Insisting that “the defense of democracy is more important than any title,” President Joe Biden explained in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and to throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Following a bout of COVID-19 and self isolation, it was the public's first chance to hear directly from Biden about his rationale for dropping out of the 2024 race after weeks of insisting he believed himself to be the best candidate to take on former President Donald Trump. The president maintained the race, as it was the last time he faced Trump, is about the future of democracy.
“The defense of democracy is more important than any title," Biden said. “Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. And that includes personal ambition.”
His candidacy faced a crisis of confidence from Democrats after his abysmal debate against Trump nearly a month ago. Biden tried to outlast the skepticism and quell the concerns with interviews and tepid rallies, but the pressure to step aside only mounted from the party's political elites and from ordinary voters. He eventually bowed in a letter posted to his account on X announcing his decision to leave the race, followed up later by an endorsement of Harris.
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation," Biden said in the Oval Office, saying he wanted to make room for “fresh voices, yes, younger voices."
Read more from NPR: For the first time since he exited the presidential race, Biden addresses the nation