Key Takeaways from Biden’s Oval Office Speech on Exiting the 2024 Race | 2024 US Election News

United States President Joe Biden gave his first public speech since abandoning his re-election bid, saying he dropped out of the race against Republican opponent Donald Trump to unite his party and save the country’s democracy.

The 81-year-old politician struck a somber tone Wednesday, sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the White House’s Oval Office, and announced it was “time to pass the torch” to younger voices.

The decision, which Biden first announced on Sunday, followed weeks of pressure from key Democratic Party allies following his faltering performance against Trump in late June. Her withdrawal altered an already unprecedented race and thrust Vice President Kamala Harris into the spotlight as the Democratic Party heir apparent who will face Trump in November.

Here are the key takeaways from Biden’s 11-minute speech:

‘Defense of democracy’

Biden did not mention Trump during his speech, but it was clear that the Democratic incumbent was referring to the former president when he said the future of the country’s democracy was at stake in the upcoming election.

“I revere this office, but I love my country more,” Biden said in the opening minutes of his speech. “It has been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it is more important than any title.”

The US was at an “inflection point,” he said, adding that the coming months “will determine the fate of our nation and the world.”

“We have to decide: do we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice and democracy? Right now, we can see those with whom we disagree, not as enemies, but as fellow Americans. Can we do this?” he asked.

‘Pass the torch’

Biden said that his “record as president, our leadership in the world, my vision for the future of America deserved a second term”, but that he was abandoning the presidential race to unite his party and win the November elections.

“Nothing can stop the salvation of our democracy. This includes personal ambition,” he said. “The best of America is here, kings and dictators don’t govern. The people do. The story is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of ​​America – it’s in your hands.”

He added that “there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life”, but that “there is also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.”

“I decided that the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. This is the best way to unite our nation,” he said.

Praise for Harris

Biden took a moment to thank Harris, who he supported to be the Democratic presidential nominee.

“I made my choice,” he said of Harris. “She is experienced. She’s tough. She is capable. She has been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country.”

He said it would be up to Americans to make the choice in November.

End the war in Gaza

In an apparent rebuttal to Republican calls for his resignation, Biden said he will spend the rest of his term “focused on doing my job as president.”

“That means I will continue to lower costs for hard-working families and grow our economy. I will continue to defend our personal freedoms and our civil rights – from the right to vote – to the right to choose,” he said, outlining some themes around which Harris is expected to build her campaign.

He added that he would continue to work to reform the Supreme Court and rally support for Ukraine and end Israel’s war in Gaza.

“I will continue to work to end the war in Gaza, bring home all the hostages and bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war,” he said.

Biden ended his speech by describing his time as president as “the privilege of my life.”

“Nowhere in the world could a child with a stutter, from the humble backgrounds of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office as president of the United States,” he said.