Biden announced withdrawal and why he left the field to Harris
A Week is Missing from US-President Biden's Schedule. In a Television Address to the Nation, He Now Explains the Reasons for His Withdrawal: "Democracy is at Stake." Biden Previously Warned Indirectly of a Trump Victory.
Dignified withdrawal. US-President Joe Biden gives televised addresses to the nation rarely. But when it's particularly important. This Wednesday evening is the most significant of his more than 50-year political career. The entire country watches and listens as Biden ends his career, which began as a Senator and was continued for eight years as Vice President of Barack Obama. And with his four own years as President. His speech is the first public statement since his withdrawal.
Still visibly weakened by the after-effects of his Covid infection and a little hoarse, he sits at his desk in the Oval Office of the White House. Surrounded by family photos, he explains why he withdrew from the race and instead supports his Vice President Kamala Harris for the Presidential election in November. "It was the honor of my life," he says. "I revere this office, but the defense of democracy, which is at stake, is more important than any title."
Biden mentions past US Presidents and indirectly references them. Presidents are not kings, as George Washington taught us. The finger is clear, even though he does not mention the former President Donald Trump. The Supreme Court granted the Republican a far-reaching immunity against prosecution in a ruling. Later, Biden will announce his intention to reform the Supreme Court in his remaining six months in the White House, as it is "crucial for our democracy."
In the twelve minutes of his speech, it becomes clear why the Democrats have been increasingly pressuring their 81-year-old President to withdraw. At several points, Biden speaks incoherently and omits certain parts of sentences. In the past few weeks, Biden had lost the trust of the Democrats due to his health, and he had fallen behind in the polls.
Rapid Mood Swing
In the week that Joe Biden disappeared from the public eye, the political world in the US has turned at an astonishing speed. On the previous Thursday, Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican nomination. The ailing Biden retreated to his beach house. On Sunday, he announced his withdrawal from the Democratic Party's Presidential nomination, and Harris announced her own candidacy.
Biden's campaign team is now fully behind Harris. During her welcome visit to Harris' headquarters, the President called in by phone. The delegates are expected to be summoned virtually for the nomination as early as the beginning of August. Harris seems to have secured the necessary votes. The party has almost closed ranks behind her. It's as if the 59-year-old had torn away the gray veil and injected new energy. And Biden? He has likely observed the whole thing from a distance.
During the Democrats' power shift, Donald Trump, in his echo chamber alias social network "Truth Social," expressed his feelings. "WHO IS RUNNING THE COUNTRY?", he shouted to his followers. Biden was "pushed out of power like a dog," he grumbled. Trump is making absurd damage claims, as the Republicans "wasted a lot of time and money" on Biden, they were misled about his health status. "The Fake News is doing their best to make (Biden) a 'brilliant and heroic leader' (he was heroic, because he stepped down!)"
So close to the campaign, as it gets
If you want to understand what Biden's resignation means, you can take a look at the list of his predecessors. Fifty-six years ago, there was the last time a president did not run for a second term. Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat respected for his civil rights and social policies, faced pressure in 1968 due to the Vietnam War. His re-election chances were poor, and then his doctor told him he wouldn't survive another four years in the White House due to his poor health condition. So he withdrew his candidacy for re-election.
Biden attempts to cement his legacy in his speech. He mentions a record number of jobs created, praises himself for successes in the fight against inflation, greater income equality, his industry subsidy program for renewable energies and his leadership in chips, lower prices for horrendously expensive medicines, more insured people; and the "most important climate law in the history of the world." The number of registered violent crimes is at a 30-year low, and even illegal immigration is now lower than at the end of the previous administration.
He says he made his decision to step down to unite the party. He praises Harris: She is "experienced" and "sharp" and "capable." It's time to pass the torch to a new generation, to "new voices." Biden comes as close to a campaign speech as one can get in such an address. "Kings and dictators rule here not, the people do," Biden calls on US Americans with a quote to not vote for Trump in November. "Whether we remain a republic lies now in your hands."
In his televised address, President Joe Biden endorses Vice President Kamala Harris for the US Presidency in the 2024 elections, citing the importance of defending democracy over personal title, a clear reference to potential challenger Donald Trump.
The sudden withdrawal of President Biden from the 2024 race has shifted the dynamics of the Democrats, with Kamala Harris emerging as the party's strong candidate, bringing new energy and unity to their campaign, while Donald Trump continues to voice his discontent from his social media platform.
