Joe Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday about his historic decision to withdraw from the presidential race, delivering a thoughtful and hopeful message about the need to begin a new chapter in American history.
“I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world and my vision for America’s future all deserve a second term, but I will not let anything, anything, get in the way of saving our democracy – including personal ambition,” Biden said in the Oval Office.
“So I’ve decided that 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 know, there’s a time and a place for years of experience in public office. There’s also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.”
The speech came three days after Biden stunned the nation by announcing he was dropping out of the presidential race less than four months before Election Day. Reflecting on his accomplishments over five decades of public service, Biden vowed to continue working to improve the lives of Americans as he concludes his first and only term as president. Some Republicans in Congress have suggested Biden should resign rather than serve out his term, a call the president firmly rejected on Wednesday.
“For the next six months, I will be focused on the job of being president,” he said, “and that means continuing to lower costs for hardworking families. [and] “Let’s grow our economy. Let’s continue to protect individual liberties and civil rights, from the right to vote to the right to choose.”
Biden specifically vowed to “continue to work to end the war in Gaza, bring all hostages home, and bring peace and security to the Middle East.” Hours before Biden’s speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a controversial speech to a rare joint session of Congress in which he called for “total victory” in the war.
Biden cited his leadership on foreign policy, including his steadfast support for Ukraine in the midst of its war with Russia, as among his proudest achievements. He reminded voters of bills he signed to address the climate crisis, reduce gun violence and expand access to health care. Reflecting on Inauguration Day 2021, weeks after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and less than a year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Biden marveled at how far the country has come in such a short time.
“We faced the worst pandemic of a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War,” Biden said. “We came together as Americans and got through it. We emerged a stronger, more prosperous and more secure nation.”
After dropping out of the race on Sunday, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who has already garnered enough delegate support to win the Democratic nomination next month. In his speech, Biden reiterated his praise for Harris and highlighted the vast choices voters face in the November election.
“I want to thank our great Vice President, Kamala Harris,” Biden said. “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.”
Before Biden’s announcement on Sunday, more than 30 Democrats had called on the president to withdraw from the race following his disastrous performance in last month’s debate. In the days leading up to the announcement, polls showed an increasing number of Democrats thinking Biden should withdraw as Donald Trump’s narrow lead began to widen.
Polls since Sunday have suggested a close race between Trump and Harris, but the vice president has already A little strong Biden stuck more firmly to the Democratic platform than Biden did. Though polls show the race is close, Biden expressed confidence that Americans will choose to uphold their democracy in November’s election. Citing the Declaration of Independence and words from Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, Biden made the time-honored case for American exceptionalism.
“America is a cause, a cause mightier than any army, greater than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. The most powerful cause in the history of the world,” Biden said. “That cause is that we hold these truths to be self-evident: that we are all created equal, that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. We have never fallen foul of those sacred causes, but we have never departed from them, and I do not believe the American people will depart from them now.”
It was a message that echoed Biden’s 2020 campaign slogan, in which he characterized the election against Trump as “a battle for the soul of the nation.” That battle is still ongoing, Biden said, and how it ends is up to the American people to decide.
“The great thing about America is that we don’t rule by kings or dictators, we rule by the people,” Biden said. “The history is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The ideals of America are in your hands. You just have to keep the faith and remember who we are.”
Shortly after Biden spoke, Barack Obama, who served as Biden’s vice president for two terms, offered his thanks. About XPresident Obama cited a line from the speech: “Truth, the sacred cause of this nation is greater than any one of us,” and said, “Joe Biden has remained true to that phrase time and time again throughout his life of serving the American people.” It is notable that President Obama has thus far refrained from endorsing Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination.
House Speaker Honorary Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that Biden has demonstrated he is on the right side of both history and the future. In a statement released after Biden’s Oval Office speech, she called Biden “one of America’s most important presidents.”
And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Biden’s decision to revoke “a great patriotic act for this country that you all love.”
