Biden explains decision to quit 2024 race in Oval Office address

WASHINGTON: Insisting that “the defence of democracy is more important than any title”, President Joe Biden on Wednesday (Jul 24) explained in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for re-election and to throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

The address offered the public their first chance to hear directly from Biden his rationale for dropping out of the 2024 elections after weeks of insisting he believed himself to be the best candidate to take on former president Donald Trump, whom he has called an existential threat to the nation's democracy. It also gave Biden a chance to try to shape how history views his one and only term in office.

“The defence 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.”

Said Biden: “I revere this office, but I love my country more.”

Biden's candidacy faced a crisis of confidence from Democrats after his abysmal debate against Trump nearly a month ago, where he spoke haltingly, appeared ashen and failed to rebut his predecessor's attacks. It sparked a mutiny within his party over not just whether he was capable of beating Trump in November, but also whether at 81, he was still fit for the high-pressure job.

Biden tried to outlast the scepticism 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.

On Sunday afternoon, while isolating at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home with COVID-19, Biden finally 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, saying he wanted to make room for “fresh voices, yes, younger voices".

He added: "That is the best way to unite our nation."

Biden's address was being carried by the major broadcast and cable news networks. He pledged to remain focused on being president until his term expires at noon on Jan 20, 2025, saying he would work to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, fight to boost government support to cure cancer and call for Supreme Court reform.

The president used the address to outline the stakes in the election, which both Biden and Harris have framed as a choice between freedom and chaos, but he tried to steer clear of overt campaigning from his official office and never mentioned Trump by name.

“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule," Biden said. "The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America - lies in your hands."

Biden was also looking to make the case for his legacy of sweeping domestic legislation and the renewal of alliances abroad. The way history will remember his time in office and his historic decision to step aside is intertwined with Harris’ electoral result in November, particularly as the vice president runs tightly on the achievements of the Biden administration.

His advisers say he intends to hold campaign events and fundraisers benefiting Harris, albeit at a far slower pace than if he had remained on the ballot himself.

Harris' advisers will ultimately have to decide how to deploy the president, whose popularity sagged as voters in both parties questioned his fitness for office.

Biden, aides say, knows that if Harris loses, he’ll be criticised for staying in the race too long and not giving her or another Democrat time to effectively mount a campaign against Trump. If she wins, she’ll ensure his policy victories are secured and expanded, and he’ll be remembered for a Washingtonian decision to step aside for the next generation of leadership.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that any question of Biden resigning his office — which would allow Harris to run as an incumbent - was “ridiculous.”

Jean-Pierre said Biden has “no regrets” about his decision to stay in the race as long as he did, or his decision to quit it over the weekend. She said Biden's decision had nothing to do with his health.

WHAT STOOD OUT IN BIDEN'S ADDRESS?

Jon Lieber, US managing director at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, said Biden is likely to stay out of the limelight for the remainder of his term.

Biden's decision to pass the torch to a new generation of young leaders, draws a contrast with Trump, "who's now kind of the old guy in the race", he told CNA's Asia First. 

"The Democrats are going to remind everybody what they didn't like about Trump in 2020, and one of those things is that this guy's already been around and it's time for a fresh face."

Lieber said the Biden administration has been "doing everything they can to Trump-proof their legacy". This includes pushing out laws that are unlikely to be overturned by Trump if he assumes office and getting as much military aid to Ukraine. 

"But between now and the election, very little is gonna get done in Washington, which means Biden will have very little impact for the rest of the year," he noted. 

Lieber believes the White House race is "definitely gonna get ugly" in the coming months. 

"I think the one thing we should expect in US political campaigns is a lot of negativity," he added.

"Both candidates here are going to try to run by defining the other candidate as incompetent or not up to the job."