By: Steve Holland, Trevor Hunnicutt, and Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he was withdrawing from the race against Republican Donald Trump over concerns about the country’s future, his first public remarks since his abrupt withdrawal from the 2024 campaign.
In his Oval Office speech, Biden quoted former presidents Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln about his love for the office he will leave in six months, ending a half-century in public service. .
“I respect this office,” Biden said. “But I love my country more.”
Biden, 81, has resisted weeks of pressure from Democrats to step down after a disastrous debate performance on June 27, at one point saying only “God Almighty” could persuade him to step down. He took several days of self-reflection, weighed down by internal polling that suggested he might lose to Trump in November and outlasted his fellow Democrats before stepping down.
“I decided the best way forward was to pass the torch to a new generation. That’s the best way to unite our country,” Biden said.
In his 11-minute speech, Biden mentioned the dangers he believes Americans will face if Trump wins the Nov. 5 election, without mentioning Trump by name.
He said he was withdrawing from the race to help heal wounds in the Democratic Party and unite them toward their goal of winning.
“Nothing can stand in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition,” he said.
“The great thing about America is that kings and dictators don’t rule. The people rule. History is in your hands. Power is in your hands. The idea of America is in your hands,” Biden said.
It was Biden’s first lengthy public statement since bowing to pressure from fellow Democrats and announcing via social media on Sunday his decision not to seek re-election on November 5.
During the speech, several close Biden family members and senior advisers were seen off camera, seated along the curved walls of the Oval Office. After Biden finished speaking, they burst into loud applause.
At the end of her speech, Ashley Biden extended the hand of her mother, First Lady Jill Biden, who was sitting next to her.
Biden is the first sitting president not to seek re-election since 1968, when Lyndon Johnson abruptly dropped out of the race on March 31 amid criticism for his handling of the Vietnam War.
Biden also joins James K. Polk, James Buchanan, Rutherford B. Hayes, Calvin Coolidge, and Harry Truman as president, all of whom decided not to run for office. Two terms.
Biden faced immediate calls to step down after a poor performance in a debate with Trump that raised questions about his mental acuity.
Since he stepped down, however, Democrats have rallied around him, paying tribute to his character and record as president.
“Nowhere else on earth could a stuttering kid from humble beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claremont, Delaware, one day sit behind a determined desk in the Oval Office and serve as President of the United States,” Biden said. ” “But I’m here.”
Earlier in the evening, a group of staffers walked into the White House to watch the speech together. People who gathered to hear Biden speak in the White House Rose Garden erupted in cheers and applause. Ice cream is served
Despite a recent increase in verbal gaffes, the White House has denied that Biden has any cognitive issues.
Biden said he would focus on the job of the presidency during the remaining six months of his term. He pledged to help NATO become stronger and more united, stop Russian President Vladimir Putin from taking over Ukraine, work toward a ceasefire in Gaza and push for Supreme Court reform. He will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to discuss efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza.
This is the fourth formal occasion for Biden to use the Oval Office since taking office in 2021. political speech.
In 1972, at the age of 29, Biden was elected to the Senate and became the sixth youngest senator in the United States, beginning his political career. He will end his term in the White House on January 20, 2025, when he will be 82 years old and become the oldest U.S. president.
“Defending democracy is more important than any title,” Biden said. “I draw strength and find joy in working for the American people.” But the sacred task of perfecting our alliance has nothing to do with me. This is about you. your family. your future. It’s about ‘We the People’.