U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday it’s time to “pass the torch” to a new generation of leaders while continuing to fight for his priorities during the remainder of his presidency, after deciding not to run for re-election.
In a primetime address from the Oval Office that sometimes felt like a farewell — his first public remarks since announcing he would end his campaign on Sunday — Biden defended his record and said it was the “privilege of my life” to serve in politics for five decades. He also touted his Vice-President Kamala Harris, who he has endorsed to succeed him as the Democratic nominee to face Donald Trump in November’s election.
“I revere this office,” he said, reflecting on the presidents that came before him. “I love my country more.
“I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future all merited a second term. But nothing — nothing — can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.
“So I’ve decided to pass the torch to a new generation,” he continued. “It’s the best way to unite our nation.”
Biden promised to stay busy during his final six months in office, solidifying American leadership abroad while working to lower drug prices and pursue reforms to the U.S. Supreme Court at home.
He said of Harris, who has quickly solidified the support of the Democratic Party as the new presumptive nominee, that “she’s experienced, she’s tough, she’s capable.”
“She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country,” he said. “Now the choice is up to you, the American people.”
Biden’s family, including first lady Jill Biden and his children and their spouses, were seated off to the side of the Oval Office as Biden spoke. They burst into applause after his remarks ended, along with staff and advisors in the room.
Biden made the shocking announcement he was ending his re-election bid in a letter posted to social media on Sunday, sending Democrats scrambling to find a new way forward with just over 100 days before the election.
The party has coalesced around Harris, with top lawmakers and a majority of delegates previously pledged to Biden offering their endorsements. The party, which plans to officially nominate Harris in a virtual roll call ahead of its convention next month, also saw record-shattering donations from grassroots donors in the days after Harris launched her campaign.
That enthusiasm marked a rapid turnaround after three weeks of panic and growing calls for Biden to leave the race after the president’s disastrous debate performance last month, where Biden struggled to finish sentences and mount arguments against Trump.
Over the ensuing 25 days, a growing number of Democratic lawmakers and notable party supporters made the case that Biden was no longer an effective candidate who could beat Trump, urging him to step aside. Donors stopped writing cheques, with some publicly stating they wouldn’t resume contributions until Biden was no longer the nominee.
Biden at first remained defiant, including in high-profile interviews and press conferences where he defended his record and said only “the Lord Almighty” would convince him to drop his re-election bid. The campaign also insisted Biden was not leaving, including just hours before Biden issued his letter saying otherwise.
In his remarks, Biden acknowledged remarks he made during that fraught period that he believed his lengthy history in Washington made him the right leader for the country during a time of increased political polarization.
But he said while “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. Younger voices.
“That time and place is now.”
Biden did not give further details on what led him to suddenly change his mind.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in her first briefing with reporters since last week, declined to answer many questions earlier Wednesday about what led to Biden’s decision, saying she did not want to get ahead of his remarks.
She said the president met with “a small group of advisors” and his family on Saturday evening to weigh how to move forward, and let his staff know he was dropping out of the race moments before his written announcement Sunday afternoon.
She also pushed back on suggestions Biden’s health led to his decision, and that it would inhibit his ability to serve the last six months of his term or even another four years.
“I think it speaks to how honourable this president is, how selfless this president is, that he was able to make this decision and say, ‘This is not about me, this is about the American people, this is about the country,'” she said. “I think that speaks for itself.”
Jean-Pierre also wouldn’t say if Harris would be more closely involved in the day-to-day business of running the country as she seeks to take over from Biden in the event she wins in November.
“The president and the vice-president speak regularly, they see each other regularly,” she said.
“The president is committed to being president and leading this country forward, in the way that he believes Americans want to see this country moving forward. And the vice-president is going to continue to be a critical partner. Nothing’s going to change in that.”
Biden’s decision to end his candidacy also buoyed the spirits of congressional Democrats who had been fretting that the incumbent president would drag down their prospects of retaining the Senate and retaking the House of Representatives.
Republicans, who currently control the House by a razor-thin majority, have already sought to undo some of the legislative achievements of the Biden administration — signaling they would further threaten Biden’s legacy with full control of Congress and the White House.
—With files from the Associated Press