JOINING US ONCE AGAIN IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM AMANDA HEATHER, SHARON AND NICK BLUMBERG, ALONG WITH OUR STUDIO GUESTS, FORMER CONGRESSMAN JOE WALSH AND PASTOR COREY BROOKS.

THANKS AGAIN, EVERYONE.

HEATHER, LET'S START WITH YOU, PLEASE.

SO, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO JOHNSON AND THE STAKES OF THE CONVENTION, WHY ARE THEY SO HIGH FOR HIM?

WELL, HE'S THE TOP GUY, IF THIS CONVENTION GOES WRONG, HE WILL WEAR THE JACKET AND IT WILL HURT HIS ABILITY TO GET THINGS THROUGH.

THE CITY COUNCIL AND IT WILL DIMINISH HIS STORE OF POLITICAL CAPITAL.

BUT IF THIS CONVENTION IS AND KAMALA HARRIS BECOMES THE 47TH PRESIDENT, THE UNITED STATES IN PART BECAUSE OF THIS WELL-RUN CONVENTION, BRANDON JOHNSON WILL BE SEEN AS GREEN ESPECIALLY BECAUSE HE HAS FACED SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS LEADERSHIP ABILITY AND HIS ABILITY TO KEEP THE PROTESTS IN CHECK.

SO THERE IS A LOT AT STAKE FOR HIM.

IT IS A HIGH-RISK HIGH-REWARD PROB PROBABILITY THAT HE IS FACING TONIGHT.

HEATHER GOT TO SAY I'M PRETTY SURE.

I THINK YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON I'VE HEARD USED THE TERM QUEEN MAKER.

SO YOU GET THE CREDIT FOR YOU ARE GOOD TRADE FOR?

IT'S ALL YOURS.

SO NICK, YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE PROTESTS, OF AFTER TODAY'S RALLY, SOME OF THE GROUP'S RETURN TO UNION PARK.

WHAT HAPPENED THERE?

THAT'S RIGHT.

THEY MARCHED ALL THE WAY BACK FROM THE LOCATION WHERE THEY WERE RALLYING NEAR THE UNITED YEAR, THE UNITED SO IN A COUPLE BLOCKS AWAY, BUT WHEN THEY MADE IT BACK TO UNION PARK, THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF PROTESTERS WHO STARTED TO SET UP A SMALL ENCAMPMENT, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, PITCHING TENTS THERE.

NOW, CHICAGO POLICE PRETTY QUICKLY MOVED IN AND EVENTUALLY GAVE THEM ORDERS TO DISPERSE, WHICH THEY DID.

YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO ARE ON SITE, WHO WHO I SPOKE WITH, 2 SIDES SAID THEY TOOK THEIR OWN TENTS DOWN AND THEY MOVED OUT OF THE PARK.

BY THE TIME WE GOT BACK THERE, THERE WERE ROWS AND ROWS OF CHICAGO.

POLICE LINING UP THROUGH THE PARK, KIND OF KEEPING AN EYE ON THE SITUATION.

BUT BY THAT POINT, THERE WAS ONLY A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PROTESTERS, NONE OF WHOM STILL HAD THOSE CAMPS UP.

CERTAINLY CHICAGO POLICE YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE ARE VERY HESITANT TO SEE ANYTHING LIKE ANY OF THE, YOU KNOW, UNIVERSITY ENCAMPMENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN PROTESTING ISRAEL'S WAR IN GAZA OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST ALMOST YEAR.

NICK, YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE OTHER CAUSES THE COALITION TO MARCH ON THE DNC ADVOCATES FOR ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ADVOCATES FOR THEIR, YOU KNOW, ALSO THINGS THAT MANY DEMOCRATIC POLITICIANS SUPPORT.

ONE OF THE PROTESTERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SOME OF THOSE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

YOU KNOW THIS.

THIS IS VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON ENDING WHAT THEY SAY IS ISRAEL'S, YOU KNOW, GENOCIDE IN GAZA, STOPPING U.S. AID AND ARMS TO ISRAEL.

BUT THEY ALSO, YOU KNOW, TALK A LOT ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, ABOUT RIGHTS OF IMMIGRANTS, ABOUT MAKING SURE THERE'S HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR ALL.

BUT ESSENTIALLY, THEY SAY, LOOK, THE DEMOCRATS HAVE MADE THEIR CHOICE IF THEY ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ISRAEL AND THEY LOSE IN NOVEMBER TOO BAD.

THAT'S A DECISION THAT THEY'VE MADE.

AND SO THESE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY OUT HERE LINE VERY MUCH WITH CAUSES, NOT WITH A POLITICAL PARTY.

THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, THESE 2 PARTIES ARE NOT REALLY REPRESENTING US.

AND IF THEY WANT US YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM THEIR FULL-THROATED SUPPORT THEY NEED TO STOP SUPPORTING ISRAEL.

IT'S A SIMPLE AS THAT.

EVEN IF THEY DO A LINE ON THINGS LIKE REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, LGBTQ+ RIGHTS ON THOSE SORTS OF ISSUES.

AND SO BACK INSIDE THE UNITED.

SO HERE'S A BRIEF CLIP FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DEMOCRACY.

I STAND BEFORE YOU NOW THIS AUGUST NIGHT TO REPORT.

THE MARKERS PREVAIL.

DOCTORS A LETTER.

THEY MUST BE PRESERVED.

JOE WALSH, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE MESSAGING THAT WE HEARD THE PRESIDENT?

I'M SO GLAD BRENDA STEAD JOE BIDEN STICKS WITH THIS DEFENDING DEMOCRACY THEME.

HE WAS TOLD IN 2020 TO AVOID IT.

HIS CONSULTANTS HOMES TO DO THAT.

HE IGNORED THEM.

EMPHASIZED THAT TRUMP IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY.

THE DEMOCRATS HAD A GOOD MIDTERM.

THEY AVOIDED THE BIG RED WAVE.

IF THIS ELECTION IS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.

THINK ABOUT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO LOSE IN NOVEMBER OF KAMALA HARRIS LOOSES.

SHE WILL PUBLICLY CONCEDE SHOW CONGRATULATE TRUMP AND SHE'LL PARTICIPATE IN A PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER.

IF DONALD TRUMP LOSES, HE'LL DO NONE OF THAT.

I THINK KAMALA HARRIS NEEDS TO FOLLOW SUIT WITH WHAT BIDEN'S DONE IN CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE OF DEMOCRACY.

PASTOR BROOKS, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ENERGY IN THE MESSAGING TONIGHT, ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT'S ONLY DAY ONE FOR FOR THE DEMOCRATS, BUT ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO THE REPUBLICANS AND THEIR THEIR ENERGY IN MESSAGING A FEW WEEKS AGO.

WELL, I THINK THEY GOT UP TO A BAD START, YOU KNOW, WAS REALLY LAW.

COMPARED TO THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.

IT WAS REALLY GOT OFF TO A LOT OF MOMENTUM.

WE'LL SEE TOMORROW.

PRETTY SURE IT'S GOING TO PICK UP.

I'M SURE THE MOMENTUM IS GOING PICK UP.

NOW.

THEY'VE GOTTEN ALL HISTORICAL POLITICIANS OUT OF THE WAY.

YOU'RE GOING TO ENTERTAINERS ARE GOING TO SEE CELEBRITIES ARE GOING TO SEE MUSIC AND YOU'RE GOING GET THE HAT TRICKS OF IT.

AND I'M SURE THE MOMENT THAT HE'S GOING TO PICK UP AND THEN LEADING UP TO VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS GIVING HER SPEECH.

I'M SURE THEY'LL DO A GREAT JOB IN BIT OF RETOOLING RECALIBRATING AFTER TONIGHT.

GOVERNOR PRITZKER SPEAKING TO THE PARTY FAITHFUL THIS MORNING, HINTING AT HIS OWN FUTURE PLANS AFTER NOT BEING SELECTED AS THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR KAMALA HARRIS.

WHAT ARE THE GOVERNOR HAD TO SAY?

BRENDA SAYS IS A QUESTION THAT PRITZKER HAS BEEN ASKED BEFORE RECENTLY ON THE DAY THAT IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT HARRIS, ITS ELECTED GOVERNOR WALZ AND SAID OF GOVERNOR PRITZKER.

AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT MY POLITICAL FUTURE.

HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT A CABINET POSITION OR WHEN ASKED DIRECTLY, WILL HE RUN FOR A 3RD TERM?

BUT HE BROUGHT IT UP TODAY, AS YOU NOTED, IN FRONT OF A CROWD OF PEOPLE WHO VERY MUCH CARE ABOUT WHO FEELS THAT JOB SOME POLITICIANS ABOUT WHO ARE HANKERING FOR RUNNING AT THAT POSITION.

HE SAID IT'S UP TO HIS WIFE, FIRST LADY OF ILLINOIS AND K PRITZKER, WHETHER WHAT HIS QUOTE, UNQUOTE TERM LIMIT AS BUT HE WENT ON TO SAY, FEEL FREE TO TALK TO HER ABOUT IT.

SO A LOT OF TALK THAT, YES, IT WAS.

IT SORT OF AN OPENING GAMBIT AND PRITZKER ALREADY LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEXT ELECTION AMANDA, YOU'RE ALSO IN HALL TONIGHT WHEN THE VICE PRESIDENT AND THE CANDIDATE APPEARED ON THE STAGE.

WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT?

IT'S NOT VERY TYPICAL TO TO APPEAR ON THE STAGE AND SAY A FEW WORDS THAT FIRST NIGHT.

IS IT?

NO, IT IS VERY TYPICAL.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THIS CONVENTION?

WHAT ABOUT THIS ELECTION?

WHAT ABOUT THIS PROCESS IS?

I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE REPUBLICAN SIDE AND FRANKLY, A PRESIDENT WITH FELONY CONVICTIONS, THAT'S UNPRECEDENTED.

SOMETHING LIKE A PRESIDENT RIGHT NOW MADE CLEAR HE DIDN'T WANT TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE THAT HE IT IS A NOTED EARLIER SAID HE LOVES BEING PRESIDENT CLEARLY WANTED TO MAKE IT SAY IN THE CAMPAIGN.

BUT INSTEAD STEPPING ASIDE, THAT'S A TYPICAL.

SO WHAT WE SAW TONIGHT IN TERMS OF THE NOMINEE MAKING AN APPEARANCE ON THIS FIRST NIGHT, YES, IT IS DIFFERENT, BUT I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAD TO BE DONE OUT OF RESPECT FOR THAT.

THE MAN WHO CHOSE HER TO BE HIS RUNNING MATE AND IN HOMAGE TO HIS LEGACY IS A KNOWN EARLIER REALLY TONIGHT WITHOUT LOOKING BACK AT THAT LEGACY.

THE REST OF THIS WEEK IS GOING TO BE ABOUT LOOKING FORWARD.

WELL, THANK YOU, AMANDA, BECAUSE THAT JUST BRIEFLY BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO IN TO GET PASTOR BROOKS'S THOUGHTS JESSE JACKSON'S, BRIEF APPEARANCE TONIGHT DURING A TRIBUTE TO HIM AT THE CONVENTION.

IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO SEE JUST EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, HAS GROWN UP AS A LITTLE KID.

I WANTED TO BE A JESSE JACKSON.

I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO BE ON THE RIGHT, CERTAINLY CERTAINLY A ROLE MODEL.

AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE THINGS THAT HE'S DONE NOT JUST FOR CHICAGO, BUT FOR THE WORLD AT LARGE.

SO IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO TO PRESENT TO HIM.

AND SOME LOVE AND I THINK AS WELL.

ARE ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S WHERE WE'LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT.

THANKS FOR STUDIO GUESTS, PASTOR COREY