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Biden has had a major role in Democratic conventions for decades — he’s only missed one since 1972: 1988, after he suffered a brain aneurysm. Still, less than a month after he dropped his bid for a second term, his 2024 appearance now will serve as more of a valedictory address rather than one laying out his vision for four more years in the Oval Office.
A senior Biden adviser said the president is viewing this moment without regret. “He makes a decision and moves on,” they said. “Is it hard for other people? Yes. But it’s not like being president is a part-time job. There’s a lot on his plate that he’s focused on.”
That includes making sure Harris is elected to replace him. While the vice president has embraced the positive energy around her candidacy to push a campaign message about the future, Biden still sees it as a critical mission to ensure voters understand what’s at risk if Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Biden will cast Trump as a threat to democracy and urge all Democrats, and all Americans, to focus on what’s needed to be done to defeat him. He will say that now that he’s made the decision he needed to make, it’s up to others to help him ensure that we are “continuing the progress we have made.”
“The most important thing they can do is vote,” the adviser said.
Biden advisers had had initial conversations about his convention speech prior to his politically fatal June 27 debate performance, but not yet begun to “put much on paper,” the adviser said. Tonight’s speech is expected to build on the themes of his Oval Office address explaining his decision to step aside.
With speeches and other tributes leading up to Biden’s remarks, the president wants to share his belief that his accomplishments were not his alone. He will note the dire situation he inherited when he came into office in 2021, and how he believes the country was able to recover beyond anyone’s expectations because of the determination of the American people.
“That’s a big distinction between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. He believes this is what we can do together. Trump says he alone can do it,” the adviser said. “Any time he talks about accomplishments, it’s really about what the country did.”
Biden will also argue that Harris has been an important partner in progress, and how likeminded they are in fighting for ordinary Americans.
“He’s fully supportive of her,” the adviser said.
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