Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Though Democrats successfully transformed their convention from a lukewarm acceptance of President Joe Biden to a full-fledged embrace of Vice President Kamala Harris, they haven't successfully managed the basics of day-to-day operations. Monday's events were plagued by delays, winding lines, and grumbling journalists, casting a shadow over an otherwise bright night.
Biden gave the keynote address on Monday and expected to be cheered for handing the Democratic nomination off to Harris. And he was cheered — by those who were still awake to hear him talk. The president didn't begin his speech until 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time and concluded around 12:20 the next morning. Biden's remarks didn't air during primetime in several East Coast swing states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia.
The address would have started even later had convention officials not cut several planned speeches and performances. Among those who got the ax were Rep. Grace Meng, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and musician James Taylor.
"I think these guys have a big scheduling problem," a veteran Democrat told Politico, complaining about dwindling ratings by the time Biden took to the stage. "Do they realize the universe runs on East Coast time?"
Biden-world was frustrated, and some complained that the treatment stung more because of the way Biden ended his reelection bid.
In a statement, convention officials attributed the severe delays to "raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker." Organizers are starting Tuesday's events earlier, shortening the program, and ensuring speakers cut down on their remarks. The DNC did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
It's not only Biden loyalists who were mad — delegates, reporters, and members of the Democratic party were also unimpressed by the string of logistical issues. Buses carrying attendees stalled a few blocks from the event for almost two hours on Monday evening, partly due to protests against the war in Gaza, Notus reported.
Inside the vehicles, impatience bubbled into anger, which only grew once attendees waited another hour to get through security at the door. Some sparred verbally with police officers. Others abandoned hope of getting into the convention altogether and simply left, deciding to try again on Tuesday.
Members of the credentialed media complained of spotty internet and limited floor access, Semafor reported. Journalists waited for hours to enter the United Center, where the convention is being held, and found fewer press stands once inside than in previous years.
Slate's communications director posted a picture on X of a throng of people outside the media entrance, noting that hundreds of delegates were attempting to use the door. She called the scene "wildly disorganized."
Journalists were reportedly openly arguing with convention organizers, and the Standing Committee of Correspondents, a group of apolitical journalists in Washington that helps credential journalists from major American news organizations, expressed concern.
"The Standing Committee of Correspondents urged the DNC to allocate significantly more workspace for print journalists attending this year's convention," the group said in a statement to Business Insider. "We are concerned that the decision to reduce dedicated and accessible workspace by hundreds compared to prior conventions will hinder journalists' ability to cover the historic nature of this convention."
The Republican National Convention, held last month in Milwaukee, didn't struggle with the same logistical headaches. Max Tani, an editor at Semafor, described it as "unquestionably smoother." Television executives said that they paid almost twice as much at the DNC for smaller broadcast suites.
The Trump campaign pounced at the opportunity to bash the convention, as campaign strategist Chris LaCivita posted videos of snaking lines X with the caption, "Get used to the lines comrades ! Be Joyful !"
