President Joe Biden will hold an address from the Oval Office on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, his first public speech since withdrawing his candidacy and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Biden announced the speech in a post on social media, the same way he announced on Sunday that he would be dropping out of the race, noting that he would speak to “what lies ahead,” for the election, and how he intends to finish the remainder of his term.
Tomorrow evening at 8 PM ET, I will address the nation from the Oval Office on what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people.
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 23, 2024
“I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” the President wrote in a letter on Sunday. Biden said he planned to address the nation in the coming days on his decision.
Shortly after Biden withdrew his candidacy, he announced his endorsement of Harris “to be the nominee of our party this year.”
“Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” Biden wrote in another social media post.
The president is scheduled to return to the White House later this afternoon, according to multiple media reports, after isolating at his Delaware home while recovering from Covid. While he has not been seen publicly since testing positive and boarding a plane to Rehoboth, Biden called into his former campaign headquarters on Monday during Harris’ first visit since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee.
The Biden-Harris HQ in Delaware has been rebranded for the Harris campaign.
Biden said Monday that while he’s going to remain “fully engaged,” in the “six months left in my presidency,” stepping aside for the 2024 race was the “right decision.”
“Joe is not done, far from it,” Harris said.
“You’re the best, kid,” Biden said multiple times throughout the call, ensuring campaign staffers that he would be willing and able to support Harris in the race against former president Donald Trump.
