United States President Joe Biden has disclosed the reasons behind his withdrawal from the presidential race against his predecessor, Donald Trump.
Biden had, in a statement on Sunday, July 21, 2024, stepped down from the U.S. presidential election slated for November 5, 2024.
The president declared that he was endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 election, saying he was offering Harris his “full support”.
He added that he would “speak to the nation later this week in more detail” about his decision.
However, in an Oval Office address on Wednesday, July 24, Biden said he pulled out of the race against Republican Trump over concerns about the future of U.S. democracy.
Biden said he withdrew from the presidential race to allow a new generation to take over.
The president invoked previous presidents Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln as he described his love for the office that he will leave in six months, capping a half-century in public office.
“I revere this office. But I love my country more,” he said.
Biden, 81, rebuffed weeks of pressure from Democrats to step aside after a disastrous debate performance on June 27, saying at one point that only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to go.
He spent days soul-searching and agonizing over internal polling that showed he could lose to Trump in November and drag down fellow Democrats with him before stepping aside.
“I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That’s the best way to unite our nation,” Biden said.
He praised Vice President Kamala Harris, who, after his endorsement, secured enough Democratic delegates to become the Democratic nominee in his place.
Poll: Harris leads Trump in U.S. presidential race
“She’s tough. She’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country,” Biden added.
The president sprinkled his 11-minute speech with references to the danger he believes Americans face if Trump wins the November 5 election, without mentioning Trump by name.
He said: “Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
It was Biden’s first extended public remarks since he relented to pressure from fellow Democrats and announced on Sunday via a statement that he had decided not to seek reelection on November 5.
Out of camera sight during the speech were several members of Biden’s close-knit family, and senior advisers, seated along the curved Oval Office wall. They erupted into applause when Biden completed his remarks.
Biden is the first incumbent president not to seek reelection since 1968 when Lyndon Johnson, under fire for his handling of the Vietnam War, abruptly pulled out of the campaign on March 31.
Biden also joined James K. Polk, James Buchanan, Rutherford B. Hayes, Calvin Coolidge, and Harry Truman as presidents who all decided not to stand for a second elected term.
Biden faced immediate calls to step aside after his rocky performance in the debate against Trump raised troubling questions about his mental acuity, Reuters reports.
Since he stepped aside, however, Democrats have rallied around him, paying tribute to his character and his record as president.
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