US President Joe Biden announced in a televised address that he has decided to end his re-election campaign to prioritize the preservation of US democracy.
At 81, Biden expressed that he believed his record as president deserved a second term but concluded that saving democracy took precedence over his candidacy.
He endorsed US Vice-President Kamala Harris as his successor to bring unity to both the Democratic Party and the nation.
This address marked Biden’s first public appearance since withdrawing from the race on July 21, clearing the way for Harris to seek the party’s nomination.
In response, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump criticized Harris during a rally, describing her as a “radical left lunatic.”
Opinion polls so far indicate a tight race between the former president and Ms Harris in a hypothetical match-up.
In his address on Wednesday night, Mr Biden spoke for 11 minutes from the Oval Office, with his wife, Jill, son, Hunter, and daughter, Ashley, in the room alongside some key White House staff.
“I revere this office,” he said. “But I love my country more.”
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” added Mr Biden, who has been in public office for over half a century. “That is the best way to unite our nation.”
The president vowed to “finish the job for the American people” before the end of his term in January next year and called Ms Harris, 59, an “experienced, tough, capable” partner.
Mr Biden said he believed his record warranted a second term. But “nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy”, he continued. “That includes personal ambition”.
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
As the White House press corps was being escorted out, they heard applause from family members and staff while President Biden spoke quietly.
Biden did not address the three weeks of escalating pressure from top Democrats and donors urging him to step aside following his poor debate performance against Trump last month.
Trump, 78, criticized Biden on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that the president “was barely understandable, and sooo bad!”
Earlier in the day, at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, Trump attacked both Biden and Harris, calling Biden the most damaging president in US history. He also described Harris as a “radical left lunatic” and accused her of being the driving force behind Biden’s failures.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, at a briefing earlier, clarified that Biden’s departure was “not about his health,” though she did not provide further details. She also refuted claims of a “cover-up” regarding Biden’s cognitive abilities.
In a separate event, Jean-Pierre spoke to the historically Black Zeta Phi Beta sorority in Indianapolis, emphasizing that Biden’s new campaign is “not playing around” and seeking their support for the upcoming election.
“In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation, one focused on the future, the other focused on the past,” she said. “And with your support, I am fighting for our nation’s future.”
She would be the first black, South-Asian American and woman president, though she needs black voters to turn out in November.
However, Black Lives Matter, the activist group, said in a statement on Tuesday that Democrats were seeking to “manipulate Black voters” by installing Ms Harris at the behest of billionaire donors in a “blatant disregard for democratic principles”.
President Biden is the first sitting president to forgo re-election since 1968, when Lyndon Johnson withdrew from his campaign amid declining popularity due to the Vietnam War.
Some Republicans have urged Biden to resign from the presidency, arguing that if he is unable to run for re-election, he cannot effectively lead the country. The White House has dismissed this claim.
On Thursday, Biden is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and will also speak with the families of US hostages currently held in Gaza.