Addressing his fellow Americans, President Joe Biden declared on Wednesday that America has reached a pivotal moment, and he has chosen to “pass the torch to a new generation” as the best path forward.
“I’ve decided that the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation. While there is a time and place for extensive experience in public life, there is also a time and place For new, fresh, and yes, younger voices. That time and place is now,” Biden stated during his Oval Office address to the nation.
This significant address occurred three days after he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee.
Harris, of Indian and African descent, has become the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
“In my Oval Office address, I emphasized that America is at an inflection point, a rare moment in history where our current decisions will shape the destiny of our nation and the world for decades to come,” he said.
Flanked by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, his son Hunter Biden, and other family members, Biden concluded his remarks. At the end, Ashley Biden reached out to her mother, Jill Biden, who was sitting beside her.
Following his speech, Jill Biden approached the Resolute Desk and stood by her husband. “This has been the honor of a lifetime,” Biden expressed, along with other words of gratitude.
Vice President Kamala Harris observed Biden’s address from Houston, where she stayed overnight after visiting the city’s Emergency Operations Center for a briefing on the recovery efforts from Hurricane Beryl.
Biden in his remarks said that America is going to have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division.
“We have to decide, do we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice and democracy. In this moment, we can see those we disagree with not as enemies, but as fellow Americans,” he said.
Over the next six months, Biden said, he will be focused on doing his job as the president.
“That means I’ll continue to lower costs for hard working families, grow our economy, and I’ll keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights from the right to vote to the right to choose. I’ll keep calling out hate and extremism, make it clear there is no place, no place in America for political violence or any violence ever, period. I’m going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence, our planet from climate crisis, is the existential threat,” he said.
Biden said he is the first president in this century to report to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world.
“We’ll keep rallying a coalition of proud nations to stop Putin from taking over Ukraine and doing more damage. We’ll keep NATO stronger, and I’ll make it more powerful and more united than at any time in all of our history,” he said.
“I’ll keep doing the same for allies in the Pacific. You know, when I came to office, the conventional wisdom was that China would inevitably surpass the United States. That’s not the case anymore. I’m going to keep working to end the war in Gaza, bring home all the hostages and bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war,” said the president.
Biden said in just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America’s future.
“I made my choice. I made my views known. I would like to thank our great Vice President Kamala Harris. She’s experienced, she’s tough, she’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people,” he said.