Still of President Biden during the speech
Yes, because it is in all respects a historic moment: the withdrawal of a president of the United States from the race for the White House. It had never happened before in modern history. Something more was needed than the usual extrapolated sentences that can be read almost everywhere. For this reason, the editorial staff of ilfaroonline.it decided to translate, word for word, Biden’s full speechso that anyone can benefit from it.
Biden’s full speech
Fellow Citizens, I speak to you tonight from behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
In this sacred space I am surrounded by portraits of extraordinary American Presidents. Thomas Jefferson wrote the immortal words that guide this Nation. George Washington showed us that Presidents are not Kings. Abraham Lincoln implored us to reject animosity. Franklin Roosevelt inspired us to reject fear.
I revere this office, but I love my country more. It has been the honor of my life to serve as your President. But the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I believe is more important than any office. I draw strength and joy from serving the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our union is not about me, it is about you. Your families, your future. It is about “We, the People.” And we can never forget that. I never have.
I have made it clear that, in my view, America is at a turning point. In those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now determine the fate of our nation and the world for decades to come, America will have to choose between moving forward or going back, between hope and hatred, between unity and division.
We must decide. Do we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice, and democracy? In this moment, can we see those with whom we disagree not as enemies but as fellow citizens? Does public conduct still matter? I believe you know the answer to these questions because I know you, the American people, and I know this: We are a great nation because we are a good people.
When you elected me to this office, I promised to always be honest with you, to tell you the truth. And the truth, the sacred cause of this country, is bigger than any of us. Those of us who care about this cause, love it dearly. The cause of American democracy itself. We must unite to protect it.
Over the past few weeks, it has become clear to me that I must unite my party in this critical effort. I believe my record as President, my leadership around the world, my vision for America’s future, deserves reelection. But nothing can stand in the way of saving our democracy. Including personal ambition. So I have decided that the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation. I know there was a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. But there is also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, young voices. And that time and place is now.
For the next six months, I will focus on my job as President. That means I will continue to reduce costs for hardworking families and grow our economy. I will continue to defend our personal freedoms and civil rights, from the right to vote to the right to choose. I will continue to call out hate and extremism, making clear that America has no place—no place—for political violence or any other violence. Period.
I will continue to speak out to protect our children from gun violence, our planet from the climate crisis as an existential threat. I will continue to fight for my Cancer Moonshot, to end cancer as we know it, because we can.
I will seek Supreme Court reform because it is fundamental to our democracy, Supreme Court reform. I will continue to work to ensure that America remains strong, secure, and a leader of the free world. I am the first President this century to declare to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world.
We will continue to rally a coalition of proud nations to stop Putin from conquering Ukraine and doing more damage. We will continue to strengthen NATO, and I will make it more powerful and more united than ever in our history. I will continue to do the same for our allies in the Pacific. You know, when I took office, the conventional wisdom was that China would inevitably overtake the United States. That is no longer the case.
I will continue to work to end the war in Gaza, bring home all the hostages, and bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war. We are working around the clock to bring home Americans who are unjustly detained around the world.
We have come a long way since my inauguration. That day, as I stood in that winter, I told you that we are in a winter of danger and a winter of possibility. Danger and possibility. We were in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. We came together as Americans. We got through it. We emerged stronger, more prosperous, and more confident.
Today we have the strongest economy in the world, which has created nearly 16 million new jobs, a record. Wages are up, inflation continues to fall, the racial wealth gap is the lowest it has been in 20 years.
We are rebuilding the Nation, urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities. Manufacturing is back in America. We are again leading the world in chips, science, and innovation.
We finally beat Big Pharma after all these years to lower the cost of over-the-counter drugs for seniors. I will continue to fight to lower costs for everyone, not just seniors. More people in America have health care than ever before.
I signed one of the most significant pieces of legislation to help millions of veterans and their families who have been exposed to toxic substances. The most significant climate law ever in the history of the world. The first major gun safety law in 30 years. And today, violent crime is at a 50-year low.
We are also securing our borders. Border crossings are lower today than when the previous Administration left office.
I kept my promise to nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. I also kept my promise to have an administration that looks like America and to be a president for all Americans, and that’s what I did.
America is an idea. An idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It is the most powerful idea in the history of the world. The idea is that these truths are irrefutable to us. We are all created equal, endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have never fully lived up to this sacred idea, but neither have we abandoned it. And I do not believe the American people will abandon it now.
In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America’s future. I have made my choice. I have made my views known. I would like to thank our great Vice President, Kamala Harris. She is experienced, she is tenacious, she is capable. She has been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country. Now the choice is yours, the American people. As you make that choice, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin that hang on my wall here in the Oval Office, next to the busts of Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and Cesar Chavez.
When Benjamin Franklin was asked whether the founders gave America a Monarchy or a Republic, Franklin’s response was, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” That’s in your hands.
Fellow Citizens, It has been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years. Nowhere else in the world could a stuttering boy from humble beginnings from Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, sit one day behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States. Yet here I stand.
That’s what’s so special about America. We are a nation of promise and possibility. Of dreamers and doers. Of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things. I have given my heart and soul to our nation, as have so many others. In return, I have been blessed a million times over with the love and support of the American people. I hope you have some idea of how grateful I am to all of you. The beauty of America is: It’s not ruled by kings and dictators, it’s ruled by the people.
History is in your hands. Power is in your hands. The idea of America is in your hands. You just have to keep the faith – keep the faith – and remember who we are. We are the United States of America and there is nothing, nothing, that is beyond our capabilities when we do it together. So let’s act together, let’s preserve our democracy. God bless you all and may God protect our troops. Thank you. (Foto: X @JoeBiden – President Biden’s X profile)
