Emotional Biden Family Joins Joe for ‘Pass the Torch’ Speech

President Joe Biden , in a live, televised Oval Office address to the nation Wednesday while surrounded by family, explained his decision to “pass the torch to a new generation” via his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, and, with a clear nod to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump , told Americans that they have the power to make sure that “kings and dictators do not rule.”

Biden, having recovered from COVID, returned to Washington from Delaware earlier in the day, marking his first time back in the White House since ending his reelection bid last weekend.

That announcement, effectively bringing an end to a half-century in American politics, was borne out of a recognition that “personal ambition” must take a back seat to the interests of the nation, he said Wednesday.

“The sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us. Those who champion that cause cherish it so much. We must unite to protect it. In recent weeks, it’s become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future—all merited a second term,” Biden said, with his wife, Jill, and children, Hunter and Ashley Biden, looking on. “Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.”

“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation,” the president explained in his second address from behind the Resolute Desk this month, and fourth overall.

Jill and Hunter were two figures who reportedly had an intimate involvement in the president’s decision-making process over the turbulent past few weeks. The latter was joined by his wife, Melissa Biden, while the president’s daughter, Ashley, was also present alongside husband Howard Krein. The president’s granddaughter, Finnegan, was seen wiping away a tear after Biden had concluded his remarks and stood up to embrace his family.

“Over the next six months I will be focused on doing my job as President,” Biden added. That means I will continue to lower costs for hard-working families and grow our economy. I will keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights—from the right to vote, to the right to choose,” he added.

Harris, Biden went on to say, was fully equipped to pick up where he left off.

“She is experienced. She is tough. She is capable. She has been an incredible partner for me and a leader for our country,” he told viewers.

Biden, who portrayed Trump as a threat to democratic institutions during his campaign, continued to emphasize that point, without naming him.

“The defense of democracy is more important than any title. I draw strength, and find joy, in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our Union is not about me. It’s about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘We the People,’” he said, after invoking Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote about being able to “keep” the republic.

“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule,” he then stressed. “The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”

As if on cue, Trump couldn’t help but gripe about Biden’s remarks. The president’s speech was “barely understandable, and sooo bad,” he wrote on Truth Social, adding later that Biden and his likely opponent in November “are a great embarrassment to America.”

Democratic responses were predictably gracious, as was First Lady Jill Biden.

“To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude,” she made clear in a handwritten letter posted on X. “Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.”

Barack Obama, meanwhile, approvingly quoted his former vice president.

“‘The sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us.’” Joe Biden has stayed true to these words again and again over a lifetime of service to the American people,” he wrote on X. “Thank you, @POTUS.”

After delivering his remarks and spending a few moments with his family, Biden emerged from the Oval Office where he was greeted with rapturous applause from White House staffers in the Rose Garden. They in turn were rewarded with one of the president’s favorite foods: ice cream.

Read more at The Daily Beast.