OUTGOING US PRESIDENT Joe Biden used his final speech as president at a Democratic convention to set a defiant tone against Donald Trump, urging people to elect Kamala Harris as the country’s next president.
He strongly criticised Donald Trump throughout the speech (“He says we’re losing. HE’S the loser!”) in a marked change of tactic.
“Who the hell does he think he is? These are the words of a person who is not worthy of being Commander in Chief. Period. Not then. Not now. And not ever,” he told the crowd.
He used the speech to document his achievements, particularly for working Americans, and set out a vision for what he would like to happen after his presidency.
Quoting from a song, he said: “Let me know in my heart, when my days are through, America, America, I gave my best to you.”
He said he had accepted the decision to stand down. “I love the job, but I love my country more. I love my country more. And all this talk about how I’m angry at all those people who said I should step down, that’s not true.”
In a confident performance, he was visibly buoyed by the support of the crowd in what will be one of the final big speeches of his presidency.
He received a three-and-a-half minute ovation from the crowd when he walked on stage, with chants of “thank you Joe” several times throughout his appearance.
The speech started more than 40 minutes later than the planned 10pm start, meaning Biden missed a coveted prime-time slot on US television; the convention itself was delayed as the tight security meant many delegates weren’t in the room on time.
Biden was spoken about warmly and generously by delegates on the floor.
“Joe Biden should go down in American history as a hero,” Tom, a delegate from the state of Washington, told The Journal.
Another said that she believed “history will be kind to him”.
Biden was the last of dozens of speakers on the first night of the Democratic National Convention which is taking place in Chicago, Illinois.
The event was a massive production. Over the five-and-a-half hours before Biden spoke, more than 60 people took to the stage to give speeches, perform songs, and rubber stamp official party business.
Singer Jason Isbell performed a song; 82-year-old civil rights leader Jessie Jackson was applauded for several minutes on the stage; and actor Tony Goldwyn played MC for the final two hours of the production.
Kamala Harris made a brief unexpected appearance to pay tribute to Joe Biden and thank him for his service to the country.
Hillary Clinton praised Biden for his “dignity and decency” before speaking at length about Kamala Harris, drawing parallels between both their careers. “As president, she will always have our backs and she will be a fighter for us,” she said. “We have [Trump] on the run now.”
The tone was upbeat, confident, and on message at all times.
The crowd clapped dutifully as the huge screens showed videos of Joe Biden before his speech, and cheered loudly when Kamala Harris was shown.
Donald Trump was booed almost every time he was mentioned, while a Michigan state senator mentioned Project 2025 which got even louder boos than Trump did.
One recurring motif over the evening was video clips that played between speakers, which showed former Trump voters describing why they would not be voting for him again – a group that Democrats will be targeting in swing states in November’s election.
The crowd chanted “We’re not going back” and “When we fight, we win” throughout the night.
The production took more than 17 months to plan, with the final line-up only being confirmed hours before the event began – indicative, perhaps, of all the work that had to be done once Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden on the ticket.
Biden’s appearance on the Monday night clears the way for the rest of the convention to focus on November’s election.
Barack and Michelle Obama are due to headline the convention on Tuesday night, with vice presidential pick Tim Walz speaking on Wednesday. Kamala Harris will wrap up the conference with her speech on Thursday night.
With just under 11 weeks to go until the country goes to the polls, the Democrats will be hoping that this week will be a tactful goodbye to Joe Biden, a careful positioning of Kamala Harris – and the chance to bring the fight to the Republicans.
Christine Bohan is reporting from the DNC in Chicago all this week. You can read her on the site here.
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