--- title: Democratic Convention: Seven Things That Went Wrong description: Democrats had hoped that their national convention would go off without a hitch. canonical: https://time.com/4422851/democratic-convention-troubles/ author: Will Drabold article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-07-26T03:58:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:59:41.876Z article:section: Politics og:title: Seven Things That Went Wrong at the Democratic Convention og:description: A rough first day. og:url: https://time.com/4422851/democratic-convention-troubles/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt22208ecd646adaa6/69889f355f570f6205b21e1d/dnc_protest.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4080 og:image:height: 2295 og:image:alt: DEM 2016 Philadelphia og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Seven Things That Went Wrong at the Democratic Convention twitter:description: A rough first day. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt22208ecd646adaa6/69889f355f570f6205b21e1d/dnc_protest.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here Are 7 Things That Went Wrong on the Democratic Convention's First Day > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Will Drabold](https://time.com/author/will-drabold/) ## Will Drabold Jul 26, 2016 3:58 AM UTC  Protesters yell as DNC Chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., arrives for a Florida delegation breakfast, July 25, 2016, in Philadelphia. Protesters yell as DNC Chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., arrives for a Florida delegation breakfast, July 25, 2016, in Philadelphia. Matt Slocum—AP by [Will Drabold](https://time.com/author/will-drabold/) ## Will Drabold Jul 26, 2016 3:58 AM UTC Democrats had hoped that their national convention would go off without a hitch to contrast with the troubled Republican convention last week. But the opening day of convention in Philadelphia had some problems of its own. For conventions, which are designed to be tightly scripted affairs, the day began on [more than a few sour notes](http://time.com/4422889/democratic-convention-protests-opening/), though by the time primetime speakers Sen. Elizabeth Warren, First Lady Michelle Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders took the stage, things had mostly gotten back on track. Here’s a look at seven things that went wrong on day one: **The head of the Democratic Party resigned** Before the convention began, leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee stirred up trouble. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced she would [step down as chair of the Democratic National Committee](http://time.com/4421045/debbie-wasserman-schultz-dnc-chair-resign-convention/) and would not preside over the convention. Her resignation came after [another Sanders call](http://time.com/4420912/bernie-sanders-dnc-wikileaks-debbie-wasserman-schultz/) for Schultz to resign. > [](https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/757320874064130048) **Debbie Wasserman Schultz was booed** At a Florida delegation breakfast, Schultz was also booed on live television as some people held up signs that read “E-MAILS,” a reference to emails Schultz and other party leaders sent during the primary that showed they were aligned against Sanders. > [](https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/757603361801646080) **Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was also booed** When Bernie Sanders told a crowd of his supporters Monday morning they needed to unify around Hillary Clinton, [he was booed](http://time.com/4422167/democratic-convention-bernie-sanders-boos/). > [](https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/757629561622306821) **The convention opened with gavel troubles** Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was given the honor of gaveling in the convention—the official start to the four-day gathering. But after a short speech, Rawlings-Blake walked offstage. A staffer ran onstage to remind her she forget her only job: to lift the gavel and begin the convention. She darted back to the podium to slam the gavel and begin the convention. > [](https://twitter.com/NBCNightlyNews/status/757673590489702400) **Speakers were booed and heckled** As Democratic leaders began giving speeches, raucous Sanders supporters interrupted with various chants. Sanders [tried to tamp down](https://www.yahoo.com/news/sanders-texts-delegates-please-don-000000137.html) the protests to no avail. > [](https://twitter.com/BKcolin/status/757672768368472064) But the protests even happened during the opening prayer. > [](https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller/status/757674402087665664) ### See the Bernie Sanders Supporters Who Booed at the Democratic Convention  Ardent Bernie Sanders supporters hijacked the opening moments of the Democratic National Convention, repeatedly booing mentions of Hillary Clinton, chanting Sanders’ name and turning what was supposed to be a celebration into an ugly family feud. Supporter for former Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., John Stanley from DeForest Wis., reacts during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Monday, July 25, 2016. John Locher—AP  A supporter of former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders approaches the podium with a Sanders campaign sign during the report of the Rules Committee at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 25, 2016. Mark Kauzlarich—Reuters  Supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders chant his name as they protest on the floor during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, on July 25, 2016. Mark Kauzlarich—Reuters  Delegates and attendees in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) hold up signs on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 25, 2016 in Philadelphia. Alex Wong—Getty Images  A supporter of former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., protests during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 25, 2016. Paul Sancya—AP  A supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) chants on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center. Drew Angerer—Getty Images  A supporter of Bernie Sanders wears a sequined jacket during the 2016 Democratic National Convention at Wells Fargo Arena. Jack Gruber—USA Today/Sipa **The Democratic Party apologized** “The DNC does not—and will not—tolerate disrespectful language exhibited toward our candidates,” [the apology read](http://time.com/4422715/bernie-sanders-dnc-apology-leaked-emails/). Donna Brazile, the incoming interim chair of the party, told CNN later in the day, “This apology is not just to Bernie Sanders.” > [](https://twitter.com/CNN/status/757698985276608512) **Protests grew outside** At least 40 people had [reportedly been arrested](https://twitter.com/mattdpearce/status/757697445321068544) outside the convention, more than the total number of people arrested during four days of the Republican convention in Cleveland. Large protests continued through the afternoon and evening in the areas surrounding the Wells Fargo Center where convention delegates gathered. > [](https://twitter.com/mattdpearce/status/757708365573263360) > [](https://twitter.com/Timcast/status/757704468720914432) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4422851/democratic-convention-troubles/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4422851/democratic-convention-troubles/"},"headline":"Here Are 7 Things That Went Wrong on the Democratic Convention's First Day","datePublished":"2016-07-26T03:58:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:59:41.876Z","description":"Democrats had hoped that their national convention would go off without a hitch.","url":"https://time.com/4422851/democratic-convention-troubles/","keywords":["Democratic National Convention","Hillary Clinton","Bernie Sanders"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt22208ecd646adaa6/69889f355f570f6205b21e1d/dnc_protest.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Will Drabold","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/will-drabold/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt22208ecd646adaa6/69889f355f570f6205b21e1d/dnc_protest.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"DEM 2016 Philadelphia","caption":"Protesters yell as DNC Chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., arrives for a Florida delegation breakfast, July 25, 2016, in Philadelphia.","creditText":"Matt Slocum—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/democratic-national-convention/","name":"Democratic National Convention"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4422851/democratic-convention-troubles/","name":"Here Are 7 Things That Went Wrong on the Democratic Convention's First Day"}}]}] ```