DNC 2024: 'America, I Gave My Best to You,' Biden Gives Farewell Speech

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Facts

  • Speaking on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, Joe Biden stated it was 'the honor of [his] lifetime' to serve as president and that he 'gave [his] best,' dismissing claims he was 'angry' at those who said he should step down.[1][2]
  • In a speech that lasted nearly an hour, Biden described presumptive Democratic nominee Vice Pres. Kamala Harris as 'tough' and 'experienced,' and called Republican presidential nominee former Pres. Donald Trump a 'loser.'[3][1]
  • He also claimed to be 'more optimistic about the future' than when first elected as a US Senator aged 29 despite the country currently 'facing an inflection point' and a 'battle for [its] very soul.'[4][3]
  • Biden announced last month that he was to end his presidential campaign approximately four weeks after his first 2024 debate with Trump, stating that it was in the 'best interest' of the Democratic Party.[5]
  • Following his speech on Monday, Biden traveled from Chicago to Santa Ynez, California, for a vacation reportedly at Democratic donor Joe Kiani's $50M vineyard property. He is expected to miss the rest of the convention.[6][7][8]
  • Former Secretary of State and 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton also spoke at the DNC on Monday. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is expected to accept his nomination for vice president on Wednesday, with Harris speaking at the end of the convention on Thursday.[9][10]

Sources: [1]New York Post, [2]CBS (a), [3]Time, [4]Al Jazeera, [5]Verity, [6]FOX News, [7]CNN, [8]Daily Mail, [9]CBS (b) and [10]Forbes.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Los Angeles Times. Pres. Biden's heartfelt speech was both the celebration of an illustrious career and a pivotal passing of the torch moment. While the political veteran's bittersweet exit from the 2024 presidential race was necessary for the future of democracy, this does not mean that Biden's service to America has gone unnoticed. It is now time for Harris to build on Biden's legacy and ensure that all that his administration has built is not lost under another Trump presidency.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. Having already been publicly humiliated during Harris's donor-led coup, Democrats chose to condemn Biden to one last moment of indignity as the president was cut from prime-time television. Biden's farewell speech to the American people was an insulting final chapter in the president's career, and yet another reminder of the smoke-filled rooms that hold true power within the Democratic Party.

Predictions