President Joe Biden vowed to carry out a peaceful transition of power to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday even as he urged Americans to continue to fight for Democratic values.
In his first public appearance since Election Day, Biden called on the nation to not give up on his fight for the “soul of America,” despite Vice President Kamala Harris’ sweeping loss to Trump.
“A defeat does not mean we are defeated,” Biden said in a White House speech. “The America of our dreams is calling for you to get back up,” he added. “We need to stay engaged. We need to keep going; we need to keep the faith.”
Biden said he accepts the verdict of the American people and restated his oft-repeated vow to respect the will of the electorate, even though most observers consider it to be a repudiation of his one-term presidency.
“We accept the choice the country made,” Biden said. “You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
Biden, 81, praised Harris after her loss to Trump, saying she has “great character, true character.”
He briefly sought to burnish his legacy by pointing to his achievements like the historic $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The president told staff and reporters gathered on a balmy day in the Rose Garden that the impact of the measure would be felt for years to come.
“Don’t forget what we’ve accomplished. It’s been a historic presidency, for all Americans,” he said. “The road ahead is clear as long as we sustain it.”
Biden will leave office after leading the United States out of the COVID pandemic, galvanizing international support for Ukraine after Russia’s invasion and passing a broad infrastructure package.
But millions of Americans blamed Biden for rampant inflation and concerns about immigration.
Some high-ranking Democrats, including advisers to the Harris campaign, have anonymously expressed deep frustration with Biden for failing to recognize earlier in the election cycle that he was not physically or politically up for the challenge of running for a second term.
Biden loyalists, on the other hand, have whispered that the sitting president might have done a better job of holding onto key demographic portions of the Democratic base, especially working class men.
During his 2020 win, Biden framed himself as a president who would be a bridge away from Trump and toward a new generation of leaders. He decided to run for four more years and steamrolled nominal opposition to sweep to victory in the Democratic primaries.
Even though voters said they were unhappy with a repeat of the Biden-Trump race, Biden forged ahead, hoping a rebounding economy and calmer inflation would convince voters to give him four more years. That changed in June when he stumbled through a poor debate that sent alarm bells ringing for Democrats.
As support ebbed away, Biden ended his reelection campaign on July 21 and endorsed Harris to pick up the Democratic baton.
