Joe Biden accepts Democratic nomination ‘Trump cloaked America in darkness’ calling his failure on coronavirus ‘unforgivable’ as he offers upbeat vision of future promising ‘love and light and hope and light’
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called out anger and division in the country as he accepted his party’s nomination Thursday – vowing to unite the country and represent even those who do not support him – not just his political ‘base.’
‘Too much anger, too much fear, too much division,’ Biden said, early in his remarks.
He said President Trump had ‘cloaked America in darkness,’ and blasted Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus – but said the nation would overcome what he called ‘this season of darkness in America.’
Speaking in the Chase Center in Wilmington a night after running mate Sen. Kamala Harris spoke, Biden intoned: ‘I give you my word. If you entrust me with the presidency, I’ll draw on the best of us not the worst,’ he said, in a speech laden with references to President Donald Trump and a harsh critique of his governing style.
‘It’s time for us for we the people to come together,’ said Biden, calling it a ‘life-changing election.
He quoted civil rights organizer Ella Baker, who said ‘Give light and people will find a way
‘Give people light and they will find the way. These are words for our time,’ said Biden. ‘The current president has cloaked American in darkness for far too long,’ he said, in one of many denunciations of Trump.
He pointed to the coronavirus pandemic, economic troubles, calls for social justice, and climate change as the four key issues. And he promised if elected: ‘I will draw on the best of us, not the worst.’ He said the moment called for ‘hope and light and love.’
But he repeatedly spoke in grave tones about the struggles engulfing the country.
‘Five million Americans affected by COVID-19,’ he said. ‘By far the worst performance of any nation on earth.’
‘This president, if he’s reelected, you know what will happen. Cases and deaths will remain far too high.,’ Biden said.
Biden said Trump had failed in his most sacred duty.
‘He’s failed to protect us,’ Biden said, with more than 170,000 dead from the coronavirus.
‘I will defend us from every attack, seen and unseen -always,’ he vowed.
He called on America ‘to be a light to the world once again.’
Speaking briefly about the world stage, Biden said: ‘The days of cozying up to dictators is over.’
He referenced the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, saying he would work for communities who have known ‘the injustice of a knee on the neck.’
Biden, who even while fending off left-wing challengers in the Democratic primaries vowed to work with Republicans, made repeated calls for unity.
‘This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment,’ he said.
He pointed to ‘hope for our future, light to see our way forward, and love for one and other.’
He hailed running mate Sen. Kamala Harris of California, a former prosecutor he credited with calling out the administration’s ‘extremism, its failure to follow the law, its failure to simply tell the truth.’
He sprinkled remarks with calls for economic justice, holding up ‘fairness over privilege’ and calling to back workers over a ‘privileged few.’
He gushed about wife Jill Biden, who would go from former second lady to first lady should he win. ‘She loves this country so much,’ said Biden.
He pointed to family, who have been a source of strength for Biden throughout his life, but also in the case of son Hunter a political headache and source of Trump attacks.
He acknowledged ‘Hunter, Ashley, all our grandchildren.’
‘While he’s no longer with us, Beau inspires me every day,’ Biden said, pointing to his late son.
Biden also spoke about confronting racism as a ‘call to action.’
He spoke of the white supremacist march in Charlottesville, and event – along with Trump’s statements about good people on ‘both sides’ that were party of Biden’s campaign launch, as a turning point.
‘At that moment I knew I’d have to run.,’ he said.
He said the murder of George Floyd, who died at the hands of police in Seattle, might be a ‘breaking point’ on the road to rooting out ‘systemic racism.’
Biden ended with an impassioned plea to overcome ‘hate’ and darkness, after quoting Irish poet Seamus Heaney.
‘This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme,’ said Biden, raising his voice.
‘With passion and purpose. Let us begin, you and I together. One nation, under God. United in our love for America. United in our love for each other. For love is more powerful than hate,’ he intoned.
‘Hope is more powerful than fear and light is more powerful than dark. This is our moment. This is our mission.’
‘History will be able to say that the end of this chapter in American darkness began here, tonight,’ Biden said.
When Biden finished his speech with a flourish about dark and light, Jill Biden came from backstage and hugged him. Convention viewers, kept away for social distancing, applauded on large screens off to the side.
Kamala Harris and her husband Douglass Emhoff then came out.
It was an effort by party organizers to provide a hint of the celebration that accompanies a traditional convention speech.
Then, the nominee and his wife walked outside the venue, where supporters were gathered in distanced cares, Drive-In style. They flashed lights and honked horns, while the longtime politician stood in front of a large American flag.
Then, it was a fireworks show for supporters, standing in for the balloon drops that have filled arenas in conventions of the past.
The final night of the Democratic National Convention kicked off Thursday night with a positive message about ‘this time next year’ as The Chicks performed the National Anthem.
The star-studded line up culminated in Biden officially accepting the Democratic nomination to take on President Donald Trump in November as his remarks will close out the evening.
Day four commenced with repeated testaments to Biden’s faith from those who know him and his religious tradition well in a deliberate contrast to Trump, who infuriated opponents with his photo-op in front of St. John’s church across from the White House amid protests over the death of George Floyd.
‘Joe Biden goes to church so regularly that he doesn’t even need tear gas and a bunch of federal troops to get there,’ quipped event host Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a stinging joke that fell flat.
Sen. Chris Coons, a friend of Biden’s who now holds his Delaware Senate seat, repeatedly used religious phrases to describe Biden as the convention sought to reintroduce the longtime politician to the nation.
Biden is a practicing Catholic who has made family loss a major part of his political narrative.
Democrats kicked of the fourth night of their convention with a message of hope for the future and former 2020 Democratic candidate Andrew Yang (right) and actress and comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus (left) opened the final night of the event
The Chicks, who dropped ‘Dixie’ from their name in the midst of nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, performed the National Anthem
Cedric Richmond Jr. (left) led the Pledge of Allegiance Thursday. His father, Rep. Cedric Richmond Sr. (right) is one of Biden’s top supportersJulia Louis-Dreyfus and Andrew Yang talk pronunciation of Mike PenceLoaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00PreviousPlaySkipMuteCurrent Time0:00/Duration Time2:43FullscreenNeed Text
Coons said Biden would continue the ‘progressive march towards justice’ of civil rights leaders, and try to make people ‘better stewards of creation.’
He also mentioned the ‘Original Sins of this nation – slavery and racism,’ and said Biden knew they must be addressed.
The Democratic senator said of Biden’s positions in politics: ‘For him, they’re rooted in faith,’ a faith ‘that’s sustained so many ordinary Americans.’
The convention also played a clip of Biden taking a question at a town hall from the pastor of Charleston’s Mother Emanuel AME church.
‘Reverend, I kind of know what it’s like to lose a family and my heart goes out to you,’ Biden said before speaking of how church members forgave the shooter who massacred parishioners attending Sunday bible study.
Then he spoke of how church members forgave the shooter who massacred parishioners attending Sunday bible study.
‘They forgave him. They forgave him – the ultimate act of Christian charity,’ Biden said.
The Rev. Anthony Thompson lost his wife, Myra, during the shooting by a white supremacist at the church in 2015.
The evening began with an invocation by Sister Simone Campbell, a Catholic religious sister. ‘Oh Spirit, breath in us and our leaders a new resolve,’ she said. Her invocation tied faith to ending ‘structural racism, bigotry and sexism.’
The expressions of faith were an obvious effort to draw contrast with Trump, an Episcopalian who rarely goes to church, has made frequent appeals to Evangelicals and has had some clumsy public events holding bibles and trying to quote scripture.
Outside the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, 100 cars of Biden supporters were parked ready to take in the final night of the convention drive-in movie style.
Oldies music blasted and people had signs and American flags.
Some supporters will be on-site and take in Democratic National Convention like a drive-in movie. A stage is also set up for Biden-Harris appearance Booker says Biden will be one to stand up for ordinary AmericansLoaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00PreviousPlaySkipMuteCurrent Time0:00/Duration Time2:25FullscreenNeed Text
A stage was set up for Biden, and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, to greet the crowd after he concluded his acceptance speech.
Meanwhile in downtown Wilmington, trucks were driving around in protest with signs and banners reading, ‘I’m Joe Biden and I forget this message,’ and ‘If you can’t complete a sentence, you shouldn’t be president.’
Another had a picture of the ‘2020 presidential debate,’ that showed Biden sniffing Trump’s hair and rubbing his shoulders.
Others played up Biden’s propensity to be touchy-feely, blasting the messages ‘Joe Biden – Just. Plain. Creepy,’ and ‘Creepy Joe sniffs women.’
A number of Trump supporters also showed up outside the security perimeter to troll Democrats.
Hunter Biden will also address the convention Thursday night as his sister Ashley will join him to tell the story of their father just ahead of his keynote speech.
The night kicked off with former 2020 Democratic candidate and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang and actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus speaking ahead of the Pledge of Allegiance and Star Spangled Banner.
Despite the ‘go high’ attitude of the night with a hopeful message for the future, Yang expressed worry over the state of the country currently.
‘We are in a deep, dark hole, and we need leaders who will help dig us out,’ he said.
At the conclusion of his brief remarks, Yang had a rather awkward handover to Louis-Dreyfus, the night’s emcee, as the two made reference to people mispronouncing Harris’ first name by poking fun at Mike Pence.
‘I cannot wait to see her debate our current Vice President, ‘Meeka Pints.’ Or is it ‘Paints’?’ the comedian said, purposely messing up the Vice President’s name.
‘It’s pronounced ‘Pahnce,’ I believe,’ Yang said back in a prepared back-and-forth from their separate video screens.
‘It’s some kind of weird foreign name,’ the Seinfeld and Veep actress dismissed.
‘Yeah, not very American sounding,’ Yang said.
Harris is the first ever black woman to run on a major party’s presidential ticket – some have also said the half-Jamaican, half-Indian senator’s first name, Kamala, is hard to pronounce. Bottoms says Americans can ‘be heroes of this generation’ by voting
Shortly into the program, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms delivered remarks.
She was once considered one of those on the short list to become Biden’s running mate.
Perhaps one of the most anticipated appearances from Republicans, however, was from the former vice president’s son.
Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine and China have been political fodder for Republicans throughout Joe Biden’s run for the White House, with Trump’s impeachment based on the president’s quest to have the Ukrainian president announce an investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden.
He hasn’t been spotted alongside his family during the DNC festivities so far, so it’s unclear if he actually made the trek to Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden and Harris are making their virtual speeches.
Hunter Biden will address the Democratic National Convention Thursday night to talk about his father, Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Hunter Biden’s business dealings inspired the scandal that led to President Donald Trump’s impeachment
Joe Biden will formally accept the Democratic nomination to take on Donald Trump in November, but his speech is expected to largely steer clear of mention the current president and instead offer a message of hope
With the Democratic National Convention being held virtually around the country, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are addressing television and livestream audiences from Biden’s adopted hometown of Wilmington, Delaware at the Chase Center
Instead, Biden’s team is letting the past speakers’ statements about the president stand as an argument he should not be reelected – including former President Barack Obama’s Wednesday remarks where he claimed Trump ‘will tear our democracy down’
THURSDAY’S DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION LINE UP
Cory Booker, New Jersey Senator
Pete Buttigieg, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor
The Chicks, musical group
Gavin Newsom, California governor
Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta mayor
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin senator
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois senator
Chris Coons, Delaware senator
John Legend and Common, singer and rapper
Andrew Yang, tech entrepreneur
Michael Bloomberg, former New York City mayor
Joe Biden, former vice president and 2020 Democratic nominee
Harris also accepted the Democrats’ vice presidential nomination at the Chase Center as she closed out the third night of the convention on Wednesday.
His campaign has not responded to DailyMail.com’s request for comment on whether Biden will make his address outside, or come out to greet supporters in their cars afterward.
Biden was spotted by TV networks doing a walk-through of the stage earlier Thursday.
The fourth night of the DNC featured a video dedicated to the late Beau Biden, the former vice president’s eldest son – who was Delaware’s attorney general – who passed away from cancer in 2015. The late Rep. John Lewis, who died last month, will also be honored.
The Biden grandchildren will also be featured in a video.
They were on hand in Delaware Tuesday night when Jill Biden gave her virtual address to the DNC, from the school in Wilmington where she used to teach.
The Bidens’ grandkids and daughter Ashley threw confetti at Joe Biden when the Democratic nomination was made official.
Hunter Biden was not in the shot.
Hunter’s personal life has also given the family unwanted attention as he dated Beau’s widow Hallie after his brother’s death, had a child out-of-wedlock with a former D.C.-based stripper and then quickly wed his latest wife, Melissa Cohen, who gave birth to a baby boy in April.
Joe Biden’s speech will be hopeful and forward-looking, as opposed to the dark warning that President Barack Obama offered Wednesday night about re-electing Trump for four more years.
‘This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win,’ Obama said from his speech location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In his harshest indictment yet of the man who succeeded him in the Oval Office, Obama called Trump lazy, dangerous, and corrupt, accusing him of abusing the military as props, of gassing peaceful protesters and of being willing to do anything for a second term.
Trump lashed out at his predecessor on Twitter, claiming Obama only endorsed his vice president at the last minute.
‘WHY DID HE REFUSE TO ENDORSE SLOW JOE UNTIL IT WAS ALL OVER, AND EVEN THEN WAS VERY LATE? WHY DID HE TRY TO GET HIM NOT TO RUN?’ the president tweeted in all capital letters.
Biden is expected to take the night off from his public sparring with the president, who has dubbed the Democratic candidate as ‘Sleepy’ and ‘Slow Joe.’
The night will kick off with remarks from previous Biden competitors Cory Booker, who represents New Jersey in the U.S. Senate, and former South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang and former Mayor of New York City Mike Bloomberg will speak before Biden takes the stage.
Steph (left) and Ayesha Curry (center left) and their daughters Ryan (center right) and Riley (right) discuss how the basketball star and his best-selling author wife will be voting for Joe Biden in November
Also appearing at the unconventional convention Thursday night will be California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Army veteran who lost both of her legs in Iraq and Delaware Sen. Chris Coons.
The night will feature musical performances from singer John Legend, who is very vocal in U.S. politics and endorsed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primary, as well as Common, another politically active musician.
The Chicks, who recently dropped the word ‘Dixie’ from their name in the throes of nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, will also perform.
‘Veep’ and ‘Seinfeld’ star Julia Louis-Dreyfus will emcee.
Steph and Ayesha Curry are set to endorse Biden, via video, Thursday night.
Biden’s speech will almost finish out the night, with a virtual after-party planned, being hosted by Bravo’s Andy Cohen.
The president has an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity at 9 p.m. Thursday, which is the starting time for the final night of the DNC.
