Joe Biden denied he is “angry” with Democrats who tried to remove him as their candidate ahead of this year’s US election – as he said “democracy must be preserved” in an emotional farewell speech to his party’s members.
The outgoing US president was seen wiping away tears as he walked out to deliver a speech on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on Monday night.
He had been introduced to the stage at the United Center by his daughter Ashley for what was billed as his swansong.
It was followed by a four-minute-long ovation and chants of “thank you Joe” from those in the crowd.
In a nearly hour-long address, Mr Biden called Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a “loser” and urged people to get behind Democratic candidate Kamala Harris ahead of this year’s US election.
Senior Democrats, including former US President Barack Obama, expressed their concerns about him running, while former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mr Biden‘s long-time friend and ally, urged him to step aside.
Image: Pic: Reuters
Trump presented as a threat to democracy
Addressing the moves within the party to have him replaced as the presidential candidate, Mr Biden said: “I love the job, but I love my country more
“All this talk about how I’m angry at all the people who said I should step down – that’s not true.
“I love my country more and we need to preserve our democracy.”
Chants of “we love Joe” filled the arena as he made the remarks.
Mr Biden also told those gathered that the US is at an “inflection point” and November’s election will determine the fate of the nation and the world for “decades to come”.
Image: An emotional Joe Biden delivers a speech to the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Pic: AP
The US president has long presented Mr Trump as a threat to the country’s democracy and said he believes the Republican candidate will not accept the result if he loses.
Mr Biden said: “Democracy has prevailed, democracy has delivered and now democracy must be preserved.”
Directing criticism at Mr Trump, Mr Biden said: “Think of the message he sends around the world when he talks about America being a failing nation.
“He says we’re losing. He’s the loser. He’s dead wrong.”
The US president added: “Donald Trump says he will refuse to accept election results if he loses again. He’ s promising a bloodbath – his words.
“We need you to beat Trump and elect Kamala and Tim president and vice president of the United States of America.”
Image: Joe Biden wipes away a tear as he takes to the stage. Pic: Reuters
Biden says farewell
Mr Biden also ran through his achievements during his time in the Oval Office, telling the crowd that he had forged “the strongest economy in the entire world” in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In the final moments of his speech he said: “America, I gave my best to you.”
The US president spent 52 years rising to the pinnacle of influence within his party before stepping aside for Ms Harris to run in this year’s election.
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3:23
Tearful Joe Biden says farewell
As he began to wrap up his speech, Mr Biden took a moment to remind people why they should vote for current vice president Ms Harris in November this year.
He said: “Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made when I became our nominee, and it’s the best decision I made.
“She’s tough, she’s experienced and she has enormous integrity.”
Ms Harris herself later made an unannounced appearance, drawing cheers from the crowd as she vowed to defeat Mr Trump in the election.
“Let us fight for the ideals we hold dear and let us always remember, when we fight we win,” she said in brief remarks.
She also paid tribute to Mr Biden, thanking him for “historic leadership” and a “lifetime of service” to the nation.
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1:55
Kamala Harris’s surprise turn
‘Lock him up’
Meanwhile, Hilary Clinton, whose loss to Mr Trump in the 2016 election ended her hopes of becoming the first female US president, gave a speech where she said Ms Harris could succeed where she could not.
“Kamala has the character, experience and vision to lead us forward,” she said, after entering to a standing ovation.
“Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history, the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions,” she said.
Image: Hillary Clinton delivers a speech at the convention
Chants of “lock him up” broke out at the convention – echoing the “lock her up” chant Trump supporters directing at Mrs Clinton during her presidential campaign.
While Democrats gathered for their convention, thousands of people assembled at a nearby park to protest the party’s military support for Israel’s Gaza offensive.
The protesters were fewer than the tens of thousands organisers predicted, but a splinter group left the main march and breached a security perimeter near the convention centre, with riot police detaining four people.
Val Kilmer, the actor who starred in Top Gun and played Batman and Jim Morrison, has died aged 65.
His daughter Mercedes told the Associated Press he died of pneumonia on Tuesday night in Los Angeles surrounded by family and friends.
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but later recovered, she said.
The actor, who played Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in Top Gun alongside Tom Cruise in 1986, previously admitted he didn’t want the role, which made him famous.
But he said he begged to be part of the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, even going as far as contacting the producers and creating “heartrending scenes with Iceman”. It would be his final acting role.
Kilmer had a colourful romantic past, having dated Hollywood stars including Cindy Crawford, Angelina Jolie, Carly Simon and Cher.
He starred in Willow in 1988 and married his British co-star Joanne Whalley. The couple had two children before they divorced in 1996.
Image: Kilmer with his former wife British actress Joanne Whalley in 1989. Pic Shutterstock
Image: Val Kilmer appeared alongside Nicole Kidman in Batman Forever. Pic: Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock
Kilmer portrayed Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holiday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
Kilmer was one of the best-paid actors in the 1990s and in 1992 film critic Roger Ebert wrote, “if there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Kilmer should get it”.
In his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry, Kilmer discussed his throat cancer diagnosis and recovery.
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Actor Josh Brolin wrote on Instagram: “See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There’s not a lot left of those.
“I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts.”
In an Instagram post actor Josh Gad called Kilmer “an icon”.
He said: “RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon.”
Image: Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
Kilmer made his Broadway debut in the 1983 production of Slab Boys with Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon.
He also appeared in Shakespeare plays in New York – playing the title role in Hamlet and appearing in Henry IV: Part One and As You Like It.
In 2005, he starred on London’s West End in Andrew Rattenbury’s adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice at the Playhouse Theatre.
Kilmer also enjoyed painting, with his website describing him as a “talented and prolific artist in a variety of mediums”.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
“Liberation day” was due to be on 1 April. But Donald Trump decided to shift it by a day because he didn’t want anyone to think it was an April fool.
It is no joke for him and it is no joke for governments globally as they brace for his tariff announcements.
It is stunning how little we know about the plans to be announced in the Rose Garden of the White House later today.
It was telling that we didn’t see the President at all on Tuesday. He and all his advisers were huddled in the West Wing, away from the cameras, finalising the tariff plans.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is the so-called ‘measured voice’. A former hedge fund manager, he has argued for targeted not blanket tariffs.
Peter Navarro is Trump’s senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing. A long-time aide and confidante of the president, he is a true loyalist and a firm believer in the merits of tariffs.
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His economic views are well beyond mainstream economic thought – precisely why he appeals to Trump.
The third key character is Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary and the biggest proponent of the full-throttle liberation day tariff juggernaut.
The businessman, philanthropist, Trump fundraiser and billionaire (net worth ranging between $1bn and $2bn) has been among the closest to Trump over the past 73 days of this presidency – frequently in and out of the West Wing.
If anything goes wrong, observers here in Washington suspect Trump will make Lutnick the fall guy.
And what if it does all go wrong? What if Trump is actually the April fool?
“It’s going to work…” his press secretary said when asked if it could all be a disaster, driving up the cost of living for Americans and creating global economic chaos.
“The president has a brilliant team who have been studying these issues for decades and we are focussed on restoring the global age of America…” Karoline Leavitt said.
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2:52
‘Days of US being ripped off are over’
Dancing to the president’s tune
My sense is that we should see “liberation day” not as the moment it’s all over in terms of negotiations for countries globally as they try to carve out deals with the White House. Rather it should be seen as the start.
Trump, as always, wants to be seen as the one calling the shots, taking control, seizing the limelight. He wants the world to dance to his tune. Today is his moment.
But beyond today, alongside the inevitable tit-for-tat retaliation, expect to see efforts by nations to seek carve-outs and to throw bones to Trump; to identify areas where trade policies can be tweaked to placate the president.
Even small offerings which change little in a material sense could give Trump the chance to spin and present himself as the winning deal maker he craves to be.
One significant challenge for foreign governments and their diplomats in Washington has been engaging the president himself with proposals he might like.
Negotiations take place with a White House team who are themselves unsure where the president will ultimately land. It’s resulted in unsatisfactory speculative negotiations.
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6:03
Treasury minister: ‘We’ll do everything to secure a deal’
Too much faith placed in the ‘special relationship’?
The UK believes it’s in a better position than most other countries globally. It sits outside the EU giving it autonomy in its trade policy, its deficit with the US is small, and Trump loves Britain.
It’s true too that the UK government has managed to accelerate trade conversations with the White House on a tariff-free trade partnership. Trump’s threats have forced conversations that would normally sit in the long grass for months.
Yet, for now, the conversations have yielded nothing firm. That’s a worry for sure. Did Keir Starmer have too much faith in the ‘special relationship’?
Downing Street will have identified areas where they can tweak trade policy to placate Trump. Cars maybe? Currently US cars into the UK carry a 10% tariff. Digital services perhaps?
US food? Unlikely – there are non-tariff barriers on US food because the consensus seems to be that chlorinated chicken and the like isn’t something UK consumers want.
Easier access to UK financial services maybe? More visas for Americans?
For now though, everyone is waiting to see what Trump does before they either retaliate or relent and lower their own market barriers.
A senior Democrat has taken to the Senate floor to speak against US President Donald Trump – with the 17-plus-hour speech still ongoing.
Cory Booker, a New Jersey senator, began speaking around 7pm (midnight in the UK) and said he intended to disrupt the “normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able”.
Referring to Mr Trump’s presidency, he said: “I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis.”
As of 5pm in the UK, Mr Booker was still speaking, having spoken for more than 17 hours. He has remained standing for the entire duration, as he would lose control of the floor if he left his desk or sat down.
Image: As of 4pm, Cory Booker has held the Senate floor for more than 16 hours. Pic: Senate Television / AP
Other Democrat senators have joined Mr Booker to ask questions so he can rest his voice, including Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.
At the start of his speech, Mr Booker said: “These are not normal times in our nation. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate.
“The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”
Overnight, he referenced Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
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“You think we got civil rights one day because Strom Thurmond – after filibustering for 24 hours – you think we got civil rights because he came to the floor one day and said ‘I’ve seen the light’,” he said.
“No, we got civil rights because people marched for it, sweat for it and [civil rights leader] John Lewis bled for it.”
Only Mr Thurmond and Republican Senator Ted Cruz – who spoke for 21 hours and 19 minutes against the Affordable Care Act in 2013 – have held the Senate floor for longer than Mr Booker.