Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) will address the Democratic National Convention from the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del., next week, according to a person familiar with the plans, but there won’t be a crowd when they take the stage.
Biden was initially set to deliver his speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination at the convention in Milwaukee. But last week his campaign announced that neither the former vice president nor any other speaker would appear at the convention in person.
A Biden campaign official confirmed to The Hill that none of the speakers at the convention would have crowds for their remarks.
The national convention, which is slated to start Monday and run through Thursday, will be a predominantly virtual event due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The decision to avoid crowds altogether during the convention speeches is the latest example of how public health concerns have upended political traditions.
Both Biden and Harris are scheduled to address the convention next Thursday. Other prominent speakers include former first lady Michelle Obama, who will speak Monday, and former President Obama, who will speak on Wednesday.
When Harris accepts the Democratic vice presidential nomination next week, it will be a history-making event. She will be the first Black woman and first South Asian American to appear on a major political party’s presidential ticket.