President Joe Biden framed the decision to end his re-election campaign as a “defense of democracy” in an Oval Office address Wednesday night, NBC News reports.
“I revere this office, but I love my country more. The defense of democracy is more important than any title,” Biden said. “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.’”
It is rare for a president to relinquish power voluntarily, without the force of rejection by the electorate or the limits of the Constitution. Biden, who acceded to heavy pressure from within his own party to step aside as a candidate, cast his choice as one made in the interest of the nation and called on Americans to join him to “preserve our democracy.”
He and other Democrats consistently argue that former President Donald Trump, whose refusal to concede after he lost the 2020 election to Biden culminated in a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to stop the certification process, is a threat to democracy.
“America’s going to have to choose between moving forward or backward,” Biden said, without directly mentioning Trump. “Between hope and hate. Between unity and division.”
He added, “Our republic is now in your hands.”
Biden offered praise for Harris on Wednesday night.
“She’s experienced, she’s tough, she’s capable,” Biden said. “She’s been an incredible partner to me and leader for our country.”
In leaving the nomination to her, Biden became the first eligible incumbent to cede his party’s presidential nod since Lyndon Johnson in 1968.