Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received an immediate standing ovation upon entering the stage on the Democratic convention’s first night at the United Center. Clinton spent several moments waving at those assembled as cheers of “Hillary” echoed through the arena.
“Wow, there’s a lot of energy in this room just like there is across the country. Something, something is happening in America. You can feel it,” Clinton said to cheers.
Clinton had a slam on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump that prompted the crowd to chant, “Lock him up.” It was a sly reference to the chorus of “Lock her up” that was repeated at Trump rallies about Clinton back in 2016 when she was the Democratic nominee for president.
Clinton smiled at the irony that her remarks had prodded.
“Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial,” she said. “When he woke up, he’d made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.”
She also saluted Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, for possibly breaking the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” to become America’s first woman president.
The former New York senator said it was “the honor of my life” to be the party’s nominee in 2016.
“Together, we’ve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton said. “On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. Folks, my friends, when a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.”
The focus on the nature of Harris’ historic candidacy could be key for turning out more women in key states that Democrats need if they hope to win in November.