- In his first public statements since abandoning his reelection campaign, President Joe Biden declared on Wednesday that he is withdrawing from the race against Republican Donald Trump due to worries about the future of American democracy. He added that he is standing aside to allow a new generation to take over. In a speech from the Oval Office, Biden cited former presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson while expressing his affection for the position he will be leaving in six months, ending his fifty years in public service.
- After a dismal debate performance on June 27, Biden, 81, rejected weeks of demand from Democrats to resign, claiming at one point that only the “Lord Almighty” could persuade him to do so. Before standing down, he spent days introspecting and suffering over internal polls that indicated he may lose to Trump in November and bring other Democrats down with him.
- Without specifically naming Trump, Biden interspersed his 11-minute speech with allusions to the threat he sees facing the country if Trump wins the election on November 5. Nothing can prevent us from preserving our democracy, he declared. That encompasses aspirations for oneself. The wonderful thing about America is that there are no rulers or tyrants. You hold the power to change history. The initiative is in your grasp. America’s concept is in your hands.”
- Since Lyndon Johnson suddenly withdrew from the 1968 presidential race on March 31, 1968, due to criticism of his management of the Vietnam War, Biden is the only sitting president to not run for reelection. In addition, he becomes the sixth president to decline a second term in office, following Harry Truman, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Buchanan, Calvin Coolidge, and James K. Polk.
- Following his rough performance in the debate versus Trump, which raised serious concerns about his mental health, Biden was immediately urged to resign. Democrats have embraced him since he resigned, praising both his character and his accomplishments as president.
- During his final six months in office, Biden stated he will concentrate on his duties as president. He promised to work for a peace agreement in Gaza, support Supreme Court reform, and block Russian President Vladimir Putin from seizing control of Ukraine. On Thursday, he will have a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to talk about efforts to broker a truce in Gaza.
- Since entering office in 2021, this was Biden’s fourth usage of the Oval Office’s formal setting. In his final speech from the Oval Office on July 15, he asked people to tone down their political discourse in the wake of Trump’s attempted assassination.
Source:
Reuters