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