Beyoncé, Agitated Security and Vivek Ramaswamy: Offstage, Democrats’ Convention Ends In a Delirious Mess

From tense confrontations to fraught logistics and giddy rumors, the convention ended with spikes of drama. But balloons can bury many ills.

The balloon drop during the Democratic National Convention

Red, white and blue balloons that had been tied up on the convention ceiling all week fell in celebration over the crowd to end the night. Matt Rourke/AP

CHICAGO — Behind the scenes, just out of sight from the history of the first Black woman accepting her party’s nomination to be president, the final night of the Democratic National Convention was every bit of the unpredictable, logistical nightmare that has characterized much of the week in Chicago.

Full attendance could be expected on Day 4, when not only was Kamala Harris set to accept the presidential nomination, but rumors bounced for hours that Beyoncé or another major surprise guest would show up to steal the night. (They didn’t; TMZ apologized for their erroneous report.) Early in the evening, before prime-time speeches kicked off, staff working the convention temporarily closed the floor perimeter under the order of the fire marshal, who apparently warned of dangerous overflow.

Fed up with the seemingly unpredictable guidelines of floor movement, angry delegates and press argued back and forth with staff who stood firm in their marching orders. Some delegates even began to try physically pushing past convention staff but were immediately reprimanded by security.