Jill Biden

It’s been four days since President Joe Biden upended the world by announcing his decision to drop out of the 2024 election.

While he quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democrat presidential nominee, Biden waited until Wednesday night to deliver his first on-camera remarks to the American people.

Sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, the 81-year-old said he withdrew from the race to help unite his party, protect democracy, and to “pass the torch” to younger leaders.

“I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future all merited a second term, but nothing — nothing — can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition,” he explained.

“So, I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That’s the best way to unite our nation.”

Seated in the background of the Oval Office were members of the president’s family, including: son Hunter Biden, daughter Ashley Biden, and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.

Following the conclusion of her husband’s speech, Jill finally broke her silence over his decision to exit the race.

In her usually classy style, the First Lady shared a handwritten note that expressed her sincere thanks to all of the president’s supporters through the years and urged them to get behind the vice president.

“To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude,” she wrote in a statement posted to her personal account on X (formerly Twitter). “Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.”

In his speech, President Biden stressed the importance of the upcoming election and what is at stake.

“America is going to have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division. We have to decide: Do we still believe in honesty, decency, and respect; freedom, justice, and democracy?” he said without ever mentioning Trump’s name.

“Now the choice is up to you, the American people.”

But Biden isn’t going anywhere just yet and noted that over the next six months he will continue to stay focused on doing his job as president.

The same goes for the First Lady, who just hours after her husband’s speech had already jetted off to Paris to lead the United States delegates for the Opening Ceremonies at the Summer Olympics Games on Friday.

While meeting with athletes from Team USA and their families, Dr. FLOTUS shared some motivating words.

“President Biden has led our country with that hope always in his heart. As he says: there is nothing America can’t do when we do it together. And we see that especially now, at the Olympics,” Biden said, per Town & Country.

“In this moment, we are more than our cities or states or backgrounds. We are more than our jobs or our political parties. We are all, first and foremost, Team USA.”

The Opening Ceremonies (with performances by Celine Dion and Lady Gaga) will air Friday starting at 1:30pm ET on NBC. An enhanced encore presentation will air starting at 7:30pm ET. They will also be streamed on Peacock.

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