--- title: Hillary Clinton’s DNC Speech 2024 Highlights description: Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton used her convention speech to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris to break the proverbial glass ceiling. canonical: https://time.com/7012516/hillary-clinton-dnc-speech-2024/ author: Nik Popli article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-08-19T16:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:45:56.944Z article:section: Politics og:title: Hillary Clinton’s DNC Speech 2024 Highlights og:description: Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton used her convention speech to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris to break the proverbial glass ceiling. og:url: https://time.com/7012516/hillary-clinton-dnc-speech-2024/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71fcc89e4d9e7cc0/698a5a02d075333a35e711e5/hillary-clinton.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Hillary Clinton og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Hillary Clinton’s DNC Speech 2024 Highlights twitter:description: Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton used her convention speech to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris to break the proverbial glass ceiling. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71fcc89e4d9e7cc0/698a5a02d075333a35e711e5/hillary-clinton.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # ‘The Future Is Here’: The Biggest Moments From Hillary Clinton’s 2024 DNC Speech > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### 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. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=53e55e0e-afb3-4975-968b-852d8fafc901&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: ‘The Future Is Here’: The Biggest Moments from Hillary Clinton’s 2024 DNC Speech [Watch (HLS stream): ‘The Future Is Here’: The Biggest Moments from Hillary Clinton’s 2024 DNC Speech](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dBGwIZgP.m3u8) (4:36)  _Published 2024-08-20. Eight years ago, Hillary Clinton addressed the Democratic National Convention as the first woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket, hoping to break the proverbial glass ceiling. On Monday night, she was back on the DNC stage—only this time in a slightly different role._  by [Nik Popli / Chicago](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli / Chicago Staff Writer Aug 19, 2024 4:00 PM UTC Eight years ago, Hillary Clinton addressed the Democratic National Convention as the first woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket, hoping to break the proverbial glass ceiling. On Monday night, she was back on the DNC stage—only this time in a slightly different role.  by [Nik Popli / Chicago](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli / Chicago Staff Writer Aug 19, 2024 4:00 PM UTC Eight years ago, [Hillary Clinton](https://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2016-hillary-clinton-runner-up/) addressed the Democratic National Convention as the first woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket, hoping to break the proverbial glass ceiling. On Monday night, she was back on the DNC stage—only this time in a slightly different role. As the Democratic Party finds itself once again on the cusp of potentially electing its first female President, Clinton, now 76, used her speech to rally behind [Vice President Kamala Harris](https://time.com/7009317/reintroduction-of-kamala-harris/), salute President Joe Biden, and remind Democrats of the progress made and the opportunities still within reach since her historic presidential run in 2016. The convention crowd gave Clinton a standing ovation that lasted more than two minutes—one of the longest of the night—and erupted with chants of her name. “There’s a lot of energy in this room just like there is across the country,” she said. **Read More:** [_Read the Full Transcript of Hillary Clinton’s 2024 DNC Speech_](https://time.com/7012534/read-hillary-clinton-2024-dnc-speech-full-transcript/) Here are some of the biggest moments from Clinton’s speech at the DNC. ## Clinton says Harris will break the glass ceiling ‘once and for all’ The former 2016 presidential candidate spoke about Harris possibly breaking the glass ceiling to become America’s first woman president. “Together, we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” she said, echoing a [remark she famously made](https://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/hillary-clinton-glass-ceiling-nominee-223977) at the Democratic convention in 2008 after losing the nomination to former President Barack Obama. “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.” Clinton spoke with a blend of nostalgia and optimism, recounting the challenges and breakthroughs of her 2016 campaign and framing Harris’ campaign as the latest chapter in a continuing historical struggle for gender equality in American politics. She noted the barrier-busters who came before her—including former Rep. Shirley Chisholm, who ran for President in 1972; and former Rep. Geraldine Ferraro, who was nominated for vice president in 1984. “My friends, the future is here. I wish my mother and Kamala’s mother could see us. They would say ‘keep going,’” Clinton said as the crowd cheered and then chanted “keep going.” In 2016, Clinton’s campaign embodied the hope and anticipation of breaking the ultimate political glass ceiling. Her acceptance of the Democratic nomination was celebrated with a [dramatic visual](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-HH7yOs1k8) of glass shattering, symbolizing a significant crack in the barriers faced by women in American politics. Clinton won the popular vote by nearly three million ballots, but she fell short in the electoral college. **Read More:** [_Clinton, Speaking From Experience, Warns Democrats: ‘Don’t Get Distracted or Complacent’_](https://time.com/7012525/dnc-hillary-clinton-glass-ceiling/) ## “Lock him up!” chants erupted After Clinton referenced former President Donald Trump’s [criminal record](https://time.com/7012493/dnc-law-and-order-watch-video-harris-trump-prosecutor-criminal/), the convention crowd chanted “lock him up,” turning on its head the “lock her up” chants that were often used at Trump’s campaign events to attack Clinton in 2016\. “Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history—the first person to run for President with 34 felony convictions,” she said before the chants erupted. Clinton smiled at the crowd, and then paused for several seconds. Crowds have chanted the same phrase at some Harris events, noting her background as a former federal prosecutor. While Harris has sought to [shut down](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/08/harris-walz-quiet-lock-him-up-chants/) such chants, Clinton took a moment to soak them in. ## Clinton salutes Joe Biden Clinton began her speech by thanking Biden, saying he “has been democracy’s champion at home and abroad.” “Let’s salute President Biden,” she said to applause. “He brought dignity, decency and competence back to the White House. And he showed what it means to be a true patriot. Thank you, Joe Biden, for your lifetime of service and leadership.” Biden, who [would speak](https://time.com/7011893/dnc-convention-biden-harris-clinton/) at the end of the first night of the convention on Monday, [exited](https://time.com/7001028/why-joe-biden-stepped-down/) the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Harris to be the Democratic Party’s nominee in July after a number of Democrats lost confidence in him following a [disastrous debate performance](https://time.com/6993760/joe-biden-debate-disaster-democratic-panic/) against Trump. During Clinton’s remarks, the audience—including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who [reportedly](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/14/us/politics/pelosi-biden.html) worked behind the scenes to push Biden to exit the race—broke into chants of “Thank you, Joe.” ## Transcript 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. Something we've worked for and dreamed of for a long time. First, though, Let's salute President Biden. And then there was 2016 when it was the honor of my life to accept our party's nomination for president. And nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no ceilings on our dreams. And afterwards, we refused to give up on America. Millions marched, many ran for office. We kept our eyes on the future. Well, my friends, the future is here. I wish my mother and Koala's mother could see us. They would say, Keep going. Sly and Jerry would say. Keep going. As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial. And when he woke up, he made his own kind of history, the first person to run for president with felony convictions. As Vice President? As Vice President, Kamala sat in the situation room. But we also know, as Vice President Kamala sat in the situation room and stood for America's values. I know what it takes, and I can tell you, as commander in chief, Kamala won't disrespect our military and our veterans. She she reveres our medal of honor recipients. She won't be sending love letters to dictators. She will defend democracy and our Constitution, and will protect America from enemies, foreign and domestic. Aerica needs every one of us. O energy, our talents, our dreams. We're not just electing a president. We're uplifting our nation. We're opening the promise of America wide enough for everyone. Together, we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling. 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