Senate overwhelmingly passes package of bills aimed at protecting kids and teens online
ANDREY DENISYUK/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The Senate passed two key pieces of legislation aimed at keeping children safe on the internet Tuesday afternoon, marking a major step in Congress’ ongoing effort to regulate massive tech companies.
The two bills, which beef up privacy protection for children and limit targeted advertisements toward them, passed with overwhelming support by senators from both sides of the aisle, 91-3.
The Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act have been years in the making as advocates — including parents who have lost their children to suicide, drug use, viral challenges and more — have argued there needs to be more guardrails for children and teens on social media.
The bill now heads to the House of Representatives where it will face further consideration.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has not yet committed to bringing it up for a vote but has signaled a willingness to consider it.
“I am looking forward to reviewing the details of the legislation that comes out of the Senate. Parents should have greater control and the necessary tools to protect their kids online. I am committed to working to find consensus in the House,” Johnson said in a statement to ABC News.
The package, if signed into law, would create a “duty of care” that mandates that companies must take reasonable measures to prevent and mitigate harms to children and teens, and gives parents and guardians more control over how their children use social media platforms. They also create privacy protections for those under 17, prohibit targeted advertising for young people and allow parents the power to erase content.
It has been more than a decade since Congress enacted meaningful legislation to protect children on the internet. Federal laws on the books were written before Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok were even invented.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bills “perhaps the most important updates in decades to federal laws that protect kids on the internet” during floor remarks on Monday afternoon.
“Too many kids experience relentless online bullying. Too many kids have their personal data collected and then used nefariously,” Schumer said. “And sadly, sadly, too many families have lost kids because of what happened to them on social media.”
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., have championed the legislation in the Senate and have been fighting for its passage for years. At a press conference last week, the two were flanked by parents holding photos of their children who have lost their lives due to interactions they had via social media.
One mother, Julianna Arnold, shared the story of her daughter passing after an Instagram drug dealer sold her counterfeit drugs. Another parent, Todd Minor, shared the story of his son who died while participating in a viral challenge he saw on TikTok. Both parents are advocates with ParentsSOS, an organization that advocates for safety for kids and teens online.
Blackburn was in tears addressing parents, telling them she is “happy to be a part” of changing the outcome for families like theirs.
Blumenthal, who has helmed a number of hearings about regulating tech, said the legislation is necessary in part because large tech companies have shown that their products cause harm.
“We’ve seen from their own documents, their own files, their own evidence that their business model is to get more eyeballs for longer periods of time, so they get more advertisers and more dollars knowing that those profits are derived from destroying lives, destroying lives of your children,” he said.
Leading tech companies such as Snap, X and Microsoft have all publicly endorsed the legislation.
“The safety and well-being of young people on Snapchat is a top priority. That’s why Snap has been a long-time supporter of the Kids Online Safety Act. We applaud Senators Blackburn, Blumenthal and the 68 other co-sponsors of this critical legislation for their leadership and commitment to the privacy and safety of young people,” Snap said in a statement.
Several tech lobbying groups, however, chastised the bill.
NetChoice called the Kids Online Safety Act “unconstitutional.”
“Parents need solutions that are legal and meaningful, but KOSA is neither. KOSA’s data privacy, cybersecurity, censorship, and constitutional risks remain unaddressed. NetChoice hopes to work with lawmakers in the House to protect minors and families from KOSA’s many issues,” Carl Szabo, NetChoice’s vice president and general counsel, said in a statement.
Internet lobbying group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) echoed concerns the legislation could result in tech companies implementing policies that restrict free speech.
“The Senate just passed a bill that will let the federal and state governments investigate and sue websites that they claim cause kids mental distress. It’s a terrible idea to let politicians and bureaucrats decide what people should read and view online,” Joe Mullin, EFF’s senior policy analyst, said in a statement.
Google, which owns YouTube, declined to comment to ABC News. It has said it supports “several important bipartisan bills focused on online child safety,” but not specifically KOSA.
And while Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement, “We support the development of age-appropriate standards for teens online, and appreciate KOSA’s attempt to create a consistent set of rules for the industry to follow.”
“However, we think there’s a better way to help parents oversee their teens’ online experiences: federal legislation should require app stores to get parents’ approval whenever their teens under 16 download apps,” Meta added.
TikTok declined to comment to ABC News.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who voted against the bill, also gave a speech on the floor before the vote, during which he raised concerns about the bill potentially limiting freedom of speech.
“The bill they’ve written promises to be Pandora’s box of unintended consequences,” Paul said. “It is perhaps understandable that those who sit in this body might seek a government solution to protecting children from any harms that may result in spending too much time on the internet. But before we impose a drastic first-of-its-kind legal duty on online platforms, we should ensure that the positive aspects of the internet are preserved. That means we have to ensure that the first amendment rights are protected,” Paul said.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., also said voting against the legislation, citing concerns that the bill could restrict certain kinds of speech.
“Unfortunately, KOSA’s improvements, while constructive, remain insufficient. I fear this bill could be used to sue services that offer privacy-enhancing technologies like encryption or anonymity features that are essential to young people’s ability to communicate securely and privately without being spied on by predators online. I also take seriously concerns voiced by the American Civil Liberties Union, Fight for the Future, and LGBTQ+ teens and advocates that a future MAGA administration could still use this bill to pressure companies to censor gay, trans and reproductive health information,” Wyden said in a statement.
Advocates for the legislation challenge those concerns.
“There are endless myths and misconceptions that have been spread,” Blumenthal said. “There’s no censorship in this bill, it is about product design. There is no invasion of privacy in this bill, we have chosen not to collect information from kids.”
(CHICAGO) — The final day of the Democratic National Convention wraps up with Kamala Harris’ big moment: her acceptance speech in which she gets to tell her story to the millions of Americans watching.
Her campaign says, in addition to describing her middle-class upbringing, she will continue to stress optimism and patriotism — the “politics of joy” — the overall themes we’ve heard throughout the gathering.
Here’s how the news is developing:
‘Democracy knows no party’: Kinzinger
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger said he never thought he’d be at the DNC — but the Republican went on to explain what drew him to support Harris.
“Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican Party,” he said. “His fundamental weakness has coursed through my party like an illness. Sapping our strength. Softening our spine. Whipping us into a fever that has untethered us from our values.”
He said the Democrats are “as patriotic as” Republicans, continuing a theme of the night, as the crowd chanted “U.S.A.!”
After recounting the “profound sorrow” of Jan. 6, he said he suspected other conservatives would belong at the DNC as well.
“Democracy knows no party. It is a living, breathing ideal that defines us as a nation. It is the bedrock that separates us from tyranny — and when that foundation is fractured, we must stand united to strengthen it,” he said, while urging people to “vote for our bedrock values” by voting for Harris.
Eva Longoria leads crowd in ‘She se puede’
Actress Eva Longoria hyped up the crowd by taking the Latino motto “Si, se puede,” “Yes, we can,” which was used throughout Barack Obama’s campaign, and adding a twist.
“Tonight, I’m here to tell you, yes, she can. So, we’re going to say, ‘she se puede,'” she said leading to a chant from the crowd.
Harris is working to rebuild the Biden coalition
Our colleague at 538, Mary Radcliffe, did a deep dive earlier this week into polling crosstabs to see how Harris is doing with the coalition of voters that successfully elected Biden in 2020. We’re hearing from Black, Latino and Midwest politicians and celebrities tonight because that’s part of who Harris has to get to the polls to recreate that winning formula this November. You can read more detail in our story.
— 538’s Monica Potts
Adam Kinzinger rounds out slate of GOP speakers
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger is delivering a prime-time speech in support of Harris — rounding out a slate of Republicans who have spoken at the DNC this week, including former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona, former Trump White House national security official Olivia Troye and former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
Kinzinger, who retired from the House in 2023, has been a vocal Trump critic over the years, and although he describes himself as a “proud conservative,” he endorsed then-candidate Joe Biden for reelection in June.
The former Illinois congressman sat on the House’s Jan. 6 select committee that investigated the attack. He was also one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 attack.
Since Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee, Kinzinger has supported the vice president, saying she stands for democracy.
-ABC News’ Sarah Beth Hensley
Fact-checking Ruben Gallego’s claim about veteran unemployment
Arizona Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego talked about veterans issues in his remarks, claiming “Kamala Harris has delivered more benefits to more veterans than ever before, and has achieved the lowest veterans unemployment rate in history.”
Leaving aside what Harris did specifically to lower unemployment for veterans, the numbers show that the unemployment rate for veterans in 2023 dropped to 3%, the lowest average the Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded since it began tracking the veterans data in 2000.
—PolitiFact’s Aaron Sharockman
‘Big Gretch’ Whitmer talks about how Harris will ‘G.S.D.’
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, or as she introduced herself “Big Gretch” got a huge ovation as she took the stage and immediately took a jab at Trump.
“Donald Trump called me ‘that woman from Michigan’ as an insult. But being a woman from Michigan is a badge of honor. Like women across America, we just G.S.D. — Get Stuff Done,” using the sanitized version of the slogan.
Whitmer talked about the struggles of raising her child and helping her elderly mother. The governor noted that Harris has lived a similar life, unlike Trump
“You think he understands that when your car breaks down you can’t get to work? No! His first word was probably ‘chauffeur,'” she said.
Whitmer acknowledged the last couple of years have been hard but in the end they need to make sure the commander in chief is ready for any crisis like Harris.
“Why wouldn’t we choose the leader who’s tough, tested and a total bada–?” she said to cheers.
‘Listen to President Reagan’: Leon Panetta
While making the case for Harris as commander-in-chief, Leon Panetta, the Secretary of Defense under former President Barack Obama, said Trump will “abandon our allies and isolate America.”
“Listen to President Reagan,” Panetta said. “Isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments.”
In drawing a comparison between the two candidates, he said, “Trump tells tyrants like Putin they can do whatever the hell they want. Kamala Harris tells tyrants the hell you can. Not on my watch.”
He drew the largest applause when he said that the role of the U.S. military is to defend us from foreign enemies and “sure as hell isn’t to put immigrants in camps.”
Ruben Gallego brings out veterans, torches Trump
Rep. Ruben Gallego, an Iraq war veteran, brought on stage Democratic veterans serving their county and in elected offices at every level.
“These veterans represent the best of our country,” he said. “We stand united as veterans, Democrats and patriots to fight for everyone who serves.”
“But politicians like Donald Trump. They don’t stand with us,” he said. “They call patriots like Sen. McCain ‘losers.’ John McCain was an American hero. Show some respect.”
Gallego is running for Senate in Arizona against Trump-ally Kari Lake.
Harris’ motorcade arrives at United Canter
The vice president’s motorcade arrived at the United Center at 9:48 p.m. ET, according to the press pool.
Prime-time spot for Panetta
Another sign of how Democrats are trying to turn patriotism and national security arguments on their head, is the prime-time speaking spot for Leon Panetta — telling the story about giving the order that led to the death of Osama bin Laden.
-ABC News’ Rick Klein
Fact-checking Mark Kelly: ‘Trump skipped his intelligence briefings’
Trump was not known to look through the Presidential Daily Brief regularly or read it to completion. He relied instead on oral briefings that he received from intelligence officials every few days.
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton wrote in his memoir that “Trump generally had only two intelligence briefings per week, and in most of those, he spoke at greater length than the briefers, often on matters completely unrelated to the subjects at hand.”
—PolitiFact’s Aaron Sharockman
Mark Kelly touts Harris’ strength on foreign security
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly joked that it was tough to follow-up his wife Gabrielle Giffords and P!nk, but zeroed in on the topic of foreign security.
Kelly, who was in consideration for the vice president spot on the Democratic ticket, warned of Trump’s support of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his lack of support for America’s allies.
“Vice President Harris has always championed America’s support for NATO, for Ukraine and for the Ukrainian people,” he contended.
Kelly, a retired astronaut and Navy pilot, also chastised Trump for his treatment of service members.
“Trump thinks that Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice are suckers and losers. If we fall for that again and make him the commander in chief, the only suckers would be us,” he said.
Security is next theme of the night
In line with various speakers’s emphasis on Harris as a would-be strong commander-in-chief, now the conversation is shifting toward security.
A video just aired of a previous Harris speech on the need for a “strong America” to ensure global stability and democracy.
Speaking now is retired Air Force general and NASA astronaut Mark Kelly. Up soon is former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
Republicans should ‘forfeit’ conventions: Meghan McCain
Conservative political commentator Meghan McCain has some advice for Republicans while watching the DNC tonight.
“Maybe republicans just shouldn’t have conventions… just forfeit because I DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU CAN COMPETE WITH THIS!” she tweeted.
Maybe republicans just shouldn’t have conventions… just forfeit because I DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU CAN COMPETE WITH THIS! #DNC2024
Artist P!nk took the stage with her daughter Willow Sage Hart to sing “What about us?”
The 2017 song was written in response to the unrest going on in the country, the singer has said in previous interviews.
Mark Kelly operates iPad with speech for wife Gabby Giffords
Gabby Giffords, who survived a near-fatal gun shot to the head, spoke Thursday night on how she survived the assassination attempt and the need for gun reform.
“I survived!” she exclaimed.
Her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, was advancing her speech on an iPad as her own version of a teleprompter.
‘I reach out for the daughter I will never hold again’: Impactful stories on gun violence Four people impacted by gun violence shared their stories with the crowd in moving statements.
Abbey Clements of Newtown, Connecticut, a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary, said she carries that “horrific day” with her, when 20 children and six of her colleagues were shot.
“They should still be here,” she said.
Kim Rubio of Uvalde, Texas, whose daughter was one of 19 children killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting, recounted that day through tears.
“I reach out for the daughter I will never hold again,” she said, as the crowd yelled out her daughter’s name.
Melody McFadden of Charleston, South Carolina, said her niece’s murder on a beach remains unsolved.
Americans impacted by mass shootings shared their heartrending stories at the Democratic National Co…Show More “I’ll keep fighting,” she said.
Edgar Vilchez of Chicago, Illinois, recounted when his high school classmate was shot in school.
“Instead of worried about taking a test, I started worrying about living to take another test,” he said.
He said he learned a lot that day: “How to run, how to hide and drop.”
Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath said the stories “strengthen their resolve” to fight for the “safer futures that we all deserve.”
Gun violence takes focus
Americans impacted by mass shootings just shared their heartrending stories.
Speaking next is Gabby Giffords, who was shot during an assassination attempt in when she was in Congress.
Gun violence is among the top issues in the Democratic Party’s platform, which calls for an assault weapons ban and ending the gun industry’s immunity from liability. In contrast, the GOP convention platform made no mention of firearm violence or gun control.
Harris’ record as a prosecutor was seen differently when she ran in 2020
In speeches and videos, the convention is talking about Harris’ record as a prosecutor. It’s a reminder that the national mood has shifted since her last run for president, when she ran in the 2020 Democratic primary. At the time, efforts to reform policing were reaching a fever pitch, and her record as a prosecutor actually hurt her with progressives in the party. Those issues would only grow by the time she joined Biden’s ticket as vice president, after the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.
But that was four years go. Support for the Black Lives Matter movement has dropped since then, and Harris is working to reframe her history as a prosecutor to portray herself as a champion of victims. She’s also framing it in opposition to Trump, who has since been convicted in a felony case in Manhattan and is facing several other charges.
—538’s Monica Potts
Biden posts picture of phone call to Harris before speech
In an X post Thursday night, President Joe Biden said he and the first lady just talked to Harris ahead her speech at the convention coming up.
He added that they “can’t wait to watch her accept this historic nomination.”
In the photo, the Bidens, who are in Santa Ynez, California, are standing in front of a TV with the DNC on screen and Biden is holding a phone.
“Kamala and Tim will inspire a generation and lead us into the future,” Biden said in the post.
March outside DNC continues on final night
Marchers took to the street before sundown on the final day of the DNC. They stretched for more than a mile and took nearly three hours to reach its final destination in Union Park, four blocks west of the stadium.
Hatem Abudayyeh, spokesperson for the coalition, said nearly 8,000 people were in the streets marching. Their goal all week was to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinians, which he said was a success, especially when President Joe Biden mentioned the protestors in his speech Tuesday.
“It means people know we are here, and they are talking about us,” he said.
As marchers slowly moved through a residential street, just two blocks from the stadium, they banged drums, chanted (“just like 1968/nothing here to celebrate”) and taunted Chicago police officers who lined both sides of the street with bicycles.
A skirmish briefly forced the march to pause when several people surrounded Chris Eston, 21, of Peoria, who carried an American flag. After a block of pushing and shoving with the coalition protestors, Eston eventually was ejected from the street by police officers.
“They called my fascist,” he said of the marchers. “I told them in a true fascist country, protests don’t exist. If they’d do this in Iran, they’d get shot.”
-ABC News’ Mark Guarino
What to know about Harris’ family
Several members of Harris’ family, including stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and niece Meena Harris, were up on stage addressing the DNC. Her sister, Maya Harris, is also slated to speak later tonight.
Here’s what to know about her family.
‘Scandal’ stars reunite to fire up crowd: ‘You’re the Olivia Popes’
Kerry Washington took the stage to kick off prime-time coverage.
She began by criticizing any naysayers about a celebrity being at the convention and noted that this was not her moment, but every American’s.
“You are the messengers. You are the fixers. Dare I say it? You are the Olivia Popes,” she said referring to her character on the hit ABC show “Scandal.” “You are the superheroes saving this democracy.”
Washington ended her speech with a reunion with her “Scandal” co-star Tony Goldwyn, who came out to take a selfie with the roaring crowd.
‘Comma-la’
Harris’ two great-nieces were brought out for a tutorial with the crowd on how to pronounce her first name.
Since Harris entered the presidential race, Trump has reverted to an old ploy in his line of attack against her: mispronouncing and mocking her name.
“Confusion is understandable. Disrespect is not,” host Kerry Washington said.
Her name is a nod to her Indian heritage on her mother’s side. In her 2019 memoir, Harris wrote that she pronounced it “Comma-la” and that it means “lotus flower.”
The Chicks sing the national anthem
The Chicks are singing the national anthem, as the prime-time programming kicks off.
It’s been more than 20 years after the group went from country music darlings to pariahs after speaking out against then-President George W. Bush at a concert in the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
“Just so you know, we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas,” singer Natalie Maines told fans in London in March 2003.
Maines later apologized, saying her remark was “disrespectful.” But country radio stations across the country yanked the trio from playlists, while some protesters resorted to publicly trashing their CDs to demonstrate against the singers’ perceived lack of patriotism.
The group changed their named from The Dixie Chicks in June 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. They also released their first album in 14 years — “Gaslighter” — that year.
Sea of American flags
Scores of attendees are waving American flags as DJ Metro spins songs including Beyonce’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and John Mellencamp’s “Small Town.”
A big theme of the week is patriotism.
Families share personal stories on hot-button political issues
Anya Cook, a Florida woman, spoke about being denied reproductive care as she experienced a miscarriage.
Craig Sicknick, with his mother at his side, spoke about his brother: fallen Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
“My family knows how dangerous Trump is,” Sicknick said. “He incited the crowd, while my brother and his fellow officers were putting their lives at risk.”
Gail DeVore spoke about her diabetes diagnosis and the stress of being able to afford insulin. She praised the Biden-Harris administration for working to lower prescription drug prices.
Juanny Romero, the owner of a coffee shop, thanked the Biden-Harris administration for its support for small businesses during the COVID pandemic. Their policies, she said, helped her company double in size.
Steph Curry makes video appearance
Recent Olympic gold medalist and Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry made a video address at the convention.
The video included clips of Harris meeting with the Olympic men’s basketball team during a practice.
“That unity on and off the court reminded us all that together, we can do all things and continue to inspire the world. That’s what I believe. That Kamala, as president, can bring that unity back and continue to move our country forward,” he said.
Gen Z congressman addresses climate crisis
Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Zer elected to Congress, spoke about how Harris and Walz plan to address the climate crisis, including through creating jobs that invest in clean energy.
“Fighting the climate crisis is patriotic, and unlike Donald Trump, our patriotism is more than some damn slogan on a hat,” he said.
Human-trafficking survivor reflects on Harris’ fight for victims
Courtney Baldwin, a survivor of sex trafficking and now a youth organizer, spoke about how then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris shut down the illicit website that listed her and other victims for sale.
Baldwin said she yearned for hope during those dark moments when she was able to hold on to pursue her dreams.
“Vice President Harris is fearless, compassionate, and she still gives me hope. She’s protected people like me her whole life, and I know she’ll fight for us all as president,” she said.
Healey says she ‘can’t wait’ for September debate
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she can’t wait to see Harris “prosecute the case against Donald Trump” during their ABC News debate on Sept. 10.
Democrats continue to lean into prosecutor v. felon theme
Tonight’s speakers include several prosecutors with ties to Harris or even Trump — including Tristan Snell, who spoke on stage about taking on Trump University fraud.
“Kamala Harris fought scammers like him. And as president, she will continue to fight for you, for us, for the people,” Snell said.
Democrats see the contrast between Harris the prosecutor and Trump the felon as a winning message.
“It’s a beautiful split screen,” Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton and former communications director for the Democratic National Committee, previously told ABC News.
“She went after bad people who hurt the people that she was representing and that’s exactly what she’s doing now,” Cardona said.
Trump a ‘hateful man’: ‘Exonerated 5’
New York City Council member Yusef Salaam, one of the five men exonerated in the “Central Park Five” case, called Trump a “hateful man” during his DNC appearance.
“He wanted us dead,” Salaam said. “Today, we are exonerated because the actual perpetrator confessed. And DNA proved it.”
Korey Wise, another one of the men who was exonerated in the case, said they were “threatened” by people after Trump ran ads calling for the death penalty for violent crimes in New York in the wake of the attack.
He said Harris, by comparison, has “worked to make things fairer.”
“I know she will do the same as president and I approve that message,” Wise said.
Harris to promise to be ‘a president for all Americans’
In her acceptance speech tonight, Harris will deliver a message of unity as Democrats look to appeal to independent voters.
“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past,” she will say. “A chance to chart a New Way Forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”
“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight. And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans,” Harris will say, according to released excerpts of her speech.
“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations. A president who leads — and listens. Who is realistic. Practical. And has common sense. And always fights for the American people. From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life’s work.”
Trump’s tie to the ‘Central Park 5’ case
Four of the five men in the “Central Park Five” who were wrongfully convicted in the 1989 rape of a Central Park jogger appeared at the DNC.
The five Black and Latino men, who were teenagers at the time of their arrest, were taken into custody, hounded in police interrogations and ultimately gave false confessions in the brutal assault on jogger Trisha Meili.
While the five teenagers awaited their trial, former President Donald Trump bought newspaper ads calling for New York to adopt the death penalty for violent crimes.
“Bring back the death penalty. Bring back our police!” the ad stated in all caps.
The five men were exonerated in 2002 after convicted rapist Matias Reyes confessed to being Meili’s sole attacker, and Reyes’ DNA was matched to the crime scene. New York City settled with the Central Park Five in 2014 for $41 million in a civil rights lawsuit.
When asked in 2019, following the release of a Netflix series about the case, whether he would apologize for the ads to the men who were exonerated in the Central Park jogger case, Trump refused.
“Why do you bring that question up now? It’s an interesting time to bring it up. You have people on both sides of that,” he said. “They admitted their guilt. If you look at Linda Fairstein and you look at some of the prosecutors, they think that the city should never have settled that case, so we’ll leave it at that.”
Following Trump’s indictment in 2023 on 34 felony counts of falsified business records in the hush money case, some of the exonerated men called it “karma.”
Speakers make case for Harris as commander in chief
The DNC is highlighting national security, with recent speakers Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger; Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin and New York Rep. Pat Ryan, an Army veteran, making the case for Harris as the commander in chief.
“I’ll tell you what I think of Donald Trump. They told me I can’t say that word on TV,” Ryan said.
Slotkin leans in on patriotism
Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., made it clear: Democrats are patriotic, too.
Her speech was the most vocal example of how Democrats are taking back words like “freedom” and symbols like the flag, leaning on her time in the CIA and accusing Republicans of betraying the values they represent.
“We’re the damn United States of America. We lead,” she thundered in conclusion.
Warren makes couch joke when talking about Trump, Vance
Warren, a policy wonk, said she trusted Harris to handle the economy, abortion, climate change and more.
“Trust Donald Trump and JD Vance?” she said. “To look out for your family? Shoot, I wouldn’t let those guys — I wouldn’t trust them to move my couch.”
Elizabeth Warren gets teary-eyed during long ovation
The Massachusetts senator was seen wiping her eyes as she got emotional during a rapturous welcome from attendees at the United Center.
Vulnerable senators finally make an appearance
Last night, I commented on how few Democratic Senate candidates had addressed the DNC thus far — including zero in competitive races. Well, that ends tonight. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin spoke earlier, and Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania was just on stage. Both are in competitive races in swing states this fall.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Early speakers breeze through speeches
The beginning of the fourth night has been moving briskly, with shorter speeches.
Although there have been a few musical interludes from DJ Metro, they also did not last long. The previous three nights of the DNC have ended after 11 p.m. ET.
Harris’ plan for middle-class families
Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark focused on the burden of child care costs, saying Harris and Walz “know that when everyone can find and afford child care, our kids and our communities will thrive.”
The Harris campaign said it aims to keep some money in middle-class consumers’ pockets by reducing their tax burden.
The plans include a restoration of the expanded child tax credit of $3,600 per child that expired in 2022. Harris also proposed an additional, new $6,000 child tax credit for families with a child in the first year of life.
What Harris has proposed to help homeowners
Former HUD secretary Marcia Fudge and Congressman Ted Lieu just touted Harris’ housing proposals, which she unveiled last week.
Harris has vowed to provide up to $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homeowners and called for the construction of 3 million new housing units to ease the housing supply shortage.
Sen. Padilla: ‘I knew that I had some big Chuck Taylors to fill’
Sen. Alex Padilla, the first Latino to represent California and Vice President Kamala Harris’ Senate successor, told the crowd “I knew that I had some big Chuck Taylors to fill.”
Harris for years has often sported the popular shoe.
White outfits fill convention arena
White outfits peppered the convention hall here in an ode to suffragists and Harris’ historic candidacy.
The outfit motif has been a hallmark of House Democrats, who have used the color to send a signal at major events, such as past state of the union addresses, including this year’s, when Democrats sought to make a point about abortion.
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
DJ gets crowd moving to ‘Lil Boo Thang’
Chicago’s DJ Metro got the crowd to its feet, dancing to “Lil Boo Thang” by Paul Russell, at the start of the night.
100,000 balloons ready to end the night: Source
Convention organizers have 100,000 balloons ready to drop at the end of the evening, according to a source with knowledge.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
4th night of the DNC underway
The fourth and final night of the DNC is officially underway.
The theme of the night is “For our future” and will feature a keynote address from Vice President Kamala Harris as she accepts the party’s nominee for president.
Emhoff says Harris remains focused on issues ahead of ‘her big moment’
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff said Vice President Kamala Harris remains focused on the issues even “while she is preparing for her big moment tonight.”
“She has been in the Oval Office with the president on all of these major issues. She’s been in the Situation Room on all these major issues, just with what’s happening now,” he said Thursday at an event about combating antisemitism hosted by the Jewish Democratic Council of America.
“She’s still working on these issues while she is preparing for her big moment tonight. That’s what leaders do,” he continued.
Harris has spent the day continuing to review her speech and tweaking it by hand as she prepares to deliver what will be the most important remarks of her political life, a personal familiar with the preparation told ABC News.
-ABC News’ Mary Bruce
Harris, Emhoff wish each other happy 10th anniversary
Vice President Kamala Harris wished her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff a happy anniversary on Thursday ahead of her acceptance speech at the DNC. The couple are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary.
“To the best partner I could ask for: Happy anniversary, Dougie,” Harris posted on social media, with a picture of the two visiting campaign headquarters in Wilmington the day after she announced her candidacy.
Earlier Thursday, Emhoff did the same, posting a slideshow of photos of himself and Harris.
“Ten years of marriage, forever to go,” Emhoff wrote. “Happy anniversary, @WRQ11HGNB. I love you.”
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow
Meet the oldest DNC delegate, Angie Gialloreto
Angie Gialloreto, 95, has attended every Democratic National Convention since 1976, when Jimmy Carter was on the ticket.
Since the 99-year-old former president could not attend this year’s DNC due to his health issues, Gialloreto is the oldest delegate to travel to Chicago, where she will watch Harris accept her party’s nomination.
The Pennsylvania native told ABC News the possibility that Harris could become the first woman to serve as president was a long time coming because women “have taken a back seat many years and now we’ll have a leader.”
When asked how she would celebrate if Harris ends up victorious during the November general election against Donald Trump, Gialloreto said she will focus on “getting ready for the next election of local candidates.”
-ABC News’ Morgan Gstalter
Walz meets with former students in Chicago
The morning after accepting his party’s nomination for vice president, Walz gathered in Chicago with former staff, family, friends and former students — including some of the football players who appeared on-stage Wednesday night at the United Center.
ABC News spotted Walz at a Chicago hotel on Thursday morning.
During that meeting, he mingled with several of his former Mankato West High School students over an informal breakfast, according to a source familiar with Walz’s movements. Some of those who met with Walz at the hotel were observed by ABC News donning “Harris-Walz Alumni” T-shirts.
Earlier in the day, Walz posted a video on X showing him hug and greet the students backstage at the convention.
-ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman, Allison Pecorin and MaryAlice Parks
How Harris prepares for big speeches
Former campaign managers and senior staffers who worked Harris through the years shed light on how she prepares for big speeches.
They said she’s a trial lawyer at her core, and so preparation was key as well as being ready for audience reactions.
In crafting a speech, she would start with themes, outline and then focus in on what she wanted to say well in advance. She would be intimately involved in every speech, making edits and collaborating with those around her.
They said like most people she gets nervous, but would relax, review the remarks, save her voice, conserve energy and rest up.
-ABC News’ Zohreen Shah
What some of Chicago’s young voters think about the 2024 election
Three young voters — one liberal, one moderate and one conservative — discussed their thoughts on the 2024 election while in Chicago for the DNC.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Trump to do live play-by-play of Harris’ speech on Truth Social
Former President Donald Trump said he will do a “LIVE PLAY BY PLAY on TRUTH Social” of Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech at the DNC Thursday night.
“We will start at 10 P.M., Eastern, and be covering and commenting on some of the earlier Speeches made, prior to hers,” Trump posted on his social media platform before going on to slam the dropout of President Joe Biden and saying he was going to “expose” Harris’ policies.
-ABC News Lalee Ibssa
Harris campaign dodges question on why there isn’t a Palestinian speaker at DNC
The Harris campaign at a briefing Thursday morning dodged a question from ABC News on why there isn’t a Palestinian speaker at the convention and why simply saying former President Donald Trump would be worse for Arab-Americans is not the campaign taking their votes for granted.
“No, we’re absolutely not taking their votes for granted,” campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said. “I think, as it relates to uncommitted delegates at this convention, we’re proud, glad that they are here. We’ve worked to engage them throughout the convention.”
Tyler noted a panel conversation that was held with members of the uncommitted movement and said Harris recently engaged with the movement’s leadership in Michigan. He also emphasized that the vice president is working toward a resolution to the Israel-Hamas conflict “with a permanent cease-fire that allows Israel to fully secure itself, that fully continues and make sure that we have full humanitarian aid, but also make sure that Gazans are able to peacefully live and prosper in Gaza.”
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
12:58 PM EDT Gun control to be featured ahead of Harris’ remarks
Before Vice President Kamala Harris takes center stage Thursday night, gun violence survivors and gun safety advocates will address the DNC, according to Harris-Walz campaign spokesman Michael Tyler.
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, Rep. Maxwell Frost and the “Tennessee Three” — state Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, are also expected to speak.
Tyler told reporters Govs. Gretchen Whitmer and Roy Cooper, Sens. Mark Kelly and Elizabeth Warren, and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger — a member of Jan 6. select committee — will give remarks too.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie
10:11 AM EDT Kamala Harris to tell her personal story in acceptance speech
The fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention is leading up to a dramatic finale: Kamala Harris giving her acceptance speech and getting to tell her personal story — in her own words — to an audience of millions.
She’s expected talk about a middle-class upbringing with a working mother. She will continue to stress the themes we’ve heard from speakers throughout the convention: optimism and patriotism — the “politics of joy” — drawing a contrast, her campaign says, with the “dark” vision of Donald Trump.
U.S. Secret Service Director is interviewed about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump by ABC News’ Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas in Milwaukee, WI on July 15, 2024. — Jack Date / ABC
(WASHINGTON) — The United States Secret Service director told Congress on Monday that the attempted assassination against former President Donald Trump was the “most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades” and took full responsibility for the lapses in security that day.
“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13, we failed,” Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee. “As the director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse. We are fully cooperating with ongoing investigations. We must learn what happened.”
In her first hearing before Congress, Cheatle also told the committee that she will move “heaven and Earth” to ensure that what occurred will never happen again.
“Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death, as the tragic events on July 13 remind us of that,” she said. “I have full confidence in the men and women of the Secret Service. They are worthy of our support in executing our protective mission.”
This is yet another consequential week for the Secret Service, which is tasked with providing security to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Washington, D.C. — something the director has been focused on while also overseeing the security for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last week.
Cheatle is facing a grilling before the House Oversight Committee over how her agency handled security around the attempted assassination of Trump.
She has faced calls from multiple Republicans and at least one Democrat to resign after the former president was targeted at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Rep. John Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told Cheatle in his opening statement that he is among those who believe she should resign.
Cheatle has said she will not resign.
Cheatle asked about why no agent was placed on roof the gunman fired from
The Secret Service director was asked Monday about her statements in an interview with ABC News about why no agents were placed on the roof of a building outside the security perimeter of the rally, where the suspected shooter fired from, because of the roof’s sloping nature.
“I should have been more clear in my answer when I spoke about where we placed personnel in that interview. What I can tell you is that there was a plan in place to provide overwatch, and we are still looking into responsibilities and who was going to provide overwatch, but the Secret Service in general, not speaking specifically to this incident, when we are providing overwatch, whether that be through counter-snipers or other technology, prefer to have sterile rooftops,” Cheatle said.
Cheatle also admitted that the FBI has told her the shooter flew a drone over the rally site, but she did not go into more details.
Why was Trump allowed on stage while there was a threat?
Cheatle said that if the detail had information that there was a threat to the former president, they wouldn’t have brought Trump on stage, but she said the information wasn’t passed along to them.
“If the detail had been passed information that there was a threat, the detail would never have brought the former president out onto the stage,” she said. “That is what we do. That is who we are. We are charged with protecting all of our protectees. Distinguish between someone who is suspicious and someone who’s threatening. A number of times, protective events where suspicious people are identified, those individuals have to be investigated and determine what is it that identifies that person as suspicious.”
She said the Secret Service did not know the suspect had a weapon before former President Trump took the stage.
‘Clearly a breakdown’
Cheatle said she has read the intelligence regarding the threat from Iran against former President Trump. The Iranians have long pledged retribution against Trump and members of his administration for the killing Iranian military officer Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that when FBI Director Christopher Wray briefed congressional members, he was “incensed” that this threat information was not taken into account when planning for the rally.
“There was clearly a breakdown or a failure that day,” Cheatle said.
Cheatle also said that no personnel or assets were denied to Trump at the Butler rally.
But Cheatle was also grilled about whether her agency denied Trump’s security detail resources it requested in the two years before Saturday, as first reported by The Washington Post, something her agency initially denied but then admitted over the weekend.
In a statement to ABC News, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said, “In some instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not provided, the agency made modifications to ensure the security of the protectee. This may include utilizing state or local partners to provide specialized functions or otherwise identifying alternatives to reduce public exposure of a protected.”
“For the event in Butler, there were no requests that were denied,” she said.
Cheatle praised the agents guarding Trump for putting their lives on the line to protect him with their bodies even as shots were still being fired in their direction. She said that in less than three seconds, agents from Trump’s detail threw themselves onto the former president and helped to secure him.
“I would grade the agents and officers who selflessly threw themselves in front of the president and neutralized the threat an A. I think that we need to examine the events that led up to and prior to that day,” she said.
One shot took out gunman
Cheatle said there was one shot that took out the suspect from the Secret Service counter-sniper, whom she has spoken to since the assassination attempt.
Cheatle said she is “committed” to finding answers and has taken accountability and “will continue” to take accountability.
“I think that I’m the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time,” Cheatloe said, touting her increase in hiring and staffing since her tenure as head of the agency began in 2022.
She also said that if someone needs to be held accountable, she will do that.
“I’ve been a Secret Service agent for nearly 30 years. I have led with integrity, and I follow our core values of duty, justice, honor, loyalty and courage, and I am doing that in this case, and I assure this committee that I will provide answers when we have a full and complete report, in addition to cooperating with all of the other investigations that are ongoing,” Cheatle said.
House Speaker Johnson in attendance
The hearing room on Monday was packed, with standing room only, as opening statements were given by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.; ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Cheatle. House Speaker Mike Johnson was also in attendance.
In a rare bipartisan statement, Raskin had joined Comer in demanding that Cheatle testify after the Department of Homeland Security asked that her appearance be delayed, resulting in Comer issuing a subpoena.
The DHS inspector general has opened three separate investigations into what went wrong, the FBI is currently leading a criminal investigation, and Johnson has pledged congressional resources for a separate investigation.
As the head of the agency, Cheatle said it was her responsibility to investigate what went wrong and ensure that it does not happen again.
“The buck stops with me,” she told ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas in an exclusive interview on July 15. “I am the director of the Secret Service, and I need to make sure that we are performing a review and that we are giving resources to our personnel as necessary.”
Cheatle was in Milwaukee last week overseeing security for the Republican National Convention and met with the former president on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation.
“Secret Service is not political,” she told ABC News. “Security is not political. People’s safety is not political. And that’s what we’re focused on as an agency.”
Republicans also signaled they would question Cheatle about past statements that promoting diversity in the agency was a top priority.
The DHS pushed back against criticism of women in Trump’s security detail.
“In the days following the attempted assassination of former President Trump, some people have made public statements questioning the presence of women in law enforcement, including in the United States Secret Service,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other senior leaders wrote in a statement. “These assertions are baseless and insulting.”
Security walk through hallways at the United Center during preparations ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 18, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. — Brandon Bell/Getty Images
(CHICAGO) — Lowering health care costs will be a central theme at the Democratic National Convention this week, campaign and convention officials said on Monday, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), confirmed as one notable program speaker set to focus upon the issue — specifically on “lowering Rx drug prices” and “taking on Big Pharma.”
The DNC convention runs for four nights starting on Monday, with nightly programming airing from the United Center in Chicago. Each night “will bring the story of the Democratic party and our nominees to the American people,” convention officials have said, and will help to further introduce Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and their agenda to the nation.
Speakers throughout the week like Sanders, California Rep. Robert Garcia, Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will highlight the Harris-Walz campaign’s support for strengthening the Affordable Care Act, convention officials shared first with ABC News.
The remarks are also expected to contrast those health care proposals with “Donald Trump’s toxic Project 2025 agenda, which would repeal the Affordable Care Act and drive up the cost of care,” officials said, and highlight Trump’s “disastrous mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic” during the end of his term in 2020. Trump has said he no longer plans to repeal the ACA, saying he would make it “much better than it is right now.”
The speakers were each selected for their unique backgrounds on the topic of health care. Garcia, who lost two parents to COVID-19, will talk about Trump’s mismanagement of the pandemic. Underwood, who has a background as a nurse, will talk about preserving and strengthening the ACA. Lujan Grisham, who was formerly the New Mexico Secretary of Health and whose mother was a breast cancer researcher who was later diagnosed with breast cancer, “will talk about preserving access to care through the ACA as well as cancer research,” officials said.
On Sunday, the Democratic National Convention Committee announced the daily themes for the convention.
Monday’s theme is “For the People.” As it’s the day when President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak, the programming will highlight “the accomplishments and results President Biden delivered for people,” — “with [Harris] by his side.”
Tuesday’s theme is “A Bold Vision for America’s Future,” which will contrast the Harris-Walz agenda with that of Trump and Vance. The day’s speakers will emphasize the notion that the former ticket “presents a brighter vision where everyone will have a chance not just to get by, but to get ahead,” according to convention officials.
Wednesday’s theme is “A Fight for Our Freedoms.” On the day Walz is set to speak, the programming is expected to expand upon the reasons Harris chose him as her running mate — because he is a “staunch defender” of freedoms and is a “champion for America’s working families.”
And Thursday’s theme is “For Our Future,” which sets up the marquee nomination acceptance speech slated to be delivered by Harris. The programming will center around the fact that the nation “can’t afford” to put Trump back in the White House, raising the stakes for the November election.
Health care will be a convention focal point days after as Harris unveiled on Friday a string of new economic proposals during the first major policy rollout of her campaign in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In that speech, she pledged to “lower the cost of insulin and prescription drugs for everyone.” She also said she’d “demand transparency from the middlemen who operate between Big Pharma and the insurance companies, who use opaque practices to raise your drug prices and profit off your need for medicine.”
“Building on her years of work as vice president, U.S. senator, and California attorney general, taking on corporations that rip off consumers and fighting to keep prices low for Americans, VP Harris made two major announcements last week — one with President Biden on Thursday regarding drug prices and one on Friday regarding her plan to bring down costs for the middle class,” the officials said in a statement to ABC News.
“Now, with those accomplishments secured and a forward-looking plan, lowering health care costs will be a central theme at this week’s convention,” they added.
