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Democratic National Convention live: Joe Biden attacks Donald Trump, reminds Americans of his achievements and says Kamala Harris can win

US President Joe Biden has passed the torch to Kamala Harris in an emotional address at the Democratic convention where he attacked Donald Trump and said they'd "saved democracy" and must save it again.

Biden: 'Democracy Has Delivered and Now Democracy Must Be Preserved'

US President Joe Biden has lashed Donald Trump and reminded America of his legacy, after he thanked his family for their support, describing his wife Jill as his “rock” who left him “breathless and speechless”.

 

“I believe then and I believe now that progress was and is possible … and our best days are not behind us, they’re before us,” he said.

“Democracy has prevailed, democracy has delivered, and now democracy must be preserved.”

Mr Biden declared he knew more world leaders by their first name than anyone else alive because he was “so damn old”.

He angrily condemned Mr Trump’s repeated claim that the US was a “failing nation”. “He’s the loser – he’s dead wrong,” the President said.

Emotional Joe Biden passes torch to Harris at the DNC

He also criticised him for putting himself first before he said he would find out the "power of women" in this election.  He passed the torch to Kamala Harris, saying she was "tough", had experience and "enormous integrity".

Ahead of Mr Biden's speech, the First Lady, their daughter Ashley, Hillary Clinton appeared to rally voters saying they can win the US election.

First Lady Jill Biden took to the stage, saying he had to “dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek re-election”. She backed Ms Harris and Tim Walz for the win. 

Their daughter Ashley told the crowd: “He told me I could be anything and I could do anything.”

Clinton urged supporters at the Democratic National Convention opening night to "never give up", as Ms Harris made a surprise appearance. Mrs Clinton, the Democratic candidate in 2016, got a standing ovation as she backed Ms Harris to become America’s first female president.

Hillary Clinton Addresses DNC on Night One: 'Never Ever Give Up'

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Originally published as Democratic National Convention live: Joe Biden attacks Donald Trump, reminds Americans of his achievements and says Kamala Harris can win

Updates

Biden's body language shows 'strong anger'

Body language expert Dr Louise Mahler said despite US President Joe Biden's confidence, there were some hiccups in his delivery.

“He listed his achievements and again brought in Kamala, but after mentioning their pharmaceutical achievements he faltered with his thoughts, sometimes that happened intermittently. At one stage he could not say the word ‘electoral’, but the audience cheered and carried him on,” she said.

“Sometimes his anger about the issues seems a little too bitter with his eyes thinning and holding an expression of anger for an extended period of time.

“As he spoke of the future, his mouth hung open, his eyes glazed, the left side of his mouth kept a little closed and he leant forward slightly. Sometimes his did a harsh vocal approach, called a glottal stop, and his mouth pulled down to reveal the back teeth of his lower jaw. These are expressions of strong anger – this was a fierce eulogy on his achievements.”


US President Joe Biden showed signs of "strong anger" in his delivery, according to Dr Maher. Picture: AFP
US President Joe Biden showed signs of "strong anger" in his delivery, according to Dr Maher. Picture: AFP



“He finally finished by mentioning Kamala Harris. Her expression in response did not show the love she showed for Jill Biden, likely due to Biden strongly linking Harris to his term in office, something that she and her campaign team are desperately trying to sever her from – regardless she was appreciative of his support,” Dr Maher said.

“Joe should have finished there but as politicians tend to do he continued as the clock past midnight, with more achievements listed, more about his family and upbringing and then an angry dig at Trump as he screamed with a clenched fist “Who does he think he is!

“A giveaway of his underlying disappointment in being removed from the race was the vague mention of Kamala Harris with a preponderance of the word “I” – his frustration not so much at Harris but at those who pushed him out.

“On and on he went losing energy and the crowd and by the end even Joe admitted he was too old to stay as president and by the end of his speech we were are in agreement.

“It was a classy touch by Haris to come on stage at the end, today marks the end of the Biden era as head of the party and beginning of her time – that handover is now complete and she is far better placed than Biden to carry the baton forward.”

Body language expert weighs in on Biden's performance

Communication and body language expert Dr Louise Mahler has described US President Joe Biden’s address to the Democratic National Convention as being all about Joe.

“In a highly emotional moment Biden walked on stage to the embrace of his daughter, wiping tears from his eyes as she led him to the microphone.

“In a nice touch of stage managing, Biden being walked to the microphone stopped us seeing the usual slow walk which would have undermined his entrance.

“Spreading his arms wide and confidently, Biden kept them open throughout and his voice was strong as he thanked the audience who were going crazy with clapping and cheers.”


US President Joe Biden looked strong and confident during his speech, writes Dr Louise Maher. Picture: AFP
US President Joe Biden looked strong and confident during his speech, writes Dr Louise Maher. Picture: AFP

“He looked strong and rested compared to recent appearances and the decision to walk away from the race seems to have dialled down the pressure he was placing on himself,” she said.

“The audience chanting “thank you Joe” was a special moment for Biden, and he soaked in the adoration, allowing the chants and cheering to continue for as long as he could – this moment was all about Biden.

“Unusually Biden’s mouth seemed lop-sided with his left side more closed than his right, perhaps a sign of ill health, although this came and went throughout the presentation.

“His open stance and strong voice were something that has been unseen for some time, but his diction was still a little sloppy missing the ‘c’ on words like ‘political’.

“Raising his right hand to the future. He slammed his fist on the lectern and his gestures seemed once again re-energised and in time with his words. His eyes were focused but weirdly remained unblinking for uncomfortable for lengths of time.

“His voice never faltered, and his breath remained strong and I remain convinced that performance anxiety, coupled with his inability to deal with it due to age, was the reason behind those public performances that led to him stepping out of the Presidential race.

“At times his jaw seemed a little loose and not so in control. He stammered and gulped and coughed at one stage – but these were minimal compared to recent speeches.”

'America’s future is in your hands'

Wrapping up his speech, Mr Biden declared: “We saved democracy in 2020, and now we must save it again in 2024.

“It’s that simple, it’s that serious, and the power is literally in your hands. History is in your hands … America’s future is in your hands,” he said.

“Join me in promising your whole heart to this effort … I promise I’ll be the best volunteer for Harris and Walz’s campaign they’ve ever seen.”

“I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you.”


US President Joe Biden stands onstage with his grandson Beau, the youngest child of Hunter Biden.  Picture: AFP
US President Joe Biden stands onstage with his grandson Beau, the youngest child of Hunter Biden. Picture: AFP


Joe Biden with wife Jill. Picture: AFP
Joe Biden with wife Jill. Picture: AFP

Biden passes torch to Harris

The President positioned Ms Harris to carry on his legacy, with further reforms to bring down the cost of housing, groceries and medicines, while also making billionaires “pay their fair share” and protecting civil rights.

“Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made when I became the nominee, and it was the best decision I made in my whole career,” Mr Biden said.

“We’ve become close friends. 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,” he added with a smile, referring to his own stint under Barack Obama.

'I’ve got a lot to do': Biden working on Gaza ceasefire

Mr Biden said he was “working around the clock” to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, while also surging humanitarian assistance to the region and freeing the Israeli hostages.

“Those protesters out on the street – they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides,” the President said, acknowledging an issue that had cost him support among young progressive voters.

He said of the five months left in his presidency: “I’ve got a lot to do … I intend to get it done.”

“All this talk about how I’m angry at the people who said I should step down – it’s not true,” Mr Biden added.

“I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy.”

'Comrade Kamala' dodges Fox debate: Trump

justin.vallejo

Donald Trump broke an uncharacteristically quiet DNC to say Kamala Harris rejected the proposal to debate on Fox News on September 4, local time.
 
"Comrade Kamala Harris has just informed us that she will NOT do the FoxNews Debate on September 4th," Trump said on Truth Social.
 
"I am not surprised by this development because I feel that she knows it is very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in."
 
Trump and Harris will debate on ABC on September 10. The former president added he will keep his September 4 date with Fox News and hold a town hall in Pennsylvania, one of the key battleground states of the election.



'Trump the loser': Biden hits back

Mr Biden declared he knew more world leaders by their first name than anyone else alive because he was “so damn old”.

He angrily condemned Mr Trump’s repeated claim that the US was a “failing nation”.

“He’s the loser – he’s dead wrong,” the President said.

“Who could lead the world other than the United States of America? And guess what, America is winning, and the world is better off for it.”


Joe Biden speaks to the crowd in Chicago. Picture: AFP
Joe Biden speaks to the crowd in Chicago. Picture: AFP


Fact check: Biden repeats 'fine people' hoax

justin.vallejo

Joe Biden used one of his last major speeches as president to repeat the "fine people" hoax he ran on to win the White House.
 
Biden recounted the deadly neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville and claimed that Trump said there were "fine people" among both sides of neo-Nazis and counter-protesters.

It's a foundational claim for Biden, who says it prompted his run for the White House in 2020. He has continued to repeat it throughout his presidency despite it being repeatedly debunked.

Most recently, the left-leaning fact-checking website Snopes posted a fact check which said: "Trump did say there were "very fine people on both sides," referring to the protesters and the counterprotesters. He said in the same statement he wasn't talking about neo-Nazis and white nationalists, who he said should be "condemned totally."

A man who drove his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters at the "Unite the Right" rally in 2017 was sentenced to life in prison for killing one person and injuring 35 others.

Biden outlines achievements as President

Mr Biden’s closest allies had suggested the President’s speech would not be about his legacy.

But the 81-year-old rolled through a long list of his achievements in power, in what could have functioned as the address he would have given at this convention had he remained the Democratic candidate.

He spruiked record jobs growth, cheaper medicine prices, and huge new funding packages for infrastructure, clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing.

Read related topics:Donald TrumpJoe Biden

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/democratic-national-convention-live-updates-joe-biden-to-pass-the-torch-to-kamala-harris-amid-protests/live-coverage/ee0532392115a53a0ddb108dcc3de60e