On Wednesday night, President Joe Biden spoke on camera for the first time since dropping his reelection bid over the weekend.
“I will address the nation from the Oval Office on what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people,” he posted on X.
Biden has already racked up a tremendous record of accomplishments during his term in the White House—from massive investment in infrastructure and jobs, to expanding NATO, to steering the country through the COVID-19 crisis so horribly mismanaged by his predecessor. Notably, Biden just recovered from a bout with the virus.
After announcing he was suspending his campaign on Sunday, Biden almost immediately endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to take his place at the top of the ticket—and the Democratic Party was virtually unanimous in its support of Harris. She raked in an eye-popping amount of money and endorsements in the first 24 hours after Biden dropped out, and is expected to become the party’s nominee in August.
“I revere this office, but I love my country more,” Biden said in his address. “It has been the honor of my life to serve as your president, but in the defense of democracy, I think it is more important than any title. This sacred task of perfecting our union is not about me. It is about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘we the people.’”
He spoke about his love for the country and insisted on its greatness because of its people.
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” he continued. “That is the best way to unite our nation.”
He spoke about how he intends to spend the remainder of his term.
“Over the next six months, I will be focused on doing my job as president. That means I will continue to lower costs for hard-working families and grow our economy,” he said. “I will be defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights—from the right to vote to the right to choose. I’ll keep calling out hate and extremism and make it clear there is no place in America for political violence.”
Biden spoke about his many accomplishments and vowed to keep fighting to improve the lives of Americans. He thanked Harris for all she has done in her role as vice president.
“She’s experienced, she’s tough, she’s capable,” he said. He called on Americans to remember Benjamin Franklin’s words when they make their choice in November: “A republic, if you can keep it.” He insisted on the need to keep the republic in this election.
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule,” Biden said in his final remarks. “The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. You just have to keep the faith and remember who we are. We’re the United State of America. And there is nothing, simply nothing beyond our capacity.”
Watch his remarks below.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with quotes from Biden’s address.
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