DNC Night 1: Biden says "I love the job, but I love my country more" in keynote speech

President Biden delivered the keynote speech Monday at the first night of the Democratic National Convention, highlighting his signature achievements of his administration as he handed the baton to the new Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris made a surprise appearance Monday night as Democrats showed a united front behind her and Mr. Biden, as speakers walked a line between "thank you, Joe" and "we are moving forward."

"I love the job, but I love my country more," Mr. Biden said of his recent decision not to run for reelection. First lady Jill Biden said that she saw Mr. Biden "dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris."

Greeted by a standing ovation and chants of "thank you, Joe," Mr. Biden returned to the familiar themes of saving democracy, which he has said was the reason he ran for president,  and building a better America.

"We're facing an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history where the decisions we make now will determine the world for decades to come," Mr. Biden said.

The party's 2016 nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , brought the convention center to its feet as she told Democrats "the future is here — it's in our grasp," alluding to what it would mean to elect Harris, who would be the first woman president and the first woman president of color if she wins.

"Together we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling," Clinton said. "And tonight, tonight so close to breaking through once and for all, I want to tell you what I see through all those cracks and why it matters for each and every one of us."

There were also rousing speeches from United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as more somber speeches from women who suffered devastating consequences from lack of abortion access.

Despite Monday's energetic first day of  the convention, the party is still grappling with a chaotic two months that included Mr. Biden's disastrous debate on June 27 and his announcement on July 21 that he would be dropping out of the race and backing Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination , leading to her whirlwind campaign and selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Democrats formally nominated Harris in a virtual roll call earlier this month and Walz was declared the nominee under party rules. The convention held a ceremonial vote Monday for Walz's nomination, and a ceremonial roll call will be held Tuesday for Harris.

Outside the convention center, Chicago police said four people were arrested when protesters breached a security perimeter. Chicago has been gearing up for protests as 2024 has invoked some comparisons to the violent 1968 convention , including an incumbent president deciding not to run for reelection and divisive foreign policy.

Biden, Harris embrace after speech

After President Biden wrapped his speech, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff joined him on stage. Harris and Mr. Biden embraced after his speech, giving one final image of unity.

Mr. Biden's family also joined him on stage, including daughter Ashley and son Hunter.

Biden says "I've given my heart and soul to our nation" for 50 years

As the president concluded his speech, he looked back on his ascension to the highest office, saying "nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings" in Pennsylvania and Delaware towns "grow up to sit behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office."

"That's because America is and always has been a nation of possibilities," Mr. Biden said. "We must never lose that — never."

Mr. Biden said Harris and Walz "understand that this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities, not just for the few of us but for all of us." And he urged Americans to "join me in promising your whole heart to this effort."

The president promised to be the "best volunteer" the Harris-Walz campaign has "ever seen."

As he wrapped his speech, Mr. Biden president quoted the song "American Anthem," recalling his 50 years in Washington working for Americans, where he said he's "given my heart and soul to our nation."

"Let me know in my heart, when my days are through, America, America, I gave my best to you," he said.

Biden: On Jan. 6, "we almost lost everything about who we are as a country"

President Biden noted that the 2024 election will be the first election since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"On that day, we almost lost everything about who we are as a country," Mr. Biden said. "And that threat is still very much alive."

Mr. Biden's run in 2020 had highlighted the threat to democracy, something he had highlighted earlier this year when he was running for reelection before he dropped his bid.

"Donald Trump says he will refuse to accept the election results if he loses again," Mr. Biden said, adding Trump has called for a "bloodbath" and "we cannot let that happen again."

Biden says "I've got five months left in my presidency — and I've got a lot to do"

After detailing a long list of what his administration has accomplished, the president said he intends to accomplish more in the remaining five months of his presidency.

"I intend to get it done," he added.

Biden: "Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024"

The president highlighted what was among Democrats' strongest issues in the last election in reproductive rights, saying "MAGA Republicans found out the power of women in 2022."

"And Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024," he added.

Mr. Biden said he believes in protecting Americans' freedoms, including their "freedom to choose." The issue was a key motivator for voters in the midterm elections, which came months after the Supreme Court overturned a constitutional right to abortion that had been the law of the land for nearly five decades. But the president has often shied away from the issue in speeches, ceding the issue to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden says "crime will keep coming down when put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon"

Mr. Biden highlighted the drop in crime during his time in office, saying he and Harris' investment in public safety had led to violent crime and the murder rate dropping.

"Crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office, rather than a convicted felon," he said, in a dig at Trump.

Biden on Trump: "He says we're losing. He's the loser"

President Biden rebuked former President Trump for his outlook on the nation, saying "Donald Trump calls America a failing nation."

"He says we're losing," Mr. Biden said. "He's the loser — he's dead wrong."

"Name me a country in the world that doesn't think we're the leading nation in the world," Mr. Biden said. "Who can lead the world other than the United States of America?"

The president said "America is winning," adding that the world is "better off for it." He said Trump "continues to lie" about issues like crime and immigration.

President Biden: "We came together in 2020 to save democracy"

Mr. Biden celebrated the more than 80 million Americans who voted for him in 2020, saying he had run with a "deep conviction" in a nation where "honesty, dignity, decency" still mattered. Where "everyone has a fair shot, and hate has no safe harbor."

"Because of all of you in this room and others, we came together in 2020 to save democracy," Biden said. "As your president, I've been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back."

Mr. Biden touted his time in office as "one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever," citing the pandemic recovery, economic growth and work to lower drug prices, among other things. And he credited Vice President Kamala Harris as a major player in those efforts.

"We are a united country, we're growing our economy, we're improving our quality of life, and we're building a better America," Mr. Biden said. "That's who we are."

President Biden: "You cannot say you love your country only when you win"

The president quickly drew back on the circumstances at hand when he took office in 2021, recalling the political violence and tension in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

"I knew then from the bottom of my heart as I do now, there is no place in America for political violence, none," Mr. Biden said. "You cannot say you love your country only when you win."

Employing a familiar line, the president said the nation is in a battle for the "soul of America."

"We're facing an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history where the decisions we make now will determine the world for decades to come," Mr. Biden said.

President Biden takes the stage for keynote address

President Biden took to the stage at 11:25 p.m. ET to a standing ovation and cheers of "thank you, Joe."

He thanked his daughter Ashley for her introduction, as well as son Hunter Biden and "our rock, Jill, and those of you who know us, she still leaves me breathless and speechless."

Recalling his father saying "family is the beginning, middle and end," he said "I love you all" and then added, "America, I love you."

President Biden's daughter, Ashley Biden, calls him "one of the most consequential leaders ever in history"

Ashley Biden, the president's daughter, gave sentimental remarks about her father before introducing him at the convention on Monday night, flipping between memories of her childhood spent with her father, whom she called the "OG Girl Dad," and his accomplishments on the world stage.

"As a child, I would sit on the leather chair in his office doing my homework, and he would sit next to me doing his work — drafting the Violence Against Women Act," she said.

"Dad, you always tell us, but we don't tell you enough, that you are the love of our lives, and the life of our loves."

Sen. Chris Coons honors President Biden as friend and leader in party

Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a long-time friend of President Biden, paid tribute to the president in remarks ahead of Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden's speeches, recalling Mr. Biden's accomplishments throughout his time in office — from the recovery from the pandemic to infrastructure gains and advancing gun safety, among other things.

"I have never known a more compassionate man than Joe Biden," Coons said. "I have never known a man who has taken from his own loss and his own faith and delivered for the future of so many others."

Coons thanked Biden for elevating "a great leader in Kamala Harris."

"On behalf of our nation, Joe, for your courage in fighting for our democracy, we thank you," Coons said. "On behalf of our Democratic Party, for your loyalty in fighting for our democratic values, we thank you. And on behalf of Delaware, thank you Joe and God bless you. We love Joe."

Jill Biden says son Beau told her that Harris is "special," and says "Kamala and Tim, you will win"

First lady Jill Biden said her and President Biden's son Beau, who was Delaware attorney general at the same time that Harris served as California attorney general, told them that Harris was "special."

"He told me that at the dinner table one night, Mom, she's special — someone to keep your eye on," Jill Biden said. "And he was right."

In a touching tribute, Jill Biden talked about moments when she falls in love with her husband anew — when he helps a child with a stutter to find confidence, stops to talk with someone grieving on a ropeline, and, "weeks ago, when I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris."

"Joe knows that our nation's strength doesn't come from intimidation or cruelty," she continued. "It comes from the small acts of kindness that heal deep wounds, from service to the communities that make us who we are, from love of a country that shines with promise and renewal. Kamala Harris knows that, too."

Jill Biden emphasized that she and Mr. Biden know Harris personally, and "we have seen her courage, her determination and her leadership up close."

"Kamala and Tim, you will win," Jill Biden said. "And you are inspiring a new generation. We are all a part of something bigger than ourselves, and we are stronger than we know. The future of our country is in the hands of those in this room and all of you watching at home. It's going to take all of us. And we can't afford to lose."

Jill Biden says there are moments when she falls in love with Joe Biden "all over again"

First lady Jill Biden took to the stage in a long-sleeve sequin blue dress, saying she's been with her husband for nearly 50 years. And yet, there are "moments when I fall in love with him all over again."

She recalled some of those moments, such as when, after a long day in the Senate, he read one more bedtime story to the kids at their home in Delaware because they asked. Or when he stops on a rope line to speak with someone grieving. Or when he stepped aside to let Harris become the nominee.

"Those moments, when I'm reminded of all he's accomplished in the name of something bigger than himself," she said.

Sen. Raphael Warnock says "elections are about about the character of our country"

Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia contrasted what he views as the optimism of his election to the Senate with the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — events that occurred merely a day apart, as he characterized the two sentiments as the nation's choices going forward.

Warnock recalled his election in 2021, when Georgia voters elected him and his counterpart in the upper chamber, Sen. Jon Ossoff, to the halls of Congress in a runoff election on Jan. 5.

"The people of Georgia did an amazing thing — they sent a Black kid who grew up in public housing and the Jewish son of an immigrant to the United States Senate in one fell swoop."

Warnock thanked Americans for using their voices, saying "a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and for our children and our prayers are stronger when we pray together."

He went on to detail the events of Jan. 6, 2021, lambasting former President Donald Trump and what he saw as his influence on the day.

"Elections are about the character of our country," Warnock said. "We must choose between the promise of Jan. 5 and the peril of Jan. 6… A nation that embraces all of us or just some of us."