Sign up for Inside Washington’s daily email to get exclusive U.S. reporting and analysis delivered straight to your inbox

Get our free Inside Washington email

President Joe Biden had actually planned to spend the evening watching the start of a party convention to nominate him for another four years in the White House.

Instead, an excited crowd at Chicago’s United Center expressed gratitude for the president’s decision to step down and pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris and paid tribute to his accomplishments in an emotional address.

As Harris watched from a box in the audience alongside her running mate Tim Walz, Biden declared at the Democratic National Convention that despite the undemocratic threats that inspired his 2020 presidential bid, “democracy prevailed” and “democracy delivered,” reiterating many of his campaign themes.

“And now democracy must be preserved,” he said.

“Are you ready to vote for freedom?” Biden said. “Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?”

After an introduction by his daughter Ashley, Biden took the stage and hugged hsd to the sounds of Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher” and deafening shouts of “Thank you, Joe.” He took a tissue from his pocket to wipe his eyes.

“Family is the beginning, the middle and the end,” he said after praising his daughter and his “rock,” First Lady Jill Biden. “And America, I love you.”

In his remarks, he particularly emphasized his support for the unions, his significant successes in the economic and infrastructure sectors, and his democratic commitment, which puts him in stark contrast to Donald Trump.

“Thanks to you, we have seen four years of extraordinary progress, period,” he said. “And when I say ‘we,’ I mean Kamala and me.”

Biden was angry at his Republican rival for trying to block bipartisan legislation on U.S.-Mexico border security and for making false claims about the 2020 election that fueled political violence.

“You can’t just say you love your country when you win,” he said.

According to a source familiar with Biden’s plans, his remarks were drafted last week with the help of his longtime aide and former White House adviser Mike Donilon and other close confidants.

In her remarks, First Lady Jill Biden praised her husband of nearly 50 years. “Joe knows that the strength of our nation does not come from intimidation,” she said. “It comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds, from serving the communities that make us who we are… Kamala Harris knows that too.”

Biden is not expected to attend the remaining three days of the convention. Instead, he will travel to Santa Ynez, California, where he and his family will spend the summer vacation.

It is a remarkable exit from the stage for Biden, who has instructed his White House staff to focus the remaining five months of his term – the home stretch of a full half-century in public life – on completing the work of his administration and polishing his legacy.

Two months ago, Biden, as the incumbent president who had won all but one of the primaries and was supported by nearly all of the delegates who would vote for the Democratic Party’s frontrunner, seemed headed for his party’s nomination.

But after a month of pressure from the highest ranks of his party – and after reviewing polling data showing Harris could run a credible campaign against the man Biden defeated four years ago – he made the decision to step down just days after the Republican National Convention ended last month.

While Trump has suggested in the weeks since that day that Biden was so angry about his resignation that he would try to reclaim his nomination – which would be impossible under both Democratic Party rules and numerous state election laws – the president has shown no sign of anger over the situation.

He told convention attendees that serving as president had been “the honor of his life.”

“I love this job, but I love my country even more,” he said, before flatly denying any resentment over his dismissal.

“All this talk about how angry I am at all the people who said I should resign – that’s not true,” he said.

Harris and Walz, he continued, would “continue to lead America forward, create more jobs, stand up for workers, grow the economy” and “reduce costs for American families so they have a little more breathing room.”

“We have made incredible progress. There is still a lot of work to be done, and Kamala and Tim will continue to fight corporate greed and lower food prices. They will continue to fight the pharmaceutical industry and make insulin available for $35 a month, not just for seniors, but for all Americans,” he said.

Recalling the Oval Office speech he gave after announcing his resignation, Biden reminded the crowd that their votes “will decide whether democracy and freedom will prevail.”

“It’s that simple, that serious, and the power is literally in your hands. History is in your hands,” he said.

His voice became more emotional as he concluded his remarks. Biden said the country he has led for the past four years “is and always has been a nation of opportunity.”

“Kamala and Tim understand that this country must continue to be a place of opportunity, not just for a few of us, but for all of us. Join me in pledging your whole heart to this cause,” he said, adding that he would be “the best volunteer” the Harris-Walz campaign has ever seen.

“I have made many mistakes in my career, but I have given you my best for 50 years,” he said. “Like many of you, I have given my heart and soul to our nation and in return I have been blessed millions of times over with the support of the American people… I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.”