U.S. President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office in a televised address to the nation, saying his decision to drop out of the race for the White House in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris is about "saving democracy."
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00:00Days after his shocked decision not to seek re-election, U.S. President Joe Biden speaks
00:07to the nation in a televised address from the Oval Office.
00:10It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president, but in the defense of democracy,
00:18which is at stake, I think it's more important than any title.
00:22The last time a U.S. incumbent pulled out of the presidential race was 1968, when President
00:28Lyndon B. Johnson suddenly dropped out amid political pressure and division around the
00:33increasingly unpopular Vietnam War.
00:37Biden had been facing growing criticism from within his party to step down, not over U.S.
00:42conflicts abroad, but over his own mental acuity following a shaky debate performance
00:48last month.
00:49After trailing behind Republican nominee Donald Trump in polls, the 81-year-old incumbent
00:54says the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.
00:59There is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life, but there's
01:04also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices, and that time
01:12and place is now.
01:14To take on Trump, Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who has gained a
01:19lead in party support, to become the Democratic nominee.
01:23It's a matchup that carries high stakes for the United States.
01:27Part of what he accomplished, I think, was to say, look, this is an absolutely critical
01:32race that will define the future of this country for, you know, generations to come.
01:38Outside the White House, tears from supporters showing gratitude to President Biden for his
01:43decades of service.
01:46You know, look around, there are people from all walks of life here today, and they're
01:54here united in a grateful heart for the president, for his service to our country, and I think
02:00that, you know, it's this enthusiasm that's going to bring a Democratic victory in November.
02:06Meanwhile, in North Carolina, the Republican nominee, in his first rally since Biden dropped
02:10out of the race, unleashed attacks on his likely new opponent, signaling that, though
02:15the competition has changed, his tactics have not.
02:19So now we have a new victim to defeat, lion Kamala Harris, lion, L-Y-I-N apostrophe.
02:28As for Biden, the president will now focus on serving out his term, pledging several
02:33goals, including working towards a ceasefire deal in Gaza and pushing for Supreme Court
02:38reform at home.
02:40He's determined to show that, though his race for the White House may be over, his commitment
02:45to serve is far from done.
02:48Andie Xue and Joyce Zinn for Taiwan Plus.