By Steve Holland, Trevor Hunnicutt, and Doina Chiacu
CHICAGO (Reuters) – President Joe Biden cemented the Democratic nomination of Kamala Harris to lead the fight for the White House against Republican Donald Trump with a speech at the party’s convention on Monday in which he hailed his running mate as the best hope for preserving American democracy.
Biden was the center of attention on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, where he received a standing ovation from party supporters and delivered a farewell address to the party he served for half a century — even with five months left in office.
After wiping away tears after being introduced by his daughter Ashley, Biden waved to the crowd, which held signs reading “We love Biden.” Biden responded with a broad smile: “I love you.”
“Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?” Biden said.
Biden made several criticisms of Trump, promising to be the “best volunteer” Harris and Minnesota Gov. Walz, her running mate, have ever seen.
Biden’s speech in Chicago kicked off a four-day event driven by enthusiasm for Harris and relief that Biden had abandoned his reelection bid and backed her to replace him.
The president’s reluctant decision to step down on July 21 came after intense pressure from party leaders who were concerned that the 81-year-old was too old to win or remain in office for another four years.
“I love my job, but I love my country more,” Biden said, to chants of “We love Joe.”
Biden, who was vice president to the first black American president, Barack Obama, is urging Democrats to unite behind the candidate who, if victorious on November 5, would become the first black woman of South Asian descent elected president of the United States.
Harris enters the convention in a historic whirlwind: Her campaign has broken fundraising records, packed arenas with supporters, and shifted polls in some swing states toward Democrats.
She joined Biden on stage to hug him after he finished his speech on Monday.
Biden had hoped just a month ago to deliver a high-profile speech later this week to accept the Democratic nomination for another four-year term. Instead, he will travel to California for a vacation.
Biden backed away from his re-election bid after his disastrous debate performance against Trump on June 27, prompting longtime allies, major donors and other party supporters to call for him to step down.
In his speech, Biden touted his administration’s accomplishments — boosting the U.S. economy and strengthening U.S. alliances abroad — and championed Americans’ election of Harris as his successor in the White House.
He also condemned the racism and white supremacy that continue to plague America, saying they have no place in the nation.
He compared Attorney General Harris to Trump, a convicted felon, and listed what he called the former president’s foreign policy failures, accusing him of kowtowing to Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaving NATO in tatters.
Biden criticized Trump for describing the United States as a failed state. “He’s the loser,” Biden said enthusiastically.
In contrast to most speakers earlier in the program, Biden acknowledged the anger of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters who gathered outside the conference hall on Monday, saying he had been working nonstop to reach a ceasefire.
“The protesters in the street are right, there are a lot of innocent people being killed on both sides,” he added.
Earlier in the day, thousands of protesters gathered in a nearby park to pressure delegates to drop the party’s military support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
The number of pro-Palestinian demonstrators was less than the tens of thousands that organizers had expected, but a breakaway group left the main march and breached a security perimeter near the convention center, prompting riot police to intervene and arrest four people.
Harris Cameo
Earlier in the evening, Harris, 59, made a surprise appearance, drawing cheers from the crowd as she vowed to defeat Trump.
“Let us fight for the ideals we hold dear, and let us always remember that when we fight, we win!” Harris said to cheers from the crowd. She will formally accept the nomination on Thursday.
Democrats also welcomed their failed 2016 presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, whose defeat by Trump in 2016 dashed hopes of installing the first woman in the White House.
Clinton, who became the first woman to win a major party’s nomination for president, received a standing ovation as she took the stage on Monday.
“The story of my life and the history of our country is that progress is possible, but it is not guaranteed,” said Clinton, who also lost her bid for the Democratic nomination in 2008 to Obama.
She praised Biden, describing him as having restored decency, dignity and competence to the White House.
“Now we write a new chapter in America’s story,” Clinton said. “Kamala has the character, experience and vision to lead us forward.”
Clinton took several jabs at her former foe. “Donald Trump fell asleep during his trial, and when he woke up, he made his own history, becoming the first person to run for president after being convicted of 34 felonies,” she said amid laughter.
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