• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Exclusive

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

Leadership

Everything You Need to Know About the Democratic National Convention

By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 24, 2016, 6:37 PM ET
Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton Campaigns With Senator Tim Kaine
Bloomberg via Getty Images

After a longer-than-expected primary process, the Democratic Party is set to officially nominate Hillary Clinton this week at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The convention is likely to be a more buttoned-up affair than last week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland. But that doesn’t mean it will lack its share of drama and intrigue. Here is everything you need to know:

How to watch

For the prime time speeches, every major network — NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, and PBS — will be airing the convention live. You’ll also be able to watch coverage on the major cable news networks like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.

If you’re a true convention nerd, though, and you want to watch the actual convention happenings all day for four days, the place to go is CSPAN. The cable channel, which normally shows live happenings within the halls of Congress, will have gavel-to-gavel coverage of the convention.

[fortune-gallery id=”1747121″]

For the cord-cutters out there, there are plenty of options. Many news channels will be streaming the speeches on their websites, and CBS is working with Twitter to air the convention via the social network. CSPAN will be airing its coverage via Facebook Live.

Who are the biggest names speaking each night?

Though the schedule isn’t complete and is subject to change, here are the biggest names you can expect to hear from on each night of the convention.

Monday: Two major names from within the party will be giving speeches on the first night of the convention. The first will be Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the democratic-socialist who gave Clinton a surprisingly vigorous fight in the primary campaign. The second will be current First Lady Michelle Obama, who remains a fairly popular figure. The biggest question about Michelle Obama’s speech may be whether she will refer to the fact that Melania Trump plagiarized her 2008 speech last week.

Tuesday: The biggest speaker on the second night of the convention is President Bill Clinton. Normally, the spouse of the candidate gives a speech on the first night of the convention. Given that Bill Clinton is also the 42nd President of the United States, though, it makes sense that his slot was moved to Tuesday. Also appearing that evening will be the “Mothers of the Movement,” a group of women whose children have died in gun and/or police violence.

Wennesday: Though it isn’t listed on the schedule yet, the final speaker of the third night will almost certainly be vice-presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. Also speaking will be President Barack Obama, who remains very popular with Democrats of many different stripes, as well as Vice President Joe Biden.

Thursday: The big act of the final night of the DNC will be Hillary Clinton, who will become the first woman to ever accept the presidential nomination of a major party. Before that, though, there will be an introduction of Clinton from her daughter Chelsea.

A number of other officials, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, are expected to address the convention, though the dates and times haven’t been confirmed yet.

The 5 Stories to Watch

How unified is the Democratic Party?

Last week, there were clear signs that the Republican Party is not as unified as their leaders hoped it would be. With last week’s news of leaked documents showing that the Democratic National Committee may have helped try to defeat Bernie Sanders, it is unclear how the Vermont senator’s supporters will respond to Hillary Clinton’s nomination. The announcement that DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is set to resign after the convention may placate some, but there may still be signs of discontent from progressive voices within the party.

How will Tim Kaine perform?

Tim Kaine is not the pick many in the party wanted. He’s a moderate senator from a swing state, but he’s not a member of the Sanders wing of the party. How he positions himself in his speech, especially how much he stresses his work as a civil rights attorney, could go a along way toward mending fences with Sanders supporters.

Will there be any spontaneity?

The Republican Convention, for all its flaws, was never dull. There is likely some concern that, next to the RNC, the Democratic Convention will be, well, boring. Clinton is a policy-focused politician who doesn’t exactly have a flair for drama — and when she tries to be loose and entertaining, it can at times come off as forced. The party may have to find some other way to make this week just as “must-see” as Donald Trump’s shin-dig in Cleveland.

What will Bernie say?

There is little chance that Bernie Sanders will “pull a Cruz,” and not explicitly tell his supporters to go out and vote for Clinton. He’s already done so repeatedly. But the left-wing firebrand has clearly launched a new movement within the Democratic Party, one he’s made clear he wants to keep leading after this election. It’s unclear how much of his convention speech will be used to further that movement versus talking about Clinton.

Can Hillary win over the wary?

This year’s election is unique in that both major party’s candidates are quite unpopular. So far, Donald Trump is more unpopular, but Clinton has seen her poll numbers fall after she was admonished by the Justice Department for her handling of confidential information as Secretary of State. The question now is whether she can get moderate Republicans and independents who don’t like Trump but aren’t sold on her to come into her camp and push her to victory in November.

Note: An earlier version of this story had the wrong date for Joe Biden’s convention address.

About the Author
By Ben Geier
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

How a mom-and-pop car wash chain went from sticky notes to AI-powered operations that are upleveling every part of the company
AIAutomation
How a mom-and-pop car wash chain went from sticky notes to AI-powered operations that are upleveling every part of the company
By Sage LazzaroMay 18, 2026
15 minutes ago
Outnumbered: At $4 billion ClickUp, a 3:1 agent-to-human ratio is rewiring work itself
AIAI agents
Outnumbered: At $4 billion ClickUp, a 3:1 agent-to-human ratio is rewiring work itself
By Sage LazzaroMay 18, 2026
15 minutes ago
Solo founders are using AI to do the work of entire teams—but going it alone has limits
AIEntrepreneurs
Solo founders are using AI to do the work of entire teams—but going it alone has limits
By Beatrice NolanMay 18, 2026
15 minutes ago
Donald J. Trump
C-SuiteDonald Trump
EXCLUSIVE: An hour in the Oval Office with the CEO-in-Chief, President Trump
By Alyson ShontellMay 18, 2026
1 hour ago
shyam
CommentaryHealth
World Economic Forum: women’s health gets only 20% of R&D funding. We must seize this $1 trillion opportunity
By Shyam BishenMay 18, 2026
4 hours ago
This community college student is America’s entrant in the Olympics of skilled trades. ‘I always wanted to be the first female to do something’
Future of Workthe future of work
This community college student is America’s entrant in the Olympics of skilled trades. ‘I always wanted to be the first female to do something’
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
17 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
Economy
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
15 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
6 days ago
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
Success
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
By Sydney LakeMay 17, 2026
21 hours ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.