President Biden delivered the keynote speech Monday at the first night of the Democratic National Convention, highlighting his signature achievements while in office as the party hands the baton to the new party nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris made a surprise appearance Monday night as Democrats showed a united front behind her and Mr. Biden, as speakers walked the line between “thank you Joe” and “we are moving forward.”
“I love this job, but I love this country more,” Mr. Biden said about his decision not to run for reelection. First lady Jill Biden said that she saw Mr. Biden “dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.”
Walking out to a standing ovation and chants of “thank you Joe,” Mr. Biden returned to the familiar themes that “we came together in 2020 to save democracy” and “we’re building a better America” in the 2024 election.
“We’re facing an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history where the decisions we make now will determine the world for decades to come,” Mr. Biden said.
The party’s 2016 nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, brought the convention center to its feet as she told Democrats “the future is here, it’s in our grasp” in electing Harris.
“Together we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton said. “And tonight, tonight so close to breaking through once and for all, I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks, and why it matters for each and every one of us.”
There were also rousing speeches from United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as more somber speeches from women who suffered devastating consequences from lack of abortion access.
Despite Monday’s energetic beginning to the convention, the party is still grappling with a chaotic two months that included Mr. Biden’s disastrous debate on June 27 and his announcement on July 21 that he would be dropping out of the race and backing Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination, leading to her whirlwind campaign and choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
Although Democrats already nominated Harris and Walz in a virtual roll call earlier this month, they held a ceremonial vote Monday to nominate Walz and a ceremonial roll call will be held Tuesday to officially nominate Harris.
Outside the convention center, Chicago police said four people were arrested when protesters breached a security perimeter. Chicago has been gearing up for protests as 2024 has invoked some comparisons to the violent 1968 convention, including an incumbent president deciding not to run for reelection and divisive foreign policy.
