WASHINGTON— President Joe Biden delivered a solemn call to voters on Wednesday to defend the country’s democracy. In an Oval Office address, he announced his decision to drop his bid for reelection and support Vice President Kamala Harris.
To view the speech, click here.
Insisting that “the defense of democracy is more important than any title,” President Joe Biden used his first public address since his announcement Sunday that he was stepping aside to deliver an implicit repudiation of former President Donald Trump. The 10-minute address also allowed Biden to try to shape how history will remember his only term in office.
“I revere this office,” President Biden said. “But I love my country more.”
It was a moment for the history books — a U.S. president reflecting before the nation on why he was taking the rare step of voluntarily handing off power. It hasn’t been done since 1968 when Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek reelection in the heat of the Vietnam War.
Biden announced that it was time to hand off power to a younger generation — and he embraced it. “I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation,” he said, even as he believed his presidency deserved a second term.
The president sought to use the address to outline the stakes in the election, which both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have framed as a choice between freedom and chaos. “The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule,” Biden said. “The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America — lies in your hands.”
Biden skirted the political reality that brought him to that point: His abysmal performance in a debate against Trump nearly a month ago, in which he stuttered, appeared ashen and failed to rebut his predecessor’s attacks, sparked a crisis of confidence from Democrats. Lawmakers and ordinary voters questioned not just whether he was capable of beating Trump in November but also whether, at 81, he was still fit for the high-pressure job.
Biden, who said his record deserved another term in office, tried to outlast the skepticism and quell the concerns with interviews and tepid rallies. However, the pressure to end his campaign only mounted on the party’s political elites and ordinary voters.
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” Biden said, saying he wanted to make room for “fresh voices, yes, younger voices.”
Information: Associated Press.
