WASHINGTON — President Biden is scheduled to address the nation at 8 p.m. Wednesday to explain his decision to abandon his campaign for a second term amid growing questions about his mental state.
“Tomorrow at 8pm ET, I will address the nation from the Oval Office to discuss my vision for the future and how I will finish the job for the American people,” Biden, 81, tweeted on Tuesday.
The president has not been seen in public since traveling to his Delaware estate last Wednesday to recover from COVID-19 and is due to return to the White House on Tuesday afternoon.
Biden has insisted he will serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January, despite calls from top Republicans including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana for him to step down.
On Sunday night, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic field in the Nov. 5 election.
During a debate with former President Donald Trump on June 27, he appeared confused and made strange statements such as “We finally won Medicare for Medicare,” which led to growing calls from Democratic lawmakers for his resignation, leading to the sudden announcement of his retirement.
What you need to know about President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race:
Biden had resisted calls to withdraw but ultimately decided to do so just days before Democratic delegates were scheduled to effectively nominate him.
“While the top of our slate has changed, the mission has remained exactly the same,” Biden told campaign workers on speakerphone to his headquarters on Monday, his voice slurred and raspy.
“By the way, I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be out on the campaign trail with her, Kamala. I’m going to be working hard both to pass legislation and to campaign as a sitting president,” Biden said.
