Summary
The Democratic national convention has officially started – and we’re following all the latest from the stage at the United Center in Chicago and outside the venue in a new standalone live blog here:
Joe Biden will take centre stage for perhaps the last time on Monday night when he addresses the Democratic national convention in Chicago. Just over a month ago, Biden had been expecting to give Thursday’s closing speech as he accepted the Democratic nomination for 2024. But his withdrawal from the race last month, and the party’s consolidation around Kamala Harris, means that Biden will speak on opening night and then set off on a holiday.
Here’s a recap of what happened today so far:
Thousands of people gathered this afternoon in a Chicago park not far from the venue of the Democratic national convention to protest the party’s stance on Israel’s invasion of Gaza, the Guardian’s George Chidi and Andrew Roth report. Some protesters waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs equating Harris with Donald Trump seemed to have long abandoned either major party and were voting for Green party candidate Jill Stein, a socialist candidate, or abstaining entirely.
Joe and Jill Biden came onto the stage at the United Center, where the Democratic convention is taking place, for a quick sound check before their speech at the convention tonight. Reporters in the room shouted questions at the president, including whether he was ready to pass the torch. Biden replied: “I am.” Asked about what his speech’s message would be, Biden said: “You’ll hear tonight.”
Biden was also asked if his speech was going to be a bittersweet moment. He replied: “It’s a memorable moment.” He was also asked about Donald Trump’s claim that he was ousted from the ticket in what amounts to a coup. Biden quipped: “His stability is still in question.”
George Santos, the former Republican congressman from New York, pleaded guilty on Monday to criminal corruption charges. Santos pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a minimum two-year prison sentence.
Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator, will deliver a speech at the Democratic national convention on Tuesday night. Sanders will speak “to the popularity of a progressive economic agenda that delivers for the working class of America”, a statement from his office said.
Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor, said “antisemitism played absolutely no role” in US vice-president Kamala Harris’s decision to not pick him as her running mate as she now seeks the presidency. He was responding to Donald Trump’s remarks over the weekend that Harris turned him down “because he’s Jewish”. Harris picked Minnesota governor Tim Walz.
Illinois governor JB Pritzker said 250 members of the state’s national guard had been deployed to Chicago this week for the Democratic national convention. Pritzker said the guard was on “standby” and would act essentially as military police.
Updated
FBI says Iran was responsible for attempts to hack presidential campaigns
The FBI and US intelligence agencies have confirmed that Iran was responsible for attempts to hack both the Biden-Harris and Trump campaigns.
In a joint statement, the agencies wrote:
Iran seeks to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions. Iran has furthermore demonstrated a longstanding interest in exploiting societal tensions through various means, including through the use of cyber operations to attempt to gain access to sensitive information related to U.S. elections.
The FBI said it was investigating Iran’s involvement earlier this month:
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