Addressing the nation in front of cameras for the first time since the announcement his decision not to run for reelection, President Joe Biden Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said protecting democracy is more important than any title and acknowledged it was time to “pass the baton” to a new generation of leadership.
A few years ago, Biden called himself a transition candidate. Vice President Kamala Harris He sees a younger generation of leaders who represent the future of the Democratic Party and said it’s time to make way for new, younger voices like Harris. He supported the nomination.
He is a former Republican candidate. President Donald Trump Biden has called Trump by name a threat to democracy.
“I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future – all of those things – merit a second term,” the president said. “But I cannot let anything, anything, get in the way of protecting our democracy – including personal ambition. So I’ve decided the best way to move forward is to pass the baton to a new generation. That’s the best way to unite our country. You see, there’s a time and a place for years of experience in public office. But there’s also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.”
Biden said: Decision to drop out One reason for this was doubts about whether he could beat Trump.
“I respect this office, but I love my country even more,” the president said. “Serving your president has been the honor of my life, but I believe the job is more important than any title when it comes to protecting our democracy at a time when it is in danger.”
Biden marveled as he looked back at where his life began, long before his 51-year political journey.
“There’s nowhere else on earth that a stuttering kid from modest Scranton and Claymont background could one day sit at a determined desk in the Oval Office as president of the United States,” he said, “but here I am. And that’s what’s special about America.”
The President thanked the American people and praised the country as one full of potential.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve this country for more than 50 years,” he said, adding, “I, like so many others, have given my heart and soul to many nations, and in return I have been blessed a millionfold with the love and support of the American people. I hope you all have some idea how grateful I am.”
Biden said he plans to focus his remaining six months in office on his presidency, saying he will continue to work to ease the burden on families, defend individual freedoms, protect voting rights and eradicate cancer. He also said he will continue to speak out against gun violence and call for reform of the Supreme Court.
Overseas, the president said he would continue working to strengthen NATO, support Ukraine’s fight for freedom and end the war in Gaza.
Biden, who ran on the idea that democracy itself was at risk in the 2020 presidential election, and would be at risk again in 2024 if Trump becomes the Republican nominee, reminded Americans that they are the ones who decide America’s fate: “Here’s the great thing about America: We don’t run by kings or dictators, we run by the people. The history is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The ideals of America are in your hands.”
The president also listed what he considers to be his greatest accomplishments, including narrowing the racial wealth gap, passing bipartisan infrastructure funding, defeating Big Pharma, lowering prescription drug costs, compensating veterans for exposure to toxic substances and appointing the first African-American woman to the Supreme Court.
White House staff gathered throughout the White House to watch the president’s remarks.
Democrats have aligned themselves with Harris, as she was the nominee shortly after Biden announced he was ending his campaign. Biden cannot appoint a replacement for the Democratic nominee, but since Sunday’s announcement Harris won the endorsement. The majority of Democratic delegates.
The president has said little since the decision. He recovered from COVID-19 symptoms. He was tested at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The White House said Tuesday that Biden’s test results were negative, and he told reporters after returning from Delaware that he was “in good spirits.”
Oval Office speeches are rare for presidents, including Biden. Until last week, Biden had only spoken there twice in his three-and-a-half years as president. Last week, he delivered his third Oval Office speech following the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
Biden plans to participate in the election campaign, but by stepping down as the Democratic nominee, he will be able to step back from the physically demanding task of electioneering and focus more on the job of president.
“I’m not going anywhere,” the president told his campaign staff (now Harris’s staff) on Monday. “I’m going to be out there campaigning with her, with Kamala, and I’m going to be working hard as a sitting president, getting legislation passed and campaigning.”
The Oval Office address, and one the president will deliver at the Democratic National Convention next month, will be among the most critical not only of Biden’s presidency but also of his record as he completes more than 50 years in public service.
“In a few months, the American people will choose the future course of America,” the president said from the Oval Office. “I’ve made my choice. I’ve voiced my opinion. I want to thank my great Vice President, Kamala Harris. She’s experienced, she’s tough, she’s capable. She’s been a great partner for me and a great leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people.”
This story first CBS News Wednesday, July 24th at 9:03pm ET.
Related content:
