Who And How To Watch 2020 Democratic National Convention Monday Night

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are set to accept the party’s nomination during the Democratic National Convention, beginning Monday night, though the coronavirus pandemic means it will look very different from the usual presidential convention,

Instead of a convention center or arena to house the event, 2020’s DNC will be a virtual event for all to ensure the health and safety of the candidates, speakers, performers, and anyone who planned to attend.

The event will emanate from Milwaukee, though most speakers will be appearing digitally during the four-day rally. Day one will begin at 9 p.m. and feature Republican John Kasich, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former first lady Michelle Obama as it looks to present a united front against President Donald Trump. The following three nights will feature between 8 and 10 speakers.

Speakers scheduled to appear this week alongside Biden and Harris also include New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former President Barack Obama and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

The organizers also outlined the musical acts scheduled to perform during the four-night event. Billie Eilish, John Legend, Common, and Jennifer Hudson are among the eight performers the DNC said would be performing.

“It will truly be a convention across America, and these incredible artists will help us tell the story of where we are as a country today under Donald Trump’s failed leadership, and the promise of what we can and should be with Joe Biden as president,” Democratic National Convention program executive Stephanie Cutter said in a press release. “These artists are committed to engaging with, registering and mobilizing voters to get us over the finish line in November.”

Monday's featured speakers are:

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich

Kasich ran against Trump in the 2016 Republican primary and has turned into a frequent critic as a commentator on CNN. Democrats hope the former Ohio governor will appeal to moderate Republicans who have been disaffected by Trump.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Klobuchar was one of many Democrats running as the potential party nominee for U.S. President during the 2020 Democratic Primary. Her strongest performance came during February's New Hampshire primary, where she finished third behind Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. She formally suspended her campaign on March 2 and endorsed Biden shortly after.

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto

In 2017, Masto became the first woman to serve as a senator from Nevada before Sen. Jacky Rosen was elected in 2018. Masto defeated Republican Joe Heck in a tight race to replace outgoing Sen. Harry Reid. Nevada has trended more blue in recent years.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo is the three-term governor for New York. He has been one of Trump's most outspoken critics, which has only intensified since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. in February. There were rumblings of him possibly being a late entry into the Democratic primary because of his handling of the pandemic, but nothing appears to have manifested.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Whitmer is another governor who has found herself the target of Trump's ire during the pandemic. The freshman governor and former state senator faced harsh backlash from Republicans and conservative groups for restrictions imposed during the pandemic, but has remained staunch in her decisions.

South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn

The veteran representative has served in the U.S. House since 1993 and is the third-highest ranking House Democrat behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Clyburn has served as the House Majority Whip since 2019 and is considered one of the people instrumental in helping Biden South Carolina because of his endorsement three days before the state's primary. This would be the first domino to fall in Biden ultimately winning the party's nomination.

Convention Chairman Bennie Thompson

The representative from Mississippi has served in the U.S. House since 1993 and was named the covention's chairman in June 2020. Thompson's also served as chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security since January 2019.

Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore

The Wisconsin Democrat has served in the U.S. House since 2005 and was the first African American ever elected to Congress in the state's history. She previously served as the Caucus Whip for the Congressional Black Caucus from 2017 to 2019.

Alabama Sen. Doug Jones

Jones was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2017 as part of the state's special election to replace Jeff Sessions, who was named U.S. Attorney General by Trump. Jones was considered a longshot candidate at the time in the deeply Republican state, but won a close election against Roy Moore after multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct were reported against Moore weeks before the special election.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders

Sanders also ran in the Democratic presidential primary and was considered Biden's toughest opponent during their campaign. He jumped out to a strong lead after winning the New Hampshire, Iowa, and Nevada primaries, but was ultimately beaten by Biden following the South Carolina Primary and Biden taking most primaries on Super Tuesday. Sanders has since thrown his support behind Biden and has promoted a message of unity within the party.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama

Despite leaving the White House in January 2017, the former First Lady has stepped away from the public's eye. She has continued advocating for a healthier America and calling on large companies to diversify their ranks. She published her memoir "Becoming" in 2018 and began her own podcast on Spotify in July 2020.

Television coverage will be provided by most major networks like ABC and NBC across all four nights, with concurrent coverage on their respective websites and news branches. The DNC will also be hosting live streams on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch for any cord-cutters or who find themselves away from the TV. Dedicated apps are also available to download on Apple TV, Roku TV, Android Prime, and Amazon Fire.

Amazon will also have the event available to listen to through Amazon Alexa.

President Trump is scheduled to campaign through Wisconsin starting on Monday, as well, with events reportedly set to take place in Oshkosh. Trump took the chance to attack Biden and the Democrats ahead of the DNC, saying the party would ignore the state “like they did in 2016.”

“As you know, Joe Biden refuses to come to Wisconsin next week for his own convention,” Trump said during a virtual rally on Wednesday. “The Democrats are once again ignoring the incredible people of Wisconsin. And that's something I never did because you had the best year you've ever had last year and you're looking like you're going to have it again this coming year. But they're going to ignore Wisconsin just like they did in 2016.”