Biden says he put ‘personal ambition’ aside to ‘pass the torch’ to Harris for Trump battle

President

Joe
Biden
on
Wednesday
night
told
the
American
public
that
“the
defense
of
democracy
is
more
important
than
any
title,”
as
he
explained
his
stunning
decision
to

drop
out
of
the
presidential
election
and
endorse
Vice
President

Kamala
Harris
as
the

Democratic
Party’s
nominee.

“I
draw
strength,
and
find
joy,
in
working
for
the
American
people,”
Biden
said
from
the
Oval
Office.

“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.’
“

 “I
gave
my
heart
and
my
soul
to
our
nation,”
Biden
said.
“I
hope
you
have
some
idea
how
grateful
I
am
to
all
of
you.”

Biden’s
speech
comes
three
days
after
the
81-year-old
president
quit
the
race
against
former
President

Donald
Trump,
the
Republican
nominee,
and
threw
his

full
support
behind
Harris.

“I
have
decided
the
best
way
forward
is
to
pass
the
torch
to
a
new
generation,”
Biden
said.

“That
is
the
best
way
to
unite
our
nation.”

Biden,
without
mentioning
Trump
by
name,
nodded
to
the
threat
he
believes
the
Republican
represents
to
the
United
States
if
he
is
elected
in
November,
and
to
the
risk
Biden
would
have
run
if
he
remained
in
the
race.

“I
ran
for
president
four
years
ago
because
I
believed
and
still
do,
that
the
soul
of
America
was
a
stake,”
said
Biden,
who
defeated
Trump
in
2020.
“The
very
nature
of
who
we
are
was
a
stake.
And
that’s
still
the
case.”

But,
the
president
said
that
in
recent
weeks
it
had
been
made
clear
to
him
that
“I
need
to
unite
my
party
in
this
critical
endeavor.”

Biden
said
his
record
“merited
a
second
term.”

“But
nothing,
nothing
can
come
in
the
way
of
saving
our
democracy,”
the
president
said.
“That
includes
personal
ambition.”

Biden,
who
plans
to
serve
out
the
remainder
of
his
first
term,
which
ends
in
January,
returned
to
Washington
on
Tuesday
after
several
days
of
isolating
at
his
Delaware
beach
house,
recovering
from
Covid-19.

Biden’s
decision
to
exit
the
race
on
Sunday
during
that
Covid
quarantine
came
after
a
weeks-long
pressure
campaign
from
Democratic
lawmakers,
donors
and
strategists
calling
on
him
to
step
aside
after
his
stumbling
June
debate
performance
against
Trump.

The
debate
fumble
escalated
lingering
concerns
regarding
Biden’s
age
and
fitness
to
wage
a
successful
campaign
against
Trump,
much
less
complete
a
second
presidential
term.

Since
Sunday,
the
Biden-turned-Harris
campaign
has
been
in
a
honeymoon
phase.

Harris
has
secured
the
endorsements
of
hundreds
of
Democratic
lawmakers
and
governing
officials,
including
those
who
were
previously
floated
as
potential
contenders
to
replace
Biden
at
the
top
of
the
ticket.

Those
names
have
now
been
ruled
out
as
potential
Harris
challengers
and
instead
are
on
the
list
to
become
her
running
mate.

Harris
has
also
raked
in
record
levels
of
donations
online
and
from
high-dollar
donors.
Her
first
several
campaign
rallies
have
seen
more
attendees
than
any
the
campaign
has
seen
this
election
cycle.
And
she
is
starting
to
catch
up
to
Trump
in
the
polls,
according
to
initial
voter
surveys.

Biden
in
his
speech
Wednesday
gave
his
vice
president
another
full-throated
endorsement

“I
made
my
choice.
I
made
my
views
known.
I’d
like
to
thank
our
great
Vice
President
Kamala
Harris,”
he
said.
“She
experienced.
She’s
tough,
she’s
capable.
She’s
been
an
incredible
partner
to
me.
And
the
leader
for
our
country.
Now,
the
choice
is
up
to
you,
the
American
people. “

Biden
then
reminded
Americans
about
their
power
in
the
election.

“The
great
thing
about
America
is
here,
kings
and
dictators
do
not
rule,”
the
president
said.

“The
people
do.
History
is
in
your
hands.
The
power
is
in
your
hands.
The
idea
of
America
–
lies
in
your
hands.”

There
were
about
40
people
watching
Biden
in
the
Oval
Office
as
he
delivered
his
speech,
including
members
of
his
family.

When
he
finished
speaking,
those
in
attendance
applauded
for
about
a
minute.

First
lady
Jill
Biden
tweeted
a
handwritten
message
right
after
the
speech.

“To
those
who
never
wavered,
to
those
who
refused
to
doubt,
to
those
who
always
believed,
my
heart
is
full
of
gratitude,”
Jill
Biden
wrote.
“Thank
you
for
the
trust
you
put
in
Joe
—
now
it’s
time
to
put
that
trust
in
Kamala.”