First Day of US Democratic Convention Sees Big Tent Appeal for 'Trump Criticism'

Democratic Party to Hold Four-Day Virtual Convention Starting Today... Support from Obama Couple, Sanders, and Others
Michelle Obama: "Biden Is a Truthful Leader Who Will Run a Good Team"
Trump Pushes Back: "The Only Way to Lose Is If the Election Is Rigged"

Former U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The U.S. Democratic Party united at the national convention to take aim at President Donald Trump. Prominent figures within the party, including Michelle Obama, wife of former President Barack Obama, and Senator Bernie Sanders, a former primary rival, all made appearances.

On the 17th (local time) at the Democratic National Convention held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Senator Sanders delivered a virtual speech, stating, "This election is the most important election in the modern history of this country," and emphasized, "The future of our democracy, the future of our economy, and the future of our planet (Earth) are at stake. We must come together to defeat Trump and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president." He urged unity not only among his supporters but also among those who had previously supported other Democratic candidates, warning, "The cost of failure is too great to imagine."

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo criticized President Trump, saying, "The Trump administration failed in its response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), while our approach has succeeded," and added, "Americans have opened their eyes and witnessed how important government and leadership are in this crisis," urging support for Biden.

Through a pre-recorded video, Michelle Obama praised Biden as "someone who tells the truth, believes in science, makes wise plans, and runs a good team." She lauded him for his two terms as vice president during the Obama administration, saying, "He was an excellent vice president," and "He knows what it takes to save the U.S. economy, overcome the COVID-19 crisis, and lead our country."

Gwen Moore, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin, is speaking at the Democratic National Convention held in Milwaukee.
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

The convention held that day was a complete contrast to four years ago when the party was divided between Sanders and Hillary Clinton; this time, it was united in "attacking Trump and promoting Biden." The New York Times described the Democratic National Convention as "The primary race started with clashing ideas, but the convention gathered around the single goal of defeating Trump."

Polls conducted ahead of the convention show Biden generally leading President Trump. In a survey conducted from the 12th to the 15th by WP and ABC, Biden-Harris had 53% support, while Trump-Pence had 41%. In a survey by NBC and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) from the 9th to the 12th, Biden's support was 50%, leading Trump (41%) by 9 percentage points. A poll conducted by CNN and polling agency SSRS showed former Vice President Biden at 50% and President Trump at 46%.

It was also encouraging that some Republicans, including former senior officials of the Trump administration, declared their support for Biden. Miles Taylor, who was chief of staff to former Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, announced his support for Biden in an advertisement released by a group called "Republican Voters Against Trump." A longtime Republican, he served as National Security Advisor in the Bush administration and as chief of staff to the Secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019. In a video released at the Democratic National Convention, he said, "We tried to talk to the president about urgent security issues like cyberattacks and terror threats, but he was not interested."

Breaking the tradition of respecting the opposing party, President Trump toured states including Wisconsin during the Democratic National Convention to intensify his attacks. Referring to the pre-released Democratic convention speeches, he dismissed them as "uninteresting," and said, "The only way I can lose this election is if it is rigged." He continued, "We must stop these radical left-wing lunatics," criticizing Biden. He especially mentioned Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, and Erdogan, calling them "world-class chess players," and warned that Biden's presidency could disadvantage the U.S. President Trump plans to visit Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, on the 20th, when Biden's acceptance speech will be delivered, to divert attention from the convention.

Former President Obama is also scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention, which continues until the 20th. The Republican Party will hold its online convention over four days starting on the 24th in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.