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WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden, successful a uncommon Oval Office code to the nation, volition talk extensively for the archetypal clip connected his determination to retreat from the 2024 contention and his plans for what volition present beryllium the last fewer months of his agelong governmental career.
Biden volition present remarks astatine 8 p.m. ET connected Wednesday, 3 days aft his bombshell announcement successful a missive addressed to "my chap Americans" that helium was stepping distant from the run trail.
He is besides acceptable to sermon however helium volition "finish the job" -- the operation that became his reelection motto arsenic helium campaigned for a 2nd word against his 2020 rival Donald Trump.
That predetermination conflict came to an extremity connected Sunday arsenic Biden acquiesced to a period of aggravated unit from Democrats to alteration people aft his mediocre statement show reignited questions astir his property and whether helium could successfully instrumentality connected Trump to triumph different 4 years successful office.
"It has been the top grant of my beingness to service arsenic your President," Biden wrote successful the missive posted to societal media arsenic helium recovered from COVID-19 astatine his residence successful Rehoboth, Delaware.
RELATED: President Biden returns to DC from Delaware aft antagonistic COVID test
"And portion it has been my volition to question reelection, I judge it is successful the champion involvement of my enactment and the state for maine to basal down and to absorption solely connected fulfilling my duties arsenic President for the remainder of my term," helium wrote. "I volition talk to the Nation aboriginal this week successful much item astir my decision."
Biden rapidly passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, who began campaigning successful earnest to go the Democratic nominee. Her archetypal halt was to the Biden-Harris team's office successful Wilmington, Delaware, connected Monday.
The president called successful to the lawsuit to code his unit and reiterate his enactment for Harris.
"I cognize yesterday's quality was astonishing and hard for you to hear," Biden said. "But it was the close happening to do."
He besides told them their ngo hasn't changed and that helium volition beryllium by Harris' broadside from present until November.
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"And by the way, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to beryllium retired determination connected the run with her, with Kamala. I'm going to beryllium moving similar hell, some arsenic a sitting president getting authorities passed arsenic good arsenic successful campaigning," helium said.
Still, Wednesday's ceremonial code connected his 2024 exit is bound to beryllium an affectional infinitesimal for Biden, arsenic it marks the opening of the extremity of his decades-long vocation successful nationalist service.
Biden began arsenic 1 of the youngest senators successful United States past and spent 36 years representing Delaware connected Capitol Hill. In 2008, helium was tapped arsenic President Barack Obama's moving mate and spent 8 years arsenic his vice president.
In 2020, Biden reached the long-sought pinnacle of his vocation arsenic helium clinched the Democratic information for president aft failed attempts successful 1988 and 2008, and went connected to decision Trump successful the wide election.
RELATED: Looking backmost astatine Joe Biden's bequest aft helium drops retired of race
Biden launched his reelection bid successful April 2023, saying present was not the clip to beryllium "complacent," arsenic Trump had already said helium was going to beryllium moving again connected the Republican ticket.
While questions astir his property (at 81 helium is the oldest sitting president and would beryllium 86 astatine the extremity of a 2nd term) plagued his run from the start, they reached a fever transportation pursuing the CNN statement successful precocious June. Biden chalked up the show arsenic a "bad night" but faced increasing calls from those wrong his ain enactment to measurement aside.
Biden's withdrawal marks the archetypal clip successful 50 years that an incumbent president has chosen not to tally again.
ALSO SEE: Biden joins uncommon radical of presidents who take not to question re-election
In March 1968, arsenic Americans grappled with divides implicit the Vietnam War, Lyndon B. Johnson shocked the federation erstwhile helium announced connected tv that helium "shall not seek, and I volition not accept, the information of my enactment for different word arsenic your president."
"But fto men everyplace know, however, that a strong, a confident, and a vigilant America stands acceptable contiguous to question an honorable bid -- and stands acceptable contiguous to support an honored origin -- immoderate the price, immoderate the burden, immoderate the sacrifice that work whitethorn require," Johnson said from the Oval Office, the aforesaid mounting for Biden's large infinitesimal connected Wednesday.
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