FULL SPEECH: President Joe Biden gives address after dropping out of 2024 election

Introduction

FULL SPEECH: President Joe Biden gives address after dropping out of 2024 election

My fellow Americans,

I'm speaking to you 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 showed us that presidents are not kings; Abraham Lincoln implored us to reject malice; and Franklin Roosevelt inspired us to reject fear.

I revere this office, but I love my country more. It has been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think this is more important than any title. I draw strength and 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 nation's and the world's fate for decades to come. America will have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division. We must decide if we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice, and democracy.

In this moment, can we see those we disagree with not as enemies, but as fellow Americans? Does character in public life still matter? I believe I know the answer to these questions because I know you, the American people. I know this: We are a great nation because we are good people. When you elected me to this office, I promised to always level with you, to tell you the truth. The sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us, and those of us who cherish that cause so much—the cause of American democracy itself—must unite to protect it.

In recent weeks, it's 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, and my vision for America's future all merit 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 to pass the torch to 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 and a place for new voices, fresh voices—yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now. Over 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 and 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, making it clear there is no place—no place—in America for political violence or any violence, period.

I'm going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence and our planet from the climate crisis—that existential threat. I will 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. I will keep working to ensure America remains strong, 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, more powerful, and more united than at 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 inevitably pass the United States. That's not the case anymore. I'm going to keep working to end the war in Gaza, bring home all the hostages, and bring peace and security to the Middle East, 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 that winter: "We stood in a winter of peril and a winter of possibilities." Peril and possibilities. We were in the grip of the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.

We came together as Americans, and 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's been in 20 years. We are literally rebuilding our entire nation: urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities. Manufacturing has come back to America. We are leading the world again in chips, science, and innovation. We've finally beaten Big Pharma 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. I signed one of the most significant laws helping millions of veterans and their families exposed to toxic materials. You know, the most significant climate law ever—ever—in the history of the world. The first major gun safety law in 30 years. Today, the 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, and I've 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 soul of 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, and more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It's the most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that we hold these truths to be self-evident: we're all created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We've never fully lived up 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.

In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America's future. I have made my choice; I have made my views known. I would like to thank our great Vice President, Kamala Harris. She is experienced, she's tough, she's capable, and she has 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 Dr. King and Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez. When Benjamin Franklin was asked as he emerged from the convention whether the founders had given America a monarchy or a republic, Franklin's response was, "A republic, if you can keep it." A republic, if you can keep it.

Whether we can keep our republic is now in your hands. My fellow Americans, it 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 Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States. But here I am.

That's what's so special about America. We're 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, and like so many others, I've been blessed a million times in return with 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 that 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 the faith, keep the faith, and remember who we are. We're the United States of America, and there's simply nothing—nothing—beyond our capacity when we do it together. So, let's act together to preserve our democracy.

God bless you all, and may God protect our troops. Thank you.

Keywords

• American Presidents: Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt
• America's Inflection Point: Moving forward or backward, hope and hate, unity and division
• Values: Honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice, democracy
• Sacred Task: Perfecting the Union, American people, we the people
• Democracy Defense: Personal ambition, passing the torch, new generation
• Presidential Achievements: Lowering costs, growing economy, defending freedoms, climate crisis, cancer moonshot, Supreme Court reform, international leadership
• Significant Laws: Lowering prescription drug costs, health care, climate law, gun safety law, Supreme Court appointments
• Soul of America: Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness
• Republic Preservation: Benjamin Franklin, choice of the American people
• Gratitude: Serving for over 50 years, unique American opportunities, giving heart and soul

FAQ

Q: Why did President Joe Biden decide to drop out of the 2024 election? A: President Biden decided to drop out to unite his party and prioritize saving American democracy, believing that passing the torch to a new generation is the best way forward.

Q: What does President Biden consider America's current critical choice? A: America must choose between moving forward or backward, hope or hate, unity or division while deciding if they still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice, and democracy.

Q: What key achievements did President Biden highlight from his term? A: Biden highlighted lowering costs for families, growing the economy, defending personal freedoms, addressing climate crisis, pioneering cancer research, advocating Supreme Court reform, reducing prescription drug costs, and creating new jobs.

Q: What promises did Biden make during the remaining months of his presidency? A: Biden promised to continue lowering costs, defend freedoms, speak out against violence and extremism, protect kids from gun violence, address the climate crisis, end the war in Gaza, and ensure America's leadership in the world.

Q: What iconic inspiration did Biden reference regarding American democracy? A: Biden referred to Benjamin Franklin's response to whether the founders had given America a monarchy or a republic, emphasizing the importance of preserving the republic.

Q: How does Biden view America's national identity? A: Biden views America as a nation of promise, possibilities, dreamers, and doers with a powerful idea rooted in equality and inalienable rights that has never been fully realized but never abandoned.