WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden delivered a solemn speech from the Oval Office on Wednesday, laying out in the clearest terms yet why he is abandoning his reelection campaign.
He wanted to send a stark warning to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump while naming Vice President Kamala Harris as his natural successor, without adopting an overtly political tone that would have been out of step with the official White House framework. He was determined to show that he would not act like a president nearing the end of his term, laying out an ambitious agenda that underscores his determination to continue building on his legacy.
Here are the main takeaways from Biden’s speech:
He warned against Trump – without naming him
Biden didn’t mention Trump, his former Republican opponent, in his 10-minute Oval Office address, but he didn’t have to. His remarks were imbued with a deep sense of urgency about what the outgoing president sees as the stakes of the election.
The first part of his speech sketched out the choices voters will face in November — a contrast Biden himself had hoped to make during a reelection campaign he ultimately decided he could not pursue.
“Americans are going to have to choose between moving forward or going backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division,” Biden said. “We have to decide whether we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice and democracy.”
That last point – democracy – and its defense are “more important than any title,” Biden said.
President Biden issues solemn call to defend democracy and outlines reasons for abandoning race for democracy
Biden has drawn up a long to-do list for his final months
The president has said he will continue to work during his remaining six months in office, seeking to defend his legacy of sweeping domestic legislation and renewed alliances abroad.
His to-do list was full of important issues. He said he would work to end the war in Gaza, repatriate hostages and try to “bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war.” Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.
He will continue to work to reduce costs for families and defend individual freedoms, continue to denounce “hate and extremism” and push for an end to gun violence.
He also said he would continue to work on his initiative to end cancer as we know it and push for Supreme Court reforms.
“I will continue to work,” he said.
He willingly passes on power to a new generation
Biden finally understood what Democrats were telling him — that it was time to hand power to a younger generation — and he embraced it, calling for “new voices, yes, younger voices” in politics.
“I decided that the best way forward was to pass the torch to a new generation. That’s the best way to unify our nation,” he said, even though he believed his presidency deserved a second term.
For months, Biden claimed that only he could take on Trump and win. But that changed after his June 27 debate with Trump, when he spoke haltingly, lost his train of thought and failed to check the former president’s lies. The performance raised a chorus of questions about his age and fitness to serve another four years in office and prompted Democrats to increasingly call for his removal. The standoff lasted 24 days before Biden relented, saying he needed to unite his party.
The tone and setting were solemn.
Biden is no stranger to sober speeches, delivering remarks on weighty issues such as the fate of democracy and voting rights at significant historical sites across the country and around the world.
But Biden sparingly used the formal trappings of an Oval Office address — a tool presidents use in times of national crisis or to capture a key moment in history — with Wednesday’s speech marking only the fourth time he has sat behind the Resolute Desk to speak directly to the nation.
His tone was solemn, his speech was cautious and thoughtful. He was surrounded by his family and close associates as he delivered a speech in which he voluntarily relinquished power, a speech no politician wants to deliver.
“The great thing about America is that it’s not kings and dictators who rule, it’s people who rule,” Biden said in concluding his speech. “History is in your hands. Power is in your hands. The idea of America is in your hands.”
Biden made a subtle breakthrough with his vice president
In the official Oval Office setting, Biden has steered clear of overt policy discussions. But he did praise Vice President Kamala Harris as “tough” and “competent,” and gave a not-so-subtle nudge to voters.
“She has been an incredible partner in her leadership and in the leadership of our country,” he said. “Now the choice is yours, the American people.”
First lady Jill Biden posted a handwritten note after the president’s speech, thanking “those who never wavered, who refused to doubt.” She thanked her supporters for trusting the president. “Now it’s time to trust Kamala.”
Biden, advisers say, knows that if Harris loses, he will be criticized for staying in the race too long and not giving her or any other Democrat time to mount an effective campaign against Trump. If she wins, she will ensure that his political victories are consolidated and expanded, and he will be remembered for his decision to step aside to make way for the next generation of leaders.
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