STORY: Biden expounds on decision to drop out of presidential race
SHOOTING TIME: July 24, 2024
DATELINE: July 25, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:47
LOCATION: Washington D.C.
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOE BIDEN, U.S. President
2. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOE BIDEN, U.S. President
3. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JOE BIDEN, U.S. President
4. various of Trump's social media post
6. various of Kamala Harris at the White House (file)

STORYLINE:

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday night addressed the nation from the White House Oval Office to explain his decision to withdraw from the presidential race, with the election less than four months away.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOE BIDEN, U.S. President
"I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future, all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation."

Biden made the statement in an 11-minute prime-time speech, which came three days after he announced on social media that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

Concerns about his age and mental fitness surged following his disastrous debate performance on June 27, prompting over 30 Democratic lawmakers to publicly urge him to step aside.

Noting that America is at "an inflection point," the president said the decisions Americans make now determine the fate of the nation and the world for decades to come.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOE BIDEN, U.S. President
"Americans will have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division. We have to decide, do we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice, and democracy?"

After announcing his withdrawal, Biden offered his full support for nominating Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate and urged Democrats to unite to defeat the Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump.

Harris quickly gained the endorsements of numerous Democratic Party leaders, and said late Monday that she has secured enough support from Democratic delegates to become the party's nominee for the presidential election in November.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JOE BIDEN, U.S. President
"In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America's future. I made my choice. I made my views known. I'd like to thank our great Vice President Kamala Harris. She's experienced, she's tough, she's capable. She's been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people." 

Trump, who held his first public campaign rally since Biden's exit from the race in North Carolina on Wednesday, took to social media to attack Biden.

"Crooked Joe Biden's Oval Office speech was barely understandable, and sooo bad!" Trump said in a post from his Truth Social. In another post, he called Biden and Harris "a great embarrassment to America."

At her first presidential campaign event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, Harris harshly criticized Trump and sought to frame the November general election as a choice between a former prosecutor and a convicted felon.

Currently, Harris's approval ratings are not particularly high, and she does not significantly outperform Biden in polls against Trump. According to the latest data compiled by Real Clear Politics, Trump leads Harris by an average of 1.7 percentage points in national polls.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Washington D.C.
(XHTV)