Biden vows end to ‘Trump era’
White House hopeful accepts Democrat nomination
Joe Biden accepted the Democratic Party nomination for the White House, vowing to heal a United States battered by a deadly pandemic and divided by four years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
“The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division,” Biden said.
“Here and now, I give you my word: if you entrust me with the presidency, I’ll draw on the best of us, not the worst.”
Biden’s speech – the capstone of nearly five decades in politics – was delivered inside a largely empty arena in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, at the conclusion of a Democratic convention.
The event was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 170,000 Americans.
Describing the current moment as one of the most difficult times the country has ever faced, Biden offered himself as a uniter who would work “just as hard” for those who do not support him – drawing a stark contrast with the Republican Trump, who has kept the focus on his base of voters.
“While I’ll be a Democratic candidate, I’ll be an American president,” said Biden on Thursday, who faces Trump in the Nov 3 election.
“This is not a partisan moment.
This must be an American moment.
“It’s a moment that calls for hope, and light, and love,” he said.
Democrats used the convention to highlight the broad coalition working to oust Trump, showcasing liberals and moderates, elder statesmen and rising stars – and even some high-profile Republicans, who urged their fellow conservatives to place patriotism above party.
While the party laid out plenty of areas in which Biden would pursue dramatically different policies than Trump, including immigration, climate change and gun safety, much of Thursday was devoted to themes such as faith and integrity.
The programme also emphasised Biden’s personal experience with tragedy – his first wife’s and infant daughter’s deaths in a car accident, and the death of his son Beau from cancer – to underscore his ability to empathise with suffering Americans.
Trump, whose instincts are more combative than comforting, has been accused of failing to offer solace at a time of crisis.
Biden spoke directly to those who lost someone to the pandemic and offered a withering assessment of Trump’s response to the months-old health crisis.
“Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to the nation: he’s failed to protect us,” Biden said. — Reuters