US PRESIDENT Joe Biden is set to deliver an emotional farewell address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday (19), where he will officially pass the party's torch to Kamala Harris as the nominee for the upcoming November election.
Just weeks after his surprising decision to step down, Biden is expected to receive a warm send-off from many of the same supporters who had urged him to make way due to concerns about his age.
At 81, Biden will use his speech to endorse Harris – America's first female, Black, and south Asian vice-president – as the most capable candidate to continue his mission of safeguarding American democracy against Republican challenger Donald Trump.
Harris will join Biden briefly on stage during his primetime address, symbolising the unity within the Democratic party as they rally behind her leadership.
One hangover from his time in office, however, is a huge planned protest in Chicago against the Biden-Harris administration's support for Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
Biden said on Sunday (18) he felt "good, real good" about his speech, after spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in rural Maryland fine-tuning his address with top aides.
US vice-president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris steps off Air Force Two upon arrival at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday (18) (Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
Biden takes on warm-up role
Now a lame-duck single-term president, Biden will be all too aware that his legacy hinges on whether Harris can go on to beat Trump – and that if she doesn't, many will blame him for clinging on so long.
First Lady Jill Biden, 73, a staunch defender of her husband who was with him throughout the final stages of his fateful decision on July 21, will also take to the stage in Chicago.
But there will undoubtedly be mixed emotions for the ageing president, who has watched Harris chase down Trump in the polls and enthuse voters in a way that he never managed during his time as candidate.
Biden now also finds himself as the warm-up act for Harris, who will give her headline speech on Thursday (22) in a slot that just a few weeks ago would have been his.
He won't be hanging around for her big night, and is instead heading off immediately after his speech to start a six-day holiday in California while the conference continues without him.
Yet as he enters the final stretch of a five-decade political career, Biden will also be assured of a warm welcome from Democrats in Chicago.
"I'm nostalgic," said LaurieBeth Hager, a state representative from North Dakota in Chicago for the convention, hailing Biden as a "great president."
Biden remembered fondly as the man who beat Trump
"I'll have Kleenexes packed along with me tomorrow, but I also am amazed at the courage, political courage it took for him to make this decision."
Biden is still remembered fondly by his party as the man who beat Donald Trump in 2020, and then guided America out of the trauma of the January 6, 2021 pro-Trump Capitol assault and the Covid pandemic.
And while Biden's initial determination to stay in the race despite a disastrous debate performance against Trump in June smacked of pride, there is widespread gratitude for his eventual sacrifice.
Harris has managed to turn the White House race on its head since Biden stepped aside, reaching out to young, female and Black voters who had switched off from a battle between two elderly men.
Former president Trump, meanwhile, has been sent into a tailspin by what he calls the "coup" by Democrats.
Just over a month ago, he seemed to be cruising to victory after escaping an assassination attempt, and then making a triumphant, ear-bandaged appearance at the Republican convention in Milwaukee.
But he has since struggled to recalibrate his campaign to deal with Harris, falling back instead on personal insults and rambling speeches despite appeals from top Republicans to focus.
While Democrats meet in Chicago, Trump will be crisscrossing the country, with rallies scheduled in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona through the week. (AFP)
