--- title: Biden Reflects on Presidency and Explains Decision to ‘Pass the Torch’ description: “Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy, and that includes personal ambition,” the President said in an address to the nation from the Oval Office. canonical: https://time.com/7003055/president-biden-oval-office-address-drop-out-pass-torch-democracy/ author: Nik Popli article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-07-25T02:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:45:00.320Z article:section: Politics og:title: Biden Reflects on Presidency and Explains Decision to ‘Pass the Torch’ og:description: “Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy, and that includes personal ambition,” the President said in an address to the nation from the Oval Office. og:url: https://time.com/7003055/president-biden-oval-office-address-drop-out-pass-torch-democracy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta55426983f61f4d0/698a5936b3fce3d55e0cd690/GettyImages-2162706640.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6000 og:image:height: 3375 og:image:alt: President Biden Delivers Oval Office Address To Nation og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Biden Reflects on Presidency and Explains Decision to ‘Pass the Torch’ twitter:description: “Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy, and that includes personal ambition,” the President said in an address to the nation from the Oval Office. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta55426983f61f4d0/698a5936b3fce3d55e0cd690/GettyImages-2162706640.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Joe Biden Reflects on Presidency and Explains Decision to ‘Pass the Torch’ > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=9b32bffd-33c1-4319-9667-0d892ea9504d&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Joe Biden Addresses the Nation From the Oval Office After Ending His 2024 Bid for Re-Election [Watch (HLS stream): Joe Biden Addresses the Nation From the Oval Office After Ending His 2024 Bid for Re-Election](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lbxUNFMz.m3u8) (11:01)  _Published 2024-07-25. President Joe Biden made his first address since his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. In remarks given from the Oval Office, President Biden delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris._  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Jul 25, 2024 2:00 AM UTC President Joe Biden made his first address since his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. In remarks given from the Oval Office, President Biden delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Jul 25, 2024 2:00 AM UTC Many speeches have been given from the Oval Office throughout history. But perhaps none were as somber and reflective as the one President Joe Biden delivered on Wednesday night, just days after announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. Sitting at the Resolute Desk, where many Presidents before him had addressed the nation in times of crisis and decision, Biden attempted to cement his legacy as a leader who prioritized the defense of democracy over personal ambition. “I revere this office but I love my country more,” the President said of his decision to drop out of the race, as his wife Jill Biden and several family members watched from inside the room.“It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your President. But in defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it’s more important than any title.” “I believe my record as President, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future all merited a second term,” he continued. “But nothing—nothing—can come in the way of saving our democracy, and that includes personal ambition. The best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation.” **Read More:** [_Why Joe Biden Dropped Out_](https://time.com/7001028/why-joe-biden-stepped-down/) The primetime speech marked Biden’s first public comments since passing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for President. Biden's withdrawal came on the heels of a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last month, where he appeared frail and struggled to articulate his positions effectively. The debate, widely seen as a turning point, exposed vulnerabilities and concerns about his age that had been simmering since his initial run against Trump in 2020. Biden, 81,explained his decision to suddenly abandon his reelection bid after insisting that he would remain in the race, declaring that it is time for a new generation of leadership in America. “There’s a time and a place for long years of experience in public life,” he said. “There’s also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.” He praised Harris and urged voters to pick her over Trump in the November election, describing his 59-year-old Vice President as “experienced,” “tough,” and “capable” and declaring that democracy is at risk in this election. **Read More:** [_How Harris Is Pivoting From Biden’s Campaign Message_](https://time.com/7002596/kamala-harris-campaign-biden/) “The idea of America lies in your hands,” Biden said as he alluded to the weight of the office and asserted that the character of a President still matters. “In this sacred space, I’m surrounded by portraits of extraordinary American Presidents,” he said in the beginning of his speech. “Thomas Jefferson wrote the immortal words that guide this nation. George Washington showed us Presidents are not kings.” “I ran for President four years ago because I believed and still do that the soul of America was at stake,” Biden added, never mentioning former President Trump by name. “The very nature of who we are was at stake. That is still the case.” In response to Biden’s address, Trump took to social media to criticize his delivery, calling the President “barely understandable” and “sooo bad.” Biden stumbled over a few words, but the speech did not feature significant errors.  President Joe Biden embraces his daughter Ashley Biden following a primetime address to the nation in the Oval Office of the White House on July 24, 2024. Evan Vucci—AP Bidenreflected on his decadeslong public service career and lauded the American system of government that allowed him to rise to the pinnacle of power, starting with his election to the Senate in 1973\. Despite challenges and setbacks, including criticisms of his debate performance, Biden used his speech to list his accomplishments as President, including efforts to combat climate change and appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. He also laid out his priorities for the final months of his presidency, focusing mostly on foreign policy. Biden vowed to strengthen NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and said he would “keep working to end the war in Gaza, bring home all hostages, and bring peace and security to the Middle East.” He also said he hopes to make more progress on the Cancer Moonshot, an initiative he launched in 2016 to cure the disease that killed his son Beau and millions of Americans, and pledged to push for Supreme Court ethics reforms during his final months in office. “It’s been the privilege of my life to serve this nation over 50 years,” Biden said. “Nowhere else on earth could a kid with a stutter—from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware—one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States. But here I am.” ## Transcript My fellow Americans. I'm speaking to tonight from behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office. In this sacred space, I'm surrounded by portraits of extraordinary American presidents. Thomas Jefferson wrote the immortal words that guide this nation. George Washington who showed us presidents are not kings. Abraham Lincoln, who imploreed us to reject malice, Franklin Roosevelt, who inspired us to reject fear. I revere this office, but I love my country more. It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it is more important than any title. I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our union is not about me. It's about you, your families, your futures. It's about we, the people. We can never forget that. And I never have. I've made it clear that I believe America is at an inflection point. One of those rare moments in history, when the decisions we make now will determine our fate of our nation and the world for decades to come. 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. Can we do that? Does character in public life still matter? I believe you know the answer to these questions. Because I know you, the American people. And I know this. We are a great nation because we are good people. When you elected me to this office, I promise to always level with you to tell you the truth. And the truth, a sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us. And those of us who cherry that cause cherish it so much, a cause of American democracy itself, must unite to protect it. You know, in recent weeks, it has become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world. My vision for America's future, all merited a second term, but nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So I've decided the best way forward is the past the torched a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation. You know, there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There's also a time in a place for new voices, Fresh voices. Yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now. On the next six months, I'll be focused on doing my job as president. That means I'll continue to lower costs for hardworking families. Grow our economy. 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 in America for political violence or any violence at ever. I'm going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence. Our planet from climate crisis is the existential threat. And we'll keep fighting for my cancer moonshot, so we can end cancer as we know it because we can do it. I'm going to call for Supreme Court reform because this is critical to our democracy, Supreme Court reform. You know, I will keep working to ensure American remains strong and secure and the leader of the free world. I'm 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 any time in all of our history. I'll keep doing the same for our allies in the Pacific. You know, when I came to office, the conventional wisdom was that China would would inevitably pass surpass the United States. That's not the case anymore. And I'm going to keep working to end the war in Gaza. Bring home all the hostages and bring peace and security to the MiddleEast, and end this war. We're also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world. You know, we've come so far since my inauguration. On that day, I told you as I stood in winter, we're stood in a winter of peril and winter possibilities, Peri possibilities. We're in the grip of we were in the grip of the worst pandemic in the century. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. We came together as Americans. We got through it. We emerged stronger, more prosperous, and more secure. Today, we have the strongest economy in the world creating nearly 16 million new jobs a record. Wages are up. Inflation continues to come down. The racial wealth gap is the lowest it has been in 20 years. We're literally rebuilding our entire nation, urban, suburban, rural and tribal communities. Manufacturers come back to America. We're leading the world again in chips and science and innovation. We finally beat Big farm after all these years to lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors, and I'm going to keep fighting to make sure we lower the cost for everyone, not just seniors. More people have health care today in America than ever before. And I sign one of the most significant laws helping millions of veterans and their families who are exposed to toxic materials. You know, most significant climate law ever ever in the history of the world. The first major gun safety law in 30 years. Today, violent crime rate is at a 50 year low. We're also securing our border. Border crossings are lower today than when the previous administration left office. I've kept my commitment to appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. I also kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America and be a president for all Americans. That's what I've done. I ran for president four years ago, because I believed and still do that the solo America was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake, and that's still the case. America is an idea. An idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than dictator or Tyrant, it's the most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that we hold these troops to be self evident. We're all created equal. In Dobbar create are certainly inalienable rights. Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. We've never fully lived up to it to this sacred idea, but we've never walked away from it either. And I do not believe the American people will walk away from it now. 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 Comal 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. When you make that choice, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin hanging on my wall here in the Oval office. Alongside the busts of doctor King and Rosa Parks and Ses A Chavez. When Ben Frankin was asked as he emerged from the convention going on, whether the founders have given America a monarchy Republic, Frankin response was, the Republic, if you can keep it, a Republic, if you can keep it, whether we keep our Republic is now in your hands. My fellow American has been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years. Nowhere else on Earth, could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton Pennsylvania and Clamont Delaware, one day sit behind the resolute desk in the Oval office as President the United States. But here I am. That's just so special about America. We are a nation of promise and possibilities of dreamers and doers of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things. I've given my heart and my soul to our nation, like so many others, I have been blessed million times in return for the love and support of the American people. I hope you have some idea how grateful I am to all of you. The great thing about America is here, Kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. We just have to keep faith, keep the faith. And remember, who we are. We're the United States of America, and there's simply, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. So let's act together, preserve our democracy. God bless you all and may God protect our troops. 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