Biden passes the baton to Harris, says she will be a ‘historic president’

Chicago, Aug 20 (PTI) Kamala Harris will be a “historic president”, US President Joe Biden has said, as he passed the baton of the Democratic Party to her and made a strong pitch to American voters to vote for her to preserve democracy.

Biden, 81, received an emotional standing ovation when he came on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday night.

Harris, 59, is scheduled to formally accept the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination on Thursday to take on Republican rival Donald Trump, 78, in the November 5 election.

“Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris as the President of the United States of America,” Biden said, amidst cheers from thousands of members and leaders of the Democratic Party at its national convention here in this windy city as he urged his countrymen to vote and elect his deputy of four years.

Biden said Harris would be a “historic president”.

“She’ll be a president respected by world leaders because she already is. She’ll be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future,” he said.

“We need to preserve our democracy. We need you to beat Donald Trump and elect Kamala and Tim as President and Vice President of the United States,” Biden said.

He said Trump will find out women’s power in 2024.

Harris will soon serve as the 47th President of the United States, Biden said, amidst cheers from his party members and leaders.

“We saved democracy in 2020 and we must do it again in 2024,” he said urging his countrymen that America’s future is in their hands.

“Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? And let me ask you: Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz as president and vice president?” he asked.

Biden appeared to wipe away a tear as he hugged his daughter Ashley Biden who introduced him at the four-day convention.

Observing that the decisions that were being made now would determine the fate of the world and the country, Biden said he and Harris had four years of extraordinary progress in the United States.

Biden said Trump promised infrastructure week every week for four years. “He never built a damn thing,” he alleged.

“Together, we are building a better America,” he said as he listed out some of the key achievements of the Biden-Harris administration.

“You cannot say you love your country only when you win,” he said.

“More Americans have health insurance today than ever before. And after fighting for 50 years to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, we finally beat Big Pharma. Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote,” he said.

“He (Trump) is the looser,’ Biden said as he attacked Trump.

“America is winning. America is prosperous. America is safer today than was under Donald Trump,” he said as he accused Trump of killing the strongest border security bill in the history of the country.

Violent crime has dropped to its lowest level in more than 50 years, he said, adding that crime will keep coming down when Americans put a prosecutor in the Oval Office—instead of a convicted felon.

Trump, he alleged, bows down to dictators, which he or Harris will never do.

Biden said he harbours no ill will toward other Democrats who demanded he drop out of the 2024 race.

“All this talk about how I’m angry at all the people who said I should step down — that’s not true,” Biden said, as the crowd chanted “We love Joe.”

“I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy,” he added.

Biden said selecting Harris as his running mate in 2020 was the “best decision of my whole career”.

He said the two have become “close friends” as they’ve worked together, and that she will make a great president.

“Like many of our best presidents, she’s been vice president,” Biden says, making a joke about his own time as Barack Obama’s number two.

“I promise I’ll be the best volunteer the Harris-Walz campaign has ever seen.”

In one of his last lines, Biden summed up his 50-year career in politics, saying: “America, I gave my best to you.”

Shortly after, he was joined by his wife, Jill, and other members of his family on stage.

Harris then joined them on stage, giving Biden a hug and appearing to tell him, “I love you.”

Earlier, Harris led the chorus of the Democratic Party’s leadership in applauding Biden for his pathbreaking leadership and patriotism.

“I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden. Joe thank you for your historic leadership and lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you,” Harris said amidst cheers from the audience.

The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off on Monday with thousands of party leaders and members from across the country gathered to nominate Harris as their presidential candidate for the November elections.

“Let’s salute President Biden, democracy’s champion, at home and abroad,” said former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“He brought dignity, decency, and competence to the White House. And he showed what it means to be a true patriot. Thank you, Joe, for your lifetime of service and leadership,” she said.

US Senator from Delaware Chris Coons said that Biden gave the country hope and confidence.

“Someone who has been knocked down by life time and again, Joe Biden knows the grit and determination of the American people- he believed in us. And he helped us get back up again,” Coons said.

“Using skills from years in the Senate, Joe got passed and signed into law more consequential legislation than any president in nearly 60 years. Veterans, gun safety, bridges and broadband manufacturing. Together Joe and Kamala helped rebuild our economy from the middle out and the bottom up made our families safe and our country stronger, at home and abroad,” he said.

Today, we are so much better off, because they believed in us our democracy,” Coons said.

Biden’s daughter Ashley described her father as one of the most consequential leaders in history.

“Dad knows that family is everything,” she said. In 2024, Harris will beat Donald Trump, she said.

“In 2020, my dad selected Kamala Harris to beat Donald Trump, and he knows in 2024, she will beat Donald Trump again,” she said.

Speakers on Monday night included those who know Biden best and some of his strongest allies who have been by his side in the fight for the soul of the nation. Senators Raphael Warnock and Chris Coons highlighted his leadership and shared stories of how in public and in private, Biden never backed down from his vision for a brighter America where everyone has a fair shot.