President Joe Biden will cap off more than 50 years in public service with his prime-time speech on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention and pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris.
President Joe Biden will bid farewell to the party he’s served for half a century while passing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention.
Biden is expected to make the case that Harris is the best person to carry on his legacy and headline the Democratic ticket while also highlighting the threat former President Donald Trump poses.
The speech in Chicago, which comes nearly a month since he decided to bow out of the race and endorse Harris instead, will mark Biden’s farewell to his party – and it’s farewell to him.
A Bittersweet Goodbye
Monday night’s speech will mark the beginning of the end of Biden’s half-century career in public service – a tenure that includes four decades in the Senate, eight years as vice president, and four years in the Oval Office.
When he takes the stage, the party is expected to celebrate his departure from the national stage with tributes from several speakers, including first lady Jill Biden. His daughter, Ashley, will introduce him.
Gift bags with “Cup of Joe” coffee will be distributed to delegates along with digital banners printed with “Spread the Faith,” a reference to a line Biden often uses. A group of his campaign staffers from his 2020 bid are also expected to gather for a party Monday night.
The speech marks a somber event for Biden, who as recently as last month expected he would be using the occasion to make the case for his reelection bid.
In the wake of his June debate against Trump in which he struggled to respond effectively, Biden faced an avalanche of doubt over his ability to continue with his reelection bid. Just weeks later, he shocked the nation by announcing his decision to suspend his reelection bid and support Harris instead.
As he makes what is expected to be one of the last major speeches of his political career, Biden is expected to depart from the event shortly after. He and Jill Biden are expected to fly to California for a two-week vacation as Harris formally takes her place as the new head of the party.
Making the Case for Harris-Walz While Shaping His Legacy
Biden spent the weekend at Camp David working on his speech with his senior aides. When asked what his message to Democrats would be, he replied: “Win.”
Aides told The New York Times that he will use the speech to argue that Harris is the best person to carry on his legacy. He will portray her candidacy as the natural result of his decision to cast her just a step away from the presidency four years ago.
He is also expected to review his administration’s accomplishments in the last four years, including lowering unemployment, creating millions of new jobs, and reducing the cost of some pharmaceutical drugs.
In addition, he will tout his foreign policy achievements, including efforts to back Ukraine against Russia, while making the case for another four years of Democrats in control by highlighting what’s at stake in the election and the existential threat Trump poses.
Thomas Gift, political science professor and director of the Center on U.S. Politics at University College London, says that Biden’s speech will be his first attempt at shaping how history will remember him: “As the man who defeated Trump, achieved notable policy success, and passed the torch to his successor.”
“However, when future generations look back, what’s clear is that any effort to frame Biden’s decision to step aside as a selfless act is mere revisionist history. The truth is that Biden was pressured into leaving the ticket, and nothing he says this evening can change that reality.”
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