President Biden Addresses Nation on Decision to Drop Out of 2024 Race

July 24, 2024

• Unidentified Speaker: OFFICE. HE WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT HIS DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE HE FIRST ANNOUNCED OVER THE WEEKEND. AFTER HIS REMARKS WILL BE OPENING OUR PHONE LINES TO GET YOUR REACTION.
• >> OUR FELLOW AMERICANS, I'M SPEAKING BEHIND THAT RESOLUTE DESK IN THE OVAL OFFICE. IN THIS SACRED SPACE I AM SURROUNDED BY PORTRAITS, EXTRAORDINARY AMERICAN PRESIDENTS. THOMAS JEFFERSON WROTE THE IMMORTAL WORDS THAT GUIDE THIS NATION. GEORGE WASHINGTON SHOWED US A PRESIDENTS ARE NOT KINGS. ABRAHAM LINCOLN EMPLOYED IS TO REJECT MALICE, INSPIRED US TO REJECT FEAR. I REVERE THIS OFFICE AND 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 IT 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 IS ABOUT YOU. YOUR FAMILIES, YOUR FUTURES, IT IS ABOUT WE THE PEOPLE. WE CAN NEVER FORGET THAT. AND I NEVER HAVE. I HAVEN'T MADE IT CLEAR I BELIEVE AMERICAN IS IT AN INFLECTION POINT. UNDER THE DECISIONS WE MAKE IT NOW DETERMINES NOWDETERMINE THE FATE OF OUR NAT NOWDETERMINE THE FATE OF OUR NAO NOWDETERMINE THE FATE OF OUR NAN AND THE WORLD FOR DECADES TO COME. AMERICA IS GOING TO HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MOVING FORWARD OR BACKWARD. BETWEEN HOPE AND HATE. BETWEEN UNITY AND DIVISION. WE HAVE TO DECIDE DO WE STILL BELIEVE IN HONESTY, DECENCY, RESPECT? FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY. IN THIS MOMENT WE CAN SEAT THOSE IN THIS MOMENT WE CAN SEAT THOSS IN THIS MOMENT WE CAN SEAT THOSE IN THIS MOMENT WE CAN SEAT THOST IN THIS MOMENT WE CAN SEAT THOSO IN THIS MOMENT WE CAN SEAT THOSE WE DISAGREE WITH NOT AS ENEMIES BUT HIS FELLOW AMERICANS, CAN WE DO THAT? THE CHARACTER IN PUBLIC LIFE STILL MATTER? I BELIEVE YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 2ND 2 2NOW THIS, WE ARE A GREAT NATION BECAUSE WE ARE GOOD PEOPLE. WHEN YOU ELECTED ME INTO THIS OFFICE I PROMISE TO ALWAYS LEVEL WITH YOU. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH. AND IN TRUTH, THE SACRED CAUSE OF THIS COUNTRY IS WISER THAN ANYONE OF US. THOSE OF US WHO CHERISH THAT COST CHERISH IT SO MUCH THE CAUSE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY ITSELF. WE MUST UNITE TO PROTECT IT. AND THAT RECENT WEEKS IT HAS BECOME CLEAR TO ME I NEEDED TO UNITE MY PARTY IN THIS CRITICAL ENDEAVOR. I BELIEVE MIGHT RECORD AS PRESIDENT, MY LEADERSHIP IN THE WORLD, I AM FOR AMERICANS FUTURE WORLD, I AM FOR AMERICANS FUTURE. 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 IS THE BEST WAY TO UNITE OUR NATION. 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. THAT TIME AND PLACES NOW. OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS I'LL BE FOCUSED ON DOING FOCUS ON DOING MY JOB AS PRESIDENT. I WILL CONTINUE LOWERING COSTS FOR HARD-WORKING FAMILIES, GROW OUR ECONOMY, I'LL KEEP DEFENDING HER PERSONAL FREEDOMS AND OUR PERSONAL RIGHTS FROM THE RIGHT TO VOTE TO THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE IT. I WILL KEEP CALLING OUT HATE IN EXTREME IS IT MAKE IT CLEAR THERE IS NO PLEASE COME IN A PLACE IN AMERICA FOR POLITICAL VIOLENCE OR ANY VIOLENCE EVER. WHEN WE KEEP SPEAKING OUT TO PROTECT OUR KIDS FROM GUN VIOLENCE, OUR PLANET FROM CLIMATE CRISIS IS AN EXISTENIAL THREAT, I'LL KEEP FIGHTING SO WE CAN AND CANCER AS WE KNOW IT BECAUSE WE CAN DO IT. I'M CRITICAL FOR SUPREME COURT REFORM BECAUSE THIS IS CRITICAL TO OUR DEMOCRACY. YOU KNOW 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 EACH CENTURY TO REPORT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THE UNITED STATES IS NOT AT WAR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. WILL KEEP A RALLYING TO STOP PUTIN FROM TAKING OVER UKRAINE DOING MORE DAMAGE. WILL KEEP NATO STRONGER AND I WILL MAKE IT MORE POWERFUL AND MORE UNITED THAN ANY TIME AND ALL OF OUR HISTORY. I WILL KEEP DOING THE SAME FOR ALLIES IN THE PACIFIC. WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM OVER CHINA WOULD NEVER REALLY SURPASSED THE UNITED STATES. THAT IS NOT THE CASE ANYMORE. I AM GOING TO KEEP WORKING TO END THE WAR IN GAZA, RELEASE THE HOSTAGES BRING PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND END THIS WAR. OR ARE ALSO WORKING ROUND-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 DATE I TOLD YOU WE WERE OUT WINTER OF APPAREL AND WINTER OF POSSIBILITIES. WE WERE IN THE GROUP OF THE WORST PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY BUT THE WORST ECONOMIC CRISIS SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION. THE WORST ATTACK ON OUR DEMOCRACY SINCE THE CIVIL WAR. BUT WE CAME TOGETHER AS AMERICANS. WE GOT THROUGH IT. WE ARE STRONGER, MORE PROSPEROUS AND MORE SECURE. TODAY WE HAVE THE STRONGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD CREATING NEARLY 16 MILLION NEW JOBS. WAGES ARE UP, INFLATION CONTINUES TO COME DOWN THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP IS THE LOWEST IT HAS BEEN 2N 20 YEARS. WE ARE LITERALLY REBUILDING OUR ENTIRE NATION URBAN, SUBURBAN, RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES. FACTORS HAVE COME BACK TO AMERICA WERE LEADING THE WORLD AGAIN AND CHIPS AGAIN IN CHIPS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION. WE FINALLY NEED TO BIG PHARMA AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS TO LOWER THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG FOR SENIORS. I'M GOING TO KEEP FIGHTING TO MAKE SURE IT LOWER THE COST FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST SENIORS. MORE PEOPLE OF HEALTHCARE TODAY IN AMERICA THAN EVER BEFORE. HELPING MILLIONS OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES EXPOSED OF TOXIC MATERIALS. YOU KNOW, EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. FIRST MAJOR GUN SAFETY LAW AND 30 YEARS. TODAY THROUGH VIOLENT CRIME RATE IS A 15 YEAR LOW. WERE ALSO SECURING OUR BORDER. BORDER CROSSINGS ARE LOWER TODAY THAN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION LEFT OFFICE. I KEPT MY COMMITMENT TO POINT THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE NICE HITS OF AMERICA. I ALSO KEPT MY COMMITMENT THE ADMINISTRATION THAT LOOKS LIKE AMERICA. TO BE A PRESIDENT FOR ALL AMERICANS THAT IS WHAT I HAVE DONE. IRAN FOR PRESIDENT FOUR YEARS AGO BECAUSE I BELIEVED AND STILL DO THE SOUL OF AMERICA IS AT STAKE. THE VERY NATURE OF WHO WE ARE WAS AT STAKE. THAT IS STILL THE CASE. AMERICA IS AN IDEA. AN IDEA STRONGER THAN ANY ARMY. BIGGER THAN ANY OCEAN THE MOST POWERFUL IDEA IN HISTORY OF THE WORLD. THAT IDEA WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT. WE ARE ALL CREATED EQUAL. LIFE, LIBERTY, PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. WE HAVE NEVER FULLY LIVED UP TO THE SACRED IDEA FOR WITH NEVER WALKED AWAY FROM IT, EITHER. I DID NOT BELIEVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WALK AWAY FROM IT NOW. I'M JUST A FEW MONTHS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CHOOSE A COURSE OF AMERICA'S FUTURE. I'VE MADE MY CHOICE. THE EXPERIENCE, SHE IS TOUGH SHE IS CAPABLE. SHE'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER TO ME IN THE LEADER FOR OUR COUNTRY. NOW THE CHOICE IS UP TO YOU, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE THE LAWS OF THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN IS HANGING ON MY WALL IN THE OVAL OFFICE. ALONG WITH THE BUST OF ALONG WITH THE BUS OF DOCTOR KING AND ROSA PARKS WENT BEN FRANKLIN WAS ASKED WAS EMERGE FROM THE CONVENTION GOING ON, WHERE THE FOUNDERS HAVE GIVEN AMERICA A REPUBLIC THE FRANK RESPONSE WAS IT'S A REPUBLIC, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT. IT IS A REPUBLIC IF YOU CAN KEEP IT. OR THAT WE KEEP REPUBLIC IS NOW IN YOUR HANDS MY FELLOW AMERICANS IT AMERICANS IT IS BEEN THE PRIVILEGE OF MY LIFE TO SERVE THIS NATION FOR OVER 50 YEARS OF. NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH COULD A KID THAT SET HER SOME MODEST BEGINNINGS IN SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA ONE DATE SIT BEHIND THE RESOLUTE DESK IN THE OVAL OFFICE AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. BUT HERE I AM. THAT IS WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT AMERICA WE ARE NATION OF PROMISE AND POSSIBILITY OF DREAMERS AND DOERS. ORDINARY AMERICANS ARE EXTRAORDINARY THINGS. I GIVE MY HEART MY I GIVE MY HEART AND MY SOUL TO OUR NATION. I'VE BEEN BLESSED A MILLION TIMES AND 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 HERE KINGS AND DICTATORS DO NOT RULE, THE PEOPLE DO. HISTORY IS IN YOUR HANDS. THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS. THE 2DEA 2F AMERICA LIES IN YOUR HANDS. YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE FAITH. AND REMEMBER WHO WE ARE. WE ARE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THERE IS 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 GOD PROTECT OUR TROOPS THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CORRECT ABOUT