President Biden delivered the keynote speech Monday at the first night of the Democratic National Convention, highlighting his signature achievements of his administration as he handed the baton to the new Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris made a surprise appearance Monday night as Democrats showed a united front behind her and Mr. Biden, as speakers walked a line between “thank you, Joe” and “we are moving forward.”
“I love the job, but I love my country more,” Mr. Biden said of his recent decision not to run for reelection. First lady Jill Biden said that she saw Mr. Biden “dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.”
Greeted by a standing ovation and chants of “thank you, Joe,” Mr. Biden returned to the familiar themes of saving democracy, which he has said was the reason he ran for president, and building a better America.
“We’re facing an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history where the decisions we make now will determine the world for decades to come,” Mr. Biden said.
The party’s 2016 nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, brought the convention center to its feet as she told Democrats “the future is here — it’s in our grasp,” alluding to what it would mean to elect Harris, who would be the first woman president and the first woman president of color if she wins.
“Together we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton said. “And tonight, tonight so close to breaking through once and for all, I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks and why it matters for each and every one of us.”
There were also rousing speeches from United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as more somber speeches from women who suffered devastating consequences from lack of abortion access.
Despite Monday’s energetic first day of the convention, the party is still grappling with a chaotic two months that included Mr. Biden’s disastrous debate on June 27 and his announcement on July 21 that he would be dropping out of the race and backing Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination, leading to her whirlwind campaign and selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
Democrats formally nominated Harris in a virtual roll call earlier this month and Walz was declared the nominee under party rules. The convention held a ceremonial vote Monday for Walz’s nomination, and a ceremonial roll call will be held Tuesday for Harris.
Outside the convention center, Chicago police said four people were arrested when protesters breached a security perimeter. Chicago has been gearing up for protests as 2024 has invoked some comparisons to the violent 1968 convention, including an incumbent president deciding not to run for reelection and divisive foreign policy.