President Biden took the stage on the first night of the Democratic National Convention for the last time as president – ​​or as a presidential candidate – to cite the successes of his single term and the threat to democracy as reasons Kamala Harris should succeed him as president.

“It has been the honor of my life to serve you as president,” Biden said in a speech that concluded his more than five decades in office as senator, vice president and president. “I love the job, but I love my country more. All this talk about how angry I am at all the people who said I should resign – that’s not true. I love my country more, and we have to preserve our democracy, in 2024.”

He received thunderous applause from the crowd, briefly wiping his eyes after his daughter Ashley introduced him. It took several minutes for the crowd to quiet down, and his speech was interrupted at times by chants of “We love Joe!” The partygoers who filled the Chicago arena held up signs reading “We 💗 Joe.”

Five months ago, Mr Biden secured the Democratic nomination and had every right at that point to expect that he would be here tonight to take up the mantle of the Democratic nominee for the second time. Instead, he asked the crowd, “Are you ready to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as President and Vice President of the United States?”

The president joked that he was too young to begin his work in the Senate, having been elected at age 29, and “too old” to remain president.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I’ve done my best,” he said.

In July, under increasing Pressure to resign When he ran for president against former President Donald Trump after a disastrous debate in June, Biden backed down and announced he would forgo the nomination and support Harris.

The president recalled his decision to run for president on Monday evening after what he had Charlottesville in August 2017, when white supremacist rallies degenerated into clashes that left one person dead and several others injured. He also recalled the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when rioters broke into the Capitol and many tried to prevent the certification of his election.

“I believed then, and I believe now, that progress was and is possible,” Biden said. “Justice is attainable. And our best days are not behind us – they are ahead of us. Now it is summer. Winter is over. And it is with a grateful heart that I stand before you on this August night to report that democracy has triumphed. Democracy has delivered. And now democracy must be preserved.”

“You can’t just say you love your country when you win,” the president said. He had already said this sentence about former President Donald Trump, but it could now apply to him too, albeit for very different reasons.

Everyone in the room, the president said, came together in 2020 to save democracy.

“As your president, I am committed to moving America forward, not backward,” he said. “I will stand against hate and violence in all its forms.”

Mr Biden celebrated the achievements of his presidency, reciting a list: 60 million new jobs, a record high in the stock market, a reduction in inflation, the smallest racial wealth gap in 20 years and health insurance for more Americans than ever before.

At one point, as the crowd chanted “Thank you, Joe,” Mr. Biden said, “Thank you, Kamala!”

Mr Biden then attacked his former opponent Donald Trump and his promise of an infrastructure week.

“And he never built anything,” Biden said.

“Donald Trump calls America a failing nation,” the president said, adding that Trump is wrong in claiming America is failing. “He says we are losing. He is the loser, and he is completely wrong.”

The president also noted that violent crime has declined across the country after skyrocketing during the pandemic.

“Crime will continue to go down if we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office rather than a convicted felon,” he said, referring to Harris’ career as a prosecutor.

Mr Biden said he would continue to fight for freedom of choice and the freedom to love whoever you want.

“The MAGA Republicans discovered the power of women in 2022,” he said. “And Donald Trump will discover the power of women in 2024.”

On foreign policy concerns, the president said his team was working “around the clock” to achieve a ceasefire in the Middle East and to provide aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. Protesters criticizing Biden’s handling of the war stood outside Congress, at times blocking congressional attendees from entering.

“The protesters on the streets are right,” he admitted. “Many innocent people are being killed on both sides.”

The president said Harris and Walz recognize that this country must continue to be a place of opportunity, not just for a few but for all, and that Democrats must ensure their victory.

“I promise I will be the best volunteer Harris and Walz’s campaign has ever seen,” the president said.