The baton has officially been passed: Democrats bid a fond farewell Monday to President Joseph Biden, who in a late-night speech that closed the first day of the Democratic National Convention ticked off his political and policy victories and gave an unqualified endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to become the nation’s 47th president.
During the roughly 50-minute speech, Biden denied any anger about the pressure he received from fellow Democrats to drop out of the race following his debacle of a debate against former President Donald Trump. And he insisted he would complete unfinished business in the remaining five months of his presidency. He also leaned heavily in endorsing Harris.
“She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story, and like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president,” Biden, a former vice president himself, said of Harris as he cracked a smile. “She’ll be a president our children can look up to … respected by world leaders, because she already is… and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future.”
After an introduction from his daughter Ashley Biden, Biden hustled a few steps on the stage, hugged his daughter and appeared to dry his eyes. Biden waited four minutes before starting his speech due to a standing ovation from the capacity crowd that alternatively chanted “We love Joe” and “Thank you Joe!”
“It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your President. I love the job, but I love my country more,” he said. “America, I gave my best to you.”
The Tribune’s Rick Pearson has a look at the first day’s proceedings.
Harris made a surprise appearance on the United Center stage shortly after 8 p.m. to welcome and rile up delegates. Shortly after a promotional video set to Beyoncé’s “Freedom” wrapped, Harris strode on stage and thanked Biden for his “lifetime of service to our nation.”
“Guided by our love of country, knowing we all have so much more in common than what separates us, let us fight for the ideals we hold dear and let us always remember: When we fight, we win.”
The party continues barreling toward Harris’ official coronation as day two of the Democratic National Convention kicks off.
Gov. JB Pritzker spent a whirlwind Monday appearing in front of state delegations before greeting President Joe Biden at Soldier Field. All that politicking and speechifying served as a warm-up to the main event, when the governor will face a national audience on the United Center stage Tuesday.
The Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner and Olivia Olander trailed Pritzker Monday as he addressed several groups of Democrats in town from across the nation, dodging a key question about his political future as he went: “I’m not thinking about any other terms other than the one I’m serving in,” he said when asked if he would run for a third term leading the state.
A smaller-than-expected crowd rallied and marched near the United Center Monday afternoon, decrying the Biden administration’s support for Israeli military action in Gaza. While organizers hoped for up to 20,000, only a few thousand turned up, the Tribune’s protest team reported. It is uncertain what that will mean for the rest of the week. Some protesters did breach a section of fencing two blocks north of the United Center meant to prevent people without credentials from getting close to the convention.
“At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees,” according to a statement from the DNC Joint Information Center.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson — who has not shied away from his support for those protesters — reiterated his call for a cease-fire in Gaza early Monday while taking questions about safety preparations. He did not directly address questions about his statements earlier in the week, when he described the war as “genocidal,” the Tribune’s Alice Yin reported.
Donning a city flag pin, Johnson took his moment in the national spotlight Monday evening, using his brief allotted minutes on the United Center stage to kick off the first night of proceedings. He praised Chicago as the organizing home of Ida B. Wells and Jane Addams, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and former President Barack Obama. Harris, he said, has what it takes “to defend our fundamental rights and freedoms.”
The mayor even managed to slip in his trademark line, describing Chicago as “the greatest freakin’ city in the world.”
The evening featured a cavalcade of Illinoisans: Among the most prominent was Hillary Clinton, born in Chicago and raised in Park Ridge. Her speech — delayed by several rounds of applause when she first took the stage — highlighted “a new chapter” in America’s fight for women’s suffrage and political representation while getting in a few punches at Trump (at one point, the crowd chanted “Lock him up!”).
“On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th President of the United States,” said Clinton, the nation’s first female presidential nominee. “When a barrier falls for one of us, it falls. It falls and clears the way for all of us.”
Cardinal Blase Cupich delivered the invocation, Rev. Jackson’s civil rights legacy was honored in a video montage. He was joined on stage by his sons Jonathan and Yusef Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton. U.S. Sen Dick Durbin gave a brief speech focused on the economy, and U.S. Rep Lauren Underwood blasted former President Donald Trump’s pandemic response.
Several celebrities also took the stage: actor Tony Goldwyn hosted primetime proceedings. Former Chicago Bull and current Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr garnered some of the biggest cheers of the night when he took the stage for a brief address. Chants of “U-S-A!” broke out, a nod to his gold-medal-winning turn as coach of the American men’s basketball team at the Paris Olympics this year.
Country stars Jason Isbell and Mickey Guyton also performed.
Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Sheridan contributed.
