DNC Day 4 live updates: Kamala Harris to give high-stakes speech as presidential nominee

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention! Let’s get caught up:

– Atmosphere in the convention center reaches fever pitch as Beyonce confirmed by reports as mystery guest.

– Members of the exonerated “Central Park Five” addressed the convention and blasted Donald Trump. Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana and Kevin Richardson were joined by Reverend Al Sharpton.

– Vice President Kamala Harris will make the final speech of the night to accept the Democratic nomination for president. She is expected to discuss her upbringing and parents; plans to tackle social issues such as abortion; and deliver a blistering takedown of Donald Trump.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer laid into Donald Trump, calling him “that man from Mar-A-Lago” – in reference to previous insults he had thrown at her.

“In Michigan they call me governor, in Detroit the call me Big Gretch. Donald Trump called me that woman from Michigan… as an insult. Being a woman from Michigan is a badge of honor!” she said, to cheers.

“Like women across America we just GSD – ‘get stuff done.’”

She continued: “Donald Trump doesn’t know you, at all… But Kamala Harris, she gets us, she sees us, she is us. We’ve all lived through a lot of history over the last few years… floods and fires… a plot and a pandemic.

“One day s*** whill hit the fan and you’ll ask… who is in charge. What if it’s him? What if it’s that man from Mar-A-Lago?”

“What I know is that we need someone to come up with a plan, to tell the truth. Right now we get to choose, what if we get to choose the leader who is tough, tested and a total badass.”

“I know who I want as my Commander-In-Chief. America let’s choose Kamala Harris!”

Senator Mark Kelly took to the stage to cheers and chants of “A-ri-zo-na!”

“President Obama had to follow Michelle I had to follow Gabby and Pink,” he quipped. “Gabby impresses me every day, she was able to walk out an address you today because she’s a fighter.”

“We all need a team, I’ve flown into space four times, I’ve flown into combat nearly 40 times, not once did I do that by myself it took a team to accomplish the mission.”

Senator Kelly blasted Donad Trump and the accusations that he had once referred to veterans as “suckers and losers.”

“If we fall for that again and make him Commander-In-Chief, the only suckers would be us,” he said.

Senator Kelly was, at one point, tipped to be a favorite to join Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket.

Award winning artist Pink has taken to the stage with a group of singers, including her daughter Willow, to perform her hit song What About Us.

Several people with first-hand experiences of gun violence adressed the convention, including teacher Abbey Clements, one of the survivors of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Melody McFadden of Charleston, South Carolina, whose niece was killed in a shooting in Myrtle Beach said: “Our stories are of loss but make no mistle our losses do not weaken us, they strengthen our resolve, we will secure safer futures that we all deserve, we will advocate, we will run for office.

Also onstage was Kimberley Rubio, a mother of one of the children that died in the Uvalde massacre in 2022, and Edgar Vilchez of Chicago, another survivor of school gun violence.

They preceded former US Representative Gabby Giffords who survived an assassination attempt in 2011. Giffords shared her incredible and lengthy story of recovery and thanked president Joe Biden who, she said “had always checked in on her.”

“Kamala can beat the gun lobby,” she said.

Giffords was joined by her husband Senator Mark Kelly.

The Independent’s Eric Garcia and Julia Saqui speak exclusively to Sloan, a five-year-old Kamala fan.

Here’s the most adorable interview from DNC:

Actress Kerry Washington was joined onstage by Kamala Harris’ two young nieces.

The trio led the crowd in a call and response pronunciation of the vice president’s name, splitting the crowd into two – “comma” and “la.”

They were followed by another of Harris’ nieces, Meena Harris, Ella Emhoff – stepdaughter of the vice president – as well as Helena Hudlin, Harris’ Goddaughter.

A big cheer went up in the convention hall as NBA star and Olympic basketball champion Steph Curry appeared via video message, Andrew Feinberg reports.