Biden takes stage at DNC as party transitions to Harris as nominee: 'Democracy must be preserved'

On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, President Joe Biden took the stage as the party transitions to Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee and emphasized that "democracy must be preserved" in this election.

"My Dad used to have an expression, for real. He'd say, 'Joey, family's the beginning, the middle and the end and I love you all," Biden said Monday night in Chicago. "And America, I love you. Let me ask you, are we ready to vote for freedom? Are we ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you: are we ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?"

Biden touted that COVID-19 "no longer controls our lives" and his record on economic issues.

"Wages up, and inflation down! Way down, and continuing to go down," said Biden, who after a disastrous debate in June against GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump dropped his reelection bid and backed Harris to be the party’s nominee.

”I love my job, but I love my country more,” he said about the decision.

”I gave my best to you,” Biden said near the close of his roughly 50-minute speech, in which he was greeted by chants of “We love Joe.”

Several times during his speech, as did other convention speakers before him, Biden took direct aim at Trump, saying he has repeatedly lied to Americans and called them “losers.”

The program ended after midnight. 

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., was among the lawmakers who addressed the convention before Biden.

Clyburn argued Trump "mismanaged" the COVID-19 pandemic and voters elected Biden to fix the situation.

"We owe him a great debt of gratitude," he said. "We are all grateful for one of the best decisions he made, selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him."