Following the president’s speech, Ms. Harris and her spouse Doug Emhoff emerged to give Mr. Biden and his spouse Jill an embrace.
After giving Mr. Biden a hug, the vice president mouthed the words “I love you.”
Many of the earlier speakers of the evening focused their tributes on Ms. Harris, even as Mr. Biden devoted a large portion of his speech to her toward the end—a tacit admission that her performance against Donald Trump in November’s election could determine how history, and his party, remembers him.
It began with an intended yet surprise appearance.
She continued, “Joe, thank you for all you continue to do, for your lifetime of service to our country, and for your historic leadership.” “You have our eternal gratitude.
In her own tribute, Hillary Clinton said that Joe Biden had “brought dignity, decency, and competence back to the White House” when she took the stage earlier in the evening.
Despite not breaking the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” by becoming the first female president, the 2016 Democratic contender acknowledged that “Kamala Harris taking the oath of office is on the other side of that glass ceiling” as she accepted an extended standing ovation.
