President Joe Biden delivered a historic speech from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening, formally communicating his plans to step down from seeking another term , giving his blessing to Vice President Kamala Harris — and urging Americans to unite and work to save their democracy. "I'm surrounded by portraits of extraordinary American presidents," said Biden. "Thomas Jefferson wrote the immortal words that guide this nation.
George Washington showed us presidents are not kings. Abraham Lincoln implored us to reject malice. Franklin Roosevelt, who inspired us to reject fear.
I revere the office. I love my country more. It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president, but the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think, is more important than a title.
" "We are a great nation because we are good people," Biden continued. "Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.
So I decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation." Biden vowed to spend the final months of his term continuing to fight inflation, curb Russian President Vladimir Putin's ambitions in Ukraine, and end the war in Gaza — and urged Americans to look at how much progress had been made since the start of his term, with a pandemic killing hundreds of thousands and a violent insurrection at the U.S.
Capitol, to the present day, with the racial wealth gap reduced to record lows, health care access at an all-time high, a huge drop in viole.