GOING BACK INSIDE THE UNITED CENTER AND THE CONVENTION FLOOR WHEN NICK LAMBERT HAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CHICAGO DNC HOST COMMITTEE CHRISTINE GEORGE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

BRAND IS CHRISTINE GEORGE, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING YOU KNOW, AS THE HEAD OF THIS COMMITTEE WERE TASKED WITH A HUGE JOB, A BIG FUNDRAISING LEFT TO TRY AND GET THIS COMMITTEE OFF THE GROUND.

WAS IT AT ALL OF A TOUGH ASK FOR DONORS AT A TIME WHEN YOU KNOW, CORPORATIONS MIGHT NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS OR, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE WAS ANY SORT OF CONCERN ABOUT PRESIDENT BIDEN'S REELECTION CHANCES AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, IF THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY A MOMENT FOR A BROAD COALITION OF DONORS AND PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER, WHAT WE HAD WAS MEMBERS OF UNIONS.

WE HAD MEMBERS, VARIOUS CORPORATIONS.

WE INDIVIDUALS THAT JUST ALL CAME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THE CITY REALLY WAS A UNIFYING MOMENT FOR THE CITY.

AND WE SAW FOLKS BEING INCREDIBLY GENEROUS BOTH WITH THEIR TIME AND THEIR POCKETBOOKS.

AND THAT CERTAINLY BENEFIT IT UP.

YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY BOLSTER CHICAGO AND ENSURE SHOWED OFF THE OF WHAT CITY HAS TO OFFER AND OUR DONORS FOR AN INCREDIBLE SUPPORT FOR WE CERTAINLY HAD WE'RE VERY CLOSE OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL.

I WHICH PRESIDENT BEING THE TOP OF THE TICKET.

AND THEN WE COMPLETELY SHATTERED IT WITH KAMALA HARRIS.

SO WE CAN BE IN A BETTER POSITION AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL AND YOU MENTIONED THE CITY COMING TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIME CHICAGO CAN GET AN UNFAIR REPUTATION FOR BEING VIOLENT.

CAN BE A PUNCHING SOMETIMES FOR POLITICIANS.

DO YOU THINK A CONVENTION LIKE THIS CAN HELP TO REWRITE THAT NARRATIVE AND SOME WAY?

ABSOLUTELY.

THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY BENEFITS HAVING A CONVENTION OF THIS SIZE OF THIS I'M HERE IN CHICAGO.

WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE BEAUTY OF OUR CITY, THE VIBRANCY OF OUR CITY, ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL SMALL BUSINESS DIVERSITY VIBRANCY OF ALL OF NEIGHBORHOODS ARE 77 COMMUNITY AREAS.

WE REALLY HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE IT.

GIVEN THAT WE HAVE 15,000 MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA LIKE YOURSELF, I'M HERE TO BE ABLE TO SEE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT CHICAGO HAS TO OFFER.

AND IT'S KEY TO BEING ABLE TO FLIP THAT NARRATIVE AND SHOWING PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN COME HERE YOU CAN BE SAFE.

YOU CAN POST A SHOT YOU CAN HAVE ONE EXPERIENCE HERE.

AND SO WANT MORE PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND EXPERIENCE OUR CITY.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT.

SOME FOLKS SAID WE'RE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY ON A CONVENTION WHEN CHICAGO FACES SOME REAL PROBLEM WITH WITH THIS INVESTMENT WITH HOMELESSNESS, THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HOW DO YOU SQUARE THOSE 2 THINGS?

WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO FOLKS WHO HAVE THE SORTS OF CONCERNS?

BUT ONE THING THAT I WOULD POINT OUT IS THAT WE DID NOT USE PUBLIC FUNDS FOR WE DID NOT USE FUNDS FROM THE CITY OF CHICAGO OR THE STATE OF ILLINOIS FOR THIS CONVENTION, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN CITY.

ON WE INDEPENDENTLY FUNDRAISE PRIVATE AS WELL AS ORGANIZATIONS.

AND SO DO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT OUR EFFORT WAS PRIVATELY RACE PLAY.

COME