Folks --

Tonight, I will formally accept the nomination to be your Democratic candidate for President of the United States.

I am deeply humbled that you have entrusted me with the responsibility to defeat Donald Trump. This election could not be more important, and it is not lost on me that we are in a position to win because of the patriotism and generosity of committed Americans like you.

As you know, there was a moment this year when the press and the pundits counted our campaign out of this race. But like my father taught me when I was a boy, when life knocks you down, you get up. You keep going, and you keep the faith.

Look where we are now because we kept the faith. Look how far we've come. We're still standing -- and we're getting stronger every day. Thanks to folks like you, in just 75 days, I believe we are going to defeat Donald Trump and win the battle for the soul of the nation. It's a tremendous opportunity, but it's also one we can't afford to miss.

This is a critical moment that we must capitalize on, so before I address the nation tonight, I'm politely asking you to make your first $25 donation to help us reach our $25 million fundraising goal for convention week:

I look forward to addressing you all tonight, and when I'm speaking, I hope you know that I'll be thinking about each and every one of you who made this moment possible.

Let's win this thing. The fate of our nation is in our hands.

Joseph R. Biden Jr.


P.S. Twelve years ago, I formally accepted another nomination, to be Vice President to President Barack Obama. During my speech at our national convention in Denver, Colorado, I honored my mother, Catherine Finnegan Biden, who was there with us that night. My mother is no longer with us today, and I miss her dearly, but what I said about her in my speech in 2008 is more true today than ever before, and I hope you find inspiration in it:

"My mother's creed is the American creed: No one is better than you. Everyone is your equal, and everyone is equal to you. My parents taught us to live our faith, and to treasure our families. We learned the dignity of work, and we were told that anyone can make it if they just try hard enough."