US President Joe Biden won a huge ovation as he took to the stage today at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

In a charged and emotional farewell speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, President Joe Biden delivered a scathing critique of former President Donald Trump, labelling him a "loser" and vigorously defending his own legacy.

Joe Biden has now concluded his farewell speech, which went on for nearly an hour.

Before concluding his address, he spoke on quitting the presidential race last month.

"It's been the honour of my lifetime to serve as your president. I love the job but I love my country more. All this talk about how I am angry when people said I should step down, it's not true. I love my country more and we need to preserve our democracy," he said.

"We need you to vote. Keep the senate and win back the house of representatives. And most of all, we need to beat Donald Trump and elect Kamala and Tim (Walz) as president and vice president of US," Biden said.

"I have five months left in my presidency. I have got a lot to do. I intend to get it done," he added.

He also said that selecting Kamala was the first decision he made when he became the party's nominee in the last US elections. 

"It was the best decision I made in my whole career," Biden said.

"We are close friends. She is tough, experienced and has enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story. She will be a president that children will look up to, who world leaders will respect because they already do," he added.

"She will be a historic president who will put the stamp of America's future," Biden said.

Speaking on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Joe Biden said that they will keep working to bring hostages home.

"We will end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to middle east," he said.

"We are working around the clock to reunite hostages with families and end the civilian suffering in Gaza. We are working to finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war. A lot of people have been killed on both sides," Biden added.

His remarks come at a time when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel to step up diplomatic pressure in a last-ditch attempt to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release deal. 

The marathon talks, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US, are set to resume this week in Cairo.

Joe Biden said that Donald Trump "bows down" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

"I never have and Kamala Harris will never do it," he said as he continued his attack on the Republican presidential candidate.

"They seek to erase history; we will write and make history. Kamala will soon serve as the 47th president of the US," Joe Biden said.

"Unlike Trump, we will not demonise immigrants. He (Trump) says they are the poison in the blood of our country. Kamala and I are committed to strengthening legal immigration," Biden said.

He also said that Trump continues to lie about the border and "killed the strongest bipartisan border deal in the history of the US". 

Speaking about rising gun violence in the US, Joe Biden said "it makes me ashamed when I travel the world."

"More children in America are killed by a gunshot by any other cause. More die from a bullet than cancer, accidents," he said.

"Kamala and I are proud we passed the first major bipartisan gun safety law in 30 years," he added.

"Donald trump calls America a failing nation. He publicly says that... Think about the message he sends across the world when he says that. He is the loser. He is dead wrong," Joe Biden said.

He also said that Trump "lies" about crime in America. 

"On his watch, the murder rate went up. Kamala and I made largest investment in public safety. Crime has come down. Crime will go down when a prosecutor will be in the oval office not a convicted felon," he said.

Biden was referring to one of Harris's previous roles, and Trump becoming the first former US president to be convicted of felony crimes after a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to an adult star who said the two had sex. 

Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump, saying he talked about infra every week for four years but "never built a damn thing".

"We were told we could not get anything done, anything passed in the Congress. Now we are building a new America," Biden told the gathering.

"As your president, I’ve been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back," Joe Biden said.

"We are facing an infliction point. One of those rare moments in history when the decision we make now will determine the fate of our country and the world for decades to come," Joe Biden told the Democratic Convention.

"That's not hyperbole. I mean it literally. We are in a battle for the very soul of America," he added.

"I believe that progress is achievable. Our best days are not behind us but before us. I stand before you now to say that democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered and now democracy must be preserved," he told the Democratic Convention.

(Photo: AFP)

In what is seen as his farewell speech, Joe Biden has taken a jibe at his Donald Trump.

"There is no place in America for political violence. You cannot say you love your country only when you win," he said while referring to the January 6 US Capitol violence in 2021. The Capitol building  was attacked by a mob of supporters of then-US president Trump, two months after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

Joe Biden, in tears, has now taken the stage at the Democratic Convention. 

"America, I love you," he says to the chants of "we love Joe".

(Photos: AFP)
"I swore an oath to you and to God to preserve protect and defend the constitution as the president of the US," he told the gathering.

US First Lady Jill Biden is now speaking at the Democratic event. 

"Joe (Biden) and I know Kamala (Harris). We have seen her courage and leadership skills," she told the gathering.

She also spoke on the US President and said she "saw him dig deep into his soul and decide no longer to seek re-election and endorse Kamala Harris".

US Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has thanked US President Joe Biden for his "lifetime of service" to the nation. The Indian-origin leader addressed the opening of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Hillary Clinton, who became the first woman to secure a major US party's presidential nomination, addressed the Democratic convention in Chicago today and praised her party's new presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

In her concluding remarks at the convention, Hillary Clinton said, We are not just electing a president but uplifting our nation. For the next 78 days we need to work harder than we ever have. We need to beat back the dangers that (Donald) Trump and his allies pose to the rule of law and our way of life."

"Don't get distracted or complacent, talk to your friends and neighbours. Volunteer be proud champions of the country that we all love," she said.

Clinton also said that she wants her grandchildren and their grandchildren to know that "she was here in this moment and that we were here". 

"That we were with Kamala Harris every step of the way," she said.

"This is our time America. This is when we step up. This is when we break through. The future is here. Its in our grasp. Let's go win it," Clinton said.

Hillary Clinton has slammed Donald Trump, saying that the Republican presidential candidate "only thinks about himself". She also attacked him for mocking Kamala Harris.

"Kamala Harris will always have our backs," says Hillary Clinton at the Democratic event as she endorses Joe Biden's deputy.

Hillary Clinton is now speaking at the Democratic event. Praising Joe Biden, she said that he has been the "champion of Democracy, at home and abroad." 

"He brought dignity back to the White House and showed what it means to be a true patriot," she added.

Hillary Clinton, who became the first woman to secure a major US party's presidential nomination, also thanked Biden for his "lifetime of service and leadership".

American basketball coach Steve Kerr has endorsed Kamala Harris at the event.

US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is now speaking at the Democratic Convention.

"I see a leader in Kamala Harris," the New York Representative said.

Protesters against Israel's war in Gaza briefly breached the outer security fence of the Democratic convention in Chicago. A small group of around 100 demonstrators reportedly broke off from a larger march involving thousands of people and targeted the metal barriers surrounding the United Center on the first day of the party gathering.

Democratic Convention has played a montage allegedly showing "Trump voters" explaining why they are voting for Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential elections.

"People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here and this November we will come together and declare with one voice that we are moving forward. Let us always remember --- when we fight, we win," Kamala Harris told the crowd at the Democratic Convention.

Speaking at the convention, Kamala Harris thanked Joe Biden for his "historic leadership" and said "we are forever grateful to you".

"I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden," Harris said to cheers.

"Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation," she added.

Kamala Harris has now arrived for the Democratic Convention.

"Four years ago, we faced a pandemic and a recession - with a president who didn't care what people were going through. Enter Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Within weeks, they passed the American rescue plan, pulling the economy back from the brink and putting us back to work. They were guided by one principle: more freedom for working people, including the freedom to join a union," says Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME at the Democratic National Convention, 2024.

"Kamala Harris is our party's nominee. There's no better leader to marshal us into the future. Kamala has been a courtroom prosecutor, a district attorney, an attorney general, a US senator, and vice president of the US," says Maxine Waters, Representative, California at the Democratic National Convention, 2024 

"My mom taught me real American patriotism is not about screaming and yelling 'America First. Real American patriotism is loving your country so much that you want to help the people in your country. That is American patriotism. We all know Kamala Harris understands this. Kamala Harris is ready to lead this country. We can all remember 2020 and the horrors of Donald Trump. But let's remember, most importantly, tonight and every single day this week that we are not going back," says Robert Garcia, Representative, California.

Dozens of protesters broke through part of the perimeter security fence surrounding the Democratic National Convention on Monday, drawing riot police to the site, a Reuters Television witness said. "Law enforcement personnel are currently on-scene and more information will be provided when available," said a Chicago city spokesperson.

“We must all understand Black history is American history. And in this historic moment, we will write the next chapter together” - Derrick Johnson, President of @NAACP

Over 200 content creators will be covering the Democratic National Convention alongside traditional media reporters, reports CNN. They have been credentialed for the Chicago event and will have reserved platform space on the convention floor, the report said. The content creators include top TikTok influencers and activists.