President Joe Biden received an emotional standing ovation when he took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, roughly a month after he ended his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party’s nominee.
Biden, 81, appeared to wipe away tears as he hugged his daughter, Ashley, who introduced him. The crowd cheered for more than four minutes, chanting “We love Joe” and “Thank you, Joe,” before he started his near hour-long speech. The moment marked a show of support for Biden’s political career, which has spanned more than 50 years, and his decision to pass the torch to Harris.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]His speech at the DNC had been considered one of his final chances to make the case for his legacy after several members of his own party—many in the audience—reportedly pressured him to exit the race. Throughout his remarks, Biden recounted the accomplishments of his Administration, explained why he ran for President in 2020, and took direct aim at former President Donald Trump.
“As your President, I’ve been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back,” Biden said. “To stand against hate and violence and all its forms, to be a nation where we not only live with but thrive on diversity, demonizing no one, leaving no one behind, and become a nation that we profess to be.”
Here are some of the biggest moments from Biden’s speech at the DNC.
Biden praised his vice president throughout his speech, telling Democrats that Harris will be a “President our children could look up to.” He made sure to credit her for their Administration’s accomplishments after chants of “Thank you, Joe” broke out. “Thank you, Kamala, too,” Biden said—a recognition that his legacy is now tied to hers.
“We’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period. And when I say we, I mean Kamala and me,” he said.
“She’ll be a President respected by world leaders, because she already is,” Biden added. “She’ll be a President we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic President who puts her stamp on America’s future.”
He told supporters that he will be the “best volunteer” for her campaign and urged voters to show up on Election Day. “Like many of our best Presidents, she was also vice president,” he said, an implicit nod to his own background as a former vice president.
Biden also used part of his speech to spotlight some of the issues Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are championing, including their campaign’s recently-revealed economic policy agenda: “Kamala and Tim will continue to take on corporate greed and bring down the cost of food,” he said, in reference to her plan to pass a first-ever federal ban on price gouging.
“They’ll make housing more affordable by building 3 million new homes, providing $25,000 down payment assistance for the first-time homebuyer,” Biden added.
Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff joined Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on stage after he concluded his speech. Harris could be seen saying “I love you” while hugging the President.
A large portion of Biden’s speech was used to list his Administration’s achievements, such as bringing the nation back from the COVID-19 pandemic, making historic investments in infrastructure, creating millions of jobs, and lowering prescription drug prices. But he also devoted time to mark a wistful bookend to his national political career, which began in 1972, when he came into the spotlight as a youthful and energetic 29-year-old running for the Senate.
Biden boasts a lengthy political record: He was elected to the Senate at just 29, ran for the Democratic nomination for President twice before joining Barack Obama’s historic ticket as running mate in 2008—serving two terms as vice president during which he used his experience to help usher through deals with Congress—and was finally elected President in 2020. “Nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Delaware grow up to sit behind the desk in the Oval Office,” he said.
He touted his Administration’s legislative wins and said that Harris and Walz “understand that this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities, not just for the few of us, but for all of us.” Biden also recounted his commitment to “rebuild the backbone of America—the middle class” and said that the bills he passed “did more for red states than blue.”
“I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you. For 50 years, like many of you, I’ve given my heart and soul to our nation, and I’ve been blessed a million times in return with the support of the American people,” Biden said. “I remember being too young to be in the Senate because I wasn’t 30 yet, and too old to stay as President. But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.”
Biden also addressed the elephant in the room, telling the convention crowd that he harbors no ill will towards the Democrats who publicly and privately urged him to drop out of the 2024 race.
“All this talk about how I’m angry at all the people who said I should step down—that’s not true,” Biden said, as the crowd chanted “We love Joe.”
“I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy,” he said.
Biden used part of his speech to address the Israel-Hamas war, which has been a cause of division within the Democratic Party, saying that protesters calling for an end to the violence against Palestinians “have a point.”
“We’re working around the clock, my Secretary of State, to prevent a wider war and reunite hostages with their families and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now,” Biden said. “To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences in ceasefire and hostage release negotiations, and called for Hamas to accept the terms. Anti-war protests have taken place across the nation, including outside the convention in Chicago, as demonstrators hope to pressure the Biden Administration and Democratic Party to stop supporting Israel.
“Those protesters out in the street, they have a point, a lot of innocent people are being killed, both sides,” Biden added. Around 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, while more than 1,200 Israelis have been killed since Oct. 7 last year, according to estimates from the United Nations.
Biden made several references to Trump throughout his speech, calling the Republican nominee whom he beat in 2020 a “loser” who “put himself first and America last.” Biden took particular aim at Trump’s frequent assertion that the U.S. is a country in decline: “He says we’re losing. He’s a loser. He’s dead wrong.”
“All of us carry a special obligation,” Biden said, addressing not just Democrats but Americans of all political stripes. “We saved democracy in 2020 and now we must save it again in 2024,” he added, urging people to vote for Harris in order to prevent a second term under Trump.
“We’re in a battle for the very soul of America,” Biden said, echoing his campaign refrain from 2020. “America’s future is in your hands.”
