Topline
President Joe Biden capped off the first day of the Democratic National Convention with an emotional passing of the torch speech Monday after several speakers, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris, praised his record.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, applauds President Joe Biden at … [+]
Key Facts
Biden addressed his decision to drop out of the race in his speech, saying he loved the job of being president, but he loved his country more as he urged voters to support Harris and “preserve democracy.”
A visibly emotional Biden was greeted on stage by raucous cheers from the crowd followed by a long standing ovation and chants of “Thank You, Joe” and he used his speech to highlight his record in office, saying “America, I gave my best to you.”
Earlier in the convention, Harris made a surprise appearance and told the crowd “this November we will come together and declare with one voice as one people, we are moving forward,” after thanking Biden for his “historic leadership” and “lifetime of service.”
Biden “has been democracy’s champion at home and abroad,” Clinton said, crediting him with bringing “dignity, decency and confidence back to the White House,” and thanking him for a “lifetime of service and leadership.”
Clinton also lauded Harris, drawing parallels between the time they spent during their legal careers “helping children who were abused and neglected,” telling the crowd Harris will “never rest in defense of our freedom and safety.”
Clinton frequently blasted former President Donald Trump, drawing contrasts between him and Harris, accusing him of “lying about Kamala’s record . . . mocking her name and her laugh,” Clinton said, adding “we have him on the run now,” referring to Harris’ lead in polls.
As Clinton talked about the ex-president, audible chants of “lock him up” broke out among convention attendees, mocking chants of “lock her up” commonly heard at Trump rallies when he was running against her in 2016.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who took the stage after Clinton, also spent much of his speech assailing Trump, whom Clyburn said has been “looking out for himself and his billionaire buddies” while “Kamala has been fighting to lower costs for all Americans.”
Clyburn additionally attacked the widely criticized Project 2025 blueprint for a potential second Trump term that some of Trump’s former staffers helped draft, calling it “Jim Crow 2.0.”
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Crucial Quote
Biden spent a considerable portion of his speech taking shots at Trump, calling him a “loser,” a “liar” and someone who “bows down to Putin.” Biden also attacked the GOP and Trump on abortion: “MAGA Republicans found out the political power of women in 2022,” referencing the lack of a predicted “red wave in the midterms. He added: “Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024. Watch.”
What To Watch For
Vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is scheduled to speak Wednesday, and Harris is expected to speak Thursday to close out the convention.
Surprising Fact
Day 1 of the convention was scheduled to end at 11:00 p.m. ET, but ran almost an hour longer. While all major networks continued to carry the convention despite the overrun, the organizers were forced to make changes to the lineup. According to the New York Times, Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., and singer James Taylor had to be knocked off the schedule. Taylor was supposed to perform a rendition of “You’ve Got A Friend,” before Biden spoke. In a comment shared with Politico, DNC officials blamed the delay on “raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker.” The statement added that they had to skip “elements of our program to ensure we could get to President Biden as quickly as possible so that he could speak directly to the American people.”
Key Background
Democrats descend on Chicago this week as the party has been reenergized by Harris’ candidacy since Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, less than a month after his disastrous June 27 debate performance effectively ended his campaign. More than 99% of Democratic delegates voted to nominate Harris and Walz earlier this month in a virtual roll call—a formality typically reserved for the convention. Delegates held a ceremonial vote Monday to nominate Walz and are expected to host a celebratory vote commemorating Harris’ nomination later in the week.
Tangent
Democrats also approved their 2024 party platform Monday evening—a 92-page document written before Biden dropped out of the race that outlines a continuation of his policies.
Further Reading
Here Are The Biggest DNC Speakers—Bidens, Obamas, AOC And These Republicans (Forbes)
Trump Vs. Harris 2024 Polls: Harris Leads In 2 Major Surveys—Up 6 Points In 1 Poll (Forbes)
2022 midterms, 2024 presidential campaign, the January 6 House committee investigation, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster, the 2023 State of the Union Address, former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference and classified documents cases and his Manhattan hush money case. Dorn graduated in 2012 from the University of Dayton with a degree in journalism. Prior to joining Forbes, she covered New York City and state politics for the New York Post and City and State magazine. Follow her for updates and analysis on the 2024 presidential race, key Senate and House races and developments in Congress and at the White House.
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