Biden delivers Oval Office address on decision not to seek re-election

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will say he is “passing the torch to a new generation” as he explains his abrupt departure from the 2024 presidential race to Americans for the first time on on the night of July 24, in an Oval Office address capping over 50 years in politics.

Mr Biden, 81, rebuffed weeks of pressure from Democrats to step aside after a disastrous debate performance on June 27, saying at one point that only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to go.

“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation,” Mr Biden will say, according to speech excerpts released by the White House ahead of his 8pm local time (8am on July 25, Singapore time) speech.

Mr Biden made his decision after days of soul-searching and agonizing over internal polling that predicted he could lose against Republican Donald Trump in November and drag down fellow Democrats with him.

“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,” Mr Biden will say, according to the speech excerpts.

It will be Mr Biden’s first extended public remarks since he relented to pressure from fellow Democrats and announced on July 21 via social media that he had decided not to seek reelection on Nov 5.

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Mr Biden is the first incumbent president not to seek reelection since 1968 when Lyndon Johnson, under fire for his handling of the Vietnam War, abruptly pulled out of the campaign on March 31.

Mr Biden also joins James K Polk, James Buchanan, Rutherford B Hayes, Calvin Coolidge and Harry Truman as presidents who all decided not to stand for a second elected term.

Mr Biden faced calls to step aside after his rocky performance in the debate against Trump raised troubling questions about his mental acuity. The White House has denied that Mr Biden has any cognitive issues despite a recent increase in verbal slipups.

Mr Biden will say he will focus on his job as president over his remaining six months in office. He is to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 25 on efforts to negotiate a Gaza ceasefire.

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It will be the fourth time Mr Biden will use the formal setting of the Oval Office since taking office in 2021. His last Oval Office speech was on July 15 when he urged Americans to cool the political rhetoric after the attempted assassination of Trump.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said ahead of Biden’s speech: “He’s determined. He’s in good spirits. He wants to speak directly to the American people tonight. That is his focus. ... I think it’s going to be important.”

Mr Biden, she said, felt it was in the best interests of the Democratic Party that he step aside from running for reelection and focus on governing.

“We don’t see ourselves as a lame duck president at all,” she said.

Mr Biden’s political career began when he was elected to the Senate in 1972 at age 29, becoming the sixth youngest US senator. He will conclude his White House tenure on Jan 20, 2025, as the oldest American president when he will have already turned 82.

“The defence of democracy is more important than any title,” Mr Biden will say. “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.’”