Biden Sets Existential Stakes for Trump-Harris Contest in Oval Office Address on Decision to Drop Out

President Joe Biden cast the contest between former president Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in existential terms in his Oval Office address Wednesday night, telling voters that the survival of the republic would be in their hands come November.

Biden, 81, spoke for eleven minutes from about what he believes to be a fight for American democracy and his choice to “pass the torch” for the sake of national unity.

“In recent weeks it’s become clear to me, that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy, that includes personal ambition. So I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,”Biden said.

The president went on to argue that the fate of the country was at stake in the coming election, saying “whether we keep our republic is now in your hands.”

The comments mark a sharp departure from the tone Biden struck after the failed assassination attempt on Trump earlier this month, when he urged all Americans to “lower the temperature in our politics.” 

In one of the final major speeches of his decades-long career, Biden promised that he will serve out the remainder of his term and listed his priorities for the next six months. Among them are advancing his “cancer moonshot” and “Supreme Court reform,” a move Biden claimed is necessary to preserve American democracy. On foreign policy, Biden pledged to continue supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia and Indo-Pacific allies against China. In the Middle East, Biden said he will try to end Israel’s war against Hamas and free the remaining hostages in Hamas captivity.

Biden touted his legislative accomplishments on a variety of issues, such as coronavirus relief, gun restrictions, climate legislation, and infrastructure spending. He claimed the American economy is the world’s strongest based on wage growth and declining inflation.

Although illegal immigration reached record highs under the Biden administration, he claimed border crossings are lower than when former president Donald Trump left office.

“I’d like to thank our great vice president, Kamala Harris. She experienced. She’s tough, she’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and the leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people. You make that choice,” Biden said.

To conclude, Biden celebrated his personal journey and decades of political experience, expressing his gratitude to the American people. He did not mention the rebellion from Democrats that eventually caused him to drop out, weeks after the presidential debate made clear to the nation his mental decline.

Before Biden dropped out, more than two dozen Democratic lawmakers publicly urged him to do so, and many news reports emerged about private pressure from top party brass and concerned donors. At the same time, polls found most Democratic voters believed the party should move on, and that Trump was gaining ground on Biden in key swing-states.

Biden held campaign rallies, primetime interviews, and a high-profile press conference after the debate as he insisted that he would stay in the race and tried to convince Democrats to stick with him. The effort failed and did not calm Democratic nerves.

On Sunday, Biden announced his decision to drop out from the presidential race and immediately endorsed Harris to become the Democratic nominee. When the decision was made, Biden was holed up in his Delaware beach house to self-isolate after testing positive for Covid-19. Biden appeared to be healthy during his speech and did not have issues reading off the teleprompter. He did occasionally stumble over his words and whisper towards the camera.

Many of Biden’s close family members were there, including his wife Jill, troubled son Hunter Biden, daughter Ashley, and three of his granddaughters. When Biden was fighting for his political future, his inner circle shrank to family members and a few trusted advisors, with Hunter serving as his de-facto chief of staff.

Harris quickly consolidated support from Democratic officials and raised over $100 million for her presidential campaign over the past few days. She is now the presumptive Democratic nominee and speculation is already growing related to who she will choose to be her running mate.