American politics has been a glitzy showbiz spectacle for way longer than any of us can remember, and the Democrats have a natural advantage: liberalism is still the dominant cultural ideology in the US and the party can rely on the support of a far greater share of pop stars, Hollywood actors, elite journalists and TikTok personalities. While Trump himself is a skilled entertainer, the juice has been running dry since his recent assassination attempt – far from securing his victory, the incident has left him bowed and beaten, hiding behind perspex glass. The Democrats were struggling to secure celebrity endorsements while Biden was still the candidate, but now that Kamala is on the ticket, that problem has been resolved and the cultural momentum is on their side. The party entered its national convention with a new swagger in its step, and the stage was set for a week-long festival of self-congratulation and feel-good vibes.

But there is a ghost at the feast: as the Democrats pat themselves on the back and have a grand old time messing aroud in cheese hats, there is no end in sight to the brutal assault on Gaza. As they open their events with ‘land acknowledgements,’ they are continuing to uphold a settler-colonial project which sees Palestinians being displaced from their homes and subjected to appalling acts of torture and sexual violence. The most generous thing you can say about the DNC’s air of smug triumphalism is that it feels a little gauche. Politicians in Britain are no less morally bankrupt, but they at least have the decency to look thoroughly drab as they go about it. From a surprise set by Lil Jon to a Palestine supporter being attacked with a ‘I love Joe’ flag, here are the wildest moments from the Democratic National Convention so far.

THE ROLL CALL

From the moment Kamala Harris walked on stage to Beyoncé’s “Freedom”, the Democrats seemed determined to flex their cultural muscle. On the second day, the DNC featured a delegation roll call, where a representative of each American state and territory announced their support for Harris as president. The party tried to spice up this usually boring procedure by having DJ Cassidy cue up a song for each state. To make up for Chappel Roan’s disgraceful snubbing by Obama last week, Mississippi went with “Good Luck Babe”; Texas got Beyonce’s “Texas Hold ‘Em”, California got “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, and New York – in a shameful moment for one of the world’s great music cities – was represented by “Empire State of Mind”. 

Going one step further, Georgia announced its selection with a performance by Lil Jon, who played his 2013 hit “Turn Down for What” to a rapturous crowd. For better or worse, this isn’t the kind of thing you’ll ever encounter in British politics – Keir Starmer is not going to jazz up his keynote speech with a surprise appearance by Rizzle Kicks.

PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO SUPPORT PALESTINE 

At the 1968 Democratic National Convention, which was also held in Chicago, riots erupted after a brutal and excessive police response to anti-Vietnam war protesters. For months, people have been anticipating a similar level of disorder at the DNC – some with excitement, others with trepidation – but so far this has yet to materialise. Thousands of people have attended protests in support of Palestine but, barring a handful of incidents, these have been peaceful affairs. Within the convention hall itself, however, a delegate was allegedly attacked with a “We Love Joe” flag after unfurling a pro-Palestine banner, which feels a little on the nose. It’s clear that many mainstream Democrats now consider the issue of Gaza to be an inconvenient distraction which people need to get over – can you stop killing the vibe with all talk about “genocide”, please? We’re trying to enjoy Lil Jon here!

ELLA EMHOFF TERRORISED REPUBLICANS WITH HER EDGY FASHION SENSE

Ella Emhoff – a 25-year-old artist and fashion designer, and Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter – didn’t even do anything at the convention, but the sight of a woman with tattoos still had American conservatives reaching for the smelling salts. Their reaction was summed up by a Twitter post from hard-right commentator, Richard Hanania, who wrote: “Ella Emhoff being part of the daily has the potential to radicalize American parents. I’m for women living the lives they want, but this is pretty much the nightmare scenario for most people with a daughter.”

It can’t be stressed enough that the only thing these people are objecting to is the fact that Emhoff has a somewhat quirky, somewhat androgynous aesthetic which is shared by thousands of other young women in cities across the US. She isn’t trans (despite Graham Linehan’s best efforts to ‘tranvestigate’ her), she doesn’t even openly identify as queer, but her dress sense alone is enough to strike fear into the hearts of the American right, who seem to believe that the rest of the public shares their belief that a woman with tattoos is a freakish abomination. They’re not beating the “weird” allegations any time soon.

JACK SCHLOSSBERG: DEATH OF SILLY GOOSE

JFK’s grandson and self-described “silly goose” Jack Schlossberg made a speech at the convention, perhaps signalling the beginning of a more serious career in politics – a photograph of an intense exchange with Nancy Pelosi seemed to suggest he was being groomed for exactly that purpose. He also posed for a snap with Devious Maids actress Eva Longoria – there are so many exciting celebrity appearances at the DNC that it’s hard to keep up!

I have turned against Schlossberg with the fervour of the apostate. Back in the early days of his Instagram videos, he seemed funny and charming – it felt like he was performing for his own friends, and it was interesting to be granted a peak behind the curtain into the life of someone who, while not famous, embodied the forbidding upper echelons of American society. He was handsome, he had an old money charm and seemed like the kind of man Lana del Rey would write a song about: at one point, I’m now ashamed to admit, I wanted him to drive me to the Hamptons in a vintage Chevrolet for a weekend of sailing, port and spiritual ennui.

But then it all changed. He leaned into it his newfound popularity and seemed to court it too keenly; his quirkiness, which once seemed so spontaneous, began to appear cynical and performative; he became a content creator like any other, just another man filming TikToks in his car, lost in his front-facing camera like Narcissus on the lake. When he uploaded a clip of himself singing “I’m everywhere, I’m so Julia!”, I knew it was over. It was always clear that whatever likeability Schlossberg may have would not survive contact with the reality of politics, and there was nothing in his DNC speech to suggest his worldview differs from that of any other bland, centrist Democrat. This goose is bland, far too rich and a trifle overcooked.