The theme for the third night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was A Fight for Our Freedoms, and the speakers all came out swinging against the Republican presidential and vice presidential nominees, former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-OH).While Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) blasted Republicans and Project 2025 in his keynote address, blistering lines were also delivered by gay Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, gay Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO), lesbian Attorney General Dana Nessel (D-MI), queer Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and other well-known Democratic leaders, like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and former President Bill Clinton.Below are summaries of their speeches with their strongest lines verbatim. Related Barack & Michelle Obama blast Trump & offer hope in second night of DNC speeches Obama called Trump a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Vice presidential nominee, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN)Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK via IMAGN Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz takes the stage to give an acceptance speech during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. The high school football players that Walz used to coach during his days as a teacher came onstage, now as grown men, to cheer Walz on after a heartfelt introduction from one of his former student-athletes. In the crowd, hundreds of attendees held signs that said Coach Walz.Walz then spoke about the necessity of supporting your neighbor, even if that person may not think like you do may not pray like you do [and] may not love like you do, but theyre your neighbors, and you look out for them, and they look out for you. Everybody belongs and everybody has a responsibility to contribute. It was those [high school football and basketball] players and my students who inspired me to run for Congress, he said. They saw in me what I had hoped to instill in them, a commitment to the common good, an understanding that were all in this together, and the belief that a single person can make a real difference for their neighbors.After touting his accomplishments as governor to lower living costs for working class Minnesotans, he said, We also protected reproductive freedom, because in Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make and, even if we wouldnt make those same choices for ourselves, weve got a golden rule: Mind your own damn business. And that includes IVF [in vitro fertilization] infertility treatments. And this is personal for Gwen [his wife] and I. if youve never experienced the hell that is infertility, I guarantee you you know somebody who has.Im letting you in on how we started a family, because this is a big part about what this election is about, freedom, he continued. When Republicans use the word freedom, they mean that the government should be free to invade your doctors office, corporations free to pollute your air and water, and banks free to take advantage of customers. But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love, freedom to make your own health care decisions, and yeah, your kids freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall, he said. Later on, Walz took aim at Project 2025, the Heritage Foundations blueprint for a second Trump presidency. Donald Trump and JD Vance their Project 2025 will make things much, much harder for people who are just trying to live their lives, he said. They spent a lot of time pretending they know nothing about this, but look, I coached high school football long enough to know and trust me on this: When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, theyre going to use it.Its an agenda nobody asked for, he continued. Its an agenda that serves nobody except the richest and the most extreme amongst us. And its an agenda that does nothing for our neighbors in need. Is it weird? Absolutely, absolutely. But its also wrong and its dangerous.He then ended his speech with a football metaphor to encourage listeners to work hard to help elect him and Harris in November: Its the fourth quarter, were down a field goal, but were on offense and weve got the ball. Were driving down the field, and boy, do we have the right team. Our job, for everyone watching, is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling, one inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time.Look, we got 76 daysthats nothing, he continued. There will be time to sleep when youre dead. Were going to leave it on the field. Thats how well keep moving forward. Thats how well turn the page on Donald Trump. Former President Bill ClintonJasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK via IMAGN Former President Bill Clinton speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.While Clinton praised the characters and political accomplishments of both Harris and Walz, much of his speech attacked Trump.I love seeing all these young leaders, much of them are coming up after me, They look better, they sound better, and theyll be exciting, he said. Two days ago, I turned 78: the oldest man in my familyAnd the only personal vanity I want to assert is, Im still younger than Donald Trump.So in 2024 we got a pretty clear choice, it seems to me: Kamala Harris for the people, and the other guy whos proved, even more than the first go around, that hes about me, myself. And I know which one I like better for our country, he said. Donald Trump has been a paragon of consistency: Hes still dividing, hes still blaming, hes still belittling other people. He creates chaos, and then he sort of curates it, as if it were precious art, Clinton said. He mostly talks about himself, right? So the next time you hear him, dont count the liescount the Is. Count the Is, his vendettas, his vengeance, his complaints, his conspiracies. Hes like one of those tenors opening up before he walks out on stage, like I did, trying to get his lungs open by saying, Me, me, me, me, me, me. When Kamala Harris is president, every day will begin with You, you, you, you.'Do you want to build a strong economy from the bottom up and the middle out, or do you want to spend the next four years talking about crowd sizes? he said, clowning Trumps obsession with claiming that his smaller rally crowds are actually bigger than Harris which have filled stadiums. And what are we supposed to make to these endless tributes to the late great Hannibal Lecter, Clinton added, referencing an odd line that Trump has repeated often in recent rallies.The other day, [Trump] implied that if his people voted one more time, theyd be able to rig it. From now on, they wouldnt have to vote again Some [Republicans] think that they are bound to dominate America, politically, economically and socially, and they have to use politics to do it, and they should rig the system. I dont believe that. And so heres what I want to tell you, weve seen more than one election slip away from us when we thoughtit couldnt happen, when people got distracted by phony issues or overcompetent This is a brutal, tough business.You should never underestimate your adversary, he added. But heres what I want you to know: If you vote for this team, if you can get them elected and let them bring in this breath of fresh air, you will be proud of it for the rest of your life. Your children will be proud of it. Your grandchildren will be proud of it. Media legend Oprah WinfreyJasper Colt-USA TODAY via IMAGN Oprah Winfrey speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAYDuring Winfreys surprise speech at the DNC, she said, There are people who want you to see our country as a nation of us against them, people who want to scare you, who want to rule you, people who have you believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe, that theres a right way to worship and a wrong way to love people, who seek first to divide and then to conquer. But heres the thing, when we stand together, it is impossible to conquer us.Ive seen racism and sexism and income inequality and division. Ive not only seen it at times, Ive been on the receiving end of it, she added. But more often than not, what Ive witnessed and experienced are human beings, both conservative and liberal, who may not agree with each other, but who still help you in a heartbeat if youre in trouble. These are the people who make me proud to say that I am an American.They are the best of America, she continued. And despite what some would have you think, we are not so different from our neighbors. When a house is on fire, we dont ask about the homeowners race or religion. We dont wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out too.Referencing Trump, she said, We know all the old tricks and tropes that are designed to distract us from what actually matters, but we are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery. These are complicated times, people, and they require adult conversation. We welcome those conversations because civilized debate is vital to democracy, and it is the best of America. She then mentioned abortion and reproductive rights, saying, If you do not have autonomy over this, if you cannot control when and how you choose to bring your children into this world and how they are raised and supported, there is no American dream. The women and men who are battling to keep us from going back to a time of desperation or shame and stone cold fear, they are the new freedom fighters. And make no mistake, they are the best of America.She then called on independents and undecideds to choose the presidential ticket that demonstrates values and character, saying [they] matter most of all in leadership and in life.Common sense tells you that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can give us decency and respect. Theyre the ones who give it to us, she said. We are Americans. Let us choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual, because thats the best of America. And let us choose optimism over cynicism, because that is the best of America. And let us choose inclusion over retribution. Let us choose common sense over nonsense. I and let us choose the sweet promise of tomorrow over the fearful return to yesterday.We wont go back. We wont be set back. Push back, bully back, kick back. Were not going back, Winfrey concluded. Let us choose truth, let us choose honor and let us choose joy, because thats the best of America. Transportation Secretary Pete ButtigiegJasper Colt-USA TODAY via IMAGN Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAYButtigieg began by blasting Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance and later emphaized Donald Trump rants about law and order, as if he wasnt a convicted criminal running against a prosecutor, as if we were going to forget that crime was higher on his watch, Buttigieg said, echoing recent comments he made on Fox News. And dont even get me started on his new running mate. At least [Trumps former Vice President] Mike Pence was polite.JD Vance is one of those guys who thinks if you dont live live a life that he has in mind for you, then you dont count. Someone who has said that, if you dont have kids, you have, quote, no physical commitment to the future of this country,' Buttigieg said. You know, Senator, when I deployed to Afghanistan, I didnt have kids then. Many of the men and women who went outside the wire with me didnt have kids either. But let me tell you, our commitment to the future of this country was pretty damn physical. By choosing Vance as his running mate, Buttigieg said that Trump and the Republicans are doubling down on negativity and grievance, committing to a concept of campaigning best summed up in one word: darkness. Darkness is what they are selling. The thing is, I just dont believe that America today is in the market for darkness. I believe America is ready for a better kind of politics.Theyre telling you that greatness comes from going back to the past, he continued. Theyre telling you that anyone different from you is a threat. Theyre telling you that your neighbor or nephew or daughter who disagrees with you politically isnt just wrong, but is now the enemy.Buttigieg then pivoted to his family, saying, The existence of my family is just one example of something that was literally impossible as recently as 25 years ago, when an anxious teenager growing up in Indiana, I wondered if he would ever find belonging in this world. This kind of life went from impossible to possible, from possible to real, from real to almost ordinary in less than half a lifetime, he continued. But that didnt just happen. It was brought about through idealism and courage, through organizing and persuasion and storytelling and yes, through politics, the right kind of politics, the kind of politics that can make an impossible dream into an everyday reality.So this November, we will choose a better politics, a politics that calls us to our better selves and offers us a better every day, he said. That is what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz represents. That is what Democrats represent. That is what awaits us when America decides to end Trumps politics of darkness once and for all. That is what we choose when we embrace the leaders who are out there building bridges and reject the ones who are out there banning books.Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)Mike De Sisti-USA TODAY via IMAGN Aug 21, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Former Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike De Sisti-USA TODAY Retelling the story of the congressional vote certification that occurred immediately after the January 6, 2021 riots by Trumps followers on the U.S. Capitol, Pelosi said, Never before had a president of the United States so brazenly assaulted the bedrock of our democracy, so lethally embraced political violence, so willfully betrayed his oath of office. Let us not forget who assaulted democracy on January 6 [Trump] did. But let us not forget who saved democracy that day: We did, and thank God we had a Democratic House of Representatives.At the time, 139 of the 221 House Republicansnearly 63% of the GOP House Caucusvoted against certifying now-President Joe Bidens electoral victory. If they had voted as a majority party in the House, they could have helped Trump overturn the will of the over 75 million voters across the nation who cast ballots against him.The parable of January 6 reminds us that our democracy is only as strong as the courage and commitment of those entrusted with its care, she concluded, and we must choose leaders who believe in free and fair elections, who respect the peaceful transfer of power. The choice couldnt be clearer. Those leaders are vice president Harris and Governor Walz. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)Mike De Sisti-USA TODAY via IMAGN Aug 21, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike De Sisti-USA TODAYHeres the thing, Jeffries said. Extreme MAGA Republicans dont care about everyday Americans. They only care about themselves.Donald Trump is like an old boy who you broke up with, but he just wont go away, Jeffries added. He has spent the last four years spinning the block trying to get back into a relationship with the American people. Bro, we broke up with you for a reason.Trump was a mastermind of the GOP tax scam, where 83% of the benefits went to the wealthiest 1% in America, Jeffies continued. In America. Trump failed our country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump tried to destroy our democracy by lying about the election and inciting a violent mob to attack the Capitol. Trump put three extreme justices on the Supreme Court who destroyed Roe v. Wade.We broke up with you for a reason, Jeffies repeated. Donald Trump can spin the block all he wants, but theres no reason for us to ever get back together. Been there, done thatwere not going back. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D)Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK via IMAGN Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.Polis spent the majority of his speech highlighting Project 2025s plan to attack Americans reproductive rights.Here on page 562, it says that Donald Trump could use an obscure law from the 1800s to single handedly ban abortion in all 50 states, even putting doctors in jail, Polis said. Page 486 puts limits on contraception. Page 450 threatens access to IVF. On page 455, Project 2025 says that states have to report miscarriages to the Trump administration. Page 451 says the only legitimate family is a married mother and father, where only the father works.Project 2025 would turn the entire federal government and bureaucracy into a massive machine. It would weaponize it to control our reproductive and personal choices, Polis added. Democrats welcome weird, but were not weirdos telling families who can and cant have kids, who to marry or how to live our lives.These Project 2025 people, like Trump and Vance, are not just weirdtheyre dangerous. They want to take us backwards, but we arent going back, like ever, ever, ever, he concluded, repeating a lyric from one of his favorite musicians, Taylor Swift. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley RobinsonJasper Colt, Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK via IMAGN Kelley Robinson, President, Human Rights Campaign, speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAYProgress is happening, my friends, Robinson said near the beginning of her speech. The 20 plus million LGBTQ+ Americans are living proof of it. We are your friends and your neighbors, your classmates and your family.Donald Trump wants to erase us, she said. He would ban our health care, belittle our marriages, bury our stories. But we are not going anywhere. We are not going back. The audience then began chanting, Were not going back.Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, they are champions for LGBTQ+ freedom yall, Robinson said. So tonight were fighting for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and trans freedom without exception. Were fighting for equality for all without exception. Were fighting for joy. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D)Jasper Colt, Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK via IMAGN Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAYBeing Attorney General is a tough job, but as Californias Attorney General, Kamala Harris, never shied away from a good fight, Nessel said. But what really stands out is when she stood up and protected her constituents freedoms.In 2011, she refused to defend Californias ban on same-sex marriage. She refused to argue that some families should have fewer rights than other families, it meant that a lot: She was fighting for families like mine, Nessel said.By the way, I have a message for the Republicans and the justices of the United States Supreme Court, Nessel said, holding up her left ring finger. You can pry this wedding band from my cold, dead, gay hand!As the crowd cheered, she added, And Im retaining a lot of water, so good luck with that.