The president’s speech in Chicago opens a convention that, until 21 July, was meant to serve as his coronation as the Democratic nominee in a re-election bid. Having dropped out, Biden will now use his convention speech as a chance to highlight the accomplishments of his administration, and support the Harris-Walz ticket.
Here’s what else to know about Biden’s speech on Monday night.
When is Biden’s convention speech?
Biden is scheduled to speak at 9.50 pm CT on Monday evening, the first day of the Democratic convention.
How can I watch the speech?
The party will livestream the convention on its Democratic national convention website and on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
The Guardian has a team of reporters in Chicago and will be covering the speech in depth, including via a liveblog.
Major news networks are likely to carry prime-time programming. PBS will have live coverage beginning at 8pm ET each night.
What will Biden talk about?
The president has been reportedly working on his address with his longtime adviser Mike Donilon and chief speechwriter, Vinay Reddy. He is expected to return to a familiar theme – the defence of democracy against Donald Trump – and tout Harris as the ideal successor.
“What he’s going to say, in part, is that he picked Kamala Harris to be his running mate because she was brilliant,” Cedric Richmond, a co-chair of the Harris-Walz 2024 campaign, told a press briefing on Monday. “Because she had experience as a prosecutor, experience as an attorney general. She was an effective and forceful US senator. He’s going to make sure that people understand that he picked her because she was great, she was a great partner, and that she’s going to be a great next president of the United States.”
Senators Chris Coons of Delaware, a close Biden ally, told reporters: “I’m excited that we’re kicking off our campaign by celebrating just how much Joe Biden got done at home and abroad. He’s got a longer record of accomplishment than we could possibly celebrate tonight but I’m grateful to play some small part in doing it.”
Will Biden be at the rest of the convention?
No. Biden is set to depart the convention after the first night for a vacation in Santa Ynez, California.
Politico reported earlier last week that Biden was frustrated by members of his own party – including Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer – for the roles they played in ousting him from the race.
Biden will not be at the convention for Obama’s speech on Tuesday night, nor Thursday for remarks from the vice-presidential and presidential nominee.
Who else is speaking at the convention?
The full lineup of speakers has not yet been released, but several big names – plus many new lawmakers and rising stars – are expected to appear.
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Tuesday 20 August: Former president Barack Obama will give an address.
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Wednesday 21 August: Former president Bill Clinton will join Minnesota governor and nominee for vice-president Tim Walz on the convention’s third night.
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Thursday 22 August: Vice-President Kamala Harris will close out the fourth night of the convention.
The following speakers have been confirmed for Monday night: Shawn Fain, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton, Jamie Raskin, Jasmine Crockett, Andy Beshear, a woman affected by abortion bans, Raphael Warnock and Chris Coons.
Conventions provide the opportunity for young or up-and-coming Democrats to boost their name recognition. Memorably, Barack Obama gave a keynote address at the 2004 convention as a little-known state legislator and returned to the stage in 2008 to accept the party’s nomination.
Meanwhile, several celebrities are set to appear, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus who played a vice-president in the comedy Veep as well as the singer and activist John Legend, who will headline a night with Illinois’s billionaire governor, JB Pritzker.
What else to know about the Democratic national convention?
The Democratic national convention will be held in Chicago from 19-22 August.
Chicago previously played host to the convention in 1996, when Bill Clinton was nominated for re-election, and 1968 when Hubert Humphrey was nominated.
Party leaders have emphasized that the theme of the week will be passing the torch to a new generation of leaders, reflecting Harris’s ascension to the nomination after Joe Biden abandoned his presidential campaign last month.