Vice President Kamala Harris surprised viewers by delivering a brief speech during the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. On Monday, August 19, the 59-year-old politician stepped on stage to Beyoncé‘s song “Freedom” to praise President Joe Biden before he made his speech later that evening.
“This is going to be a great week, and I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight,” Kamala told an enthusiastic crowd in Chicago. “Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you. Thank you, Joe!”
The former attorney general also pointed to the “beauty of our great nation” upon looking to the audience.
“People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here united by our shared vision for the future of our country,” Kamala said, before adding, “And this November, we will come together and declare with one voice, as one people, we are moving forward.”
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While focusing on her campaign’s message, Kamala concluded that with “optimism, hope and faith, so guided by our love of country, knowing we all have so much more in common than what separates us,” she encouraged voters to “fight for the ideals we hold dear, and let us always remember when we fight, we win.”
Throughout the evening, multiple Democrats and others came out to support Kamala amid her race to the White House. Notable speakers were former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett and Joe’s daughter Ashley Biden.
As all speakers described the goals of Kamala’s campaign, they also thanked Joe, 81, for his decades of work in politics. After taking the podium, Joe insisted that Kamala and her running mate, Tim Walz, will “continue to lead America forward, creating more jobs, standing up for workers, growing the economy [and] lowering the costs to American families.”
“I’ve got five months left in my presidency. I’ve got a lot to do,” Joe said. “I intend to get it done. It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president. I love the job, but I love my country more. All those people who said I should step down, that’s not true. We love our country more, and we need to preserve our democracy.”