In just his fourth address from behind the Resolute Desk at the Oval Office, President Biden tried to explain why he left the presidential race.
But no matter how hard we tried to follow his logic, it did not make sense.
He said he was proud of his record, leadership in the world, and vision for America, all of which merited a second term. But because nothing could come in the way of "saving our democracy," the best way forward was to pass the torch to a new generation. "I love my country more."
The reverse metamorphosis from butterfly to caterpillar was astounding in its scale and scope and deserves scrutiny.
For those keeping tabs, the Democratic Party wrapped up its primaries just about eight weeks ago, with large constituencies in the District of Columbia, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota voting on June 4. Throughout the four-month primary season, Biden, atop the ticket, won more than 98% of the delegates in an astonishing coronation of a sitting president running for reelection.
The DNC ensured that Biden would face no competition and even denied Dean Phillips, a Minnesota Congressman, an opportunity to debate him. RFK Jr., who was doing well in the polls, was similarly ostracized, forcing him to run as an Independent. The entire machine was so clearly behind Biden that party bosses even thumbed their noses at New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary tradition to switch to South Carolina as the first-in-the-nation primary state.
Biden was heavily involved in raising funds for the campaign and the DNC headlining events even as recently as five weeks ago. He appeared at the Atlanta debate less than a month ago to tell Americans why he merited a second term and why former President Trump didn't.
After failing to impress his party at the debate, Biden had numerous excuses—he wasn't feeling well and had been traveling across time zones. Pressed during a national T.V. appearance by ABC News's George Stephanopoulos, Biden defended his health, vigor, and vitality and said, "Well, I just had a bad night."
Even a week ago, sitting with NBC's Lester Holt, Biden boasted about how his presidency has been the most successful in modern history, how he helped pass more major legislation by forming a consensus, and how he united NATO. But he was still running, insisting he couldn't sit on those laurels because "the job was not finished."
That self-confident statement changed Wednesday night to:
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.
It was a fascinating bait-and-switch tactic that had been in the works for a long time. The Party wanted Kamala Harris to appear at the top of the ticket but knew she could never win a contested primary. So Biden won the nomination and, without resigning from office, handed his delegates, campaign infrastructure, and cash to her. This was saving our democracy? What message will it send to aspiring minority adults seeking political office? Get someone else to run for you, and then switch names at the top of the ticket?
After the President had spoken for about eleven minutes, three Biden supporters disguised as NBC News stalwart journalists —Savanna Guthrie, Kirsten Welker, and Halle Jackson—all insisted that Biden's address was not a campaign speech. But Maggie Haberman of the New York Times compared Biden's short address to Trump's 92-minute acceptance speech, praising Biden, of course, but revealing the truth that it was all about the upcoming campaign. Biden had clearly violated the Hatch Act by using the Oval Office to press for Kamala Harris's candidacy in November, which was why NBC News went out of its way to remind us that he didn't engage in campaign rhetoric.
For the record, the Hatch Act is a federal law that limits the political activities of federal employees, as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs. The law generally prohibits employees from engaging in partisan political activity while on duty, in a government office, wearing an official uniform, or using a government vehicle. Presidents are, of course, accorded significant leeway because their official acts often merge with political actions, as Chief Justice John Roberts noted in the Trump immunity case. However, Biden cannot use the decor, grandeur, and history of the Oval Office in a national T.V. address to advocate for a political candidate. This was saving our democracy?
Not only did Biden advocate for his preferred candidate behind the Resolute Desk, but he also engaged in partisan attacks on the Republican nominee. Mindful of not blatantly violating Hatch, Biden did not name Trump: "America's going to have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division ... we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice, and democracy....character in public life still matters."
Prior Oval Office addresses were solemn affairs reserved for when the nation was in trouble, and presidents took extraordinary steps to save the Union. Bush 41 denounced Saddam Hussain during the first Gulf War, and Bush 43 announced military action against Osama bin Laden and the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan after 9/11.
In Biden's view, Trump is as bad as these terrorists, an existential threat to America, being caricatured in the same vein. To save democracy from Trump, Biden passed the torch to Kamala Harris and the younger generation. The same Kamala Harris who stood with Biden to help Ukraine prosecute a losing war against Russia and bring America closest to nuclear conflict in more than 60 years at a cost of over $175 billion.
If Ukraine is winning, why was Ukraine's top diplomat having "very deep and concentrated" talks in China and announcing that Kyiv was prepared for talks on the conflict with Russia? There were preconditions for protecting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but world history tells us that winners do not seek third-party assistance to end wars.
This was the same Kamala Harris who failed to stop the flow of illegal migrants, which has now swelled to 18 million, forever changing life in America. It is the same Kamala Harris who has co-managed an economy with inflation not seen in 60 years. Kamala Harris never advised Biden or the various state and local D.A.s not to engage in lawfare against a political opponent. It is the same Kamala Harris who gleefully reveled at the thought of going up against a convicted felon, although there are serious constitutional questions about how Trump was prosecuted in the Bragg case.
Biden was a shadow under Obama, who chose the unremarkable Biden as his running mate only so that Obama could shine in contrast. "I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades," former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said of Joe Biden in his book, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War.
It is clear that even when it comes to significant issues fundamental to the presidency, Biden is wrong by being more undemocratic than any occupant of the Oval Office, but is using the "to save democracy" excuse to anoint his heir undemocratically.
