Joe Biden has said he cannot let his “personal ambition” stand in the way of “saving our democracy” in a live address to the nation from the Oval Office, his first speech since announcing his decision to drop out of the race. presidential. .
The 81-year-old president, who on Sunday abandoned his bid for a second term in the White House amid widespread concerns about his physical condition, said it has been “the honor of my life to serve you as president.”
But the Democratic leader, who will remain in power until the next president takes office in January, said: “The defense of democracy, which is at stake, is more important than any title.
“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 is about you. Your families. Your future. It is about ‘We the People'” .
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Biden ended his re-election bid as pressure mounted on him to resign after a series of mistakes, including mistakenly referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Vladimir Putin.
He also had a disastrous performance in the first electoral debate against the Republican candidate. donald trumpprompting Democrats to call his performance a “slow-motion car accident.”
“Nothing can stand in the way of saving our democracy, including personal ambition,” Biden said in his speech.
“I have decided that the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation,” adding that the time had come for “younger voices.”
Biden said dropping out of the race was “in the best interest of my party and the country.”
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Biden: “The best way forward is to pass the torch”
People cry when listening to the speech Photo: AP
Biden thanked his “great” Vice President Kamala Harris, who he supported Sunday as the Democratic candidate.
“She’s experienced. She’s tough. She’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader to our country,” he said.
Biden’s term ends at noon on January 20, 2025, but some have called for him to resign immediately.
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Harris watched the president’s Oval Office speech from Houston, a White House official said.
The vice president is in Texas for a two-day trip that includes a speech to the American Federation of Teachers.
Jill Biden, who was sitting in the Oval Office during her husband’s 11-minute speech, posted an X note that read: “To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude.
“Thank you for the trust you placed in Joe, now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala. Love, Jill.”
Speaking with an American flag in the background and photographs of his family on either side, the president did not mention Trump, who minutes earlier had been giving another more than hour-long speech at a campaign rally in North Carolina.
But Biden said the United States is at “a turning point” during his speech and that “the decision we make now will determine the destiny of the nation.”
He continued: “We have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, unity and division.”
The president added that “there is no place for political violence, nor for violence of any kind.”
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