Biden will make strong arguments for Harris and Walz in his convention speech

President Joe Biden’s role at next week’s Democratic National Convention may have been significantly reshaped by his decision ending his bid for a second termBut according to many Biden officials, his message about the importance of this election will sound familiar.

The outgoing president will nominate Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him when he delivers his keynote address on Monday, in part by praising their accomplishments over the past four years.

But Biden will also make clear that he still believe that Republican candidate Donald Trump is a serious threat to American democracy and called on delegates in Chicago and voters across the country to do their part to defeat him again in November, aides said.

“After saving democracy in 2020, President Biden is determined to defeat the threat to democracy posed by Donald Trump,” an official said.

The first day of the convention in Chicago will include a series of tributes to Biden as he prepares to end a half-century of public service. Of course, just a few weeks ago, the entire convention was focused on supporting the argument for another four years in office. But now it will give the president another chance to try to shape his legacy.

The president will spend the weekend at Camp David fine-tuning his speech with the help of senior advisers, including chief speechwriters Mike Donilon and Vinay Reddy. The speech will be based on the message he delivered in the Oval Office shortly after dropping out of the race and making strong arguments for Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Officials said the speech would serve as a reminder of the importance of Biden immediately backing Harris after announcing he was ending his candidacy, helping to quickly unite a party in crisis behind her historic candidacy. Although Biden struggled to stay in the race after his poor debate performance, his first night at the convention allowed him to Passing the Torch with her and Walz, Biden officials told NBC News.

“The president is pleased with the momentum of the campaign and looks forward to presenting his views,” an official said.

Biden aides, however, believe the convention will continue to emphasize the Biden-Harris record after he leaves to contrast it with the Republican ticket.

“Four years ago, America was reeling from a once-in-a-century pandemic, isolated on the world stage, crime rising, and the middle class being marginalized,” one official said. “Today: We are an engine of global growth, our alliances are strong, violent crime is at a 50-year low, border crossings are lower than when the previous administration left office, and we are making progress on the issues Americans care about most.”

Members of the Biden family will join the president and first lady, who will say Longtime friends and supporters of Biden will also travel together on a chartered plane from Delaware to attend the speech, and several aides held a celebration for them and other current and former staffers in Chicago on Monday evening.

Other elements of the convention that were intended to promote Biden’s candidacy will still be tributes, starting with the convention logo borrowed from his 2020 campaign design. All convention delegates will also receive “Cup of Joe” branded coffee, and signage around the United Center on Monday will evoke words from Biden’s Oval Office speech, such as “History is in your hands,” as well as the family mantra: “Spread the faith.”

Biden will leave Chicago after his speech on Monday to spend the rest of the week in Southern California, where he will meet with senior advisers who have been working over the past month to solidify plans for his remaining months in office.

A Biden official said the president “will have a busy domestic schedule — traveling across the country to constantly remind the American people that they will have to choose between his vision and the vice president’s vision to move the country forward, not backward.”

“And the president will fight to use every day of his term to build on these historic achievements,” the official added. “Expect robust implementation of historic legislation, actions to reduce costs, and a robust foreign policy agenda.”