Biden to make a forceful case for Harris and Walz in conference speech

President Joe Biden’s role at the Democratic National Convention next week may have been dramatically reshaped by his decision to end his bid for a second term, but his message about the stakes of this election will sound familiar, according to multiple Biden officials.

The outgoing president will make the case for Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him when he delivers Monday’s keynote address, in part by touting their accomplishments during the last four years.

But Biden will also make clear that he still believes Republican nominee Donald Trump poses a grave threat to American democracy and urge delegates in Chicago and voters watching across the country to do their part to defeat him again in November, aides say.

“After saving democracy in 2020, President Biden is determined to defeat the threat to democracy posed by Donald Trump,” one official said.

The first day of the convention in Chicago will include a series of tributes to Biden as he prepares to end a half-century career of public service. Just weeks ago, of course, the entire convention was centered around helping make the case for extending that service by four more years. But now it will offer the president another opportunity to try and shape his legacy.

The president will spend the weekend at Camp David fine-tuning his remarks with the help of senior advisers, including lead speechwriters Mike Donilon and Vinay Reddy. The remarks will build on the message he delivered in the Oval Office shortly after dropping out of the race and make a forceful case for Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The speech, officials say, will be a reminder of the importance of Biden immediately endorsing Harris after announcing he would end his candidacy, helping to quickly unite a party in crisis behind her historic candidacy. Although Biden fought hard to remain in the race after his poor debate performance, his addressing the convention on the first night allows him to pass the torch to her and Walz, Biden officials told NBC News.

“The President is pleased at the momentum behind the campaign and looks forward to making his case,” an official said.

Biden aides, though, believe the convention will continue to highlight the Biden-Harris record after he leaves in order to make a contrast with the Republican ticket.

“Four years ago, America was reeling from a once-in-a-century pandemic, isolated on the world stage, crime was up, the middle class sidelined,” an official said. “Today: We are the global engine of growth, our Alliances are strong, violent crime rate is at a 50-year low, border crossings are lower than when the previous administration left office, and we are making progress on the issues Americans care about most.”

Members of the Biden family will join the president and first lady, who will speak ahead of her husband. Longtime friends and supporters of Biden will also be traveling together on a chartered plane from Delaware to attend the speech, and several aides have organized a celebration for them and other current and former staff in Chicago Monday night. 

Other elements of the convention that had been intended to boost Biden’s candidacy will remain as tributes, starting with a convention logo that borrows from his 2020 campaign design. All convention delegates will also receive “Cup of Joe”-branded coffee, and signage around the United Center on Monday will invoke words from Biden’s Oval Office address, such as “History is in your hands,” as well as a family mantra: “Spread the faith.”  

Biden will leave Chicago after his address Monday to spend the rest of the week in Southern California. There, he will huddle with top advisers who have been working for the past month to firm up plans for his remaining months in office.

A Biden official said the president “will have an extensive domestic schedule — traveling across the country to keep reminding Americans that they are going to have to choose between his vision and the Vice President’s vision to move the country forward, not backward.”

“And the President will fight to make every day of his term count to build on these historic achievements,” the official added. “Expect aggressive implementation of historic legislation, actions to lower costs, and a packed foreign policy agenda.”