That’s not the speech Joe Biden wanted to give. At least not this year, under these circumstances.
But if anyone knows how quickly fortunes can change, it is this president — whose personal and professional life has been marred by tragedy and adversity.
Speaking to a packed Chicago arena on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Mr Biden delivered a comprehensive defense of his presidency — touching on many of the themes he campaigned on in 2020 and again this year before abandoning his re-election bid in mid-July, a few weeks after his disastrous debate performance.
“Like many of you, I have given my heart and soul to this country,” he said, near the end of a nearly hour-long speech that was met with loud cheers of “Thank you, Joe.”
Mr Biden took the stage after being introduced by his daughter Ashley and wife Jill. She told the audience that she had “seen him think deeply” about his decision to drop out of the presidential race.
After hugging Ashley, he held a tissue to her eyes to wipe away her tears.
The president touched his heart and straightened up a little on the podium, smiling brightly as the crowd continued to cheer.
His speech touched deeply on his place in history, but he also took time to praise 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 was the best decision I made in my entire career,” he said. “She is tough, experienced and has tremendous integrity.”
Reuters Unlike his Oval Office speech four weeks ago, Mr Biden did not directly talk about passing the torch to a new generation – but the message was clear enough. After the president finished speaking, Ms Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, went outside to hug Mr Biden and his wife, Jill.
“I love you,” the vice president whispered to Mr Biden after their hug.
While Mr. Biden spent much of his final speech focusing on Ms. Harris — a tacit acknowledgement that her performance against Donald Trump in November’s vote could determine how history and his party remember him — many of the evening’s earlier speakers paid tribute to the current White House resident.
The event began with a planned — but unannounced — appearance by Ms Harris herself, who took the stage to thunderous applause.
“Joe, thank you for your historic leadership and for your lifetime of service to our country and for all that you continue to do,” she said. “We are forever grateful.”
Then, Delaware Senator Chris Coons — one of Mr Biden’s closest allies — took his turn to praise the president.
“I have never known a more compassionate man than Joe Biden,” he said. “I have never known a man who has taken his own loss and his own faith to do so much for the future of so many others.”
Hillary Clinton paid tribute as she took to the stage earlier in the evening, telling the crowd that Mr Biden had “brought dignity, decency and competence to the White House”.
The 2016 Democratic nominee received a standing ovation, noting that while she did not break the “highest and most difficult barrier” of becoming the first female president, “on the other side of that barrier is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office.”
The reception Mr Biden received from the packed Democratic convention hall was also ecstatic. Democrats in Chicago cheered throughout the day. But the cheers for the president were as much a sign of gratitude for his reluctant decision to step down as they were a tribute to a distinguished political career that began in 1972, when he was first elected to Congress at age 29.
Tomorrow, Barack Obama will address the convention crowd. On Wednesday, Bill Clinton will give his speech. Both are former presidents who ran for and won re-election.
Mr Biden will not have that opportunity. Instead, he will be tasked with defining and defending his legacy as a one-term president in what will, barring a major national event in the next five months, be his last speech to a massive American television audience.
Near the end of his speech, he quoted a line from the song American Anthem.
“When my days are done, let me know in my heart that America, America, I gave my all for you,” he said.
The crowd burst into applause again.
Eight years ago, Mr Biden rejected a presidential candidate in favour of Mrs Clinton – under some not-so-subtle pressure from Mr Obama. Four years ago, he won the nomination, but the Covid pandemic denied him the chance to bask in the adoration of a packed Democratic convention hall and the celebratory balloon release after his speech.
This is the closest Biden will come to getting noticed at the Democratic convention.
After his speech ended—well after midnight on the East Coast—the president left the arena and boarded Air Force One to fly to California for the holidays. His time in Chicago, at the Democratic National Convention, was measured in hours, not days. And despite his wishes just a few months ago, his remaining time as president will be measured in months, not years.
