Biden Expected to Deliver Opening Night Speech at Democratic National Convention

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

President Joe Biden will most likely address the Democratic National Convention during primetime on opening night , according to “three sources familiar with the planning,” reported Tuesday by CNN.

While the schedule was not finalized — save for the nominees’ acceptance speeches on the final two nights — CBS News spoke to “two sources familiar with the planning” of next month’s event in Chicago. In addition to a speech from Biden:

A “big tribute” is planned for the president that night, one of the sources said. A Democratic National Committee convention official said that while no programming decisions are final, “consistent with historical precedent, current and past Presidents are expected to participate in convention programming.”

Matt Hill , a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, also told CBS: “We look forward to sharing more soon about our convention in Chicago where Democrats will offer a forward-looking vision for our country that stands in stark contrast to the extremism from [former President] Donald Trump’s convention that would take America backwards.”

CNN noted that Biden’s opening night appearance marked a switch from the original planning — when he was supposed to be accepting the nomination on closing night. Now, that nominee will be Vice President Kamala Harris , who clinched the nomination after Biden withdrew from the race last week. What is still unknown is who will accept the vice presidential nomination, though her campaign has already announced that she will appear at a rally with her running mate in Philadelphia next Tuesday.