Joe Biden’s withdrawal statement in full

“My fellow Americans, over the past three and a half years we have made great progress as a nation.

Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, lowered the cost of pharmaceuticals for seniors, and provided access to affordable health care for a record number of Americans. We’ve provided much-needed help to one million veterans exposed to toxic substances, passed the first gun safety law in 30 years, appointed the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, and passed the world’s most significant climate change legislation. America has never been in a better position to lead the world than it is today.

I know none of this would have been possible without you. The American people. Together, we have weathered a pandemic of the century and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We have protected and preserved our democracy, and we have revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.

It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President, and while I plan to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of the Party and the country that I step down and focus on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.

I will address the nation later this week and explain my decision. For now, I just want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who worked so hard to get me re-elected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all of this work. And I have a deep appreciation for the American people for the faith and trust they have had in me.

I believe today as I have always believed, that there is nothing America cannot do if we do it together. We just have to remember that we are the United States of America.”