Joe Biden promised to restore the "soul of America" and deliver the nation from "darkness" as he accepted the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night, a crowning achievement in Biden's five decades in politics where he was counted out more than once.

Speaking from Wilmington, Del., Biden said President Trump has failed in his basic duties to protect Americans as he pledged to get a handle on the coronavirus that has killed more than 170,000 Americans and put the country on an economic downward spiral.