Thursday’s closing night of the Democratic National Convention was perhaps the biggest yet for Joe Biden, who spoke to the nation for the first time since accepting the party’s nomination for president. And he made sure his late son, Beau Biden, was present in spirit.
Ahead of remarks by the former VP and his family — Ashley and Hunter Biden, who introduced their father — the convention took a moment to pay tribute to Joseph Robinette “Beau” Biden III, who died at age 46 from brain cancer in 2015.
The video focused on Beau’s life and career accomplishments as both a major in the Army National Guard and attorney general of Delaware.
“Some voices are never silenced. Some work never ceases to change lives. Some people never stop inspiring even after they’re gone. Beau Biden was a husband, father, brother, son, soldier, attorney general. He was given just 46 years on this Earth,” said narration over the video.
“If you knew Beau, you knew he lived by the strictest code of honor, duty, service, country. You never had to ask if he would do something the right way. He didn’t know any other way.”
The tribute also included footage of former President Barack Obama giving a speech about Beau, saying, “He did in 46 years what most of us couldn’t do in 146.”
“Beau is with me every single day. If he was here tonight, he would remind me ‘just be who you are,'” Biden tweeted after the tribute aired. “I’m a better person because of him.”
Beau is with me every single day. If he was here tonight, he would remind me ‘just be who you are.’ I’m a better person because of him. #DemConventionpic.twitter.com/MMP6gCDeJS
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 21, 2020
Beau is survived by his children, Natalie and Hunter, who appeared alongside cousins Naomi, Maisy and Finnegan on the first night of the DNC to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris also spoke of Beau in her speech on Wednesday, recalling how it was through her relationship with him that she first came to know the elder Biden.
“Joe’s son Beau and I served as attorneys general of our states, Delaware and California,” she said. “During the Great Recession, we spoke on the phone nearly every day, working together to win back billions of dollars for homeowners from the big banks that foreclosed on people’s homes. And Beau and I would talk about his family.”
“How, as a single father, Joe would spend four hours every day riding the train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington,” she recalled. “Beau and Hunter got to have breakfast every morning with their dad. They went to sleep every night with the sound of his voice reading bedtime stories. And while they endured an unspeakable loss, these two little boys always knew that they were deeply, unconditionally loved.”
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