President Biden will mark a momentous turning point in his long political career Wednesday evening with a speech from the Oval Office explaining why he dropped his bid for a second term and how he plans to spend his final six months in office.
The speech, at 5 p.m. PDT, will be carried by the major networks and cable news outlets, marking Biden’s first extended remarks about the decision he announced Sunday to leave the presidential race.
Biden is expected to outline his accomplishments and talk about his goals for the rest of his term, while also making his case to the American people about why they should make Vice President Kamala Harris his successor.
The 81-year-old president said on social media Tuesday that he would address “what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people.”
Only last week, Biden had scoffed at the notion he would leave the race. Speaking at the NAACP’s national convention in Las Vegas, he called out to the audience: “So let me ask you, are you all in?” The loud response: “All in!” To which Biden retorted: “Because I’m all in!”
But just a day later, on July 17, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) joined those calling on Biden to step aside, saying “it is time to pass the torch” to new leaders in the Democratic Party. According to news accounts, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) also informed Biden that she thought he could not win the Nov. 5 election.
Political observers said the views of the two Californians were crucial to Biden’s decision to drop out of his rematch with former President Trump. Biden had been in Rehoboth Beach, Del., recovering from COVID-19 since last Thursday when he made the decision to withdraw.
He quickly threw his support behind Harris, saying that picking her as his running mate in 2020 was “the best decision I’ve made.” He added: “It’s time to come together and beat Trump.”
Democratic officials and rank-and-file members quickly coalesced around the vice president, making her the all-but-certain presidential nominee when the party holds its convention in Chicago, starting Aug. 19.
Harris also got good news from her campaign treasurer: She raised $81 million in the 24 hours after Biden announced he would not seek another term — the largest campaign haul over that period in history.
Based on his brief remarks on social media leading up to the speech, Biden seemed intent on supporting Harris and reminding people he remains president.
On X Tuesday, @POTUS said: “This afternoon, I arrived back at the Oval Office and sat down with my national security team for my daily intelligence briefing. Serving as your Commander-in-Chief continues to be the greatest honor of my life.”