Democrats will showcase the perceived danger to democracy they believe Trump represents, by offering speaking opportunities to legislators connected to the January 6th committee.
A campaign representative from Vice President Kamala Harris' team confirmed to CNN that representatives Jamie Raskin from Maryland and Bennie Thompson from Mississippi, both known for their roles in the committee that investigated the January 6 insurrection, will speak at the convention. The committee concluded in its 2022 report that Trump should be prohibited from holding public office again.
Retired St. Aquilino Gonell, one of the Capitol Police officers injured during the January 6 attack, will also present at the convention. Since then, Gonell has become a vocal critic of Trump and the Republicans who continue to support him, citing their defense of those involved in the attack as a betrayal.
Gonell, an advocate for Harris, declared, "Donald Trump's failure to denounce the violence on January 6, 2021 is a betrayal to every officer who risked their life that day – and to every veteran who sacrificed for our nation." He added, "How can you support the police or the Constitution if you're granting pardons to those who attempted to destroy our democracy, harm our leaders, and assail law enforcement?"
Former Illinois representative Adam Kinzinger, another member of the January 6 committee, is slated to address the convention on Thursday, according to previous reports. Kinzinger, now a CNN political commentator, was among the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for "incitement of an insurrection" related to the attack on the Capitol.
The group known as the "Tennessee Three" – representatives Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson – is also expected to speak at the convention. Jones and Pearson were expelled from the Tennessee House in 2021 after leading a gun control protest on the chamber floor. However, they managed to regain their seats in the subsequent election.
Representative Jasmine Crockett from Texas and Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, the pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served, are also scheduled to address the convention during the week. Crockett served in the Texas Legislature in 2021 when Democrats tried to prevent restrictive voting legislation in the state, while Warnock has been a strong advocate for democratic values.
Before withdrawing from the 2024 race, President Joe Biden emphasized that Trump posed a threat to democracy as a major part of his campaign. Although Harris' new campaign focuses less on this issue, the Harris team will make it clear this week that they view it as a significant concern for voters.
"We will remind all Americans of the importance of this election for freedom and the future of our democracy," the campaign official stated.
The debate around politics and Trump's potential future in public office continues, with the Harris team inviting influential figures who have critiqued his actions. Retired officer Gonell, now a vocal critic of Trump, will underscore this at the convention, discussing the January 6 attack and the betrayal felt by those who defended those involved.
The January 6 committee, including former representative Adam Kinzinger, has consistently advocated for holding Trump accountable for his role in the insurrection, a stance that will likely be echoed during the convention.
