Skip to main content

You make this possible. Support our independent, nonprofit newsroom today.

Give Now

Biden Plans To Accept Democratic Nomination Remotely

caption: Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden delivers a speech in Wilmington, Del., on July 28. The campaign announced Wednesday he would not travel to Milwaukee for the Democratic convention.
Enlarge Icon
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden delivers a speech in Wilmington, Del., on July 28. The campaign announced Wednesday he would not travel to Milwaukee for the Democratic convention.
Getty Images

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won't go to Milwaukee, the party's convention city, to give a speech — and neither will anyone else. Instead, Biden will accept the Democratic nomination from his home state of Delaware.

Convention officials announced the decision Wednesday, citing "the worsening coronavirus pandemic."

"Speakers for the 2020 Democratic National Convention will no longer travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in order to prevent risking the health of our host community as well as the convention's production teams, security officials, community partners, media and others necessary to orchestrate the event," convention organizers said in a statement.

They called the decision "a small adjustment to the overall planning" of what was already scaled back to a largely virtual affair.

"The majority of speeches and segments were already taking place in locations across the country," the statement said. "Democrats will offer four nights of programming, which will include a mix of both pre-recorded segments and live broadcasts from locations across the country."

The convention will air for two hours each night, 9 to 11 ET, from Aug. 17 to 20.

The changes come as Republicans and President Trump continue to discuss how (and where) to hold their convention events, with the president floating speaking from the White House grounds. [Copyright 2020 NPR]

Why you can trust KUOW