On Monday, August 19, Democratic Party members will gather in Chicago to participate in the Democratic National Convention. Vice President Harris will formally accept the nomination for presidential candidate during the four-day convention. This marks the official passing of the baton from President Biden, who announced his withdrawal from the race last month.
President Biden announced his withdrawal on July 21 under strong pressure within the party, which means he will deliver a speech on the opening night of the Democratic Party convention; and the climax of the convention, the nomination speech during prime time on Thursday night, will be given by Vice President Harris.
It is expected that Biden will talk extensively in his speech on Monday about the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration, including promoting economic development in the United States and strengthening America’s overseas alliances. He will also take this opportunity to urge American voters to support his running mate, Harris, to become the next President of the United States.
According to Reuters, sources said on Saturday, August 17, that the 59-year-old Harris is likely to appear on stage with the 81-year-old Biden. Harris’s campaign team has been weighing whether and how to leverage Biden’s influence to win over voters. Biden plans to raise funds for Harris before the election on November 5.
The Wall Street Journal cited Biden’s old friend and advisor Ted Kaufman saying that Biden’s main focus on Monday is to ensure that Harris can become the President of the United States, or to do everything he can to help her accomplish that goal. “That’s the driving force behind this matter,” he said.
However, for Biden, who has been in politics for fifty years, Monday night will be his farewell. Family members from Delaware and longtime friends are heading to Chicago to attend Biden’s speech. Biden first attended the Democratic National Convention in 1972 when he was campaigning for the US Senate seat representing Delaware.
In addition to President Biden, other expected speakers on Monday include First Lady Jill Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
In fact, after Biden’s withdrawal on July 21, Democrats switched to online voting and nominated Harris as the party’s presidential candidate for 2024. However, the start of the Democratic National Convention on Monday will provide Harris with a formal nomination and a prime opportunity to showcase herself to the nation.
Democratic delegates will symbolically vote for Harris on Tuesday night, repeating the content of their online votes.
Since Biden’s withdrawal, Harris has successfully united Democrats in support of her campaign. Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will deliver the vice presidential candidate speech on Wednesday night. Harris will give her speech on Thursday night.