President Joe Biden on Wednesday made his first public appearance since ending his bid for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination over the weekend.
In a televised address from the Oval Office, Biden framed his decision to step aside as a matter of protecting democracy. “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 is more important than any title,” said the president.
“I believe, my record as President, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future, all merited at a second term, but nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy that includes personal ambition,” he continued. “So I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.”
The president also emphasized the importance of the upcoming election, and said, “I ran for President four years ago because I believed and still do, that the soul of America was a stake. The very nature of who we are is at stake.” Before concluding his address, Biden showed his full support for Harris: “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.”
On Sunday, Biden issued a public letter on his official social media accounts, writing that “it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
Shortly after making the announcement, the president threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor to lead the 2024 Democratic ticket. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” Biden wrote on social media. “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Harris has managed to quickly coalesce the support of prominent Democratic lawmakers and a majority of convention delegates behind her bid. By Monday night, at least 2,579 delegates — scores more than the 1,976 needed to secure the nomination — had pledged their support to the vice president, making her the presumptive nominee.
“When I announced my campaign for president, I said I intended to go out and earn this nomination,” Harris wrote in a Monday statement. “Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee,” she said, adding: “I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon.”
Harris will likely be officially confirmed before the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled to begin on August 19, in a virtual roll call vote sometime in the coming weeks. In the meantime, Harris is raising astronomical amounts in small-dollar donations, and vetting potential candidates who could fill the vice presidential slot on her presumptive ticket.
Some of the names under consideration include Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.