President Joe Biden on Wednesday expressed pride in his record of accomplishments but conceded he is no longer the best person to wage what he views as a fundamental contest over the nation’s future.
“I revere this office. But I love my country more,” Biden said in an Oval Office address, his first since abruptly ending his reelection campaign on Sunday.
As the oldest president in the nation’s history, Biden’s call for “new voices” was all the more remarkable given that he has been one of the faces of the US’ so-called “gerontocracy.”
“I’ve decided that the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” he said. “It’s the best way to unite our nation. You know there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There is also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.”
Before he dropped out, Biden faced a seemingly endless stream of Democrats questioning his ability to beat former President Donald Trump. Biden could never assuage the party that his disastrous debate performance was just a single bad night. Some donors even threatened not to fund other Democrats until he stepped aside. Still, many Democrats were resigned to the possibility that he might stay in the race. Biden has, after all, spent the greater part of his adult life trying to win the presidency.
Biden did not address these questions at length. Instead, he said it had “become clear to me that I need to unite my party.” He did not attribute his decision to anything to due with concerns about his health or standing.
Biden’s speech was cloaked in history, a testament to the reality that he is the first president since Lyndon B. Johnson to step aside from competing for another term. In the beginning, Biden listed past presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and FDR, and the examples they left for the nation.
“In this sacred space, I am surrounded by portraits of extraordinary American presidents,” Biden said.
Biden’s decision is even more remarkable given how much later it occurred in the political calendar. Election Day is just over 100 days away.
He also teed up his Vice President Kamala Harris, who he endorsed for president and whom he praised.
“She is experienced, she is tough, she is capable, she has been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country,” Biden said.
First lady Jill Biden released a handwritten note to supporters to underline the president’s push to hand the torch to Harris.
“To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude. Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala. Love, Jill,” she wrote.
Republicans have been furious over Biden’s decision. House Speaker Mike Johnson and some other senior leaders have asked the president to resign if he cannot mount a reelection campaign. Some Trump campaign officials have also stoked conspiracy theories about Biden’s health, given that before Wednesday’s address, he had been mostly out of the public eye as he recovered from COVID-19.
Despite the focus on Harris, Biden was clear that he intends to make the most of his remaining months in office. The White House has brushed back concerns that he is now a lame duck.
“Over the next six months, I will be focused on doing my job as president,” he said.
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