My fellow Americans, I'm speaking to tonight from behind the
Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
In this sacred space, I'm surrounded by portraits, extraordinary American
presidents.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the immortal words that guide this nation.
George Washington showed us presidents are not kings.
Abraham Lincoln, who implored us to reject malice.
Franklin Roosevelt, who inspired us to reject fear.
I Revere this office, but I love my country more.
It's been the honor of my life to serve as
your president.
But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake,
I think it's more important than any title.
I draw strength, and I find joy in working for
the American people.
But this sacred task of perfecting our union, it's not
about me.
It's about you, your families, your futures.
It's about we, the people.
We can never forget that, and I never have.
I've made it clear that I believe America's at an
inflection .1 of those rare moments in history when the
decisions we make now determine our fate of our nation
and the world for decades to come.
America's 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, respect, freedom, justice,
and democracy?
In this moment, we can see those we disagree with
not as enemies, but as as fellow Americans.
Can we do that?
Does character and public life still matter?
I believe you know the answer to these questions because
I know you, the American people, and I know this.
We are a great nation because we are good people.
When you like to meet at this office, I promise
to always level with you, to tell you the truth.
The truth, sacred cause of this country is larger than
any one of us.
Those of us who cherry that cause cherish it so
much.
A cause of American democracy itself must unite to protect
it.
You know, in recent weeks, it's become clear to me
I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor.
I believe I 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.
So I've decided the best way forward is the pass
the torch to a new generation.
That's the best way to unite our nation.
You know, there is a time and a place for
long years of experience in public life.
There's also a time and a place for new voices,
fresh voices.
Yes, younger voices.
And that time and place is now.
Over the next six months, I'll be focused on doing
my job as president.
That means I'll continue to lower costs for hard working
families, grow our economy.
I'll keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights
from the right to vote to the right to choose.
I'll keep calling out hate and extremism.
Make it clear there is no place, no place in
America for political violence or any violence ever.
I'm going to keep keep speaking out to protect our
kids from gun violence, Our planet from climate crisis is
the existential threat.
I will keep fighting my for my cancer moon shot
so we can end cancer as we know it because
we can do it.
I'm going to call for Supreme Court reform because this
is critical to our democracy.
Supreme Court reform, you know, I will keep working to
ensure American remains strong, secure and the leader of the
free world.
I'm the 1st president in this century to report to
the American people that the United States is not at
war anywhere in the world.
We'll keep rallying a coalition of proud nations to stop
Putin from taking over Ukraine, doing more damage.
We'll keep NATO stronger, and I'll make it more powerful
and more united than anytime in all of our history.
I'll keep doing the same for allies in the Pacific.
You know, when I came to office, the conventional wisdom
was that China would inevitably would inevitably pass the United,
surpass the United States.
That's not the case anymore.
And I'm going to keep working to end the war
in Gaza, bring home all the hostages and bring peace
and security to the Middle East and end this war.
We're also working around the clock to bring home Americans
being unjustly detained all around the world.
You know, we've come so far since my inauguration.
And that day, I told you as I stood in
that winter, we're still in the winter apparel and winter
possibilities.
Apparel and possibilities.
We're in the grip of the We were in the
grip of the worst pandemic in the century, the worst
economic crisis since the Great Depression, the worst attack on
our democracy since the Civil War.
We came together as Americans.
We got through it.
We merge stronger, more prosperous, and more secure.
Today we have the strongest economy in the world, creating
nearly 16,000,000 new jobs on record.
Wages are up.
Inflation continues to come down.
The racial wealth gap is the lowest it's been in
20 years.
We're literally rebuilding our entire nation, urban, suburban, rural, tribal
communities, manufacturers come back to America.
We're leading the world again in chips and science and
innovation.
We finally beat Big Farm after all these years to
lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors.
And I'm going to keep fighting to make sure we
lower the cost for everyone, not just seniors.
More people have healthcare today in America than ever before.
I saw one of the most significant laws helping millions
of veterans and their families who are exposed to toxic
materials.
You know, most significant climate law ever, ever in the
history of the world.
The first major gun safety law in 30 years.
Today, violent, violent crime rate is at A50 year low.
We're also securing our border.
Border crossings are lower today.
And when the previous administration left office, I've kept my
commitment to appoint the first black woman to the Supreme
Court of the United States of America.
I also kept my commitment to have an administration that
looks like America be a president for all Americans.
That's what I've done.
I ran for president four years ago because I believed,
and still do, that the soul of America was at
stake.
The very nature of who we are was at stake,
and that's still the case.
America's an idea.
An idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean,
more powerful than any dictator or tyrant.
It's the most powerful idea in the history of the
world.
That idea is that we hold these truths to be
self-evident.
We're all created equal, and Dabbar could have certain inalienable
rights.
Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.
We've never fully lived up to it, to this sacred
idea, but we've never walked away from it either.
And I do not believe the American people will walk
away from it now, just a few months, the American
people will choose the course of America's future.
I made my choice.
I've made my views known.
I'd like to thank our great Vice president, Kamala Harris.
She experienced, she's tough, she's capable, she's been an incredible
partner to me and a leader for our country.
Now the choice is up to you, the American people.
When you make that choice, remember the words of Benjamin
Franklin's hanging on my wall here in the Oval Office
alongside the bust of Doctor King and Rosa Parks and
Cesar Chavez.
When Ben Franklin was asked as he emerged from the
the convention going on, whether the Founders I've given America
a monarchy Republic, Franklin response was Republic if you can
keep it, Republic if you can keep it, whether we
keep our Republic is now in your hands.
My fellow American has been the privilege of my life
to serve this nation for over 50 years.
Nowhere else on Earth could a kid with a stutter
from modest beginnings in Scranton, PA, Claymont, Delaware, one day
sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as
president of the United States.
Here I am.
That's what's so special about America.
We're a nation of promise and possibilities, of dreamers and
doers, of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things.
I've given my heart and my soul to our nation.
Like so many others.
I've been blessed a million times.
In return the love and support of the American people.
I hope you have some idea how grateful I am
to all of you.
Great thing about America is here.
Kings and dictators do not rule, the people do.
History is in your hands.
The power is in your hands.
The idea of America lies in your hands.
You just have to keep faith.
Keep the faith and remember who we are.
We're the United States of America, and there's simply nothing,
nothing beyond our capacity.
And we do it together.
So let's act together, preserve our democracy.
God bless you all.
May God protect our troops.
Thank you.