At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, US President Joe Biden will offer a heartfelt parting speech before handing the reins to Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee for the next election. Not too long after his abrupt exit and Harris’s swift ascent, many of the same individuals who pushed for Biden’s removal because of age concerns will be bidding him farewell like a hero.
As he approaches 81 years old, Biden is predicted to support Harris—the nation’s first Black, female, and South Asian vice president—as the most qualified candidate to carry on his legacy of defending American democracy against Trump, the Republican opponent. During his primetime speech, Harris will momentarily join him on stage, signifying Democratic unanimity for his succession.
Nonetheless, a sizable demonstration against the Biden-Harris administration’s backing of Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza is scheduled to take place in Chicago.
After spending the weekend honing his speech with senior advisers at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, Biden declared on Sunday that he felt “good, real good” about it.
As a lame-duck president serving just one term, Biden is well aware that his legacy will rest on Harris’s ability to unseat Trump; if she is unable, many will hold him accountable for having stayed in office too long. First Lady Jill Biden, 73, who has been a steadfast supporter of her husband from the last moments of his decision on July 21, will also be speaking on stage in Chicago.
Biden, who has watched Harris galvanise people and pick up steam in the polls in ways he never accomplished as a candidate, will surely be experiencing conflicting feelings. Now, Biden is Harris’ opening act; a few weeks ago, that slot would have been his. Harris will make her major address on Thursday.
He’s leaving right after his speech to take a six-day vacation in California, so he won’t be around for her big night, and the conference will go on without him. Nonetheless, Chicago Democrats will greet Biden with open arms as he approaches the last phase of a five-decade political career.
LaurieBeth Hager, a North Dakota state legislator present at the conference, expressed her nostalgia. She applauded Biden’s political bravery in resigning and called him a “great president.”
As the person who stopped Trump in 2020 and led the country through the COVID epidemic and the January 6 Capitol attack, Biden is cherished by his party. Although Biden’s choice to stay in the campaign after a dismal debate performance against Trump in June seemed arrogant at first, there is a great deal of appreciation for his ultimate sacrifice.
Since Biden stepped down, Harris has brought new life to the White House election by capturing the attention of Black, female, and young voters who had become disinterested in a match between two middle-aged males. In the meantime, despite entreaties from prominent Republicans to remain focused, former President Trump, who he describes as a “coup” by Democrats, has been finding it difficult to modify his campaign to oppose Harris, depending instead on digressions and personal assaults.
Throughout the week, Trump will be holding rallies around the nation, including in battleground areas like Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, and Arizona, while Democrats convene in Chicago.
