“Was too young to be in Senate, now too old to stay as President”: Joe Biden at Democratic Convention

Chicago [US], August 20 (ANI): Summing up his political career at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Monday, US President Joe Biden said that he had been ‘too young’ to be in the Senate, and was now ‘too old’ to stay as the President of the country.

In his speech at the Chicago convention on Monday (August 19), Biden discussed his long career in politics and said “Too young to be in the Senate because I wasn’t 30 yet. And too old to stay as president.”

Biden’s speech, according to CNN lasted approximately 49 minutes – and he was greeted by more than four minutes of applause.

During the Democratic National Convention, President Joe Biden assured attendees that he would be the “best volunteer” for Tim Walz and Kamala Harris’ campaign.

“I promise I’ll be the best volunteer (the) Harris and Walz campaign have ever seen,” he said, asking everyone to join in the effort, according to CNN.

“They realise that “not just for the few of us, but for all of us,” America “must continue to be a place of possibilities,” the US President said.

Declaring his love for the country, Biden acknowledged that although he had made many blunders in his professional life, he had given his all to it.

“America, I gave my best to you,” Biden said during his address.

He further said that Kamala Harris would be a “President our children could look up to.”

“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,” Biden said.

“Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president,” he further added.

Biden also spoke at length on the Israel-Hamas war during his Monday night convention speech, saying that protesters “have a point,” according to CNN.

“We’re working around the clock, my secretary of state, to prevent a wider war and reunite hostages with their families and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now,” Biden said.

“To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war,” he added.

According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israel has approved a plan to close gaps in the ceasefire talks; Hamas must now accept it for more talks, which are anticipated to happen later this week, to proceed.

Even after Blinken’s statement that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to the bridging proposal, there are still significant challenges before a deal can be reached.

Hamas has not yet agreed to the proposal. However, negotiators are still working on the specific details of how an agreement would be implemented.

The top US diplomat said they are also working to establish “clear understandings on how the different parties are going to fulfil their commitments.”

Biden announced on June 21 this year that he was withdrawing from seeking re-election to the post following mounting concerns over his age particularly after his poor show in the debate with Donald Trump.

Harris had announced Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, as her running mate. Walz, 60, emerged from a list of probable candidates who had better recognition and came from politically advantageous states.

On the first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) among the speakers were former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Prominent US Civil Rights Activist, Rev Jesse Jackson, 82, also made a surprise appearance at the Convention in Chicago.