(NewsNation) — A former adviser to President Joe Biden said he spoke from his heart in his prime-time address to the nation speaking from the Oval Office about his decision not to seek reelection.
Moe Vela said Wednesday on NewsNation’s “CUOMO,” that “what we saw tonight was quintessential Joe Biden.”
Insisting that “the defense of democracy is more important than any title,” Biden used his first public address since his announcement Sunday that he was stepping aside to deliver an implicit repudiation of former President Donald Trump.
Vela said Biden was humble in his speech, saying he served his country his whole adult life. “I am happy for him that he and Dr. Jill Biden can go and enjoy the beach,” the former adviser said.
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He did not directly call out Trump, whom he has called an existential threat to democracy. The 10-minute address also gave Biden a chance to try to shape how history will remember his only term in office.
“Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy,” Biden said, in a somber coda to his 50 years spent in public office. “And that includes personal ambition.”
It was a moment for the history books — a U.S. president reflecting before the nation on why he was taking the rare step of voluntarily handing off power. It hasn’t been done since 1968, when Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek reelection in the heat of the Vietnam War.
“I revere this office,” Biden said. “But I love my country more.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
