 "Joe Biden took the stage at DNC 2024 to deliver a rousing speech recounting his and Kamala's achievements and blasting Trump. Image source: Screengrab from Kamala Harris' YouTube channel")
Four weeks after stepping aside from the presidential race, US President Joe Biden endorsed his Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago a short while ago. Speaking at the DNC, Biden shouted Harris campaign’s freedom slogan.
“Are you ready to vote for freedom,” Biden asked Democratic party cadres and supporters at the DNC who responded with a loud cheer of “yes, yes”.
Through the course fo his rousing speech, punctuated by chants of “Thank you Joe”, Biden recounted his and Harris’ achievements and slammed Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump.
Here are the key points from his address so far:
Progress in four years: Boasting about how his administration has performed in the past four years, Biden said, “Covid no longer controls our lives. We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the entire world.” He pointed out that a record 16 million new jobs have been created, and the stock market has hit record highs during his and Kamala’s term. “Record small business growth…wages up, inflation down, way down, and continuing to go down.”
Beating Big Pharma: Speaking about his efforts to lower prescription drug prices, Biden said, “We finally beat Big Pharma.”He emphasised Kamala’s role in this, pointing out that the “vice president, soon-to-be president” cast the tie-breaking vote.
Trump a “loser”, “convicted felon”: Biden said that Trump keeps trampling on the United States’ name, calling it a nation in decline for the entire world to hear.“Donald Trump calls America a failing nation,” he said. “When he talks about America being a failing nation, he says, we’re losing. He’s the loser. He’s dead wrong.” Biden, who quit the White House race in July, also told voters to “put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon,” contrasting Harris’ past record as a prosecutor with Trump’s crimes.
Abortion rights: “You know, Trump will do everything to ban abortion nationwide[…] Kamala and Tim will do everything they possibly can. That’s why you have to elect a Senate and House to restore Roe v Wade,” Biden said.
Calling out Trump’s attitude towards veterans: In a rather fiery tone, Biden condemned Trump’s alleged disrespect for military service members. “He called soldiers who gave their lives for this country, suckers and losers. Who does he think he is?” Biden asked rhetorically.
Ending the Gaza War: According to Guardian, a few anti-war protesters held up a banner that said “Stop arming Israel” while Biden was speaking. Later in his speech, he did address the war. He said, “A few days ago, I put forward a proposal that brought us closer to [ceasefire] than we’ve been since October 7.” He said his administration is working round the clock to prevent a wider war, reunite hostages with their families and boost humanitarian, health and food assistance into Gaza. “Those protesters out in the street, they have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.”
Attacking Trump for bowing to “aggressor” Putin: US President Joe Biden hit out at Russia’s President Vladimir for invading Ukraine in February 2022, and also slammed former US President Donald Trump for “bowing down” to the aggressor. “Putin thought he could take Kyiv in three days. Three years later, Ukraine is still free,” Biden said.He told the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in his farewell speech that he believed his Vice-President and presidential nominee Kamala Harris “won’t do it”.
Trump is lying about the border: “I never thought I’d stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a president a ’liar’ so many times,” Biden said. He said that Trump is lying about the border and immigration. “Here’s what he won’t tell you: Trump killed the strongest bipartisan border deal in the history of the United States,” Biden claimed. He said negotiating the deal with House Republicans took four weeks. Biden claimed that Trump called Senators to tell them to not pass the deal because it would help him and hurt Biden politically.
On taxing billionaires: A common theme on the first day of DNC was the Democrats’ attack on billionaires and how they avoid paying taxes. Speakers pointed out that Trump wants to give tax cuts to ultra-rich billionaires, and cut funding to social security to make up for it. Biden in his speech said, “We have a thousand billionaires in America. You know what the average tax rate they pay? 8.2 per cent.”
With inputs from agencies