Biden to deliver address on first night of DNC: Source
- Democratic National Convention to be held in Chicago from Aug. 19-22
- Source: Biden to speak about accomplishment on first night
- DNC: Nominee acceptance speeches set but other programming not final
AUSTIN, TEXAS – JULY 29: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to attendees while commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library on July 29, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Biden’s original visit to Austin was scheduled for July 15, but was postponed after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Today’s event served to commemorate legislation that ended the institutionalized segregation of the Jim Crow era. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden is scheduled to give a major speech during the first night of the Democratic National Convention, a source with knowledge of the planning confirmed to NewsNation.
The address will be the center piece of the Aug. 19 programming, a focus of which will be Biden’s accomplishments, the source said.
With the convention starting in less than three weeks, its planners had to figure out where to fit in a major Biden address once he withdrew from the presidential race. Up until that moment, his role was to wrap up the convention with his nomination acceptance speech the night of Aug. 22.
Convention organizers have a lot to fit in prime time of the four days in addition to the presidential and vice presidential nomination acceptance addresses: speeches by former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and second husband Doug Emhoff, as well as possible appearances by other major party figures.
Convention organizers would not confirm the Aug. 19 timing of Biden’s speech. They say beyond the nominee acceptance speeches Aug. 21 and 22, no final programming decisions have been made yet.
“Convention is our opportunity to tell our story directly to the American people, rally behind the Democratic nominees, and grow our broad and diverse coalition to defeat Donald Trump. We look forward to sharing more soon about our convention in Chicago,” convention spokesman Matt Hill said when asked about Biden’s speech.
CNN first reported the timing of Biden’s planned address.
Democrats will gather for the convention at Chicago’s United Center from Aug. 19-22.
More than 50,000 attendees are expected to visit Chicago, with at least 5,000 delegates expected in attendance.
Some party leaders are hoping Democrats will unify behind Vice President Kamala Harris and avoid another open convention in Chicago where the nominee is not a foregone conclusion.
Harris is still required to lock in 1,969 of 3,936 Democratic delegates to secure her party’s nomination to face former Trump in November. Democrats have been throwing their support behind Harris’ campaign since Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Harris.
NewsNation correspondent Kelsey Kernstine contributed to this repot.
