President Biden delivered a roughly 11-minute address to the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday.
Sitting behind the Resolute Desk surrounded by portraits of US presidents, Biden spoke about his decision to end his reelection campaign and revealed his plans for the rest of his term.
The 81-year-old president also spoke repeatedly about “protecting democracy” after recovering from a COVID-19 infection reported last week.
Here are five key takeaways from the speech, which came at a pivotal moment in the election cycle as Vice President Harris seeks to win Biden’s endorsement and become the Democratic presidential nominee.
Biden announces decision to withdraw from 2024 presidential race, intends to complete term in White House
President Biden pauses as he finishes addressing the nation about his decision to end his Democratic presidential bid for reelection, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Poole)
1. Biden explains his decision to drop out of the race
The president said he promised when he was elected president that he would “always be honest with you and tell you the truth.”
Biden said that truth is that “the sacred cause of this nation is bigger than any of us” and that “those who are dedicated to the cause of American democracy must unite in defense of it.”
“The past few weeks have made it clear to me that I need to unite my party on this important effort. I believed that my record as president, my leadership in the world, and my vision for America’s future all merited a second term. But I cannot let anything, anything, get in the way of protecting our democracy,” Biden said. “That includes personal ambition. So I 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 public experience. And there’s a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.”
2. Biden vows to reform the Supreme Court
The president announced his plans for the remaining six months of his first term.
“Supreme Court reform is critical to our democracy, and that’s why I’m going to call for Supreme Court reform,” Biden said, without providing details.
Additionally, the president vowed to “continue to ease the burden on hardworking families,” grow the economy, and protect individual freedoms and civil rights “from the right to vote to the right to choose.” The president said he would continue working on the “Cancer Moonshot,” part of his 2020 campaign pledge to eradicate cancer and mobilize the federal government to accelerate progress in cancer research.
A monitor shows President Biden addressing the nation in the White House briefing room in Washington, DC, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Trump slams Biden’s ‘terrible’ Oval Office speech about abruptly dropping out of 2024 presidential race: ‘It was a coup’
3. Biden condemned political violence without directly mentioning the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
“I continue to condemn hatred and extremism. [that] “There is no room for political violence or any kind of violence in America. Period,” Biden said, listing his priorities for the remainder of his term.
Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, sending shockwaves through the Republican Party and was formally nominated the following week.
4. Biden reiterated his support for Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee and referred to “kings and dictators.”
“I want to thank our great Vice President, Kamala Harris. She is experienced, she is tough and she is capable. She will be a great partner for me and a great leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people. As you make that choice, I want you to remember the words of Benjamin Franklin, which hang on my wall here in the Oval Office, alongside busts of Dr. King, Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez,” Biden said.
The president recalled that when Franklin emerged from the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, he was asked whether the country would be a monarchy or a republic.
Franklin is often said to have replied, “If only we could preserve the Republic.”
Biden also touted his more than 50 years of service to the country.
“The great thing about America is that we are not ruled by kings or dictators, we are ruled by the people,” said Biden, who has previously accused Trump of wanting to be a dictator.
Biden noted that the country has emerged from “the worst pandemic of this century and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.” [and] It’s the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.”
President Biden takes a breather before addressing the nation from the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Poole)
5. Biden has boasted that he is the first U.S. president this century to have never fought in a war where Americans have been at war anywhere in the world.
“I will continue to work to ensure that America remains strong and safe as the leader of the free world. I am the first president this century to report to the American people that America is not at war anywhere in the world,” Biden said, as his administration comes under intense criticism for its failure to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
During his debate with President Trump last month, Biden claimed that no US troops had been killed during his term in office, but surprisingly made no mention of the 13 US soldiers killed at Abbey Gate.
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In his Oval Office speech, Biden vowed to continue to rally “a proud coalition of nations” to stop Russian President Putin’s occupation of Ukraine, promised to make NATO “stronger and more united than at any time in its history,” argued it was no longer “conventional wisdom” that China was overtaking the United States, and said he would support allies in the Pacific.
Regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Biden vowed to “end the war in Gaza, bring all hostages home, and bring peace and security to the Middle East.”
