President Joe Biden addressed the American people in a nationally broadcast speech explaining that he had chosen to drop out of his shaky re-election campaign in an effort to preserve democracy.
July 25th was Biden’s first official address at the White House after dropping out of the race on July 21st. He encouraged VP Harris to seek the party’s candidacy.
The eighty-one-year-old President seemed to suggest his presidency merited a second term, but he realized his personal goals and ambitions would become a stumbling block for democracy. He said that he would pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris to bring Democrats and the country together.
Biden’s speech was minutes long, and he was joined in the Oval Office by First Lady Jill Biden, members of his immediate family, and a few White House staffers.
After his crushing debate against President Donald Trump, Biden was under increasing pressure from party members and donors to resign due to questions about his capacity to serve another term. Media pundits on both sides noted that the President lost his composure, appeared sickly, and responded incoherently at times.
His critics also noted that he didn’t approach the topic of his campaign’s collapse and the likelihood of his election loss against Donald Trump. Biden did not mention the growing calls for him to step down. Questions about his mental capacity and fragility have also dominated his campaign for months, but he chose not to address those either.
In response, former President Donald Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social, that Biden’s speech was so poor that he could hardly be understood.
While addressing a crowd in North Carolina earlier in the day, the Republican nominee criticized both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, labeling Biden as the most destructive President in US history.
During a news conference on the day of Biden’s speech, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t say much, but she did say that Biden’s exit had nothing to do with his health. She told the press pool that Biden had no cognitive issues and there was no coverup.
