US President Joe Biden told Americans in a televised address that he has decided to end his faltering re-election campaign to save America’s democracy.
81-year-old Biden, said his record as president “merited a second term” but that “nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy”.
He said he supports US Vice President Kamala Harris in bringing together her fellow Democrats and the country.
The White House speech was his first public appearance since leaving the race on July 21, paving the way for Harris to run for the party’s nomination.
He has been pressured by colleagues and donors to shake off doubts about whether he can seek re-election after a disastrous debate with Republican Donald Trump.
Notably, he didn’t address how his campaign unraveled, and how Trump’s defeat seemed more likely the longer he resisted calls to drop from the presidential race.
Nor did he address the questions about his sensitivity and mental competence that had dominated the race for months.
Polls so far point to a rebound for Harris after taking over the mantle from Biden, making it a tight race between him and the former president to win the nomination that seems likely.
The president began his speech with the words: “I revere this office, but I love my country more.”
He spoke for 11 minutes from the Oval Office with his wife Jill, son Hunter and daughter Ashley and top White House officials.
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” added Biden, who has been in public office for over half a century. “That is the best way to unite our nation.”
The president vowed to “finish the job of the American people” before his term ends next January, calling Harris, 59, an “experienced, tough and capable” partner.
Biden said he believes his record merits a second term, but personal ambitions should not “come in the way of saving our democracy.”
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
As they were led from the room, the White House press corps heard applause from family members and staff as the president spoke calmly.
Meanwhile, Biden’s address to the nation has generated a reaction from his 78-year-old Republican rival, Donald Trump who posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Wednesday night that the president “was barely understandable, and sooo bad!”
Speaking at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina earlier in the day, the Republican attacked both Harris and Biden, whom he called the most destructive president in American history.
“For three-and-a-half years lying Kamala Harris has been the ultraliberal driving force behind every single Biden catastrophe,” he said.
“She is a radical left lunatic who will destroy our country if she ever gets the chance to get into office.”
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a White House meeting earlier in the day that Biden’s exit from the race was “not about his health”, but declined to provide further information.
She also denied to reporters that Biden’s cognitive abilities were hidden.
Harris, meanwhile, is on the campaign trail.
Earlier Wednesday, she addressed the historically black Zeta Phi Beta sorority in Indianapolis, telling members her new campaign is “not playing around” and ask for their vote to get elected.
“In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation, one focused on the future, the other focused on the past,” she said. “And with your support, I am fighting for our nation’s future.”
She would be the first black, South Asian American and female president, although she needs black voters to achieve that in November.
President Biden is the first sitting president not to seek re-election since 1968, when Lyndon Johnson suspended his campaign as his popularity declined during the Vietnam War.
Some Republicans have now called for Biden to step down as president, arguing he can’t lead the country if he can’t run, a charge the White House has denied.
On Thursday, Biden is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, as well as the families of American hostages still being held in Gaza.
Source: BBC News
