CNN
—
President Joe Biden is spending the weekend preparing his speech for the opening night of the Democratic National Convention – a moment that is quite different from the one he was preparing for just a few weeks ago before the Democratic Party agreed on a new presidential candidate.
The president’s keynote address on Monday will provide Biden with one of the most important moments he can have before the American people as his more than five-decade political career winds down. The address comes nearly a month after Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his designated successor.
Biden will present his case for why Harris should be elected president to thousands of Democratic delegates and party members at the United Center in Chicago, just weeks after many in his own party publicly and privately called for him to withdraw his presidential candidacy.
Biden’s aides are convinced that with a productive tenure in the White House and his move to pass the baton to Harris, he has earned the goodwill of the Democratic Party before heading into the convention.
In his speech, the president is expected to outline his case for Harris, describe the successes they have achieved together and emphasize the need to defeat former President Donald Trump, who he sees as a threat to democracy, Biden aides said.
“The president is expected to address how we ensured that democracy prevailed and was implemented in the battle for the soul of America, and how we must now, with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, ensure that democracy remains,” said a Biden aide. “We inherited a series of overlapping crises, emerged stronger than we entered them, and are ready for a future of endless possibilities.”
As he prepared to board Marine One for Camp David on Friday, the president was asked by reporters about his message to Democrats at the convention.
The president replied, “Win.”
First Lady Jill Biden, a fierce defender and supporter of the president, will also speak at the convention on Monday evening, aides said, and other members of the Biden family will join the First Couple in Chicago.
Biden is working on his speech with his longtime adviser Mike Donilon and Vinay Reddy, the White House speech director, a source familiar with the preparations said. The president will focus on the speech while he spends the weekend at Camp David, the presidential compound he has often visited to prepare and rehearse major speeches such as the State of the Union.
While the president is still grappling with the public and private efforts that forced him to abandon his 2024 bid, Biden’s aides said he is pleased with the momentum surrounding Harris’ candidacy. Aides believe his quick endorsement of Harris as his successor helped bolster Democratic unity in August and avoid a divided convention.
Biden aides said the convention will highlight important contrasts between the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris White House and Trump’s tenure, including highlighting how Biden and Harris worked together She helped the country overcome the pandemic, boosted the economy, fought to preserve democracy at home and on the international stage, and restored decency in the White House.
Biden’s appearance at the convention comes just four years after he accepted his party’s nomination in Wilmington, Delaware – a moment that came without the traditional in-person fanfare due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
While Harris will be the main focus of this year’s convention, officials have planned small tributes to Biden throughout the week of celebrations. The convention logo includes a three-stripe flag that formed the “E” in the Biden-Harris campaign logo. Delegates will receive bags of coffee in a nod to “Cup of Joe” as well as other items from local partners and vendors.
A key quote from Biden’s Oval Office speech addressing his decision to end his 2024 campaign – “History is in your hands” – will be displayed on the steps of the United Center where delegates will enter. Digital banners reading “History is in your hands. Let’s win this!” and “Spread the faith” will be displayed in the arena ahead of Biden’s speech on Monday.
Some staff from Biden’s 2020 campaign have organized an after-speech party for Monday for former members of the Biden network, including staff from his Senate office, his vice presidential office and the 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns, a source involved in the planning said.
Biden’s speech comes as he plans what his final months in office will look like to burnish his legacy. He has tasked his team with drawing up plans for his closing agenda, which is expected to include continued legislative implementation, cost-cutting efforts and a focus on foreign policy, including possible foreign travel, as he seeks to cement his influence on the world stage.
The president plans to campaign on Harris’ behalf in the coming months, though it’s unclear how frequent those appearances will be. The two made their first official joint appearance in their new roles on Thursday, when they promoted efforts to lower prescription drug costs at an event in Maryland.
Biden said Harris would be “a damn good president” as she heaped praise on her partner in the White House.
“There is great love in this room for our president and I believe that is for many, many reasons,” Harris said as her supporters chanted “Thank you, Joe.”
