Former Vice President Joe Biden will formally accept the Democratic nomination for president Wednesday night, issuing an address on the final night of the party’s national convention.
How to watch Joe Biden accept the 2020 Democratic nomination for president
The former vice president plans to highlight his experience and belief in “America’s Promise.”
Although it’s been long settled, Biden’s speech will mark the official end of the Democratic primary — and the moment the party will turn its full attention toward defeating President Donald Trump in November’s general election. His address will close out the 2020 Democratic National Convention, starting at around 10:40 pm ET.
Beginning at 9 pm ET, the Democratic convention will be broadcast on all major television networks, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and streaming services such as Apple TV and Roku. The convention will also be streamed live from the DNC’s website.
The theme of Thursday’s convention is “America’s Promise,” which is meant to convey Biden’s character and experience, as well as his vision of America. The evening will also seek to highlight Biden’s past not only as a former vice president but also as a longtime legislator and public defender.
It’s on this record that Biden ran his primary campaign; as Vox’s Dylan Matthews noted, during that contest he “focused more on personality and the lineage of the Obama administration than on long policy papers of the kind [Sens. Bernie] Sanders and Elizabeth Warren liked to release.” He also repeatedly stressed that he was running to restore “the soul of the country, the character of our people.”
While Biden has unveiled a sweeping policy agenda in recent months, the themes of personality and character will be on full display Thursday, particularly as the speakers preceding him work to paint stark differences between Biden and the man currently occupying the White House. They’re expected to do so by speaking about their relationships with Biden — as well as by discussing Democratic initiatives meant to end inequality and expand access to the American dream.
As with previous nights, that speaker lineup will feature speeches by several of Biden’s former primary opponents, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will also deliver remarks — as will Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Chris Coons (D-DE).
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