Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was hopeful voters would break the glass ceiling with Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the second woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.
“Together, we’ve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton told Democrats on the first night of the party’s nominating convention.
“Tonight, so close to breaking through once and for all, I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks— and why it matters for each and every one of us,” she continued.
Harris is the first woman to lead a major party ticket since Clinton ran for president in 2016.
Clinton invoked U.S. female political figures, including Geraldine Ferraro and Shirley Chisholm, before speaking about her experience running for president.
The former secretary of state was famously defeated by Trump in 2016. Harris is the second woman he has run against in a general election.
“On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States,” she said. “When a barrier falls, it clears the way for all of us.”
Clinton was welcomed to the stage with a roaring applause and a standing ovation. She even invoked her own 2016 presidential run, playing the campaign’s theme “Fight Song” as she walked off the stage.
Clinton also took the opportunity to jab at Trump. At one point, the crowd of Democrats chanted “Lock him up,” a twist on Trump’s supporters chanting “Lock her up,” in reference to Clinton.
“On her first day in court, Kamala said five words that guide her still: ‘Kamala Harris, for the people,'” Clinton said. “That’s something Donald Trump will never understand.”