Highlights from Biden's historic Oval Office speech after withdrawing from 2024 presidential race

Insider

President Joe Biden addressed the nation in a rare speech delivered from the Oval Office. It was his first public appearance since announcing he would not run for reelection. These are the highlights.

Transcript

00:00It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president.

00:04But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it's more important than any title,

00:10I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people.

00:15But this sacred task of perfecting our union, it's not about me. It's about you,

00:22your families, your futures. It's about we, the people, that I believe America is at an

00:29inflection point. One of those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now

00:35will determine our fate of our nation and the world for decades to come.

00:40America is going to have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate,

00:48between unity and division. We have to decide do we still believe in honesty, decency, respect,

00:56freedom, justice, and democracy. In this moment, we can see those we disagree with not as enemies

01:05but as fellow Americans. Can we do that? Does character in public life still matter?

01:12You know, in recent weeks, it's become clear to me that I need to unite my party

01:17in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world,

01:25my vision for America's future all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in

01:33the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So I've decided the best way

01:40forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation.

01:48You know, there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life.

01:54There's also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices.

02:01And that time and place is now.

02:05Over the next six months, I'll be focused on doing my job as president.

02:10That means I'll continue to lower costs for hardworking families,

02:14grow our economy. I'll keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights,

02:19from the right to vote to the right to choose.

02:23I'll keep calling out hate and extremism, making clear there is no place, no place in America

02:28for political violence or any violence ever, period.

02:34I'm going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence,

02:39our planet from climate crisis that is the existential threat.

02:42And I will keep fighting for my cancer moonshot so we can end cancer as we know it,

02:49because we can do it. I'm going to call for Supreme Court reform,

02:55because this is critical to our democracy, Supreme Court reform.

03:00You know, I'll keep working to ensure America remains strong and secure and the leader of the

03:07free world. I'm the first president in this century to report to the American people that

03:14the United States is not at war anywhere in the world. We'll keep rallying a coalition of proud

03:21nations to stop Putin from taking over Ukraine and doing more damage. We'll keep NATO stronger,

03:29and I'll make it more powerful and more united than any time in all of our history.

03:33And I'm going to keep working to end the war in Gaza, bring home all the hostages,

03:38and bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war.

03:43We're also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained

03:47all around the world. You know, we've come so far since my inauguration.

03:55On that day, I told you as I stood in that winter, we're stood in a winter of peril

04:02and a winter of possibilities, peril of possibilities.

04:07We're in the grip of the — we were in the grip of the worst pandemic in a century,

04:11the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression,

04:15the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. But we came together as Americans,

04:22and we got through it. We emerged stronger, more prosperous, and more secure.

04:28Today, we have the strongest economy in the world, creating nearly 16 million new jobs

04:32a record. Wages are up. And when the previous administration left office,

04:38I've kept my commitment to appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court of the United

04:42States of America. I also kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America

04:48and be a President for all Americans. That's what I've done.

04:52I ran for President four years ago because I believed and still do that the soul of America

04:58was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake. America is an idea, an idea stronger

05:05than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It's the

05:12most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that we hold these truths to be

05:18That idea is that we hold these truths to be self-evident.

05:22We're all created equal. Endow America with certain inalienable rights,

05:26life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. I'd like to thank our great Vice President Kamala Harris.

05:32She's experienced. She's tough. She's capable. She's been an incredible partner to me

05:38and a leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people. Whether we

05:44keep our republic is now in your hands. My fellow Americans, it's been the privilege of my life

05:51to serve this nation for over 50 years. Nowhere else on earth could a kid with a stutter

05:58from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Claymont, Delaware,

06:02one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States.

06:08Here I am. That's what's so special about America. We're a nation of promise and possibilities,

06:16of dreamers and doers, of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things.

06:22I've given my heart and my soul to our nation, like so many others. I've been blessed a million

06:30times in return with the love and support of the American people. I hope you have some idea

06:36how grateful I am to all of you. The great thing about America is here kings and dictators do not

06:44rule, the people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America

06:54lies in your hands. You just have to keep faith, keep the faith. And remember who we are. We're

07:01the United States of America and there's simply nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do

07:07it together. So let's act together, preserve our democracy. God bless you all and may God protect

07:15our troops. Thank you.

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