The Note: Spotlight Shifts to Hillary on Final Day of DNC
— -- NOTABLES
--5 THINGS TO WATCH ON THE LAST DAY OF THE DNC: The countdown is on. Today is the final day of the Democratic National Convention, and with some of the biggest political players — President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Sen. Tim Kaine — having already spoken, the focus is now on one person: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Aside from marking the end of the Democrats' convention, today also brings to a close two long weeks of conventions for many politicos, and the formal end of the primary season. Here are five storylines to watch tonight, courtesy of ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY: http://abcn.ws/2actzZw
--OBAMA TELLS DNC 'AMERICA IS ALREADY GREAT': President Obama delivered a resounding defense of the state of the country at the Democratic Convention last night and said Hillary Clinton would help defend his legacy in the White House, continuing the work left unfinished during his presidency. The president also offered a stinging rebuke of Clinton's Republican rival Donald Trump, painting him as fear-mongering and unqualified for the job and saying "we don't look to be ruled,” ABC’s DEVIN DWYER and BENJAMIN SIEGEL note. "A lot’s happened over the years. And while this nation has been tested by war and recession and all manner of challenge -- I stand before you again tonight, after almost two terms as your President, to tell you I am even more optimistic about the future of America," he said. http://abcn.ws/2aaDLSZ
--OBAMA VS. TRUMP: In a remarkable series of broadsides leveled at Clinton's opponent, Obama rebuked Trump and the dire picture painted of the country by the GOP presidential nominee. "America is already great. America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump," he said, questioning Trump's qualifications. TRANSCRIPT: http://abcn.ws/2aitRjT
--ANALYSIS -- HOPE IS HANDED OFF, AS OBAMA MAKES WAY FOR CLINTON. The Democratic Party’s Obama era morphed into another Clinton one on Wednesday night with a series of roars, a warm embrace, and a brash show of teamwork, with the outgoing and would-be incoming president again looking to capture some hope. The Democrats’ past, present and future marked their own pieces of history, with rivalries that have defined a generation fading away in a night of inspiration for the party, ABC’s RICK KLEIN writes. Now, to complete the historical sweep, Democrats need to draw on their recent past to move ahead. They came together on the third night of the Democratic National Convention, powered by surrogate star power that built a case for Hillary Clinton, and against Donald Trump. http://abcn.ws/2a19AQW
--DNC LIVE UPDATES AND ANALYSIS: DAY 4, courtesy of ABC’s JULIA JACOBO and VERONICA STRACQUALURSI: http://abcn.ws/2apOrOm DNC DAY 3 FACT CHECK from ABC’s CHRIS GOOD, JOHN KRUZEL and NOAH FITZGEREL: http://abcn.ws/2adjaiQ DNC DAY 3 “IN A MINUTE,” by ABC’s TOM THORNTON and ALI DUKAKIS: http://abcn.ws/2afppz3
TODAY ON ‘GMA’: KAINE SAYS TRUMP IS A 'THREAT' TO BERNIE SANDERS' SUPPORTERS AND THEIR VALUES. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine said Donald Trump is "a threat to everything" Bernie Sanders and his supporters stand for, ABC’s MORGAN WINSOR reports. "They understand who Hillary [Clinton] is and they understand that Donald Trump is a threat to everything they care about," the Virginia senator said in an exclusive interview with ABC News' ROBIN ROBERTS on "Good Morning America" today. "We got to pull it together to win," he added. Kaine, who officially accepted the nomination as Clinton's running mate Wednesday night, acknowledged that the Democratic National Convention began in "turmoil" with Sanders' delegates protesting a Clinton presidency. In a bid to show a unified front, Sanders moved that Clinton be selected as the party's nominee for president on Tuesday night. The motion, followed by some big names in politics throwing their full support behind Clinton, has since helped lift the tone of the convention. http://abcn.ws/2aA9Jc2
YESTERDAY AT THE DNC with ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI
KAINE SAYS HE 'NEVER EXPECTED' TO BECOME VP. Sen. Tim Kaine formally accepted the Democratic nomination as vice president Wednesday, saying that he trusts Hillary Clinton with the life of his son, who is in the military, lacing into Donald Trump. "I never expected to be here," he said. He was officially nominated as the party's nominee after a voice vote on the floor of the convention this afternoon. Clinton announced last Friday that Kaine, a sitting Senator for Virginia, would be her running-mate. Kaine addressed the audience in Spanish briefly when he brought up the year he spent as a volunteer with Jesuits in Honduras, saying that there was an emphasis on “faith, family and work.” http://abcn.ws/2ad1oi7
BIDEN CALLS OUT TRUMP'S 'MALARKEY' AND SAYS HE 'HAS NO CLUE.' An impassioned Vice President Joe Biden tore into Donald Trump, assailing him as the least prepared candidate for president in history, calling out his "malarkey" and saying he had "no clue" during his speech at the DNC Wednesday night. "He has no clue about what makes America great. Actually he has no clue, period," Biden said, as the audience cheered. He also took on Trump's reality TV show catchphrase, "You're fired," ABC’s ALI ROGIN writes. "His lack of empathy and compassion can be summed up in the phrase I suspect he’s most proud of having made famous," Biden said. “He’s trying to tell us he cares about the middle class? Give me a break. That’s a bunch of malarkey,” he said, trotting out one of his catchphrases of sorts. http://abcn.ws/2a5P8tV Biden’s full remarks here: http://abcn.ws/2afTQZ1
BLOOMBERG SAYS 'I KNOW A CON WHEN I SEE ONE' ABOUT TRUMP. Billionaire businessman and three-time mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg urged Americans to vote for Hillary Clinton in November and unite against Republican nominee Donald Trump, who he called a "dangerous demagogue." "I'm a New Yorker and I know a con when I see one," he told the crowd about Trump. Bloomberg, 74, an independent and former Republican stumping for Clinton, acknowledged differences with the nominee he was endorsing but said that it was important to put them aside, ABC’s MICHAEL EDISON HAYDEN reports. "There are times when I disagree with Hillary. But whatever our disagreements may be, I’ve come here to say: We must put them aside for the good of our country. And we must unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue," Bloomberg said. http://abcn.ws/2ax9KRs
PANETTA INTERRUPTED BY 'NO MORE WAR' CHANTS AS HE BLASTS TRUMP. Former CIA director and defense secretary Leon Panetta blasted Donald Trump over foreign policy last night, calling a vote for him "deadly serious," but a faction of delegates tried to shout him down throughout his remarks. ABC’s RYAN STRUYK notes, delegates from Oregon initially erupted, briefly interrupting his remarks by chanting "No More War!" Other groups around the arena began chanting "Hillary!" More chants of “Love Not War!” and "No More Drones!" broke out before being swallowed by "USA!" from most of the arena. Meanwhile, Panetta charged on during his speech, hitting Trump for being inexperienced. http://abcn.ws/2aeZE1E
ORLANDO SHOOTING VICTIM'S MOM MAKES EMOTIONAL PLEA AT DNC. The mother of one of the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting made an emotional plea from the stage of the Democratic National Convention as she called for commonsense gun policies. Christine Leinonen, mother of Christopher Leinonen, told how her son and his boyfriend were among the 49 victims of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Leinonen told how her son was an award-winning humanitarian who had started a gay-straight alliance at his high school, ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY writes. “Christopher's paternal grandparents met and fell in love in a Japanese internment camp. So, it was in his DNA that love always trumps hate,” she said. http://abcn.ws/2afIYue
TRUMP SAYS HE HOPES RUSSIAN HACKERS FIND CLINTON’S DELETED EMAILS. Donald Trump has said he never spoke to Russian President Vladmir Putin, but appeared to suggest that Russian hackers should find thousands of Hillary Clinton's deleted emails -- saying "I wish I had that power." "I've never spoken to him. I don't know anything about him other than he will respect me," Trump said during a press conference this morning at his golf club in Doral, Florida. "I have nothing to do with Russia. "By the way, if they hacked, they probably have her 33,000 emails. I hope they do. They probably have her 33,000 emails that she lost and deleted." ABC’s MORGAN WINSOR, MICHAEL EDISON HAYDEN, CANDACE SMITH and JOHN SANTUCCI have more. http://abcn.ws/2aKmXC9
NOTED: TRUMP ANSWERS FANS' QUESTIONS IN REDDIT AMA. Republican nominee Donald Trump visited Reddit Wednesday night as part of an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session, and fielded questions from his most ardent supporters on the web. Trump has been an Internet phenomenon since announcing his candidacy in 2015, and Reddit has served as a kind of hot spot for dialogue about his ideas for his fans. According to ABC’s MICHAEL EDISON HAYDEN, Trump touched on issues of the police, visa reform, the Affordable Care Act and voter fraud. http://abcn.ws/2ayzBrt
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
ELIZABETH WARREN SAYS TRUMP IS A 'THIN-SKINNED RACIST' FOR CALLING HER 'POCAHONTAS.' Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren told ABC News' DAVID MUIR that she believes Donald Trump is a “thin-skinned racist” in an interview on Tuesday evening. She was answering a question about whether she believes Trump is racist for calling her “Pocahontas” in reference to Warren once highlighting her Native-American heritage despite there being no record of it. "Is that calling him a name too?" Muir asked Warren. "No, it's the fact," she responded, before turning the focus to Trump’s treatment of Gonzalo Curiel, the judge presiding over a number of lawsuits concerning Trump University. ABC’s ALI ROGIN has more. http://abcn.ws/29ZQBGo
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