U.S Election

Biden passes the torch to Harris in tearful goodbye at Democratic National Convention

Author: Editors Desk Source: France 24

August 20, 2024 at 08:00

US President Joe Biden waves as he speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on August 19, 2024. © Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, AFP

The Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago with an emotional adieu for US President Joe Biden, who hailed Vice President Kamala Harris and the accomplishments of their administration in a fiery, sometimes teary speech.

An emotional Biden won a huge ovation as he gave a farewell speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, after Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance to thank him for being an "incredible" president.

"I love you," the tearful 81-year-old president told the crowd to deafening cheers, less than a month after dropping out of the White House race against Donald Trump and passing the torch to Harris.

Biden took to the stage to chants of, "We love you, Joe" after having been pressured to bow out over concerns about his ability to campaign against Trump in one of the biggest shocks in recent US political history.

"We both know we have more to do, but we're moving in the right direction," he said, referring to himself and the 59-year-old Harris, who, in the space of a few breathtaking weeks, has turned the presidential race upside-down.

Wiping away tears after being introduced by his daughter Ashley, Biden waved to the crowd that held signs saying, "We (heart) Biden." Beaming, he responded, "I love YOU."

Biden was supposed to claim the Democratic nomination officially at the convention, but instead he passed the baton to his vice president in July in a move he hailed as a bid to advance democracy.

Speaking clearly and energetically, Biden defended his record as president and senator in a political career that has spanned nearly half a century.

“America, I gave my best to you. I made a lot of mistakes in my career. But I gave my best to you for 50 years,” Biden said. “I’ve been too young to be in the Senate because I wasn’t yet 30, and too old to stay as president. But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.”

Full speech: Biden passes torch to Harris

US President Joe Biden speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19, 2024. © France 24 screengrab

‘Best volunteer’

Harris, the first female, Black and South Asian US vice president, has quickly breathed new life into the Democratic Party and wiped out Republican rival Trump's lead in many polls.

Biden called his selection of Harris as his running mate in the 2020 election “the very first decision I made when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career”.

“She’s tough, she’s experienced and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity,” he said. “Her story represents the best American story.”

“And like many of our best presidents,” he added in a nod to his own career, “she was also vice president.”

Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff came out after Biden's address to embrace him and his family.

Biden wrapped up his one-hour speech with a promise to be the "best volunteer Harris and Walz's camp have ever seen", referring to Harris's running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Harris heaped lavish tribute on Biden while breaking with tradition to speak on the first night of the convention in praise of her boss.

"I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden," said Harris, who was wearing a tan suit and took to the stage to Beyoncé's "Freedom".

"We are forever grateful to you."

As he has been so often in his nearly five-decade-long political journey, Biden was surrounded by family, with First Lady Jill Biden and their daughter Ashley introducing him.

"Joe and I have been together for almost 50 years. And still, there are moments when I fall in love with him all over again," Jill Biden said.

'Something is happening'

The Democrats are in an exuberant mood in Chicago, daring to hope for a victory in November that seemed inconceivable just weeks ago after Biden's disastrous debate against Trump.

But Monday's first night of the convention was an emotional one on many levels, and for many of the key players.

Hillary Clinton, who lost against Trump in 2016 in her own bid to become America's first woman president, backed Harris to finally break the glass ceiling.

"Something is happening in America, you can feel it – something we've worked for and dreamed of for a long time," the former secretary of state and first lady said.

The crowd also chanted "lock him up" as she recalled Trump's recent conviction in a porn star hush money trial – an ironic echo of when Trump led similar chants for Clinton to be jailed in a row over deleted emails.

Harris will formally accept the party's nomination on the convention's final day Thursday, in her biggest chance yet to define her candidacy in front of a huge audience of tens of millions of American voters.

Her star turn will cap a week in which the biggest names from the party's past will endorse her as its future, with former president Barack Obama speaking on Tuesday and ex-president Bill Clinton introducing Harris's running mate Walz on Wednesday.

Biden, the convention's warm-up act instead of its headliner, reportedly still feels frustration at the way he was pushed aside despite feeling that he could beat Trump.

But he has insisted he is at peace with his decision.

"I am," Biden told reporters earlier when asked if he was ready to pass the torch to Harris.

Gaza protests in Chicago

Protests against Israel's war in Gaza had shadowed the opening of the convention, underscoring what remains a potential vote-loser for Democrats among left-wingers and Arab Americans.

A group of demonstrators broke through the outer security fence of the convention after splitting off from a larger protest of thousands of people.

Police in blue helmets with shields and carrying black batons prevented them from getting to the inner cordon.

"Those protesters out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides," Biden said in his farewell speech, adding that it was time to "end this war".

Demonstrators are seen in Union Park near the United Center which is hosting the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois on August 19, 2024. © Scott Olson, AFP / Getty Images

Trump, meanwhile, has been sent into a tailspin by the sudden change at the top of the Democratic ticket.

While Democrats are in Chicago, the Republican will spend the week crisscrossing the country.

In the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Monday, he highlighted what he called Harris's "craziness" and said she "has no idea what the hell she's doing" on the economy.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)