Kamala Harris praises Joe Biden’s ‘historic legacy’, says ‘forever grateful to you’ | 10 updates

US Presidential elections 2024: Kamala Harris’ opening remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago centred on honouring the legacy of the man she has supported for the past three and a half years.

Here are the top ten updates:

1. As reported by AP, echoing other Democrats, Harris used her initial time on stage to express gratitude to Joe Biden, praising what she referred to as his historic legacy.

2. “Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do,” Harris said, addressing Biden. “We are forever grateful to you.”

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3. Latino leaders noted the number of Latinos who took the stage to promote Vice President Harris. “I am very happy to see as many Latinas on the stage this evening. I think I’ve seen five already,” said Juan Proaño, chief executive officer of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

4. “We’ve actually seen some really great Latinas in leadership positions from around the country being highlighted and having an equal time and platform as other elected officials,” Proaño added. He added that, while immigration has emerged as a top issue in the election, he was glad that the Latino speakers were not pigeonholed and discussed “wages and salaries, things that every other American wants.”

5. Democrats are hoping that the weeklong convention will propel Harris into a direct contest with Republican Donald Trump, whose bid for the White House is seen by Democrats as a major threat. With Harris taking over the ticket just a month ago, she now faces the challenge of winning over a divided nation. While her support has improved recently, the public is still forming its opinion on the upcoming election.

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6. The convention represents a crucial moment for the party and its new nominee. A misstep could undermine Harris’ campaign when she is experiencing a surge of funding, momentum, and enthusiasm. Key questions remain about the strength of her support, the breadth of her coalition, and the overall viability of her campaign.

7. Just weeks ago, Democrats were grappling with internal divisions over foreign policy, political strategy, and Biden himself, who, despite a challenging debate performance, argued that he was the Democrat best positioned to defeat Trump.

8. As part of the process of introducing Harris and Walz, the convention will first give a graceful exit to the incumbent president, who is set to deliver the main address on Tuesday.

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9. The Democratic Party would likely be in a much more challenging position if Biden had chosen to remain the nominee. Concerns about his mental and physical capabilities had intensified, especially after he struggled with his speech during a debate against Trump.

10. By stepping aside and endorsing Harris, Biden will instead receive a hero’s sendoff in his final major appearance, 52 years after being elected to the Senate from Delaware. Biden’s aides indicated that he plans to use his speech to highlight Harris as a crucial partner in his administration's achievements and to argue for her need to defeat Trump in November. During a walkthrough of the arena, Biden told reporters that the moment was "memorable" and expressed his readiness to pass the baton to Harris.

(With inputs from AP)