Bill Clinton, Stevie Wonder and another day of anti-Israel protests: highlights of night three at the DNC

The Democratic National Convention reached its third and penultimate night in the city of Chicago, where, although the speakers were different, there was a common denominator throughout the event: the anti-Israel protests outside the United Center. Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and even Stevie Wonder all took their turns giving speeches with Wonder delighting those present with 'Higher Ground'.

As for the protests, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Chicago and marched with different flags and insignias. "Biden, Harris, you'll see! Palestine will be free!"and "stop the genocide" were among the chants exclaimed by the group, which was even larger than Tuesday's.

"No doubt, it's the biggest we've ever seen. In fact, it's so big that there are three separate megaphones that go for a distance of about three or four city blocks, probably about a kilometer," Paul Mauro, a Fox News reporter who was covering live from the scene, commented on the matter.

Two references to Taylor Swift at the DNC

One of the first big-name speakers to appear was Cory Booker, the senator from New Jersey. He used his speech to go directly against Project 2025 and associate it with Donald Trump, despite the fact that the former president remarked several times that it has nothing to do with his governmental plan.

"If Donald Trump has his way, he’s going to push through their extreme agenda. Project 1825. I mean – I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I got that wrong. Project 1925. Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Project 2025. That poisonous agenda where every single state will be in a state of crisis," the senator quipped.

Moments later it was House minority leader Hakeem Jefrries' turn. Dressed in a blue suit and sneakers, he paraphrased singer Taylor Swift to criticize the Republican nominee for president.

"Now, the road ahead will not be easy, which brings me to you know who. Donald Trump is like an old boyfriend who you broke up with, but he just won’t go away. He has spent the last four years spinning the block, trying to get back into a relationship with the American people," the Democrat said.

"If you vote for Kamala Harris you're not a Democrat, you're a patriot"

One of the loudest cheers of the night went to former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan. A Republican, he broke with Trump after the 2020 presidential election and was recently announced as speaker for the DNC.

"Let’s get the hard part out of the way. I am a Republican, but tonight I stand here as an American. If Republicans are being intellectually honest with ourselves, our party is not civil or conservative. It’s chaotic and crazy, and the only thing left to do is dump Trump," he said.

"To my fellow Republicans at home who want to pivot back to policy, empathy and tone, you know what needs to be done. (...) If you vote for Kamala Harris you're not a Democrat, you're a patriot. Now let's have the courage to do it in November," Duncan sentenced.

He was joined by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who had already referred to himself as a 'Swiftie'. "They want to take us backwards. But we're not going back, like never, ever, ever," he added, referencing the song 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.'

Stevie Wonder brought music to the DNC with 'Higher Ground'

The popular singer is also a well-known Democrat. He even played at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. This time, he gave a brief speech before singing for the audience present in Chicago.

"Even though our hearts have been beaten and broken beyond prayer, I know the importance of action, and now is the time to understand where we are and what it takes to win. This is the time to remember, when you tell your children where you were and what you did. As we stand between the pain of history and the promises of tomorrow, we must choose courage over complacency," the singer said.

"We must go on, go on until we are truly a united people of these United States," Wonder concluded, before stepping up to a keyboard and singing 'Higher Ground.'

"Bring 'em home!"

Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, whose son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, is among the 109 hostages held by Hamas, starred in the most emotional moment of the DNC's third night.

"In an inflamed Middle East, we know the one thing that can most immediately release pressure and bring calm to the entire region – a deal that brings this diverse group of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza," they said, visibly moved.

Moments later, Goldberg-Polin closed his eyes and put his hand over his heart as the crowd chanted "Bring them home!"

Bill Clinton called not to underestimate Trump at DNC

Clinton has spoken at every single Democratic convention since leaving office in January 2001. The 2012 edition was one of his most memorable, in which he defended Obama's first four years with great eloquence.

In this case, he spoke for nearly forty minutes to boost Kamala Harris' candidacy, although he also called not to let his guard down with Trump.

"Don’t underestimate your adversary. We’ve seen more than one election slip away from us when we thought it couldn’t happen, when people got distracted by phony issues or overconfidence. This is a brutal, tough business," he said, later adding that Republicans "are really good at distracting us, at triggering doubt and triggering buyers remorse."

Of course, he didn't miss the opportunity to directly attack Trump and contrast him with Harris. "His vendettas, his vengeances, his complaints, his conspiracies. He’s like one of those tenors opening up before he walks out on stage… trying to get his lungs opening by saying, me, me, me, me. When Kamala Harris is president, every day will begin with you, you, you, you," he sentenced.

Nancy Pelosi was recently singled out as one of the faces behind the operation to push Joe Biden out of the presidential race. Even so, the former speaker of the House of Representatives took the stage after Clinton and said that the still president had been one of the most successful tenants of the White House.

Oprah Winfrey said voting for Harris is "common sense"

The storied TV host had not been announced as a speaker, but surprised the Chicago audience past the four-hour mark of the event.

"We are Americans. Let us choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual — because that’s the best of America. And let us choose optimism over cynicism – because that’s the best of America. And let us choose inclusion over retribution. Let us choose common sense over nonsense — because that’s the best of America," he said to applause.

"We won’t go back. We won’t be set back, pushed back, bullied back, kicked back – we’re not going back!" she continued.

Winfrey also invoked the late Congressman John Lewis and criticized JD Vance for the "childless cat lady" comments.

"When a house burns down, we don't ask about the race or religion of the homeowner. We don't ask who their spouse is or how they voted. No. We just try to do the best we can to save them," although, if the place "turns out to belong to a childless cat lady. Well, we try to get that cat out, too," she joked.