DAILY BEAST
President Joe Biden, in a live, televised Oval Office address to the nation Wednesday, explained his decision to “pass the torch to a new generation” via his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, and, with a clear nod to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, told Americans that they have the power to make sure that “kings and dictators do not rule.”
Biden, having recovered from COVID, returned to Washington from Delaware earlier in the day, marking his first time back in the White House since ending his reelection bid last weekend.
“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation,” the president said in his second address from behind the Resolute Desk this month, and fourth overall.
“Over the next six months I will be focused on doing my job as President. 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 added.
Biden, who portrayed Trump as a threat to democratic institutions during his campaign, continued to emphasize that point.
“The defense of democracy is more important than any title. 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,’” he said.
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule,” he stressed. “The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
