Biden set to address nation for first time since dropping out of 2024 race

Biden will speak on Wednesday from the Oval Office

President Joe Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday to explain his shock decision to exit the 2024 presidential race and lay out the final months of his administration.

In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), Biden — who announced he was dropping out of the race on Sunday afternoon and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris — said he would speak at 8 p.m.

“I will address the nation from the Oval Office on what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people,” he said.

Biden announced his decision not to seek re-election in a letter posted on his X account on Sunday and swiflty endorsed Harris, who has already secured enough delegates to become the presumptive Democratic nominee. On Monday, her campaign announced that she had raised $81 million in 24 hours since Biden exited the race.

Biden was still recovering from Covid-19 at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, when he made the historic announcement about his withdrawal and therefore was not able to speak to the nation.

President Joe Biden attends an event on the sidelines of the Nato Summit in Washington on July 11 (AP)

“I think it’s going to help us overall,” Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Service who called on Biden to drop out, told The Independent. “You’ve seen it. The energy that’s come back to the campaign, the palpable feeling that we’re in a better position now and the excitement about Kamala Harris.”

Multiple Democrats had called on Biden to exit the race after his poor performance in his first and only debate against former president Donald Trump. Since Biden called it quits, top Democrats have thrown their support behind Harris and praised his decision to step aside as a patriotic move.

Biden had consistently polled below Trump throughout the 2024 presidential contest even before the debate as he faced persistent questions about his age.

The president last addressed Americans from the Oval Office on July 14, after a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Biden’s address called for cooling the political temperature.