‘America, I gave you the best I have’: Joe Biden in tears recalls his presidency

Biden, who broke down in tears when introduced by his daughter Ashley at the start of the Democratic National Convention, recalled the turbulent early days of his presidency, shortly after the attack on the Capitol. “It is with a grateful heart that I stand before you on this August night to remind you that democracy has survived. Democracy has won, and now democracy must be preserved,” the outgoing president said, his speech repeatedly drowned out by the crowd shouting “We love you, Joe” and “Thank you, Joe.”

As for Kamala Harris, he said choosing her as vice president was “the best decision of my life.” “She’s strong, experienced, and has tremendous integrity,” he said, taking the opportunity to attack Trump. “Crime is going down, and it’s going to go down even more when we put a former prosecutor in the White House instead of a convicted felon,” he fired back, to the delight of the crowd, which responded with cries of “Arrest him!”

It wasn’t the speech Biden wanted to give at the convention, but he didn’t seem to resent the idea of ​​abandoning the presidential race. “I love my job, but I love my country even more. Like so many of you, I’ve given my heart and soul to this nation for 50 years, and I’ve been blessed millions of times in return for your support,” the president said, quoting a parting verse from the theme song to “The American Anthem,” his favorite song: “America, I gave you the best that I have.”