Yahoo News Staff
Updated
President Biden spoke to the nation in a primetime address from the Oval Office tonight, three days after dropping his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement to take on former President Donald Trump this fall.
Biden explained his decision to drop out of the 2024 race, telling the American people that the "defense of democracy is more important than any title."
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation," Biden said. "That is the best way to unite our nation."
“Over the next six months I will be focused on doing my job as President," he said, confirming that he plans to remain in office through the end of his term. "That means I will continue to lower costs for hard-working families and grow our economy. I will keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights — from the right to vote to the right to choose.”
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David Knowles
4 key takeaways from Biden’s speech on his decision to drop out of the 2024 race
In a speech delivered from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, President Biden cast his decision to exit the 2024 presidential race was motivated by a desire to protect the country from the consequences of a Trump victory in November.
"I revere this office, but I love my country more,” Biden said. “It has been the honor of my life to serve as your president, but in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, there’s things more important than any title.”
Read more from Yahoo News
Dylan Stableford
Obama praises Biden's speech
Former President Barack Obama posted his reaction to President Biden's Oval Office speech on X.
“The sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us.”
Joe Biden has stayed true to these words again and again over a lifetime of service to the American people. Thank you, @POTUS.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 25, 2024
Dylan Stableford
Trump weighs in on Biden's address
In a short post on his Truth Social social media platform, former President Trump said that Biden's Oval Office speech was "barely understandable, and sooo bad!"
In a follow-up post written in all-caps, he said: "CROOKED JOE BIDEN AND LYIN’ KAMALA HARRIS ARE A GREAT EMBARRASSMENT TO AMERICA — THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME LIKE THIS!"
Dylan Stableford
Biden to meet with Netanyahu in the Oval Office tomorrow afternoon
President Biden will host a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, the White House said.
After the meeting, Biden and Netanyahu will meet with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas in the Cabinet Room of the Oval Office.
Netanyahu will also meet separately with Vice President Kamala Harris and with Donald Trump on Friday before returning to Israel.
Dylan Stableford
Biden celebrates with White House staff after his speech
Following his address to the nation, President Biden spoke to hundreds of White House staffers who had gathered in the Rose Garden to watch his speech.
NBC's Peter Alexander posted a photo of smiling Biden on X.
Ice cream for everyone! Hundreds of @WhiteHouse staffers celebrate @POTUS in the Rose Garden after his historic Oval Office address. @TODAYshow @NBCNews @NBCNightlyNews pic.twitter.com/CIyuruZd8d
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) July 25, 2024
See AlsoNearly all AT&T cell customers’ call and text records exposed in a massive breach | CNN BusinessHow to Watch Athletics vs. Angels: TV Channel & Live Stream - July 21Legendary Rolls-Royce Designer Slain at Luxury HomeHow to know if you were affected by the AT&T data breach and what to do nextDylan Stableford
Biden's family was in the Oval Office with him during his address
According to Linda Feldmann, Washington bureau chief for the Christian Science Monitor and the designated White House pool reporter, President Biden's family was inside the Oval Office during his address. Seated along the curved oval wall of the office were Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, his daughter Finnegan Biden, Ashley Biden and her husband, Howard Krein, Naomi Biden Neal and her husband, Peter Neal.
From the pool report:
From inside the Oval, POTUS’ voice was very soft as he addressed the nation. Your pooler stood at the back of the room and had to listen intently to hear him. At times he was barely audible, and then would get a bit louder.
Toward the end of remarks, Ashley Biden reached for the hand of her mother, Jill Biden, who was seated next to her.
Standing in the back were Karine Jean-Pierre, Annie Tomasini, and other White House staff including a large TV production crew.
The president's remarks ended at 8:12 and the assembled family and staff broke into applause. Jill Biden then walked to the Resolute Desk and stood next to her husband. "This has been the honor of a lifetime," POTUS said, followed by other words of gratitude which were almost impossible to hear. Your pooler was ushered out as POTUS spoke, and then there was more applause as he apparently finished speaking.
Dylan Stableford
Trump watched Biden's speech on his plane after his rally in Charlotte
After a campaign rally in Charlotte, N.C., Donald Trump watched President Biden's address to the nation.
New York Times photographer Doug Mills, who captured a photo of what appeared to be a bullet during the attempted assassination of Trump earlier this month, snapped a photo of the former president watching Biden from his plane.
.@realDonaldTrump watches President Biden’s address to the Nation, from his plane following a rally in Charlotte, NC. pic.twitter.com/ohDhsqtVqC
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 25, 2024
Dylan Stableford
Jill Biden: 'My heart is full of gratitude'
First lady Jill Biden posted a quick response to President Biden's speech on X.
"To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude," she wrote. "Thank you for the trust you put in Joe — now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala. Love, Jill."
To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude.
Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.
Love,
Jill pic.twitter.com/NakOWknWlC— Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) July 25, 2024
Dylan Stableford
Biden says he put personal ambition aside in passing the torch to Harris
In his Oval Office address explaining his decision to drop out of the race, President Biden acknowledged that it was time "pass the torch to a new generation."
"Nothing, nothing, can come in the way of saving our democracy," he said in a 10-minute speech. "That includes personal ambition."
"I draw strength, and find joy, in working for the American people," Biden said. "But this sacred task of perfecting our union is not about me. It’s about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘We the People.’”
Biden said he plans to finish out his term by working on several initiatives, including reforms to the Supreme Court.
He did not mention former President Donald Trump by name, but made veiled references to what he sees as the danger of a possible second Trump term.
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule," Biden said. "The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
Dylan Stableford
Biden concludes speech
President Biden wrapped up his historic address to the nation by reflecting on his career in public service and his unlikely path to the presidency.
"It's been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years," Biden said. "Nowhere else on Earth could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pa., Claremont, Del., one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as president of the United States. But here I am."
His speech lasted just over 10 minutes.
David Knowles
Biden touts his accomplishments
From falling crime rates to appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Biden listed what he saw as some of his administration's biggest accomplishments, while he also pledged to keep working on his agenda until his successor is sworn into office in January.
David Knowles
Biden says he will keep working
In a speech in which he sometimes stumbled over his words, Biden said he will continue to "keep working" as president on Supreme Court reforms, ending the war in Gaza and other pressing issues.
David Knowles
Biden: 'I promised to always level with you'
During Wednesday's address, Biden said he "promised to always level with you."
Dylan Stableford
Biden addresses the nation: 'I revere this office, but I love this country more'
Speaking to the nation for the first time since dropping his bid for reelection, President Biden said, "I revere this office, but I love this country more."
“The defense of democracy is more important than any title," Biden said in a speech from the Oval Office on Wednesday night. "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’s about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘We the People.’”
Dylan Stableford
What Biden plans to say tonight
In explaining his decision to drop out of the 2024 race, President Joe Biden plans to tell Americans that the "defense of democracy is more important than any title" tonight in his Oval Office address, according to excerpts of his remarks released by news outlets ahead of the speech.
"I draw strength, and find joy, in working for the American people," Biden plans to say. "But this sacred task of perfecting our union is not about me. It’s about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘We the People.’”
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation," Biden plans to say, according tothe excerpts. "That is the best way to unite our nation."
“Over the next six months I will be focused on doing my job as President," he plans to say. "That means I will continue to lower costs for hard-working families and grow our economy. I will keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights — from the right to vote to the right to choose.”
He is also expected to reference what he sees as the danger of former President Donald Trump possibly returning to office.
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule," Biden plans to say. "The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
David Knowles
Trump: 'I'm not going to be nice'
At a campaign rally on Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C., former President Donald Trump said that despite being grazed by a bullet at a rally in Pennsylvania, he would not change the tone of his remarks about his political opponents.
"You know, I was supposed to be nice. They say something happened to me when I got shot. I became nice. And when you're dealing with these people, they're very dangerous people," Trump told his audience. "When you're dealing with them you can't be too nice, you really can't. So, if you don't mind, I'm not going to be nice. Is that OK?"
Trump: You know, I was supposed to be nice. They say something happened to me when I got shot. I became nice… If you don't mind, I'm not going to be nice. Is that okay? pic.twitter.com/XEpUcIJwyR
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 24, 2024
A Yahoo News/YouGov poll released Wednesday found that just 28% of Americans believe that the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania "changed Trump for the better."
David Knowles
Georgia's former lieutenant governor, a Republican, endorses Harris
Geoff Duncan, a Republican who served as lieutenant governor of Georgia from 2019 to 2023, endorsed Kamala Harris for president on Wednesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
A lifelong Republican, Duncan has said he is "committed to beating Donald Trump," and had previously endorsed Biden for reelection.
"Let's beat Donald Trump the best possible way we can," Duncan said on a podcast interview that aired Wednesday. "If that takes me endorsing [Harris], if that takes me voting for her, if that takes me speaking at a convention, so be it."
Katie Mather
Netanyahu's speech receives praise from Republicans
California Rep. Mike Garcia of California offered Netanyahu praise for his speech to Congress on Wednesday.
“On one side of this war is our greatest ally and their democratically elected leaders, who are fighting to reclaim hostages — including eight American hostages — and root terrorists out of Gaza," Garcia said in a statement. "On the other side is Hamas — a U.S.-designated terrorist organization — which began this war with its mass murder, rape and kidnapping on Oct. 7, and whose leaders pledge to do it ‘again and again.’ This is a clear case of good and evil.”
Prior to the speech, several Republicans voiced their strong support for the Israeli leader.
"Today, we will welcome Israeli Prime Minister @netanyahu to the Capitol to deliver remarks to a joint meeting of Congress," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a post on X. "As Israel fights a just war for its survival, and eight American hostages remain in captivity, his testimony to Congress is critical. Our two nations must continue to stand together to bring our hostages home safely and send a clear message of unity to our common enemies."
Katie Mather
Roughly half of Democrats in Congress skip Netanyahu's speech
Only about 100 of 212 House Democrats and 28 of 51 Senate Democrats attended Netanyahu's speech on Wednesday, Axios reported. That was a significant uptick in Democrats boycotting the Israeli prime minister compared with his 2015 speech to Congress, when 58 Democrats gave the speech a miss.
Some Democrats who do not support Netanyahu did attend his speech on Wednesday, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the only Palestinian American in Congress, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York.
David Knowles
Democrats set Aug. 1 vote to formally nominate Harris as nominee for president
Democratic National Committee chairman Jaime Harrison said Wednesday that the party's rules committee had scheduled a tentative date of Aug. 1 for when delegates will hold a virtual vote on who will replace Biden as the party's presidential nominee for 2024.
In order to qualify to be considered as a potential nominee, a candidate must have the support of at least 300 party delegates, no more than 50 of which can be from a single state, the New York Times reported.
Harris has already amassed the support of enough delegates to win the nomination, according to the Associated Press, and no credible challengers have stepped forward to announce their own bid to become the nominee.
Unless another candidate meets the delegate criteria to be added to virtual ballots, the vote to cement Harris as the party's nominee will be held on Aug. 1, Harrison said.
