Joe Biden to pass the torch to Kamala Harris as Democratic Convention begins

In an address at the Democratic Convention, Joe Biden will point to his joint accomplishments with Kamala Harris and warn of the ramifications of a second term under former Trump.

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President Biden will exit the stage at the Democratic National Convention today, pointing to his joint accomplishments with Vice President Kamala Harris and warning of the ramifications of a second term under former President Donald Trump.

Biden’s withdrawal from the top of the ticket in July means the president will speak on the convention’s opening night – not in prime time on Thursday night – and will use the event to affirm Harris and make the case for her agenda.

The president’s announcement and swift endorsement of Harris put an abrupt end to weeks of party infighting over whether the 81-year-old leader should step aside following his disastrous debate performance against Trump. The party has rallied behind Harris and Biden is expected to receive a warm outpouring from delegates – many of whom are relieved that the contest now looks far more competitive than it did before Biden made his decision.

White House officials said Biden’s record will be a focus on Monday night and during the convention, including his administration’s work to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, steer the economy and defend democracy at home and abroad. But the president has privately and publicly noted that winning is paramount and will use the address to make the case for Harris in her race against Trump.

“The main thrust of what he wants to do [Monday] is make sure that Kamala Harris gets to be president of the United States, or do everything in his power to have Kamala Harris become president of the United States. That’s the driving force behind this,” said Ted Kaufman, a longtime Biden friend and adviser who succeeded him in the Senate.

“He still has a lot of ground in front of him and there will be an opportunity sometime later on to talk about his legacy,” Kaufman said.

Joe and Jill Biden leave the White House for the Democratic National Convention. Picture: AFP.

Monday night, however, will serve as a bit of a farewell for Biden, whose political career spans five decades. Biden attended his first Democratic National Convention in 1972 as he was seeking a long-shot bid to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate. Family members and longtime friends from Delaware are travelling to Chicago for the speech.

Inside the United Center, the arena will feature digital banners with Biden quotations, including, “History is in your hands. Let’s win this!” and “Spread the faith.” First lady Jill Biden will address the delegates and will speak about Biden’s strength and character “in a way that only a spouse of nearly 50 years can do,” according to a person familiar with her remarks, while reiterating her support for Harris.

The convention will also hear Monday from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Rep. Steven Horsford (D., Nev.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Biden’s appearance before the delegates would be one of “great respect, admiration and honouring 50 years of public service.” “He came to the decision on his own and because of that, now you’re seeing a level of enthusiasm the likes of which I have not seen in any presidential campaign in my lifetime and I thought ‘08 was it,” said Horsford, who offered a key endorsement of Biden before the Nevada caucus in 2020 and travelled recently with the president to Austin, Texas.

But outside of the president’s remarks, the convention will focus heavily on Harris’s background and a forward-looking message of where she would seek to take the nation. When former President Barack Obama addresses the convention on Tuesday night, Biden is scheduled to be in California for the remainder of the week taking a vacation. Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will speak Wednesday night, followed by Harris on Thursday night.

Biden is the first sitting president not to seek re-election since President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. And his speech will offer parallels to addresses that Obama delivered in 2016 and former President Bill Clinton gave in 2000, both at the end of their second terms.

The White House has looked to move past any awkward appearances in the shift in programming, saying the president will reprise themes from his 2020 candidacy on restoring the soul of the nation and citing the need to preserve American democracy.

During a joint event with Harris in Maryland last week, Biden heard chants of “Thank you, Joe!” as they spoke about lowering the cost of prescription drugs. In a preview of his convention speech, Biden called Harris “an incredible partner on the progress we’ve made” and told supporters that she would “make one hell of a president.” The president spent the weekend at Camp David, where he was joined by longtime adviser Mike Donilon, who has frequently collaborated with the president on the drafting of major speeches and returned from the campaign to help with the president’s final months in office.

Biden hasn’t deviated from the position that he could have beaten Trump. But he is more at peace with his decision to not seek re-election, his advisers have said, and has been encouraged by Harris’s momentum at the top of the Democratic ticket.

“I think that he looks ahead and sees his role in this campaign as Volunteer-in-Chief,” said former White House senior adviser Anita Dunn in an interview with “CBS Mornings.” “He’s ready to do whatever he needs to do, whatever she wants him to do to get her elected.” More than 200 people who worked for Biden either in the Senate or on one of his Delaware campaigns signed a letter thanking him for his service; the letter appeared in a full-page ad in Sunday’s edition of the News Journal, Biden’s hometown newspaper in Delaware. And for some longtime Biden allies, Monday’s convention speech – and his coming exit from the political stage – will be bittersweet.

Former Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.), a longtime Biden friend, said he had spoken to the president in recent days and characterised his mood as “surprisingly positive” and forward-looking.

Dodd said in an interview that he wanted Biden to run for re-election and that he “would have made a great president in the second term.” Asked if he thought Biden was treated fairly by the party, Dodd deflected.

“Decisions were made,” Dodd said. “I’m not going back over that territory. I would have hoped that he could run again and wish he had.” – Annie Linskey contributed to this article.

Dow Jones