Just a month after making the historic decision to withdraw from the presidential race, Joe Biden took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, delivering a reflective and hopeful address. He urged the nation to elect Kamala Harris to protect American democracy.
Reflecting on his single presidential term, Biden reminded the nation that he assumed office just two weeks after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, while the country was still in the early throes of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I believed then, and I believe now, that progress is possible. Justice is achievable, and our best days are ahead of us,” Biden stated. “With a grateful heart, I stand before you on this August night to declare that democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered, and now it must be preserved.”
Just weeks ago, Biden was expected to be on this stage accepting his party’s nomination for a second term. Instead, the speech came a month after his surprise decision to not seek re-election, following doubts about his ability to campaign effectively after a poor debate performance. Biden subsequently endorsed Harris.
Reflecting on his five-decade political career, Biden expressed deep appreciation for the millions of Americans who have supported him over the years.
“I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you,” Biden said. “As a Biden, I can honestly say I’m more optimistic about the future than I was when I first took office as a 29-year-old United States senator.”
On Monday, Biden hailed his decision to select Harris as his vice-president as “the best decision of my career” and drew a stark contrast between her and Donald Trump.
Mocking Trump’s recent conviction on 34 felony counts, Biden remarked, “Violent crime has dropped to its lowest level in more than 50 years, and crime will continue to decline when we have a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.”
Biden also criticized Trump for his portrayal of America as a “failing nation.” “When he talks about America failing, he’s wrong. He’s the loser,” Biden said, eliciting cheers from the audience.
While promoting Harris’s candidacy, Biden took a moment to celebrate his legislative achievements, reminding the audience of significant bills like the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
“We’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,” Biden declared. “Covid no longer controls our lives. We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the world.”
Biden also credited Harris with helping to bring about these changes. When discussing efforts to lower prescription drug prices, he noted, “Guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice-president, soon-to-be-president, Kamala Harris.” When the audience chanted “Thank you, Joe,” Biden responded, “Thank you, Kamala!”
The speech had its contentious moments. A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators displayed a banner reading “Stop arming Israel!” which other attendees tried to remove, leading to the lights being dimmed over that section of the venue. Isolated shouts criticizing Biden’s response to the war in Gaza were drowned out by chants of “We love Joe!”
Biden did not avoid addressing the war in Gaza, acknowledging the ongoing pro-ceasefire protests in Chicago. “A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides,” he said.
On recent ceasefire negotiations, Biden stated, “We’re working around the clock, my secretary of state, to prevent a wider war, reunite hostages with their families, and rush humanitarian aid into Gaza to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally, secure a ceasefire and end this war.”
Critics argue that Biden’s handling of the war may tarnish his legacy. As he addressed Democrats in what may be one of his final major political speeches, Biden quoted from the song “American Anthem”: “America, I gave my best to you.”
“I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you,” Biden said. “For 50 years, like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to our nation, and I’ve been blessed countless times by the support of the American people.”
With less than three months before election day, Harris now hopes that this support will extend to her.
