Addressing the nation on Wednesday for the first time since dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, President Biden said he was passing the baton to a “new generation” and renewed his support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for the Democratic nomination.
“I’ve decided the best way to move forward is to hand 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,” Biden said.
The speech lasted about 11 minutes, during which the president sat at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office and spoke about his long career in politics and his decision to retire. The speech was also attended by the president’s family, including First Lady Jill Biden, his daughter Ashley Biden, and his son Hunter Biden.
The president said he looked forward to the work he had left in his remaining six months in office, including pushing ahead with Supreme Court reform.
“I’m going to seek reform of the Supreme Court because this is critical to our democracy,” Biden said. Media outlets have recently reported that Biden is considering supporting legislation that would impose term limits on Supreme Court justices and new enforceable ethics rules.
Biden withdraws from 2024 rematch with Trump, ends bid for second term in White House
President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to end his Democratic presidential reelection bid. (Evan Vucci via The Associated Press)
Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race in a post on Twitter on Sunday night while in self-isolation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after being diagnosed with COVID-19 last Wednesday. After suffering from “mild symptoms” and “general fatigue,” he tested negative on Tuesday and returned to the White House.
Tuesday’s return to the nation’s capital marks Biden’s first public appearance since abandoning his reelection bid on Sunday and his first since being diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 17.
In a speech on Wednesday night, he quoted America’s forefathers and political leaders as he argued that “democracy is at stake” in the election, which sees Democrats facing off against former President Donald Trump.
“Thomas Jefferson wrote immortal words that guided our nation. George Washington showed us that the president is not a king. Abraham Lincoln implored us to reject malice. Franklin Roosevelt urged us to reject fear. I respect the office, but I love my country more,” he said.
“Serving as your President has been the honor of my life, but I believe that no title is more important than protecting our democracy in a time of crisis. I find strength and joy in serving the American people. But this sacred mission of perfecting our union is not about me. It’s about you.”
Republican senators call on Cabinet to invoke 25th Amendment after suspending Biden’s reelection campaign
Trump responded to the speech on Truth Social, calling it “almost incomprehensible and pretty awful.”
President Joe Biden descends the steps of Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Biden is back at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19. (Susan Walsh/The Associated Press)
The 46th president had been under growing pressure from Democratic allies and legacy media to withdraw from the race since his June 27 debate with President Trump, during which he was peppered with incoherent comments, lost his train of thought and appeared more subdued than he has been at other recent public events.
The debate rekindled concerns among conservatives and critics that Biden’s intellectual acuity is waning, while also kicking off a push within Democrats to oust him and field a candidate they believe is better qualified to take on Trump.
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Dozens of lawmakers He publicly thanked Biden for his work in the White House and his decades of service in public office, while also beginning to call for him to pass the baton to another candidate.
US President Joe Biden (L) and Vice President Kamala Harris stand on the Truman Balcony at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, Thursday, July 4, 2024. Biden’s reelection campaign limped into the US Independence Day holiday, exhausted by a week in which the incumbent president struggled to retain his party’s nomination. Photo by Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Tierney L. Cross)
Biden endorsed Harris for the party’s nomination shortly after the announcement on Sunday afternoon. As of Tuesday, Harris Delegates who secure the nominationIt is expected to be certified by the Democratic National Committee next month.
In a speech on Wednesday, President Trump called Harris “tough” and “capable” and recommended her as a potential Democratic candidate.
“I want to thank the 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 the American people,” he said.
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Vice President Kamala Harris was tasked with addressing the root causes of mass migration from Latin America from the start of the Biden administration. (REUTERS/Kevin Mohat/Pool)
Now that the president has exited the election cycle, conservative lawmakers have called on Biden to step down from the White House, arguing that if he cannot run for reelection he is unfit to govern the nation in the roughly six months remaining in his term.
“If Joe Biden is not eligible to run for president, then he is not eligible to serve as president. He must resign immediately. Let’s hope November 5th comes soon.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnsonthe Louisiana Republican said in a statement Sunday.
As concerns grow over Biden’s health, some are calling for Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. I sent a letter to Harris. Trump on Thursday urged her to invoke the 25th Amendment, telling Fox News Digital exclusively that Biden dropped out of the race because “he is unfit for the office of the President, and every American knows that.”
“I have said for over a year that Biden’s continuing declining health renders him unfit to lead our country. Although he has recently gone into seclusion following a suspected COVID-19 diagnosis, it is now more clear than ever that he will either resign or be forcibly removed from office. Because Biden has made it clear that he will not resign, it is imperative that VP Harris move immediately to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and move to forcibly remove him from office. The safety and well-being of the American people and our nation depend on it,” Ogles said.
BUTLER, PA – JULY 13: Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump is hastily carried off the stage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said the gunman died after a shooting that injured former U.S. President Donald Trump, killed one spectator and injured another. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Biden’s withdrawal announcement came just over a week after the assassination attempt on Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania and just days after the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump was formally declared the GOP nominee.
