"I gave my best to you," Biden says at Democratic convention, passing torch to Harris

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

"It's been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president," Mr. Biden said in a speech that capped over 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 I'm angry at all those people (who) said I should step down — that's not true. I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy in 2024."

He received a thunderous standing ovation from the crowd and took a moment to wipe his eyes after his daughter, Ashley, introduced him. It took several minutes for the crowd to quiet, and his speech was interrupted at times by chants of, "We love Joe!" The party faithful filling the Chicago arena held up signs that said "We 💗 Joe."