Biden Solemnly Calls to Defend Democracy, Outlines Reasons for Dropping Out of Race

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday, he solemnly called on voters to defend democracy in the country, speaking in the Oval Office and explaining his decision to withdraw from seeking re-election and express his support for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Stressing that “defending democracy is more important than any title,” Biden used his first public speech since announcing Sunday that he was resigning to convey an implicit rejection former President Donald TrumpHe did not directly address Trump, whom he has called an existential threat to democracy. The 10-minute speech also gave Biden a chance to try to shape how history will remember his one term.

“Nothing, nothing will stand in the way of saving our democracy,” Biden said. “And that includes personal ambition.”

It was a moment that will go down in history — a U.S. president wondering to the nation why he had taken the sporadic step of voluntarily giving up power. Not since 1968, when Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek reelection in the heat of the Vietnam War.

“I honor this office,” Biden said. “But I love my country more.”

Trump, just an hour earlier at a campaign rally, had revived his baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election he lost to Biden. His refusal to concede defeat inspired the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, which Biden called “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.”

Biden has sidestepped the political reality that brought him to this point: His dismal performance in a debate with Trump almost a month ago, in which he spoke haltingly, appeared pale and failed to fend off his predecessor’s attacks, has sparked a crisis of confidence among Democrats, with lawmakers and ordinary voters questioning not only whether he could beat Trump in November but also whether, at age 81, he was still fit for the high-pressure job.

Biden has tried to overcome skepticism and allay fears with interviews and tepid rallies, but pressure for him to concede has grown from party political elites and ordinary voters.

“I decided the best way to move forward was to pass the torch to a new generation,” Biden said, adding that he wanted to make room for “fresh voices, yes, younger voices.”

He added: “This is the best way to unite our nation.”

It was a belated fulfillment of his 2020 promise to be a bridge to a fresh generation of leaders — and a nod to calls from within his party for him to step down.

Biden’s speech was carried live on major television and news networks, and he laid out a massive to-do list for his final six months in office, pledging to remain focused on being president until his term expires at noon on Jan. 20, 2025. He said he would work to end the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, fight for more government support for cancer treatments and push for Supreme Court reform, among other things.

The president sought to operate the speech to outline the stakes of an election that both Biden and Harris have portrayed as a choice between freedom and chaos, but was careful not to overtly campaign from his official office.

“The great thing about America is that kings and dictators don’t rule,” Biden said. “People do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of ​​America is in your hands.”

Biden has also argued for his legacy of sweeping domestic legislation and renewed alliances abroad. But how history will remember his time in office and his historic decision to step down is closely tied to Harris’s electoral performance in November, especially as the vice president closely follows the Biden administration’s record.

His advisers say he intends to hold campaign events and fundraisers for Harris, whom Biden has praised as “tough” and “capable,” albeit at a much slower pace than if he had remained on the ticket.

Harris’ advisers will ultimately have to decide how to capitalize on a president whose popularity has fallen as voters from both parties have cast doubts on his fitness for office.

Biden, aides say, knows that if Harris loses, he will be criticized for staying in the race too long and not giving her or another Democrat time to effectively mount a campaign against Trump. If he wins, he will ensure that his political victories are secured and expanded, and he will be remembered for Washington’s decision to make way for the next generation of leaders.

Biden said he was grateful to have served as president — nowhere else would a child with a stutter sit in the Oval Office.

“I gave my heart and soul to our nation,” he said. “In return, I was blessed a million times over.”

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that any questions about Biden resigning from office before the election — which would allow Harris to run as an incumbent candidate — are “ridiculous.”

Jean-Pierre said Biden has “no regrets” about his decision to stay in the race as long as he did, or his decision to drop out over the weekend. She said Biden’s decision had nothing to do with health.