This wasn’t the speech Joe Biden had planned to give—at least not this year, under these circumstances. But if anyone understands how quickly fortunes can change, it’s this president, whose personal and professional life has been marked by tragedy and adversity.
Addressing a packed arena in Chicago on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, Biden delivered a passionate defense of his presidency. He touched on many of the themes he campaigned on in 2020 and continued to emphasize this year, before withdrawing from the re-election race in mid-July, following a challenging debate performance.
“Like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to this nation,” Biden said towards the end of his nearly hour-long speech, which was frequently interrupted by enthusiastic shouts of “Thank you, Joe.”
Biden walked onto the stage after being introduced by his daughter Ashley and wife, Jill, who shared how she “saw him dig deep into his soul” when he decided to exit the presidential race. After embracing Ashley, Biden wiped away tears with a tissue, touched his heart, and stood a bit taller at the lectern, flashing a broad smile as the crowd continued to cheer.
While his speech had a clear focus on his legacy, Biden also took time to commend his vice-president, the woman he hopes will succeed him in the White House. “Choosing Kamala was the first decision I made as our nominee, and it’s the best decision I’ve made in my entire career,” he said. “She’s tough, experienced, and has enormous integrity.”
Unlike his Oval Office address four weeks ago, President Biden didn’t explicitly speak about passing the torch to a new generation, but the message was clear. After concluding his remarks, Vice President Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, joined Biden and his wife, Jill, on stage for an embrace.
“I love you,” Harris mouthed to Biden after their hug.
While Biden spent much of the closing moments of his speech highlighting Harris—implicitly acknowledging that her performance against Donald Trump in November’s election could shape how history, and the Democratic Party, remembers him—many of the evening’s earlier speakers focused their tributes on the current president.
The evening began with a planned, yet unannounced, appearance by Harris herself, who took the stage to thunderous applause.
“Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, your lifetime of service to our nation, and all you continue to do,” she said. “We are forever grateful to you.”
Later in the evening, Delaware Senator Chris Coons, one of Biden’s closest allies, took the stage to offer his heartfelt praise.
“I’ve never known a more compassionate man than Joe Biden,” Coons said. “He has channeled his own loss and faith into a profound commitment to securing a better future for so many others.”
Hillary Clinton also paid tribute earlier in the night, telling the audience that Biden had “restored dignity, decency, and competence to the White House.”
The 2016 Democratic nominee received a prolonged ovation, and she acknowledged that while she did not break the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” by becoming the first woman president, “on the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office.”
The reception Biden received from the packed Democratic convention hall was electric. Democrats in Chicago had been jubilant all day, but the cheers for the president seemed to reflect both gratitude for his reluctant decision to step aside and admiration for a storied political career that began in 1972 when he was first elected to Congress at age 29.
Tomorrow, Barack Obama will address the convention crowd, followed by Bill Clinton on Wednesday—both former presidents who ran for and won re-election. Biden, however, will not have that opportunity. Instead, he was left to define and defend his legacy as a one-term president in what will likely be his final address to a large American television audience, barring any major national events in the coming months.
Toward the end of his speech, Biden quoted a line from the song “American Anthem”:
“Let me know in my heart when my days are through, that America, America, I gave my best to you,” he said, prompting another round of applause from the crowd.
Eight years ago, Biden chose not to run for president, yielding to Hillary Clinton—under some subtle pressure from Obama. Four years ago, he won the nomination, but the Covid pandemic denied him the chance to experience the adulation of a packed Democratic convention hall and the traditional balloon drop.
This night was as close as Biden would get to a Democratic convention moment in the spotlight. After his speech concluded—past midnight on the East Coast—he left the arena and headed to Air Force One for a flight to California for a holiday. His time at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was measured in hours, not days, and despite his hopes just a few months ago, his remaining time as president will be measured in months, not years.
