Biden to deliver Oval Office address on decision not to seek reelection as Harris and Trump hit the trail
President Joe Biden is set to deliver one of the most historic speeches in his half-century life in politics as he addresses the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday about his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
President Joe Biden is preparing to deliver one of the most significant speeches of his political career, spanning half a century. On Wednesday, he will address the nation from the Oval Office to explain his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. This address, scheduled for 8 p.m., will be his first in-depth comments since his announcement on Sunday that he would not seek re-election and would endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. This surprising development concluded a period of Democratic concern about the party's frontrunner.
Harris, who swiftly secured the required delegate support to secure the Democratic nomination, embarked on her campaign trail in Wisconsin, a critical battleground state, on Tuesday. She sought to highlight distinctions between herself and former President Donald Trump, who will hold his first campaign rally in North Carolina following Biden's exit. Biden, who returned to the White House on Tuesday after recovering from Covid-19, started drafting his highly anticipated speech while quarantined in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, according to senior officials.
The president and his long-time communications advisor, Mike Donilon, a former pollster, began working on the speech soon after Biden disclosed his decision to withdraw from the race, bowing to mounting intraparty pressure. Donilon played a pivotal role in presenting the data that influenced Biden's choice to step aside. Biden intends to use his primetime address to explain to Americans the reasoning behind his difficult decision, which he stated in his Sunday letter was made "in the best interest of my party and the country."
Oval Office addresses have traditionally been reserved for grave occasions when presidents address the nation during times of national crisis or make significant policy announcements. This will be only the fourth time Biden has used this setting as president, and the second time in ten days, following his remarks after the assassination attempt on Trump earlier this month. Biden has also utilized the Oval Office to discuss last year's Hamas attack on Israel and the passage of a bipartisan budget agreement.
As with all of Biden's speeches during his presidency, officials anticipate that this address will be a work in progress until the moment of delivery. The balance between highlighting his core achievements over the past 3½ years in office and outlining his agenda for the remaining six months of his presidency is still being determined. During Harris' visit to the campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday, Biden briefly joined via phone call, pledging "to get as much done as I possibly can" before his term ends.
As the party shifts its focus to Harris' candidacy, reallocating prominent fundraisers from across the country to her campaign, there is also an effort to solidify Biden's legacy. Biden is expected to devote the coming days and weeks to reflecting on the impact of his single term in office. However, as a source told CNN, discussions about his legacy have not yet commenced in earnest, given the recent nature of his decision to withdraw. When asked by a reporter what the nation should anticipate from his upcoming address, Biden replied, "Watch and listen."
Harris, who swiftly secured the required delegate support to secure the Democratic nomination, embarked on her campaign trail in Wisconsin, a critical battleground state, on Tuesday. She sought to highlight distinctions between herself and former President Donald Trump, who will hold his first campaign rally in North Carolina following Biden's exit. Biden, who returned to the White House on Tuesday after recovering from Covid-19, started drafting his highly anticipated speech while quarantined in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, according to senior officials.
The president and his long-time communications advisor, Mike Donilon, a former pollster, began working on the speech soon after Biden disclosed his decision to withdraw from the race, bowing to mounting intraparty pressure. Donilon played a pivotal role in presenting the data that influenced Biden's choice to step aside. Biden intends to use his primetime address to explain to Americans the reasoning behind his difficult decision, which he stated in his Sunday letter was made "in the best interest of my party and the country."
Oval Office addresses have traditionally been reserved for grave occasions when presidents address the nation during times of national crisis or make significant policy announcements. This will be only the fourth time Biden has used this setting as president, and the second time in ten days, following his remarks after the assassination attempt on Trump earlier this month. Biden has also utilized the Oval Office to discuss last year's Hamas attack on Israel and the passage of a bipartisan budget agreement.
As with all of Biden's speeches during his presidency, officials anticipate that this address will be a work in progress until the moment of delivery. The balance between highlighting his core achievements over the past 3½ years in office and outlining his agenda for the remaining six months of his presidency is still being determined. During Harris' visit to the campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday, Biden briefly joined via phone call, pledging "to get as much done as I possibly can" before his term ends.
As the party shifts its focus to Harris' candidacy, reallocating prominent fundraisers from across the country to her campaign, there is also an effort to solidify Biden's legacy. Biden is expected to devote the coming days and weeks to reflecting on the impact of his single term in office. However, as a source told CNN, discussions about his legacy have not yet commenced in earnest, given the recent nature of his decision to withdraw. When asked by a reporter what the nation should anticipate from his upcoming address, Biden replied, "Watch and listen."