BREAKING: Biden reveals he quit race to 'unite' Democrats and 'pass the torch' to 'new generation'

President Joe Biden gave a prime time speech from the Oval Office on Wednesday, reading from a teleprompter that seemed slightly too high for his line of sight. He spoke about the legacy of the presidency, said the loved the office, and then explained why he was stepping down from the campaign and handing the reigns to his VP Kamala Harris. "The defense of democracy, which is at stake, is more important than any title," he said.

"I've made it clear that America is at an inflection point," he said, before echoing the exact same words spoken by his press secretary earlier that day in the briefing room, "one of those rare moments in history where the decisions we make now will determine our fate of our nation and the world for decades to come America is going to have to choose between moving forward or backward. Between hope and hate, between unity and division," he said.

He stumbled over his words before addressing the necessity of "character in public life." Biden spoke about the need to "unite to protect" democracy and said the he left the race to "unite" his party. "In recent weeks," he said, "it's become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future, all merited a second term."

"Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy, and that includes personal ambition. And I've decided that the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation. You know, there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life, there's also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, and yes, younger voices, and that time and a place is now."

Biden tapped on his desk with his finger for emphasis and seemed to clearly be saying that the way to unite his party was to give them a candidate people believed could win where they knew, after his debate against Trump, he couldn't. Biden's press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had said outright that Biden was not stepping down due to his health, and encouraged reporters to watch his speech.

In that speech, he said that he's stepped out of the race for his political party and because he suddenly realized he's too old to win. He is 81 years old.

He promised to keep doing his job and claimed that as part of that job, he's "the first president in this century to be able to report to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world." The US is currently providing billions upon billions in cash and weapons to Ukraine to aid in their war and is also financially bolstering both sides of the conflict in Israel after a terror attack on that nation in October 2023.

Biden then spoke about the war he got the US into, the one between the US and Russia, saying "we'll keep rallying a coalition of proud nations to stop Putin from taking over Ukraine and doing more damage." And he promised to make NATO "more powerful and more united than at any time in history."

Biden then proceeded to deliver rhetoric on his accomplishments, attempting to solidify his legacy for his three and a half years in office. He pressed his record on diversity and having appointed a Supreme Court justice based solely on her race and sex alone. He then praised his first DEI hire, VP Kamala Harris, who he chose as his running mate after promising to choose a black woman for that position.

"Whether we keep our republic is in your hands," he said. The speech sounded more like a departure at the end of a term than that of a man who still has a job until January. 

"History is your hands, the power is your hands, the idea of America lies in your hands," he said, intimating that only the unelected VP to whom the nomination was given without a single vote is the democratic choice to lead. "You just have to keep faith, keep the faith.

"Remember who we are, we are the United States of America, and there is simply nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. So let's act together, preserve our democracy."