Joe Biden cried at the Democratic National Convention last night as he gave one of his final major addresses as president.
The 81-year-old took the stage in Chicago on Monday night to pass the torch to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on a night of delays that bumped his historic farewell remarks into the dead of night.
He began by wiping away a tear as his daughter Ashley introduced him in front of thousands of supporters chanting ‘we love Joe’ in the packed United Center.
His eyes were visibly watery during parts of his speech as the oldest president in US history was overcome with emotion.
Biden admitted he had made ‘a lot of mistakes’ in his career. ‘But I gave my best to you,’ he said. ‘For 50 years, like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to the nation.’
The President insisted he was not angry about stepping aside after a growing chorus of senior Democrats had demanded he drop out.
Biden said he was acting for the good of the country, adding that serving as Commander-in-Chief has been the ‘honor of my lifetime’ and that he has ‘a lot to do’ in his last five months in office.
‘I promise I will be the best volunteer Harris and Walz’s campaign has ever seen,’ he said.
First Lady Jill Biden also revealed how she watched her husband ‘dig deep into his soul’ as he decided to drop out of the race.
In an emotional speech before the president she also urged Americans to unite with ‘faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country’.
US President Joe Biden kisses his wife First Lady Jill Biden after he gave the keynote address on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden and his daughter Ashley Biden stand on stage during Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.
Joe Biden is seen wiping a tear from his eye during his farewell speech to the Democrat party in Chicago Monday night
First Daughter Ashley Biden, Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Naomi Biden, Melissa Biden and Hunter Biden onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois
Biden ended what will be one of the last major speeches of his 52-year career in national politics with Democratic nominee Harris and a flurry of his family members, including son Hunter, by his side on stage.
First daughter Ashley Biden introduced her father, calling him ‘the O.G. girl dad.’
‘And he wasn’t just a girl dad. I could see that he valued and trusted women. How he listened to his mother. How he believed in his sister. And most of all, how he respected my mother’s career. Dad was always there doing everything he could to be a true partner to her,’ Ashley said.
Ashley Biden (L) embraces her father United States President Joe Biden (R) as he wipes away tears during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and Doug Emhoff, along with Hunter Biden and other Biden family members at the end of the president’s DNC speech
Ashley Biden comforts her father as he tears up at the DNC
‘Dad, you always tell us, but we don’t tell you enough, that you are the love of our lives and the life of our love,’ she added.
Biden, who was embraced by Ashley as he took a tissue from his pocket and wiped his teary eyes, told the DNC: ‘Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end.’
The President cried, shouted and mangled his words during his swan song speech Monday night, which saw him give a full-throated endorsement to Harris.
He said picking the US senator from California to be his vice president was the ‘best decision’ he made in his decades-long career.
‘Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president,’ he said.
The 81-year-old also protested and said he wasn’t angry about having to give up his ambition to serve a second term.
‘All this talk about how I’m angry about all the people who said I should step down, that’s not true,’ he said.
He noted how he had five months left in office.
‘I’ve got a lot to do – I intend to get it done,’ he said.
‘It’s been an honor of my lifetime. I love the job. But I love my country more,’ the president continued.
‘Because of you, we’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,’ he said. ‘And when I say “we,” I mean Kamala and me.’
He pushed that was the determining factor when he made his shocking decision on July 21 to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, endorsing Harris on his way out the door.
‘I was too young to be in the Senate because I wasn’t 30 yet and too old to stay as president,’ he said.
President Joe Biden cried, shouted and mangled his words during his swan song speech at the Democratic National Convention
Ashley Biden and U.S. President Joe Biden embrace on stage at the DNC in Chicago
President Joe Biden (L) walks off stage with grandson Beau Biden after speaking on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago
President Joe Biden gestures after delivering the keynote address alongside US First Lady Jill Biden on the first day of the Democratic National Convention
In typical Biden fashion, he mangled a portion of the speech, as he talked about abortion rights.
‘Women are now without electrical… not allowed, excuse me, not without electoral, electoral… or political power,’ he fumbled, as he tried to cite the Dobbs Supreme Court case, which overturned Roe v. Wade.
As he messed up the words, he made a knowing look and laughed.
Later in the speech he recalled his childhood stutter – and how he persevered to become president of the United States.
‘Nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Delaware grow up to sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office,’ he said.
‘That’s because America is and always has been a nation of possibilities, possibility. We must never lose that.’
President Joe Biden embraces son Hunter Biden after delivering remarks Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago
President Joe Biden (right) wipes away a tear as he arrives to give his swansong Democratic National Convention speech Monday night in Chicago. He was introduced by first daughter, Ashley Biden (left)
President Joe Biden (left) walks offstage with baby Beau (right) after giving his Democratic National Convention speech Monday night. He’s heading to California for the rest of the week
President Joe Biden (right) embraced Vice President Kamala Harris (left) onstage at the Democratic National Convention after he concluded his remarks
President Joe Biden raises hands with Vice President Kamala Harris as his family members flooded the stage after he concluded his remarks at the Democratic National Convention Monday night
DNC attendees hold signs that read ‘We love Joe’ as Biden takes the stage at the convention
A delegate listens and holds a sign reading ‘Thank You Joe Biden!’ as the President speaks during the first day of Democratic National Convention
Delegates hold signs as President Joe Biden speaks during the first day of the DNC in Chicago
Throughout the speech, Biden also slapped around former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump.
‘Donald Trump calls America a failing nation,’ Biden pointed out. ‘He’s the loser. He’s dead wrong.’
‘America’s winning, and the world’s better off for it,’ the president stated.
He called out Trump for numerous ‘lies’ as convention attendees booed at references to the three-time Republican nominee.
‘Trump continues to lie about crime in America. Like everything else,’ Biden said. ‘On his watch the murder rate went up 30 percent – the biggest increase in history. … Now the murder rate is falling faster than anytime in history.’
‘And crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office – instead of a convicted felon,’ Biden said.
Biden also charged that Trump was lying about the border.
‘Here’s what he won’t tell you – Trump killed the strongest bipartisan border deal in the history of the United States,’ the president said.
Family members of President Joe Biden on hand Monday night included Finnegan Biden (bottom left) Hunter Biden’s wife Melissa Cohen (bottom right), Naomi Biden (top left) and her husband Peter Neal (top right)
Natalie Biden (left), one of the president’s grandchildren, is seated next to her brother Hunter and looks back at her cousin Maisy Biden and baby Beau
From left: Natalie Biden, Finnegan Biden, Melissa Cohen and Maisy Biden stand up and applaud ahead of President Joe Biden’s appearance Monday night at the Democratic National Convention
President Joe Biden greets his son Hunter Biden at the DNC in Chicago
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attend the Democratic National Convention
President Joe Biden kisses Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris after his remarks at the Democratic National Convention
MAGA aligned Republicans rejected a border deal in February, despite Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell backing it, due to Trump’s influence.
Since then, the Republican nominee has hammered Biden for having an ‘open’ border and will take a trip to a border town during the DNC this week.
‘I never thought I’d stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a president as a liar so many times,’ Biden also commented. ‘I’m not trying to be funny,’ he added. ‘It’s sad.’
Biden daintily waded into his own party’s drama.
He talked about how he and Harris were working toward completing a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, which could help bring to an end the war in Gaza.
As some pro-Palestinian Democrats turned their backs to Biden in silent protest in the room, the president threw a bone to demonstrators – who took over Chicago’s streets ahead of the DNC.
‘Those protesters out on the street have a point a lot of innocent people are being killed,’ Biden said. ‘On both sides,’ he then added.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Beau Biden Jr. onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention
Jill Biden said she watched her husband Joe ‘dig deep into his soul’ to decide not to run for re-election in an emotional speech before his farewell address at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night
‘With faith and conviction, Joe knows that our nation’s strength doesn’t come from intimidation or cruelty,’ Jill Biden said of her husband
She also took a swipe at Donald Trump in front of her grandchildren and the roaring crowd at the United Center in Chicago
US President Joe Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris attend the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago
Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets Hunter Biden’s son, Beau Biden, after U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarks, at the Democratic National Convention
A delegate holds up a sigs reading ‘we love Joe’ as US President Joe Biden speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention
Jill Biden described how she watched Joe ‘dig deep into his soul’ as he made the historic decision not to run for re-election.
The first lady revealed the president’s struggle in an emotional speech before his farewell address. She stood before the DNC and highlighted her husband’s 50 years of public service as his presidency begins to draw to a close.
‘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,’ she said.
Among them, she said, was watching him ‘dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.’
Jill urged Americans to unite with ‘faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country.’
Insiders close to the First Lady have said she was ‘dismayed’ by the betrayal of Democrats who publicly called on the 81-year-old president not to seek re-election.
But she put on a brave face and looked to the future by enthusiastically endorsing Harris in her convention speech. She also took a swipe at Trump in front of her grandchildren and the roaring crowd at the United Center in Chicago.
As she left the stage she blew a kiss toward Harris, who was watching from her VIP box in the stands.
Biden, in his remarks, paid tribute to his wife of almost 50 years, calling her the family’s ‘rock’ and leading the crowd in more applause for her.
‘I still get that boom boom boom,’ he said of her, tapping his heart.
Joe Biden smiles as he speaks from the podium at the DNC on Monday
President Joe Biden gets emotional as his daughter Ashley Biden welcomes him to the stage on the first day of the Democratic National Convention
From left: Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave to the crowd after Biden’s speech during the Democratic National Convention
President Joe Biden and his grandson Beau Biden stand on stage during the first day of Democratic National Convention
President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff attend Day one of the Democratic National Convention
Ahead of the president’s appearances, his family members filed into a special box along the side of the convention hall.
Grandchildren Naomi, Finnegan, Maisy, Natalie, little Hunter and baby Beau were on hand, alongside Hunter Biden’s wife Melissa Cohen, Naomi’s husband Peter Neal and Ashley Biden’s husband Howard Krein.
Hunter remained out of sight until the president wrapped up his remarks, but then led the Biden clan onstage.