Washington (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden said the day before yesterday that he had withdrawn from the electoral race against Republican Donald Trump due to his concerns about the future of the country, in his first public statements since his surprise announcement that he was abandoning his bid for re-election for a second term.
In a speech from the Oval Office, Biden invoked former presidents Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as he described his love for the office he will leave in six months, ending a half-century of public service.
“I appreciate this office,” Biden said, “but my love for my country is greater.”
“I decided that the best way forward was to pass the torch to a new generation… This is the best way to unite our nation,” he added.
Biden’s 11-minute speech was not without references to the danger he believes Americans will face if Trump wins.
He said he was withdrawing from the race to help heal the wounds of the Democratic Party and unite Democrats around the goal of winning.
“Nothing can stand in the way of saving our democracy. Not even personal ambition,” he added.
These are his first extended public comments since he bowed to pressure from Democrats and announced on social media Sunday that he had decided not to run for re-election on Nov. 5.
Biden is the first sitting president not to seek re-election since 1968.
Biden stressed that he will focus on his work as president during the remaining six months of his term.
This was the fourth time Biden has used the Oval Office with its official symbolism since taking office in 2021.
His last speech from the Oval Office was on July 15, when he urged Americans to tone down political rhetoric after an assassination attempt on his rival, Donald Trump.
Biden’s political career began when he was elected to the Senate in 1972 at the age of 29, making him the sixth-youngest US senator.
He will become the oldest US president when he concludes his term in the White House on January 20, 2025, when he will be over 82 years old.
“Defending democracy is more important than any title,” Biden said. “I have found strength and joy in working for the American people. But the sacred mission of preserving our union is not about me. It is about you. Your families. Your future.”
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