‘Best way forward is to pass the torch,’ says Biden in speech from Oval Office
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Mr Joe Biden says he will focus on his job as president over his remaining six months in office.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden said he pulled out of the race against Republican Donald Trump because of his concerns about the future of the country, and that the best way forward is to pass the torch.
In his first public remarks since the abrupt decision to end his 2024 re-election campaign, Mr Biden said on July 24 that he was stepping aside to help heal the wounds in the Democratic Party and unite Democrats with the goal of winning.
“Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition,” he said.
In an Oval Office address, Mr Biden invoked past presidents Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as he described his love for the office that he will leave in six months, and cap a half century in public office.
“I revere this office,” Mr Biden said. “But I love my country more.”
Mr Biden, 81, rebuffed weeks of pressure from Democrats to step aside after a disastrous debate performance
He spent days soul-searching and agonising over internal polling – which 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 is the best way to unite our nation,” Mr Biden said.
He praised Vice-President Kamala Harris, who, after his endorsement, secured enough Democratic delegates to become the Democratic nominee in his place.
“She’s tough. She’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country,” Mr Biden said.
Without mentioning Trump’s name, Mr Biden sprinkled his 11-minute speech with references to the danger he believes Americans face if Trump wins the Nov 5 election.
“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,” Mr Biden said.
It was Mr Biden’s first extended public remarks since he relented to pressure from fellow Democrats and announced on July 21 via social media that he had decided not to seek re-election
Out of view during the speech were several members of Mr Biden’s close-knit family and senior advisers, seated along the curved Oval Office wall. They erupted into applause when Mr Biden completed his remarks.
Towards the end of his speech, Ms Ashley Biden reached for the hand of her mother, First Lady Jill Biden, who was seated next to her.
Mr Biden is the first incumbent president not to seek reelection since 1968 when Mr Lyndon B. Johnson, under fire for his handling of the Vietnam War, abruptly pulled out of the campaign on March 31.
Mr Biden also joins Mr James K. Polk, Mr James Buchanan, Mr Rutherford B. Hayes, Mr Calvin Coolidge and Mr Harry Truman as presidents who all decided not to stand for a second elected term.
President Biden faced immediate calls to step aside after his rocky performance in the debate against Trump raised troubling questions about his mental acuity.
Since he stepped aside, however, Democrats have rallied around him, paying tribute to his character and his record as president.
“Nowhere else on earth could a kid with a stutter, from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States,” Mr Biden said. “But here I am.”
A crowd of staff members walked into the White House earlier in the evening to watch the speech together. They then cheered and applauded when they gathered to hear Mr Biden speak in the White House Rose Garden. Ice cream was served.
The White House has denied that Mr Biden has any cognitive issues despite a recent increase in verbal slip-ups.
Mr Biden said he will focus on his job as president over his remaining six months in office. He pledged to help make Nato stronger and more united, stop Russian President Vladimir Putin from taking over Ukraine, work toward a ceasefire deal in Gaza and push for Supreme Court reform.
He is to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
It was the fourth time Mr Biden used the formal setting of the Oval Office since taking office in 2021. His last Oval Office speech was on July 15 when he urged Americans to cool the political rhetoric after the attempted assassination of Trump.
Mr Biden’s political career began when he was elected to the Senate in 1972 at age 29, becoming the sixth-youngest US senator. He will conclude his White House tenure on Jan 20, 2025, as the oldest American president, when he will have already turned 82.
“The defence of democracy is more important than any title,” Mr Biden said. “I draw strength, and find joy, in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our Union is not about me. It’s about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘We the People.’” REUTERS
