WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, in a rare Oval Office address to the nation, spoke extensively for the first time on his decision to withdraw from the 2024 race and his plans for what will now be the final few months of his long political career.
Biden is making his remarks three days after his bombshell announcement in a letter addressed to “my fellow Americans” that he was stepping away from the campaign trail.
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation,” Biden said.
“I revere this office. But I love this country more,” he said.
He discussed how he will “finish the job” — the phrase that became his reelection motto as he campaigned for a second term against his 2020 rival Donald Trump.
That election battle came to an end on Sunday as Biden acquiesced to a month of intense pressure from Democrats to change course after his poor debate performance reignited questions about his age and whether he could successfully take on Trump to win another four years in office.
“Over the next six months I will be focused on doing my job as President,” Biden said. “That means I will continue to lower costs for hard-working families and grow our economy. I will keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights – from the right to vote – to the right to choose.”
