Happy Friday! We made it through two successful presidential conventions! This is the last full weekend in August, so do something summery for me, OK? 🌞 Here’s what we’re covering today:

• A New York Times photographer captured an incredible photo of Harris’s convention speech. I’m seeing it referenced everywhere (and it’s linked below).
• Trump posted 40+ times during Harris’s speech before calling into Fox News to vent.
• RFK Jr. is holding a press conference at 2 p.m. There’s growing speculation about him dropping out and endorsing Trump. 👀
• Obama’s former speechwriter went on Jesse Watters’s Fox News show. The clip is fascinating and entertaining.
  
  

I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.  

Vice President Harris formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night in an enthusiastic address to introduce herself to the nation.

There had been lots of speculation about a surprise guest joining Harris at the end of the night. Beyoncé?! Taylor Swift?! But alas, there was no surprise guest — or as many people said on social media, “the special guest was the friends we made along the way.” Maybe convention organizers should have given out ice cream sandwiches like Michael Scott in “The Office” …

Harris had one of the shortest acceptance speeches in history, according to NPR, discussing her background and laying out her vision in just 38 minutes. Compare that to former President Trump’s equivalent address in July, which clocked in at 92 minutes as the longest convention acceptance speech in history.

Trump watched the address of his new opponent — and expressed his grievances in real time. Keep reading for some of his reactions.

Now, Harris has 18 days to capitalize on this momentum before the September presidential debate. Trump is hoping to stunt her surge while she’s hoping to turn this enthusiasm into momentum for the next 74 days of the campaign.

The photo of the night: Check out 📸 this incredible photo of Harris’s great-niece watching her speech, from The New York Times’s Todd Heisler.

🎈 Watch the balloon drop

©  The New York Times via AP

🔷 ‘5 big winners from the DNC’: The Hill

🔷 ‘Kamala Harris has put Trump in a box, and he’s struggling to break out’: The Washington Post

🔷 ‘Five takeaways from Kamala Harris’s DNC speech’: The Hill

🔷 ‘Protests at the Democrats’ Convention Weren’t as Big and Disruptive as Some Expected’: The New York Times

🔷 ‘It’s a New Race. Harris’ Acceptance Speech Showed Why.’: Politico

Now, this was an entertaining segment: Former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau joined Jesse Watters’s show on Fox News. Favreau posted the clip writing, “I’ve officially been at this convention too long.” 💻 Watch the segment

More balloon content:

• Walz and Harris’s great-niece: The Hill’s Alex Gangitano posted inside the convention arena, “Walz was just picking up balloons with Harris’s [great-niece] and she found a very large balloon to pick up.” 📸 Photo
• 📹 Watch the balloons fall, all 100,000 of them.
• 📹 See the balloon drop from the floor

This was very cute: Actress Kerry Washington and Harris’s great-nieces taught the crowd how to pronounce her name. 📹 Watch

©  AP

Leon Panetta needed a refresher: Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s teleprompter has a pronunciation for Harris: “Comma-la Harris.” 📸 See for yourself

Ah, who doesn’t love the taste of burning gasoline?: The Washington Post’s Dylan Wells brought Malört — a liquor popular in Chicago — shooters around the convention to get governors to taste it. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) commentary is my favorite. 📹 See their reactions

^ And this is a little more wholesome: The Vermont delegation took a group maple syrup shot. 📹 Watch the clip

This was a cool behind-the-scenes moment: NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell ran into Harris, Walz and their spouses as they left the United Center.  📹 Watch

It was a chaotic scene for journalists: Journalists had issues getting into the arena — even some with assigned seats. The Hill’s Julia Manchester was told that anyone who leaves after 8 p.m. couldn’t get back in. AP’s Farnoush Amiri said that includes bathroom breaks.  📸 Journalists stuck in section 114

This was one of my favorite clips of the week: Former President Obama mentioned Walz’s flannel shirts. “Those flannel shirts he wears don’t come from some political consultant. They come from his closet, and they have been through some stuff.” 📹 Watch Gwen Walz’s reaction to that line

Party on the convention floor: 📹 Here’s a short clip

It’s Young Sheldon: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) 📸 posted a selfie with “Young Sheldon” actor Iain Armitage in the arena.

📹 Pink’s performance — that’s her 13-year-old daughter singing with her

Warren became visibly emotional: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) received very loud and lengthy applause when she walked on stage at the convention.  📹 Watch her wipe away tears during applause

©  AP

Former President Trump responded angrily to Vice President Harris’s acceptance speech in real time Thursday, posting more than 40 Truth Social posts filled with his commentary. Here are some of the best-of’s:

• At 10:34 p.m.: “Too many ‘Thank yous,’ too rapidly said, what’s going on with her?” Trump posted.
• At 10:35 p.m.: “WHERE’S HUNTER?” Trump posted.
• At 10:36 p.m.: “Walz was an ASSISTANT Coach, not a COACH,” Trump posted.
• At 10:52 p.m.: “IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ME?” Trump posted.

See more of his real-time posts

But that’s not all: Trump then called in to Fox News and offered his live reaction. When anchor Martha MacCallum pointed out that Harris has made gains in polling, Trump shot back: “No, she’s not having success. I’m having success,” Trump said. “I’m doing great with the Hispanic voters. I’m doing great with Black men. I’m doing great with women because women want safety.” He then said it was “only in her eyes” that Harris has those gains. 💻 Watch the clip

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) stopped at a doughnut shop in Georgia. It was an incredibly awkward conversation. “I’m JD Vance. I’m running for vice president,” he says to the worker. “OK,” she replies. I’m cringing watching it. To make another reference to “The Office,” this was almost as bad as the Scott’s Tots episode (iykyk).

📹 Watch the interaction — This clip has more than 2 million views so far.

One X user paired the clip with 📹 Veep’s closing credits.

There is growing speculation that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could drop out this afternoon and endorse former President Trump.

💻 Watch RFK Jr.’s 2 p.m. announcement

Keep in mind: Nothing is final yet, but politicos are already strategizing what this could mean for Vice President Harris’s campaign.

How this could affect the race: RFK Jr. has polled in the single digits from both sides of the aisle.  It’s already a very close race, so if RFK Jr. endorses Trump, it could tip polling in Trump’s favor.

Read more from The Hill’s Hanna Trudo and Julia Mueller: ‘RFK Jr.’s possible alliance with Trump threatens to roil election’

For what it’s worth: Democrats are dismissing the impact of RFK Jr.’s potential exit from the race. In a new memo, the Democratic National Committee argues that Trump’s embrace of RFK Jr. is a sign of weakness.

Excerpt: “Like RFK Jr., Donald Trump is at a low point and acting out of desperation. Embracing RFK Jr. now – when he has nothing to offer but months of disqualifying revelations – is not a decision a campaign makes when they’re acting from a position of strength.” More from the memo

🥪 Celebrate: Today is National Cuban Sandwich Day, and Saturday is National Waffle Day!

🍭 “It’s gonna be no from me, dawg”: Cinnabon launched a collab with Warheads. This includes cinnamon rolls topped with blue raspberry, green apple and watermelon. 

🥂 Happy anniversary, senator!: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and his wife Barbara celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Thursday at their favorite date spot. 📸 Photo from their anniversary dinner

The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in California, and Vice President Harris is still in Chicago. (all times Eastern)

• 2 p.m.: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discusses the future of his presidential campaign. 💻 Livestream
• 3 p.m.: Former President Trump campaigns in Las Vegas. 💻 Livestream
• 4:30 p.m.: Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff fly from Chicago to Washington.
• 7 p.m.: Trump campaigns in Glendale, Ariz. 💻 Livestream

Let’s get in weekend mode. Pandas are such weird, fun fellas.