Monday is the first day of the Democratic National Convention, and the man who was considered the party’s nominee until a month ago will now support Vice President Kamala Harris.
President Joe Biden will be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention on Monday. His speech comes less than a month after he dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Harris.
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The speech is a bittersweet moment for President Biden, who has spent weeks claiming he would stay in the presidential race even as his support among Democrats dwindles.
“The president is looking forward to it,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “He sees it as an important moment to speak directly, not only to the party, the Democratic Party and the delegates, but of course to the American people.”
In addition to President Biden, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton will also speak on Monday.
Speakers expected later in the week include former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former First Lady Michelle Obama and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz will deliver the keynote address on Wednesday, and the week will conclude with Harris’ acceptance speech on Thursday.
Party programme published
Thousands of Democratic delegates will vote this week on the party platform, a 91-page document that lays out the priorities for a possible Harris presidency. The platform consists of nine sections.
“President Biden, Vice President Harris and the Democrats want to get the job done. We want our economy to grow from the middle and bottom up, not top down. We want to reward work, not wealth,” the platform says. We want to cut costs. We want to tackle the climate crisis, reduce energy costs and ensure energy independence. We want to protect communities and fight the scourge of gun violence. We want to secure the border and fix the broken immigration system. We want to advance the president’s unity agenda. We want to strengthen American leadership around the world.”
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Although the manifesto is intended to serve as a guide for Democrats, it also seeks to contrast the party’s policies with those of Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump. Trump’s name is mentioned nearly 150 times throughout the document.
“Donald Trump has a very different vision – one that is not focused on opportunity and optimism, but on vengeance and retribution; not on the American people, but on themselves,” the platform says. “He and his extreme MAGA allies are ripping away our basic personal freedoms, dictating what choices women can make on health issues, banning books, and telling people who they can love.”
Republican counter-program
While Democrats will be in the spotlight over the next four days, Republicans will do everything they can to stop Harris’ advance.
On Monday, Republicans on the House Budget Committee released a report alleging that President Biden was guilty of “impeachable offenses” while serving as vice president. Republicans accused President Biden of “engaging in a conspiracy to wield influence and enrich his family.”
“Our impeachment trial shows conclusively that Joe Biden abused his public office for the private financial gain of the Biden family and his business associates,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan. “The facts speak for themselves, and Democrats can no longer twist the truth to cover for President Biden. As Democrats celebrate Joe Biden and crown Kamala Harris as his designated successor this week, Americans should remember the reality of the Biden-Harris administration: crime, chaos, and corruption.”
The report comes days after The New York Times reported that President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, had asked the administration for support for a work project during his father’s tenure as vice president. The White House told The New York Times that President Biden was unaware that his son had approached officials on behalf of his company, Burisma.
In addition, the Republicans will continue their presidential campaign. Trump and his running mate JD Vance will rally their supporters in North Carolina on Wednesday.
