Worthy Christian News > US News > Tearful Biden Admits Mistakes In DNC Speech Amid Pro-Palestine Protests

Tearful Biden Admits Mistakes In DNC Speech Amid Pro-Palestine Protests

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

CHICAGO, USA (Worthy News) – U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday he had “made a lot of mistakes” in his career but added, “I gave my best to you,” as he addressed the Democratic National Convention in an emotional farewell speech for which he received a minutes-long standing ovation.

As he prepares to hand over the presidential torch to who he hopes will be Vice President Kamala Harris, the 81-year-old seasoned statesman insisted he did not harbor any ill will about the impending end of his tenure.

His rival, Donald J. Trump, had suggested that he was angry at party leaders who pressured him to drop out.

Speaking at the opening night of the convention in Chicago, which was designed to give him a graceful exit, he urged the Democratic Party to unite around Harris.

The president was at times overwhelmed, dabbing tears from his eyes after his daughter introduced him and relishing an extended ovation from the crowd in Chicago.

“I love the job, but I love my country more,” he said.

Biden called selecting Harris as his running mate the “best decision I made in my whole career” and praised her, saying, “She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity.”

HISTORIC PRESIDENT

“She’ll be a president our children can look up to, she’ll be a president that’s respected by world leaders because she already is. She’ll be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future,” he added about the person who would be the nation’s first female president and first woman of color to lead the free world.

Yet there were tensions too in and outside the convention amid sharp divisions about the Biden-Harris policies toward Israel.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in Chicago on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, expressing anger at the Biden administration’s support for Israel in the Gaza war.

After hours of peaceful demonstrations, dozens of protesters broke through part of the perimeter security fence, drawing riot police to the site, and Chicago police confirmed several arrests were made.

Witnesses saw at least four people detained and placed in handcuffs.

Chanting intensified ahead of the fence breach as protesters reached a neighborhood park on Chicago’s West Side and paused to amplify their calls for a ceasefire, reporters witnessed.

Amid the noise, the crowd turned its frustration toward Vice President Kamala Harris, referring to the Democratic candidate as “Killer Kamala.”

PROTESTERS REMOVED

Inside the convention, Pro-Palestinian protesters were removed after unfurling a banner during the president’s remarks. It appeared to read “Stop Arming Israel.”

Pool reporters said they appeared to be near the Florida delegation. The incident came as dozens of “non-committed” delegates declined to support her nomination over the U.S. position toward Israel.

Yet in his speech, Biden said pro-Palestinian protesters “had a point” while reaffirming his support for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Although demonstrators interrupted his speech, it was unclear whether he noticed.

Biden told the convention that “democracy has prevailed” and recounted his accomplishments. He also said that Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, would carry on his work.

The president revisited some of what he views as the darkest chapters of the administration of his predecessor Donald J. Trump, including the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol in Washington D.C.

He condemned Trump’s vision of America, saying, “He says we’re losing. He’s the loser.”

LOUD APPLAUSE

Biden earned loud applause for praising Kamala Harris and saying, “Crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the office instead of a convicted felon.”

As he closed his speech, Biden said he had dedicated himself to serving the United States and had never felt more optimistic about the country’s future. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you for 50 years. Like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to our nation.”

After the speech, Harris could be seen embracing the president. She told attendees it was “going to be a great week” and thanked Biden for his leadership.

Former First Lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton endorsed Harris, saying the vice president “has the character, experience, and vision to lead us forward.”

Clinton compared Trump’s record as “a convicted felon” in what he views as a highly politicized trial with Harris’s as a former prosecutor. “As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial.”

At that moment, thousands of Democratic delegates gathered on the DNC floor, spontaneously bursting into chants of “Lock him up! Lock him up!”

It was an ironic echo of the chant that was repeatedly directed against Clinton by Trump supporters, with his blessing, in 2016.

RACE WITHDRAWAL

Throughout the night, speakers praised Biden despite questions about his late decision not to run again.

First Lady Jill Biden praised her husband for withdrawing from the race, saying she watched him “dig deep into his soul” as he weighed the decision.

Yet it was unclear whether he would be able to fully reconcile with former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had strongly criticized Biden, who had appeared frail and often struggling both physically and verbally.

However, overnight, she posted a picture of herself on social media holding a “We Heart Joe” sign.

Although she had acknowledged giving some harsh criticism of Biden’s skills as a politician recently, Pelosi also said she hoped their friendship could survive the role she played in ending his presidency.

Pelosi recently said she had “never been that impressed” with Biden’s “political operation,” discussing a judgment that helped her conclude that the president could not beat Donald J. Trump and should step aside.

Speaking to the New Yorker publication, Pelosi said she hoped her role in ending Biden’s presidency would not destroy her relationship with him.

“I hope so,” she said. “I pray so. I cry so.”