As President Joe Biden took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, the cheers were so thunderous they seemed to shake the rafters of Chicago's United Center. The crowd's roaring applause was a tribute to his five decades in politics, his pivotal 2020 victory, and nearly four challenging years in the White House.
They also expressed gratitude for his decision to step down.
Visibly moved, Biden embraced his daughter Ashley, who had introduced him, and wiped away tears with a handkerchief from his pocket.
The final speech of the convention's first night marked the culmination of an extraordinary turnaround in an election season filled with upheaval. On the Republican side alone, there was the unprecedented conviction of a former president on criminal charges and his defiant reaction to an assassination attempt.Amidst these dramatic events, Donald Trump remains a candidate, while President Biden—a sitting president who had secured victory in every state primary and held the support of nearly all convention delegates—succumbed to pressure from longtime allies who doubted his chances for November.
The triumphant acceptance speech he had been preparing to deliver until just four weeks ago ultimately became his farewell address.“It’s been the honor of my life to serve you as your president,” Biden said. “I love my job, but I love my country even more.”
He offered no further explanation for why he was delivering a valedictory address rather than an acceptance speech.
He didn’t need to. The crowd chanted, “We love Joe!”
The affection in the hall was genuine, but there was no sense of regret—only relief.An election transformed
At 81, the oldest president in history, Biden showed a few signs of age that had impacted his political future. While his voice remained strong, his words occasionally slurred, and his walk was noticeably stiff.
It must have stung: the presidential race shifted dramatically and Democratic optimism surged the moment he stepped back from it.Donations from both major and minor contributors surged, and polls in swing states began to show improvement. Trump, who had left the Republican National Convention last month prepared to select his cabinet, now appeared uncertain about how to confront his new rival.
Ironically, it is Trump, not Democratic challengers, who is now alleging that Biden was the victim of an anti-democratic coup.
"We have him on the run now," Hillary Clinton remarked about Trump in her speech to the convention, just an hour before Biden, now a fellow former Democratic nominee. She didn’t need to point out that this represented a significant shift.Four years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Biden from delivering the traditional, enthusiasm-filled convention acceptance address. Instead, he spoke to a camera in a dark, nearly empty room. His speech, lasting just 25 minutes, carried a somber tone that matched the gravity of the moment.
This time, Biden appeared as he usually does—not as a grand orator, but as someone sincere and genuine, soaking in the enthusiastic response from the crowd.
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In his speech, Biden reflected on the formidable challenges he faced upon entering the White House, including the ongoing pandemic and the recent Capitol attack by rioters seeking to overturn the election results.
He described the past period as "a winter of peril and possibility," with challenges now overcome. "Now, it's summer; the winter has passed."
Biden highlighted major legislative accomplishments and historic actions from his first term, including negotiating a substantial infrastructure bill, enacting new gun laws, appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, and securing lower drug prices for seniors.
He criticized Trump as a threat to democracy and unfit for the presidency.
Biden had originally intended to use his convention speech as a platform to showcase the significant achievements of his first term and argue for a second. However, he ultimately had to shift focus to endorse Harris as the candidate for the future.
Biden described selecting her as his running mate in 2020 as "the best decision I ever made" and predicted, "She will be an historic president who will leave her mark on America's future."
With five months remaining in the Oval Office, Biden continues to serve as president, commander in chief, and custodian of the nuclear codes. He pledged in his speech to make the most of his remaining time.
"I've got a lot to do," he said. "I intend to get it done."
However, the stark reality is that no major controversial legislation is expected to pass until the next president and new Congress take office in January. The political focus has already shifted from the White House to the Naval Observatory, where the vice president lives, and to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's residence.
History takes time to render its judgment, and evaluations of presidencies evolve over time, for better or worse.
Currently, Biden is viewed as a significant president for his role in managing the pandemic, guiding the economy to a "soft landing," uniting Western nations in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and making the largest investment in climate action ever.
A presidency sandwiched between two Trump terms may be seen as a deviation rather than a new direction for the country, and a reelected Donald Trump has pledged to undo Biden's achievements.
Much of Biden's legacy hinges on preventing Trump from securing another term, which now relies on Harris.
"Join me in dedicating your whole heart to this effort," he urged near the end of his speech. "That’s where my heart will be. I promise I'll be the best volunteer the Harris-Walz campaign has ever had."
As Biden’s speech concluded, First Lady Jill Biden took the stage, followed by Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who embraced the Bidens amid enthusiastic cheers.
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