Today we celebrate not only the birth of our nation, but also the life it has led.
How have we endured for so long? How have we endured, grown, flourished? Our extraordinary Founders were driven by a revolutionary premise: our union would never be perfect. We would not be ruled by an all-powerful king or sovereign. We would always be a work in progress as a nation and as individuals. Each generation would build on the efforts of its predecessors. This was essential for an enduring republic.
The Founders were shaped by hardship—they were leading a revolution on the edge of a wild frontier. They knew that there were seasons in life—and seasons of service. They also knew that relying on one individual, a king, might create the illusion of strength but would be vulnerable at its core.
I have been thinking about all this for the past few days. My term of service is coming to an end. This has been a hard truth to face. But it is the natural order of things—as natural as the transition from spring to summer, from fall to winter. That is why I have decided to withdraw from the campaign for President of the United States.
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This moment is reminiscent of one George Washington experienced as he neared the end of his second term. Fear of instability and the unknown, of who would come next, discouraged him from taking the risk of leaving early. John Adams was combative. Thomas Jefferson was radical. But Washington stood aside, though the Constitution did not require it at the time. He looked beyond ambition and self-interest to what the nation needed most at the time, and declared by his actions that the United States would not be dependent on one indispensable man. Power would be transferred regularly and peacefully.
A large part of me still wants to stay in the fight. But right now, the nation needs something I can’t provide: a leader with the energy to run a vigorous campaign and then work for America every hour of the day for the next four years.
I’ve often told how I began my career in public service as a senator at age 30. In that time, I’ve seen the end of the Cold War, the invention of the Internet, and more; in so many ways, unimaginable scientific and social breakthroughs have become reality. I’ve also seen the deepening of partisan divisions and the coarsening of our country’s politics.
These unfortunate trends did not begin with Donald Trump. But the former president has exploited and exacerbated them, encouraging Americans to denigrate their fellow Americans, even to rebel against our democracy, as they did on January 6, 2021. Mr. Trump’s unique danger lies in his claim that he alone can lead the nation. I will not make the same mistake. Nor will I do anything that would facilitate his return to power. Staying in the race could do just that.
The question on the minds of Americans as Washington stepped aside was: What now? I owe Americans an answer to that question, too. The Democratic National Committee, senior Democratic leaders, and I have agreed to follow an orderly process to select our next nominee, which will include debates between now and our convention in August. My Vice President, Kamala Harris, has graciously and courageously agreed to participate. While Democratic primary voters cannot be included at this late date, their delegates will make the final choice.
Between now and November, I will do everything I can to support the next Democratic nominee — and to encourage Americans to rediscover the optimism and energetic spirit that built this nation. Last week, Mr. Trump described a country in deep and unprecedented crisis. His story of America was fiction. This is not the country I see.
Four years ago, the pandemic raged. More than 10 million Americans were out of work. Many businesses and schools were closed. People were exhausted by the chaos of Mr. Trump. Today, our economy is the envy of the world, thanks to 15 million new jobs, record-low unemployment, and a startup boom. Record numbers of Americans have health insurance, and we’ve made historic investments in our infrastructure and in the fight against climate change. Our allies respect us again for mobilizing the free world against Russian aggression.
Americans, I invite you to search your souls as I have. Are we so insecure about ourselves that we will empower a wannabe king, one who has been given sweeping powers by an activist Supreme Court? Or will we look back at Washington’s example, in the springtime of American life, and recognize that our independence was built on service, sacrifice, a willingness to assume the best in each other, and a belief that better days will come?
