U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks alongside U.S. President Joe Biden at an event in Prince George’s County, Maryland, the United States, on August 15, 2024.
Elisabeth Franz | Reuters
President Joe Biden’s role at next week’s Democratic National Convention could change dramatically with his decision. ending his campaign for a second termBut his message about the stakes of the election sounded familiar, according to multiple Biden officials.
The outgoing president will make the case for his replacement by touting Vice President Kamala Harris’ accomplishments over the past four years during her keynote speech on Monday.
But Biden will also make it clear that he Still believes Republican candidate Trump poses a serious threat to American democracy aides said, urging representatives in Chicago and voters across the country to do their part to defeat him again in November.
“After saving democracy in 2020, President Biden is determined to defeat the threat to democracy posed by Donald Trump,” one official said.
The first day of the convention in Chicago will include a series of events honoring Biden as he prepares to end a half-century of public service. Of course, just a few weeks ago, the entire conference was focused on helping to make the case for extending the service for another four years. But now it will provide the president another opportunity to try to shape his legacy.
The president will spend the weekend at Camp David and tailor his rhetoric with the help of top advisers such as chief speechwriters Mike Donilon and Vinay Reddy. This statement will be based on his message from the oval office Shortly after dropping out of the race, he made a strong case for Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Officials said the speech would serve as a reminder of the importance of Biden endorsing Harris immediately after announcing the end of his candidacy, helping to achieve that goal quickly. uniting a side in crisis Behind her historic candidacy. Even as Biden struggles to stay in the race after a poor debate performance, his speech on the first night of the convention allowed him to passing the torch Biden officials told NBC News that she and Walz.
“The president is pleased with the momentum behind the campaign and looks forward to making his case,” an official said.
Still, Biden aides believe that after he leaves, the convention will continue to emphasize the Biden-Harris record in contrast to the Republican vote.
“Four years ago, America was suffering from a once-in-a-century pandemic, isolated on the world stage, with crime rising and its middle class marginalized,” one official said. “Today: We are a global force growing up. Engine, our alliance is strong, violent crime is at its lowest level in 50 years, border crossings are lower than when the previous administration left office, and we have made the most progress on the issues that Americans care about.”
Members of the Biden family will join the President and First Lady, who will speak ahead of her husband. Longtime Biden friends and supporters will also join him on a chartered flight from Delaware for the speech, and several aides organized a celebration for them and other current and former staffers in Chicago on Monday night.
Other elements of the convention aimed at boosting Biden’s candidacy will still serve as tributes, starting with a convention logo borrowed from his 2020 campaign design. All convention delegates will also receive “Cup of Joe” branded coffee, and signs around the United Center on Monday will quote words from Biden’s Oval Office speech, such as “History is in your hands,” as well as a family motto: “Spread the faith .
Biden will leave Chicago after delivering a speech on Monday and spend the rest of the week in Southern California. There, he will meet with senior advisers who have been working for the past month to finalize the remaining months of his term.
A Biden official said the president “will have an extensive domestic agenda – traveling across the country to constantly remind Americans that they must choose between his vision and the vice president’s vision to move the country forward, Rather than going backwards.
“The president will work to make every day of his term count to build on these historic achievements,” the official added. “Expect to be aggressive in implementing historic legislation, cost-reduction actions, and a compact foreign policy agenda.”
