Image source, Reuters

That's all from us our live coverage of the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Some huge names took to the stage to throw their support behind Vice-President Kamala Harris in her bid for presidency - Barack and Michelle Obama, rapper Lil John, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Day three will see vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, former President Bill Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg take to the stage.

We will be back here to bring you all the news and analysis as ever.

In the meantime, you can catch up on all the details of last night's speeches here.

Thank you for joining us.

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Our American colleagues have just been chatting about the second night of the DNC and the Obamas’ speeches.

They reflect on support for Kamala Harris, whether there was another meaning to Barack Obama’s “crowd size” joke, and Lil Jon’s impromptu performance.

You can listen to the latest episode of Americast here.

Obama fires up DNC crowd but the really gruelling work still to comepublished at 08:50 British Summer Time 21 August

08:50 BST 21 August

Barack Obama's sole job was to set a course for the DNC towards the phrase he famously made during his 2008 run for office: "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling fired up and ready to go", Americast presenter Justin Webb says.

Speaking to the Today programme following the convention, Webb says the phrase worked brilliantly because, although it is vague, it persuaded people that something positive was stirring.

Webb says that Obama's view is that there can still be room in American politics, even now, for positivity.

"He was critical of Trump, no doubt about that, but one thing that really struck me was, other politicians, including Joe Biden, talk in detail about the threat they say Donald Trump poses, whereas Obama kind of dismissed Trump with humour and said to the crowd that we have seen this movie before and the sequel is not normally as good," he tells the programme.

"This has been the oddest summer in American politics certainly in modern times, so who knows if there will be a polling bounce."

Webb adds that the really gruelling work starts once September comes, specifically once the debate between Harris and Trump happens on 10 September.

Image source, Reuters

It's currently the middle of the night in Washington DC, so perhaps it's unsurprising that we haven't seen any direct reaction to the speeches by former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson posted an attack against the Kamala Harris presidential bid a little before the Obamas took to the stage, focusing on crime and migration as attack lines, claiming, "The Biden-Harris administration is dangerous for America".

On Tuesday afternoon, Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance used a news conference in Kenosha, Wisconsin to attack Harris over the "failures" of her vice-presidency.

He also zeroed in on crime and public safety, as well as the economy - two areas the Republicans see as a vulnerability.

Referring to protests in the city after the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake in 2020, he said: "Wisconsin has suffered when you don't have good, smart, pro-public safety and leadership, and that’s what Donald Trump and I want to bring back to the White House.”

As we've been reporting, Michelle and Barack Obama electrified the crowd gathered at the DNC in Chicago, but what did those watching make of the former president and first lady's speeches?

Here are some of the takeaways:

Image source, Reuters

The Obamas both took the opportunity to use their convention speeches to back Kamala Harris's White House bid as well as tear into her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.

Michelle Obama spoke in support of Harris, saying "something wonderfully magical is in the air...the contagious power of hope" and that she was "more than ready for this moment".

She contrasted the upbringing of Harris with that of the "generational wealth" of Donald Trump, saying Harris's story is "your story...the story of the vast majority of Americans trying to build a better life".

Obama also criticised Trump for his attacks on her and her husband, and one line that got a huge roar of approval was her taunt over his claim that migrants were taking 'black jobs', questioning if he realised that the job he was running for was one of them.

Barack Obama told the convention that the "torch has been passed" between Biden and Harris, but warned that Democrats faced a "tight fight" for the presidency.

He said that the US was ready for a President Harris and that she was ready for the job and would work to unite the country.

Obama said America did not need another four years of Donald Trump, saying: "We have seen that movie before - and we all know that the sequel is usually worse."

He described the former president as a billionaire "who has not stopped whining about his problems" and when mention of Trump prompted the crowd to boo, said: "Do not boo. Vote".

The Democrats will need all their star players ahead of the electionpublished at 07:11 British Summer Time 21 August

07:11 BST 21 August

Emma Vardy
Reporting from Chicago

The Obamas' double bill lent their firepower and star appeal to Kamala Harris’s cause.

They remain two hugely popular figures for Democrats, the ultimate power couple.

Their appearance brought the house down.

Barack Obama launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump, comparing him to a bad movie where you know the sequel is going to be worse.

He also brought back some of the past themes of his own winning campaign in 2008, to try to evoke some of the same feelings of hope and optimism

No Democratic presidential candidate has been as successful as Obama since then, and Democrats hope that Kamala Harris can attract the same coalition of voters who once helped Obama to victory.

Michelle Obama remains a massively well-liked figure who transcends politics.

She had Democrats jumping for joy with her trolling of Donald Trump, and his now infamous ‘black jobs’ comment, which she turned against him.

For someone who says she doesn’t like politics she is extremely effective at firing up a political audience.

It’s likely we’ll see the Obamas playing more of a role on the campaign trail for Kamala Harris in the autumn.

It’s still a very tight race, and the democrats will need all their star players.

If you're just joining us let us give you the opportunity to watch the best bits from Barack and Michelle Obamas' appearance at the convention.

The former president and his wife received lengthy cheers and applause from the crowds as they talked about "the contagious power of hope...making a comeback".

They also took aim at Donald Trump, mocking his "weird obsession with crowd sizes" and belittling his opponents with "childish nicknames".

The Obamas also endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, saying "America's ready for a better story, we are ready for a president Kamala Harris".

Jacqueline Howard
Live page editor

Good morning if you are just joining us now. The team in London is taking carriage of this page and giving our colleagues in the US a well-earned rest.

It's been an electric night at the DNC in Chicago, with plenty of celebrities and prominent public figures throwing their support behind the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Stick with us as we continue to bring you the latest on what has been a huge night for the Harris campaign.

Let's take a look at a few of the scenes from here at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Tuesday night:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention

The second night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago has ended.

If you're just catching up, here's where we're at:

• The Democratic Party continued its confirmation of Kamala Harris as their candidate in the November election.
• The night included a celebrity-heavy symbolic roll-call, featuring everyone from rapper Lil Jon to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
• Speakers including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer took the stage to laud Kamala Harris as a candidate and vice-president, and attack Donald Trump.
• Michelle and Barack Obama urged fellow Democrats to organise and "get to work" ahead of what they believe will be an extremely competitive election.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Brandon Drenon / BBC

Danny Stone, a Georgia delegate, is among the many here who is leaving United Center feeling inspired.

Stone tells me that he was “angry, livid” when Joe Biden exited the presidential race, seemingly against his will.

“You had no right taking that nomination from him,” Stone says.

“Then, all of a sudden, basically 30 minutes later, he said he was supporting Kamala. All of my remorse dropped.”

What excites Stone most about Harris is that she’s an “optimist” who promotes “the idea that we are just at the beginning of our greatness”.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention

That speech that Kamala Harris was watching from Air Force two was a light-hearted presentation from her husband Doug Emhoff about his marriage to the vice president, covering everything from their religions to his son's wedding, which Harris officiated.

It was a personal speech for Emhoff, who was smiling the whole way through.

He also went to great lengths to highlight the strong relationship between his own children, Cole and Ella, and his wife.

At the same time, Emhoff said that Harris is a "warrior" who is willing to fight.

"Kamala Harris can smell weakness," he said.

The next time Harris appears at the convention again, on Thursday, also happens to be their 10th wedding anniversary.

"Kamala Harris was exactly the right person for me, at an important time in my life," he said. "At this moment in our nation's history, she is exactly the right president."

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention

Image source, https://x.com/KamalaHarris

On X, formerly Twitter, a picture has been posted on Harris's official account showing the vice-president watching her husband's remarks at the convention earlier from Air Force Two as she flew back to Chicago after a rally in Milwaukee.

"Love you, Dougie," the caption reads.

According to a pool reporter travelling with Harris, the plane circled for approximately 10 minutes so that Harris could finish watching Emhoff's speech before landing.

When it touched down in Chicago, the front cabin erupted into cheers of "Doug! Doug!" and applause.

Courtney Subramanian
Reporting from the convention

Image source, Getty Images

Former President Barack Obama returned to the convention stage in his hometown of Chicago earlier tonight, 20 years after his own convention debut thrust him into the national spotlight.

Obama, 63, and Harris, 59, met at a California fundraiser in 2004.

Harris was an early supporter of Obama's candidacy. Now Obama - and his popular wife Michelle Obama - are trying to return the favour and help propel her to the Oval Office.

Harris, then a San Francisco district attorney, was in the crowd of more than 15,000 people as then-junior senator announced his longshot bid for the White House on the steps of the Old State Capitol in the Illinois capital city of Springfield in February 2007.

In 2012, at Obama's second convention, she was given a coveted speaking role, appeared just before former president Bill Clinton.

"We need to move forward." she said in her speech, a phrase she has reprised in her 2024 campaign.

Read more here

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the convention

The tone of both Michelle and Barack Obama's speeches was hopeful, clearly seeking to be reminiscent of the tone of Obama's 2008 campaign.

One theme, however, ran through both speeches: that despite the Harris-Walz campaign's momentum, winning is still a challenge.

This is, after all, an accelerated election. There are only about 76 days until the election takes place, leaving Democrats with little if any room for error going forward.

Given the short amount of time, the Obamas - and the Democratic Party's apparatus, on the whole - are clearly cognizant that winning will require that people immediately mobilise, register to vote, and his the campaign trail on Harris' behalf.

Whether the current enthusiasm will translate into that action remains to be seen, although the Harris campaign has touted a wave of donations and volunteers.

Barack Obama clearly believes it is his job, at least in this election, to try make that happen.

The Obamas can still electrify a Democratic crowdpublished at 04:49 British Summer Time 21 August

04:49 BST 21 August

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from the convention

Barack and Michelle Obama may be less visible in politics these days, but when they take the stage they can still electrify a Democratic crowd.

The former president and first lady both made reference to a renewal of hope and excitement in the party – a not-so-subtle reference to the huge crowds and unfettered excitement that the party felt when Obama first ran for president in 2008.

Democrats haven’t come close to a similarly massive presidential win since then. And both Obamas cautioned that if the party wants to win in November, there is still much work to be done.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from the convention floor

Image source, Brandon Drenon / BBC

Celeste Woolfork from Washington DC was locked onto Obama with an unbroken gaze while he spoke.

Her hands were clasped together as if she was praying, the streak of a tear glistening on her right cheek.

“It was the whole restoration of hope that he instilled, and the way he talked about unity,” she tells me.

“He reminded me of the dignity of the office and gives me hope we can have that again.”

Image source, Getty Images

As he wraps up his speech, Obama says he believes America yearns for a return "to an America where we work together".

He describes that America as one that taps "the better angels of our nature".

"That's what this election is about," he says. He adds that "if we each do our part over the next 77 days" and "work like we've never worked before", they will see Harris elected as president.

"We'll elect leaders up and down the ballot who will fight for the hopeful, forward-looking America we believe in," he says. "Together, we too will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal and more free."

"Let's get to work," he concludes. "God bless you, and God bless the United States of America."