DNC begins first day with President Biden as headliner

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson kicked off the convention by welcoming delegates to his city and delivering strong remarks about what the new Democratic ticket offers Americans.

“Welcome to the greatest city in the world, Chicago,” Johnson said. “It is in this city of hard workers and caring citizens that Democrats will celebrate Joe Biden and nominate Kamala Harris for President of the United States of America.”

Johnson described Harris and Walz’s backgrounds, saying: “As the son of a family that worked to make ends meet, I know that Kamala Harris – the daughter of a mother who worked hard every day – is going to stand up for everyday people.”

Johnson, a former teacher, said he knows “as a former social studies teacher that Gov. Tim Walz will never hesitate to defend our democracy and those who need it most.”

“Together, we can build a better, brighter future, and there is no better place to start than right here in the greatest city in the world, the city of Chicago,” he said.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told CBS Chicago that four people were arrested Monday when protesters broke through a security fence at the DNC.

According to CBS Chicago, the official protest had moved away from Park 578 just after 5:30 p.m. ET, but a faction remained behind and breached the fence about two blocks from the United Center.

Learn more about CBS Chicago.

Politico national political correspondent Brakkton Booker and Semafor political reporter Shelby Talcott joined CBS News to discuss what they think Democrats should focus on during the DNC and what they think will differentiate Kamala Harris’ campaign from Hillary Clinton’s 2016 run for the White House.

CBS News is bringing you live coverage of the Democratic National Convention in the video player at the top of this page, but if you want to watch all the speeches in their entirety, you can stream them live here:

The convention began at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said every convention in the past has led to this moment: a black Democratic National Committee chairman and a black Democratic National Convention chairman hosting the convention for their party’s first black woman presidential nominee.

Convention chairman Minyon Moore also praised the evening’s headliner, Mr. Biden, saying: “In a true act of patriotism, he has passed the torch to the next generation.”

President Biden is expected to headline Monday night, following remarks by first lady Jill Biden and an introduction by their daughter Ashley Biden.

Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee, will also speak tonight.

Other speakers include Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and a host of nationally prominent Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Raphael Warnock of Georgia.

A number of union leaders Other speakers will also speak, including Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers.

And a number of women from states where abortion is banned will have time to speak out to share their stories, as the party seeks to draw attention to support for reproductive rights.

See the full list of speakers here.

In a Exclusive TV interview On Monday in Pennsylvania, alongside CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns, Trump defended his attacks on Harris’ intelligence. Asked by Huey-Burns whether it was the right message to win over moderate voters, the kind of voters Trump will need in key states, he said no, “the message is they did a bad job.”

Asked for specifics, Trump could not cite any evidence or examples of Harris’ intellectual deficits.

“Our country needs a very smart person, and I don’t think she’s a very smart person,” Trump responded. “So I don’t mean to… I don’t mean that as an insult, it’s just a fact.”

“What evidence do you have for that?” Huey-Burns asked.

“I’ve looked at what she’s said, I’ve looked at the way she acts, I’ve looked at her record — her crazy record — I’ve looked at her policies. I don’t think she is,” Trump responded. “I could say she is, and I know that would be great. And the other thing is, we have to win this election.”

In the interview with Huey-Burns, Trump also discussed whether he would accept the election result and whether he would release his medical records.

Read more here.

Cedric Richmond is the co-chair of Kamala Harris’ campaign and a former senior adviser to President Biden. Richmond joined “America Decides” to discuss Kamala Harris’ role in the Biden administration and the party’s transition from Biden to Harris.

Each day of the convention is dedicated to a theme tied to the slogan “For the People, For Our Future.” Monday’s theme centers on the “For the People” element, where the party will outline how it argues Democrats have put the people first under the Biden-Harris administration while comparing the Harris-Walz record and ticket to that of former President Donald Trump.

Mr. Biden’s time in office and his decades in Washington are also expected to be in the spotlight Monday, as the party seeks to honor the president — and his decision to step down — while celebrating its new standard-bearer.

Anita Dunn, a former senior adviser to Mr. Biden who left the White House last month to join the main super PAC supporting Harris, said the president views his role in the campaign as that of “chief volunteer” and is determined to ensure Trump’s defeat in November.

— Kaia Hubbard, Aaron Navarro

Protesters broke through a security fence in the security perimeter for the Democratic National Convention Monday afternoon.

The official protest had moved away from Park 578 shortly after 4:30 p.m., but a faction remained behind and breached the fence at Washington Boulevard and Wolcott Avenue. That group managed to breach the first perimeter line and attempted to breach the second fence, which would allow them access to the United Center.

Learn more about CBS Chicago.

— Dave Savini, Charlie De Mar