A Final Indignity: Democrats Boot Biden from Prime Time, Push His DNC Speech Until Almost Midnight

Democrats dealt President Joe Biden yet another humiliating indignity Monday night during the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

A parade of D-list Democrats presented prime-time remarks to the nation as President Biden languished until just before 11:30 p.m. ET, long after most of the television audience turned off their sets.

His remarks continued well past midnight.

Biden’s speech delay robbed him of what may have been his last opportunity to speak before the eyes of the nation.

Even before the delay, the programming seemed a clear slight to Biden.

Just weeks ago — after Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate in which he lost control of party powerbrokers, but before he formally ended his reelection campaign — Biden told Democrat governors he planned to stop scheduling events after 8:00 p.m. in order to get more sleep.

Party bigwigs cared little for Biden’s stipulations.

DNC planners packed the schedule with little-known Democrat politicians and other activists, as well as party has-beens like Hillary Clinton, before Biden.

The night quickly devolved into divisiveness as speakers hammered former President Donald Trump as a threat to voting rights and abortion access.

Dr. Jill Biden and daughter Ashley Biden were the final speakers leading up to President Biden, who teared up while hugging his daughter.

Two DNC speakers cut in real time. President Joe Biden pushed out of primetime.

— Adam Wren (@adamwren) August 20, 2024

Convention leaders reportedly cut two speakers, as well as a James Taylor performance, in order to get Biden on stage at 11:26 p.m. Eastern.

One longtime Biden aide texts: “This is awful. He literally set up a campaign and handed it over to them—do they have to cut him out of prime time?" https://t.co/2PyoKkxrzL

— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) August 20, 2024

The Biden family struggled through many well-documented challenges during Biden’s long political career, including the loss of his son Beau, his son Hunter’s well-documented personal and legal troubles, and previous embarrassing pursuits of the presidency.

Yet the indignity of being pushed out by Democrat powerbrokers after securing the nomination will always live in the public’s memory of Biden.

Biden has kept a low profile since the humiliation of being forced to withdraw from his reelection bid after donors dried up in a coup led by his former close ally former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Monday night’s address was one of Biden’s final chances to address the nation. But throughout the early hours of the convention, Biden was already handled by speakers as a man on his way out, who had achieved the highest office in the land only to have it stripped away from him by those he considered his friends.

In one of the worst insults, his subordinate, Vice President Kamala Harris, took his slot on the ballot.

The pushback of Biden’s DNC speech start time Monday night was clearly an insult to Biden. Yet for the lamest of ducks portrayed by many as merely keeping the seat warm until January, the affront seemed unsurprising. Media has been largely dismissive of the president since his withdrawal, and most speakers only referenced him to offer forced and routine thanks for his long history of service.

As Biden continues his long, painful ride into the sunset, the opportunity for a prime time address is only the latest to be stripped from him by donors and party powerbrokers who have made clear they are the leaders of the party, not those whose names are on the ballot.

Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.