He gave a rare Oval Office address to the nation, explaining why he dropped out of the presidential race.
During a rare Oval Office address to the nation, President Joe Biden said it's best to pass the "torch to a new generation."
"The defense of democracy is more important than any title," Biden said. "Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. And that includes personal ambition."
Said Biden, "I revere this office, but I love my country more."
In his address, he explained why he dropped out of the presidential race and outlined what he hopes to do in his remaining six months in office.
In the meantime, Vice President Kamala Harris is pushing ahead with campaigning for president days after Biden's decision.
With enough delegates secured to become the presumptive Democratic nominee if they keep to their pledges, Harris has held her first campaign rallies. At his first rally since Biden's announcement, Donald Trump attacked Harris while talking to voters in South Carolina.
Watch the video player below for the president's full remarks.
Click here for a list of the current Democrats who support her, and a few notable figures who haven't yet.
President Biden began his remarks by noting the history of the Oval Office and the men who came before him.
"I revere this office but I love my country more," he said.
"It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president but the defense of democracy, which has a stake, I think is more important than a title."
Biden's bombshell announcement was delivered in a letter to Americans posted on social media on Sunday as he recovered from COVID-19 at his residence in Rehoboth, Delaware.
The post on X came just one minute after he told staff of his decision, sources told ABC News.
"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," Biden wrote. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."
Tonight's speech will be his first time discussing his decision at length and in front of the cameras to the nation.
About 500 White House staffers will be gathered together tonight to watch President Biden's remarks from the White House State Floor, which includes the East Room and State Dining Room.
Just before 7 p.m., there was a procession of staffers making their way over from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where most staffers work, to the White House North Portico entrance.
Donald Trump is currently holding a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina -- his first since Biden dropped out of the race.
The former president quickly turned his focus to Harris, claiming she is "the ultra-liberal driving force behind every single Biden catastrophe."
"You know, I was supposed to be nice," Trump said. "They say something happened to me when I got shot, I became nice. And when you're dealing with these people, they're very dangerous people. When you're dealing with them, you can't be too nice. You really can't be. So, if you don't mind, I'm not going to be nice."
