President Joe Biden took the Democratic National Convention stage well past his scheduled primetime slot to cap off a night meant to honor his legacy.
The DNC ran considerably behind schedule, leading the president to be booted from his primetime speaking slot to appear close to midnight on the east coast. The first night of the convention was full of speakers who dedicated their speeches to Biden’s four years in office, his decision to pick Vice President Kamala Harris as his running mate and his choice to end his 2024 reelection bid. An emotional Biden himself made a nod to the theme throughout his speech, praising Harris as he was repeatedly interrupted by “thank you, Joe” chants.
“It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president. I love the job, but I love my country more. All this talk about how I’m angry at all the people who said I should step down — it’s not true. I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy in 2024. We need you to vote. We need you to keep the Senate and the House of Representatives. And above all, we need you to beat Donald Trump,” Biden said before wrapping his speech up after midnight. It lasted nearly an hour.
As the speakers leading up to Biden on the schedule began dragging on and on, speculation swirled about how and why the president had been shoved aside to speak when many Americans would already be asleep.
“This is awful. He literally set up a campaign and handed it over to them — do they have to cut him out of prime time?” one longtime Biden aide texted Axios reporter Alex Thompson.
We’re 90 minutes behind schedule.
It’s unconscionable to have President Biden’s address occur at midnight ET.
We should postpone some upcoming folks and put the president up there soon.
— Christopher Hale (@chrisjollyhale) August 20, 2024
They took the nomination away from him and now booted him out of prime time.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 20, 2024
First Lady Jill Biden and her time in the White House was also prominent throughout the night, as delegates throughout the United Center held up “JILL” signs whenever the president’s wife was mentioned. The first lady briefly primed the audience for her husband’s speech just after 11 p.m., nearly an hour after she was set to originally take the stage.
“When he stops on a rope line because he sees someone grieving who needs to know that everything will be alright one day — or to encourage that child with a stutter to find the confidence she needs — those moments are when I’m reminded of all he’s accomplished in the name of something bigger than himself; receiving the Medal of Freedom with humility, placing his hand on our family Bible to take his oath of office,” the first lady said.
“And weeks ago, when I saw him dig deep into his soul, and decide to no longer seek re-election and endorse Kamala Harris,” she continued in remarks that lasted just about five minutes. It was widely reported that Biden was, in fact, strong-armed out of the presidential race by Democratic Party elders like Nancy Pelosi.
DNC Night 1 running considerably behind schedule, leaving POTUS dangling dangerously near midnight EST. pic.twitter.com/qmnFn3SO3u
— David Catanese (@davecatanese) August 20, 2024
Biden on track to speak after 11:00 EST. When most Americans on the East Coast are sleeping.
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) August 20, 2024
The push for Biden to drop out of the presidential race began after his June 27 debate performance against former President Donald Trump, where he was stumbling through answers and looked confused on stage. Democrats across the party reacted to the event with concern about the 81-year-old’s fitness and ability to push through a second term.
In the weeks following the debates, stories were leaked about the president’s health, doctor appointments and his slips and gaffes behind closed doors. White House aides told Axios that the president is “dependably engaged” between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., but outside those hours, is more susceptible to “verbal miscues” and fatigue.
Renowned pollster Nate Silver was one of many who speculated that the delay in Biden’s speech was to decrease his visibility as the party shifts its focus to Harris.
“The media is very East Coast focused though, you’ve gotta be pretty naive to think the prolonged DNC tonight is for any reason other than diminishing Biden’s visibility,” Silver tweeted.
The media is very East Coast focused though, you’ve gotta be pretty naive to think the prolonged DNC tonight is for any reason other than diminishing Biden’s visibility. https://t.co/LSd5DJzrON
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) August 20, 2024
Four weeks after the mounting pressure from allies forced him out, the president took the convention stage to a thunderous round of applause as he cheered on Harris in her race for the White House. (RELATED: ‘Biden Is Pissed’: Ex-CNN Analyst Says It’s ‘Super Telling’ How President Is Leaving DNC After His Speech)
After Biden listed his administration’s accomplishments, “thank you, Joe” chants broke out again. “Thank you, Kamala, too!” Biden added. (RELATED: Kamala Plots To Distance Herself From Biden Days After KJP Called Them ‘Critical Partners’)
“Let me ask you. Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?” Biden asked delegates shortly after taking the stage.