In an Oval Office address on Wednesday night, President Joe Biden explained his decision to end his re-election campaign, emphasizing it as a “defense of democracy.”
“I hold this office in high regard, but my love for our country is greater. Defending democracy is more important than any title,” Biden remarked. “Working for the American people brings me strength and joy. But the vital task of improving our union is about you, your families, and your futures. It’s about ‘We the People.’”
It is unusual for a president to voluntarily step down without being rejected by voters or limited by the Constitution. Biden, facing significant pressure from his party to withdraw from the race, presented his decision as one made for the nation’s benefit and urged Americans to help “preserve our democracy.”
Biden and other Democrats argue that former President Donald Trump, who refused to concede after losing the 2020 election and whose actions led to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, poses a threat to democracy. “America must choose between moving forward or backward,” Biden stated, without directly naming Trump. “Between hope and hate. Between unity and division.”
“Our republic is now in your hands,” he added.
Biden’s speech, coming three days after he ended his campaign, marks the start of his efforts to shape his legacy following a poor debate performance in late June that led many in his party to urge him to step aside. Many Democrats felt that Biden’s stumbling debate performance made his re-election chances slim.
“I believe the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” Biden said in a subdued tone. “That is the best way to unite our nation.”
At a rally in North Carolina on Wednesday night, Trump criticized Biden. “Three days ago, we officially defeated the worst president in the history of our country, crooked Joe Biden,” Trump declared.
Biden ended his re-election campaign on Sunday afternoon, announcing it on X and endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris, for the Democratic presidential nomination shortly after.
Harris quickly garnered support from within the party and is expected to secure the Democratic nomination by early August. Biden praised Harris on Wednesday night, calling her experienced, tough, and capable, and noting her leadership.
Biden’s decision to step aside makes him the first eligible incumbent since Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to relinquish his party’s nomination. Biden’s political career began in 1970 with a county council seat win in Delaware and continued with six Senate terms, chairmanships of the Judiciary and Foreign Relations committees, and serving as vice president from 2008 to 2016. He returned from retirement to win the Democratic nomination and defeat Trump in 2020.
Biden’s retirement from the 2024 race ensures he ends his career undefeated in general elections, though he lost presidential primaries in 1988 and 2008. This also concludes a career centered on the presidency, which he first considered running for in 1980.
Once seen as a centrist, Biden gained support from progressives in Congress early in his administration. He and his allies credit him with the most extensive domestic agenda since the Johnson administration, including major measures like a $2 trillion Covid-relief package, a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, and the Inflation Reduction Act addressing climate change.
Biden’s legacy also includes appointing Kamala Harris as vice president, making her the first woman, Black woman, and Asian American in the role, and nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman confirmed to the Supreme Court.
Biden asserted that his record warranted a second term but stated that “nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy,” including personal ambition. He pledged to continue his agenda until the new president is inaugurated on January 20.
“In the next six months, I will focus on my presidential duties,” he said. “This includes lowering costs for families, growing our economy, and defending personal freedoms and civil rights, from voting rights to reproductive rights.”
Biden also implicitly warned against a second Trump presidency, emphasizing the importance of democratic governance over autocracy. “In America, kings and dictators do not rule,” he said. “The people do. History and the power lie in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
