My fellow Americans, I’m speaking tonight from behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, in this sacred space. I’m surrounded by portraits of 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. 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 has had an inflection point. One 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 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, 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 is I know you, the American people, and I know this.
We are a great nation because we are good people. When you look to me, to 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 carry that cause. Cherish is 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 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. 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. You know, there is a time and a place for a long years of experience in public life. There’s also a time and a place for new voices. Fresh voices? Yes. Younger voices in that time and places. 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 hardworking 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 that ever period. I’m going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence.
Our planet from climate crisis is the existential threat. And I will keep fighting my for my cancer moonshot 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 first president of this century to report to the American people that the United States is not a war anywhere in the world. We’ll keep rallying a coalition of proud nations to stop Putin taking over Ukraine, doing more damage. We’ll keep NATO stronger, and I’ll make it more powerful and more united than any time in all of our history.
I’ll keep doing the same for our allies in the Pacific. You know, when I came to office, the conventional wisdom was that China would never leave. It would inevitably pass the United surpass the United States. That’s not the case anymore. And I’m going to keep working. And the war in Gaza, bringing home all the hostages to bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war.
We’re also working round the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly entertained all around the world. You know, I’ve come so far since my inauguration. And that day, I told you, as I stood in that winter, we’re standing in a winter apparel and winter possibilities. Parallel possibilities. We’re in the grip of the war. We were in the grip of a worst pandemic in a 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 emerge stronger, more prosperous, and more secure. Today, we have the strongest economy in the world, creating nearly 16 million new jobs, a 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. Manufacturing has come back to America. We’re leading the world again in chips and science and innovation. We finally beat Big Pharma 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 health care today in America than ever before. I saw someone with significant loss helping millions of veterans and their families who are exposed to toxic materials. You know, most significant climate war ever, ever in the history of the world. The first major gun safety law in 30 years. Today, violent and violent crime rate is at a 50 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. I’d 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 there’s still the case. America is an idea and is stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than a dictator, a tyrant. Its 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 in our creator. 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.
I will ride the bus of Doctor King and Rosa Parks as our Chavez. When Ben Franklin was asked, as he emerged from the economy, the convention going on whether the founders have given America a monarch, a republic, Franklin response was a republic. If you can keep it a republic, if you can keep it, whether we keep our republic is now in your hands.
My fellow Americans, it’s 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, Pennsylvania. Claymont, Delaware one day sit behind the resolute desk in the oval Office of president, 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 give 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. The 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 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. We do it together. So let’s act together. Preserve our democracy. God bless you all. May God protect our troops.
Thank you.
