Trump, while just 38 per cent said it's based on their support for the actual candidate, the poll found.
That contrasts sharply to Mr Trump's voters, 74 per cent of whom said they are more for the president, compared to just 20 per cent who said they are more against Mr Biden.
In other new polls, from CBS/YouGov and Fox News, Mr Biden held advantages of 10 points and 7 points, respectively.
Griffin Connolly reports:
A new NBC News/Wall Street Journalpoll released on Sunday showed Mr Biden with a 9-point lead nationally, although that advantage could be more fragile than it appears.
Fifty-eight per cent of Biden voters said their support for him is based more on their opposition to Mr Trump, while just 38 per cent said it's based on their support for the actual candidate, the poll found.
That contrasts sharply to Mr Trump's voters, 74 per cent of whom said they are more for the president, compared to just 20 per cent who said they are more against Mr Biden.
In other new polls, from CBS/YouGov and Fox News, Mr Biden held advantages of 10 points and 7 points, respectively.
Griffin Connolly reports:
DNC Chairman Perez outlines how Democrats plan to attack Trump at convention
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez has said Monday's speaking portion of the convention will focus on portraying Donald Trump as a "chronically incompetent" president — from his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, to US unemployment that is in the double digits, to the continued reality of racial injustice.
While no reasonable solution could have completely prevented the Covid-19 pandemic from eventually landing on US shores, better policies and leadership could have prevented thousands of the more than 170,000 American deaths from the disease, Mr Perez said on MSNBC's Morning Joe.
"This is why we need leadership that is competent — that is Joe Biden," he said.
Mr Perez also criticised the president for his stated desire to undermine the US Postal Service to prevent universal mail-in voting this November, which Mr Trump has claimed, without evidence, would be rife with fraud.
The DNC has sued multiple jurisdictions over absentee ballots to make it easier for Americans to vote by mail, and Mr Perez said Mr Trump's transparent comments about his intentions is helping the Democrats' cases.
"Every day that this administration does what it does by playing politics with the Postal Service, they are making our record for us,” Mr Perez said.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez has said Monday's speaking portion of the convention will focus on portraying Donald Trump as a "chronically incompetent" president — from his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, to US unemployment that is in the double digits, to the continued reality of racial injustice.
While no reasonable solution could have completely prevented the Covid-19 pandemic from eventually landing on US shores, better policies and leadership could have prevented thousands of the more than 170,000 American deaths from the disease, Mr Perez said on MSNBC's Morning Joe.
"This is why we need leadership that is competent — that is Joe Biden," he said.
Mr Perez also criticised the president for his stated desire to undermine the US Postal Service to prevent universal mail-in voting this November, which Mr Trump has claimed, without evidence, would be rife with fraud.
The DNC has sued multiple jurisdictions over absentee ballots to make it easier for Americans to vote by mail, and Mr Perez said Mr Trump's transparent comments about his intentions is helping the Democrats' cases.
"Every day that this administration does what it does by playing politics with the Postal Service, they are making our record for us,” Mr Perez said.
Ex-primary rival Sanders rallies for Biden on Day One
In just five short months, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders went from bitter rivals on the presidential campaign trail to clear-eyed allies in the fight to take down Donald Trump this November.
At their one-on-one debate in March, Mr Sanders was unsparing.
"You have been on the floor of the Senate time and time again, touting the need to cut Social Security, Medicare and veterans' programs," the Vermont senator said to Mr Biden, triggering a vociferous defence from the former vice president.
Mr Sanders also warned Mr Biden he would lose to Mr Trump "unless you have energy, excitement, the largest voter turnout in history," saying he had his "doubts."
Now Mr Sanders, the mantle-holder of the American progressive movement, will headline the Democratic National Convention's opening night supporting his former rival's nomination.
Opposing Mr Biden's campaign is "irresponsible," Mr Sanders has said, although many of his former campaign aides have done just that.
More on Bernie World's reaction to Mr Biden picking Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate last week:
Where do liberal factions of the Democratic party stand on Kamala Harris?
The IndependentProgressive lawmakers back former 'top cop' from California, as Bernie World continues to grumble
House members on double duty as Pelosi calls lawmakers back to Washington
Several members of the US House are scheduled to speak on the Democratic National Convention's opening night even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi brings them back to Washington to hold the Trump administration's feet to the fire over its handling of the US Postal Service and mail-in voting.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, Convention Chairman and Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin — who are all black — will speak at the convention on Monday.
Democrats are looking to cast themselves as proactive in the fight against racial injustice, a sharp contrast to the hostile response of the Trump administration to the recent wave of anti-police brutality protests this summer.
One of the advantages of holding the convention virtually is that members of Congress who are slated to speak can be complete their official House business at the same time.
Several members of the US House are scheduled to speak on the Democratic National Convention's opening night even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi brings them back to Washington to hold the Trump administration's feet to the fire over its handling of the US Postal Service and mail-in voting.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, Convention Chairman and Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin — who are all black — will speak at the convention on Monday.
Democrats are looking to cast themselves as proactive in the fight against racial injustice, a sharp contrast to the hostile response of the Trump administration to the recent wave of anti-police brutality protests this summer.
One of the advantages of holding the convention virtually is that members of Congress who are slated to speak can be complete their official House business at the same time.
Ms Pelosi has teed up a vote later this week on a bill to prohibit the USPS from discontinuing or diminishing any of its services.
"Alarmingly, across the nation, we see the devastating effects of the President's campaign to sabotage the election by manipulating the Postal Service to disenfranchise voters," she wrote in a letter to her caucus on Sunday.
"Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, one of the top Trump mega-donors, has proven a complicit crony as he continues to push forward sweeping new operational changes that degrade postal service, delay the mail, and — according to the Postal Service itself — threaten to deny the ability of eligible Americans to cast their votes through the mail in the upcoming elections in a timely fashion," Ms Pelosi said.
Read more about Democrats' oversight of the USPS:
"Alarmingly, across the nation, we see the devastating effects of the President's campaign to sabotage the election by manipulating the Postal Service to disenfranchise voters," she wrote in a letter to her caucus on Sunday.
"Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, one of the top Trump mega-donors, has proven a complicit crony as he continues to push forward sweeping new operational changes that degrade postal service, delay the mail, and — according to the Postal Service itself — threaten to deny the ability of eligible Americans to cast their votes through the mail in the upcoming elections in a timely fashion," Ms Pelosi said.
Read more about Democrats' oversight of the USPS:
Trump's postal service officials called to testify before House as concern mounts over threats to mail-in voting
The IndependentTentative showdown between Trump's postmaster general Louis DeJoy and Congress set for 24 August
Biden campaign manager confident Democrats can win GOP strongholds Georgia, Texas, others
Joe Biden campaign manager Jennifer O'Malley Dillon has said Democrats are "on offense" this November, eyeing to flip several states such as Texas, Georgia, and Ohio that have somewhat slipped from GOP dominance over the last three and a half years since Donald Trump became president.
"You look at states like Ohio and Iowa and Georgia and Texas, all of those states are on the map. We're within the margin [of error]. We're ahead depending on what polling you're looking at, and we are doing the work to ensure that they're in play," Ms O'Malley Dillon said in an interview with The Washington Post previewing the Democratic National Convention.
While some polls from late June and early July showed Mr Biden leading Mr Trump in Texas and Georgia, Mr Trump maintains a 3.5 percentage point advantage in Texas according to his RealClearPolitics average there.
In Georgia, where less public polling has been conducted, the picture is even murkier. Mr Biden trails the president by an RCP average of just 1 percentage point.
Joe Biden campaign manager Jennifer O'Malley Dillon has said Democrats are "on offense" this November, eyeing to flip several states such as Texas, Georgia, and Ohio that have somewhat slipped from GOP dominance over the last three and a half years since Donald Trump became president.
"You look at states like Ohio and Iowa and Georgia and Texas, all of those states are on the map. We're within the margin [of error]. We're ahead depending on what polling you're looking at, and we are doing the work to ensure that they're in play," Ms O'Malley Dillon said in an interview with The Washington Post previewing the Democratic National Convention.
While some polls from late June and early July showed Mr Biden leading Mr Trump in Texas and Georgia, Mr Trump maintains a 3.5 percentage point advantage in Texas according to his RealClearPolitics average there.
In Georgia, where less public polling has been conducted, the picture is even murkier. Mr Biden trails the president by an RCP average of just 1 percentage point.
Convention officially begins
The Democratic National Convention officially has officially commenced, with meetings of various caucuses and councils throughout the day.
From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the East Coast the DNC's Hispanic Caucus will meet virtually at an event that can be live streamed on the national party's website.
And the Democratic Party of Wisconsin is hosting a virtual training event from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. to "give participants a look behind-the-scenes of political campaigns and prepare them with the skills, knowledge, and tools to find meaningful campaign volunteer experiences," according to the DNC.
The schedule of Monday's events can be found here.
The Democratic National Convention officially has officially commenced, with meetings of various caucuses and councils throughout the day.
From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the East Coast the DNC's Hispanic Caucus will meet virtually at an event that can be live streamed on the national party's website.
And the Democratic Party of Wisconsin is hosting a virtual training event from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. to "give participants a look behind-the-scenes of political campaigns and prepare them with the skills, knowledge, and tools to find meaningful campaign volunteer experiences," according to the DNC.
The schedule of Monday's events can be found here.
Democratic National Convention Schedule (August 17-20)
2020 Democratic National ConventionTune in August 17-20 as we nominate Joe Biden at the 2020 Democratic National Convention!
Kasich, other 'prominent' Republicans to endorse Biden on Monday
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich, who was the last Republican to drop out of contention against Donald Trump in the 2016 GOP presidential primary, is one of several former Republican lawmakers scheduled to come out in support of Joe Biden's candidacy on Monday evening.
Asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Sunday whether other Republicans would come out in support of Mr Biden, Mr Kasich hinted that a "prominent" former GOP congressman would follow suit.
By putting Mr Kasich, a former GOP governor, up on stage alongside such progressive figureheads as Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Democrats hope to show the bloc of undecided, independent swing voters that Mr Biden's candidacy has a broad base of support from all over the political spectrum.
Americans are "rising up" to confront Mr Trump's handling of coronavirus, unemployment, and racial injustice, the DNC wrote in its statement previewing Monday's events, in an attempt to "unite our country."
Other Republicans slated to speak on Monday are former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, who also served as Environmental Protection Agency administrator under George W Bush; Meg Whitman, who ran for governor of California as a Republican in 2010; and former Congresswoman Susan Molinari of New York, who chaired the House GOP conference from 1995 to 1997.
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich, who was the last Republican to drop out of contention against Donald Trump in the 2016 GOP presidential primary, is one of several former Republican lawmakers scheduled to come out in support of Joe Biden's candidacy on Monday evening.
Asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Sunday whether other Republicans would come out in support of Mr Biden, Mr Kasich hinted that a "prominent" former GOP congressman would follow suit.
By putting Mr Kasich, a former GOP governor, up on stage alongside such progressive figureheads as Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Democrats hope to show the bloc of undecided, independent swing voters that Mr Biden's candidacy has a broad base of support from all over the political spectrum.
Americans are "rising up" to confront Mr Trump's handling of coronavirus, unemployment, and racial injustice, the DNC wrote in its statement previewing Monday's events, in an attempt to "unite our country."
Other Republicans slated to speak on Monday are former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, who also served as Environmental Protection Agency administrator under George W Bush; Meg Whitman, who ran for governor of California as a Republican in 2010; and former Congresswoman Susan Molinari of New York, who chaired the House GOP conference from 1995 to 1997.
Trump once again warns of mail-in fraud for 2020 election
"A Rigged Election?" Donald Trump asked rhetorically in a tweet on Monday ahead of the first night of speeches at the Democratic National Convention, where Democrats are expected to hammer him for undermining US Postal Service operations ahead of the 3 November election.
While the president has never provided evidence of widespread mail-in voting fraud, he has continually sounded the alarm that people could illegally harvest or destroy mail-in ballots in drop boxes.
"Some states use 'drop boxes' for the collection of Universal Mail-In Ballots. So who is going to 'collect' the Ballots, and what might be done to them prior to tabulation? A Rigged Election? So bad for our Country. Only Absentee Ballots acceptable!" he tweeted on Monday.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called the House back into session to vote on a bill to prevent the Trump administration and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump megadonor, from halting certain operations and procedures that experts say have slowed down the delivery of the mail drastically in recent weeks.
Ms Pelosi has accused Mr Trump of trying to rig the election by suppressing the mail-in vote and casting doubt on the integrity of the election.
More on that accusation here:
"A Rigged Election?" Donald Trump asked rhetorically in a tweet on Monday ahead of the first night of speeches at the Democratic National Convention, where Democrats are expected to hammer him for undermining US Postal Service operations ahead of the 3 November election.
While the president has never provided evidence of widespread mail-in voting fraud, he has continually sounded the alarm that people could illegally harvest or destroy mail-in ballots in drop boxes.
"Some states use 'drop boxes' for the collection of Universal Mail-In Ballots. So who is going to 'collect' the Ballots, and what might be done to them prior to tabulation? A Rigged Election? So bad for our Country. Only Absentee Ballots acceptable!" he tweeted on Monday.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called the House back into session to vote on a bill to prevent the Trump administration and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump megadonor, from halting certain operations and procedures that experts say have slowed down the delivery of the mail drastically in recent weeks.
Ms Pelosi has accused Mr Trump of trying to rig the election by suppressing the mail-in vote and casting doubt on the integrity of the election.
More on that accusation here:
Pelosi says Trump is trying to rig election by undermining USPS because he knows he can't win
The IndependentPresident has been transparent that he does not want to fund the postal service because he believes it will lead to more voters casting ballots by mail
Winning over the skeptics
Despite his steady lead in the polls and the ideological breadth of public figures supporting him at the Democratic National Convention this week, Joe Biden must still win over his skeptics from the left.
Among those is Independent Voices contributor Carli Pierson, who writes in her latest column that she feels "disgusted" by the binary choice between Mr Biden and Donald Trump.
"I feel I have no choice but to vote for the lesser of the two evils this time, even though I know that this is not what progress looks like," Ms Pierson writes.
Read that column here:
Despite his steady lead in the polls and the ideological breadth of public figures supporting him at the Democratic National Convention this week, Joe Biden must still win over his skeptics from the left.
Among those is Independent Voices contributor Carli Pierson, who writes in her latest column that she feels "disgusted" by the binary choice between Mr Biden and Donald Trump.
"I feel I have no choice but to vote for the lesser of the two evils this time, even though I know that this is not what progress looks like," Ms Pierson writes.
Read that column here:
I should be excited about the Democratic Convention — but I’m disgusted about voting for Biden
The IndependentOn one side, the fate of my country dangles in front of me with an incompetent narcissist at its helm. On the other, a vote for the same corrupt establishment politics that led us to this chaos in the first place is, sadly, our best bet
Trump campaign flooding digital ad space during Democratic convention
Even though it's Democrats' week in the sun with their convention set to kick off on Monday, get ready to see a lot of Donald Trump.
That's because in an attempt to steal away some Joe Biden's shine, the Trump campaign is planning to spend millions of dollars to flood digital ad space with its own message.
All this week, pro-Trump ads will splash across the home pages of The Washington Post, FoxNews.com, The Wall Street Journal, and other prominent news websites.
The Trump campaign has bought the rights to put whatever content it wants — within the confines of election laws, of course — on the banner of YouTube for four straight days beginning on Tuesday.
“It’s great that Team Biden let the Trump campaign grab up the best premium real estate on the internet during Joe’s big week,” said campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh.
Even though it's Democrats' week in the sun with their convention set to kick off on Monday, get ready to see a lot of Donald Trump.
That's because in an attempt to steal away some Joe Biden's shine, the Trump campaign is planning to spend millions of dollars to flood digital ad space with its own message.
All this week, pro-Trump ads will splash across the home pages of The Washington Post, FoxNews.com, The Wall Street Journal, and other prominent news websites.
The Trump campaign has bought the rights to put whatever content it wants — within the confines of election laws, of course — on the banner of YouTube for four straight days beginning on Tuesday.
“It’s great that Team Biden let the Trump campaign grab up the best premium real estate on the internet during Joe’s big week,” said campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh.
Mr Murtaugh indicated the Trump campaign would be using negative advertising to cast Mr Biden as a stooge of the far-left faction of his party.
"We'll show millions of Americans exactly how the radical, leftist takeover of Joe Biden is now complete," he said.
Kasich needles AOC as both prepare to speak at convention
In a sign of just how brittle the broad electoral coalition Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is trying to cultivate is, two public figures scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention's opening night have traded barbs in recent days over who better represents the party and nation.
Former Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich, who is one of several Republicans scheduled to back Mr Biden in a speech on Monday, took a shot at Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose mere 60-second time slot on Monday has been criticised as a slap in the face to progressives.
"I think both parties have to have new ideas, and I think this country is moderate," Mr Kasich told Buzzfeed News.
In a sign of just how brittle the broad electoral coalition Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is trying to cultivate is, two public figures scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention's opening night have traded barbs in recent days over who better represents the party and nation.
Former Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich, who is one of several Republicans scheduled to back Mr Biden in a speech on Monday, took a shot at Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose mere 60-second time slot on Monday has been criticised as a slap in the face to progressives.
"I think both parties have to have new ideas, and I think this country is moderate," Mr Kasich told Buzzfeed News.
"People on the extreme, whether they're on the left or on the right, they get outsized publicity that tends to define their party. You know, I listen to people all the time make these statements, and because AOC gets outsized publicity doesn't mean she represents the Democratic Party. She's just a part, just some member of it. And it's on both sides, whether it's the Republicans or whether it's the Democrats," he said.
Mr Kasich said he did not angle for the opportunity to speak at the convention, but that Democrats approached him.
"This was not something that I instigated," the former governor told Buzzfeed News last week.
"When they came and asked, 'Do you want to do it?' I had to think about it, right? I had to think about it. And it's not like I'm gonna be turning around. I'm a Republican. But I just think that at this point in time, my Republican affiliation is outweighed by my concern about the direction of the country."
Mr Kasich said he did not angle for the opportunity to speak at the convention, but that Democrats approached him.
"This was not something that I instigated," the former governor told Buzzfeed News last week.
"When they came and asked, 'Do you want to do it?' I had to think about it, right? I had to think about it. And it's not like I'm gonna be turning around. I'm a Republican. But I just think that at this point in time, my Republican affiliation is outweighed by my concern about the direction of the country."
Famous musicians set to perform at Dem convention
The Democratic National Convention will feature a rockstar list of speakers and performers — literally.
Among the expected musical performers are 18-year-old Billie Eilish, the youngest artist to win the four major Grammy categories in the same year; Common; Jennifer Hudson; and John Legend.
Maggie Rogers and Leon Bridges will perform on Monday night.
The Democratic National Convention will feature a rockstar list of speakers and performers — literally.
Among the expected musical performers are 18-year-old Billie Eilish, the youngest artist to win the four major Grammy categories in the same year; Common; Jennifer Hudson; and John Legend.
Maggie Rogers and Leon Bridges will perform on Monday night.
2020 the 'most consequential' election in a long time, Hillary Clinton says
As she prepares to deliver a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton signaled the 2020 election is even more important than her own was.
The election between Democrat Joe Biden and Donald Trump this November is "the most consequential presidential election in a very long time," Ms Clinton said in an interview put on by the Atlantic Council on Monday.
"This is a moment of reckoning," Ms Clinton said.
She warned that Russia is once again interfering in the US election process through a malign online influence campaign to aid Mr Trump's campaign and shared that she regularly speaks with Mr Biden and was happy to see him choose Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.
"You want to pick someone you believe can become president, if necessary — someone that you feel would be a good colleague that you can work with and can give increasing responsibility to and someone, obviously, who can help you win. And the vice president concluded that Senator Harris checks all those boxes," Ms Clinton said.
As she prepares to deliver a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton signaled the 2020 election is even more important than her own was.
The election between Democrat Joe Biden and Donald Trump this November is "the most consequential presidential election in a very long time," Ms Clinton said in an interview put on by the Atlantic Council on Monday.
"This is a moment of reckoning," Ms Clinton said.
She warned that Russia is once again interfering in the US election process through a malign online influence campaign to aid Mr Trump's campaign and shared that she regularly speaks with Mr Biden and was happy to see him choose Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.
"You want to pick someone you believe can become president, if necessary — someone that you feel would be a good colleague that you can work with and can give increasing responsibility to and someone, obviously, who can help you win. And the vice president concluded that Senator Harris checks all those boxes," Ms Clinton said.
AOC hits back at Kasich
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has 60 seconds to speak during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, chided former Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich on Twitter for calling her "extreme" and "just some member" of the Democratic party.
"It's great that Kasich has woken up & realized the importance of supporting a Biden-Harris ticket. I hope he gets through to GOP voters," Ms Ocasio-Cortez, a freshman congresswoman from New York, tweeted.
"Yet also, something tells me a Republican who fights against women's rights doesn't get to say who is or isn't representative of the Dem party," she said.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez branded the former Ohio governor, who has a much longer speaking slot at the DNC on Monday, as an "anti-choice extremist" who has "signed away our reproductive rights the moment he has the opportunity to do so."
Mr Kasich is a pro-life politician.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has 60 seconds to speak during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, chided former Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich on Twitter for calling her "extreme" and "just some member" of the Democratic party.
"It's great that Kasich has woken up & realized the importance of supporting a Biden-Harris ticket. I hope he gets through to GOP voters," Ms Ocasio-Cortez, a freshman congresswoman from New York, tweeted.
"Yet also, something tells me a Republican who fights against women's rights doesn't get to say who is or isn't representative of the Dem party," she said.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez branded the former Ohio governor, who has a much longer speaking slot at the DNC on Monday, as an "anti-choice extremist" who has "signed away our reproductive rights the moment he has the opportunity to do so."
Mr Kasich is a pro-life politician.
Trump to visit Iowa during heart of Dem convention
Donald Trump will stop in Iowa for an event in Cedar Rapids as part of his tour of key Midwestern swing states to counter the four-day Democratic National Convention this week, The Washington Post has reported.
The president was already scheduled to hold campaign events in Minnesota and Wisconsin on Monday.
Although he lost Minnesota in 2016 to Democrat Hillary Clinton, the Midwest was key to Mr Trump's electoral college victory that year.
Mr Trump's 2016 triumphs in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, which he won by a combined 77,744 votes, were enough to swing the electoral college in his favour even though he lost the nationwide popular tally by nearly 3m votes.
Donald Trump will stop in Iowa for an event in Cedar Rapids as part of his tour of key Midwestern swing states to counter the four-day Democratic National Convention this week, The Washington Post has reported.
The president was already scheduled to hold campaign events in Minnesota and Wisconsin on Monday.
Although he lost Minnesota in 2016 to Democrat Hillary Clinton, the Midwest was key to Mr Trump's electoral college victory that year.
Mr Trump's 2016 triumphs in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, which he won by a combined 77,744 votes, were enough to swing the electoral college in his favour even though he lost the nationwide popular tally by nearly 3m votes.
Could conventions matter more than ever this year?
Grant Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University in New York thinks so.
"The conventions this year might actually be more important than in relatively recent years past since the campaigns are very constrained in what they can do in person," Mr Reeher said.
"Those in-person events would normally drive a lot of the media coverage in the last few months of the campaign. But that is only if people watch the conventions. I'll be very curious to see the viewing ratings from them," said Mr Reeher.
The Biden campaign has been keeping a "low profile" other than the former vice president's decision to make Senator Kamala Harris his running mate. The conventions present a chance to let Mr Biden emerge from his shell.
Meanwhile, the Republican National Convention next week affords Donald Trump and his allies "a chance to try to speak directly to the American public, without a media filter, which has decisively turned against the Trump administration in the past year," Mr Reeher said.
Grant Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University in New York thinks so.
"The conventions this year might actually be more important than in relatively recent years past since the campaigns are very constrained in what they can do in person," Mr Reeher said.
"Those in-person events would normally drive a lot of the media coverage in the last few months of the campaign. But that is only if people watch the conventions. I'll be very curious to see the viewing ratings from them," said Mr Reeher.
The Biden campaign has been keeping a "low profile" other than the former vice president's decision to make Senator Kamala Harris his running mate. The conventions present a chance to let Mr Biden emerge from his shell.
Meanwhile, the Republican National Convention next week affords Donald Trump and his allies "a chance to try to speak directly to the American public, without a media filter, which has decisively turned against the Trump administration in the past year," Mr Reeher said.
Trump lands in Minnesota as Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders prepare to take stage
Desperate Housewife to moderate first night of convention
Desperate Housewives alum Eva Longoria will be moderator of the first night of the convention, followed Tracee Ellis Ross tomorrow, Kerry Washington on Wednesday and the Veep herself, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, on Thursday.
Desperate Housewives alum Eva Longoria will be moderator of the first night of the convention, followed Tracee Ellis Ross tomorrow, Kerry Washington on Wednesday and the Veep herself, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, on Thursday.
DNC chair: I can meet more delegates virtually
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez says he's making the most of a virtual convention and that the new framework will allow him to visit with more delegates than he could with a traditional convention.
Perez told The Associated Press on Monday that he expects to attend "50 or 55" delegation and party caucus meetings online this week. There are 57 delegations representing the 50 states, six territories and Democrats Abroad, plus regional caucuses and other demographic-based caucuses.
In a normal convention, Perez said, a chairman might get to "a dozen or so." That's because the delegation breakfast meetings take place in and around the host city, all at the same time. That makes it logistically impossible to hop to more than a few each morning. This time, Perez is in the host city of Milwaukee, but he's based at the party's control centre in what amounts to a remote broadcast studio that allows him to hopscotch across DNC meetings and media interviews.
Perez dropped in virtually to seven gatherings, including the Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland delegations and the DNC Labor Council. He had several more on his list Monday afternoon ahead of the first night of prime-time programming.
Presumptive nominee Joe Biden's campaign also is dispatching top surrogates to delegation and caucus meetings and evening watch parties.
- Associated Press
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez says he's making the most of a virtual convention and that the new framework will allow him to visit with more delegates than he could with a traditional convention.
Perez told The Associated Press on Monday that he expects to attend "50 or 55" delegation and party caucus meetings online this week. There are 57 delegations representing the 50 states, six territories and Democrats Abroad, plus regional caucuses and other demographic-based caucuses.
In a normal convention, Perez said, a chairman might get to "a dozen or so." That's because the delegation breakfast meetings take place in and around the host city, all at the same time. That makes it logistically impossible to hop to more than a few each morning. This time, Perez is in the host city of Milwaukee, but he's based at the party's control centre in what amounts to a remote broadcast studio that allows him to hopscotch across DNC meetings and media interviews.
Perez dropped in virtually to seven gatherings, including the Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland delegations and the DNC Labor Council. He had several more on his list Monday afternoon ahead of the first night of prime-time programming.
Presumptive nominee Joe Biden's campaign also is dispatching top surrogates to delegation and caucus meetings and evening watch parties.
- Associated Press
BREAKING: Former senior Trump official Miles Taylor endorses Joe Biden in damning video
A former political appointee at the Department of Homeland Security has endorsed Joe Biden in a damning video produced by a Republican group against Donald Trump.
"What we saw week in and week out, and for me, after two and a half years in that administration, was terrifying," he said in a video. "We would go in to try to talk to him about a pressing national security issue -- cyberattack, terrorism threat -- he wasn't interested in those things. To him, they weren't priorities."
A former political appointee at the Department of Homeland Security has endorsed Joe Biden in a damning video produced by a Republican group against Donald Trump.
"What we saw week in and week out, and for me, after two and a half years in that administration, was terrifying," he said in a video. "We would go in to try to talk to him about a pressing national security issue -- cyberattack, terrorism threat -- he wasn't interested in those things. To him, they weren't priorities."
Mr Taylor, who had served as DHS chief of staff under former secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, is one of the highest-ranking former administration officials to endorse the president's rival.
"Given what I have experienced in the administration, I have to support Joe Biden for president and even though I am not a Democrat, even though I disagree on key issues, I'm confident that Joe Biden will protect the country and I'm confident that he won't make the same mistakes as this president," he said.
Mr Taylor claims that the president had directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to "cut off the money and no longer give individual assistance" to people in California following deadly wildfires in the state.
"He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses have burned down in a wildfire because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn't support him and that politically it wasn't a base for him," Mr Taylor said.
The president wanted to "exploit" the DHS "for his own political purposes to fuel his own agenda," Mr Taylor has claimed.
Alex Woodward is following the story as it unfolds.
