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President Biden smiled warmly as he greeted staff, acknowledging that “setbacks are unavoidable” in his first public appearance since Vice President Kamala Harris’s resounding election loss. The 81-year-old president reflected on his legacy and gave a farewell gesture to his outgoing team Thursday morning, though he did not dwell on Harris, 60, falling short against President-elect Donald Trump. Biden stepped aside earlier this year amid calls from Democratic leaders concerned about his mental sharpness.
Calling for unity, Biden urged Americans to “come together,” even as he faced criticism for referring to Trump supporters as “garbage” the previous week. “Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable. We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up,” Biden said during his seven-minute Rose Garden speech.
“Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling on you to get back up,” he added. Biden also highlighted his achievements, noting that the impacts of recent infrastructure and environmental initiatives would continue to unfold over the next decade.
“You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree,” Biden remarked, despite his recent criticism of Trump supporters. “Something I hope we can do, no matter who you voted for, is see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans and bring down the temperature,” he said, adding, “We accept the choice the country made.”
Biden praised Harris’s “inspiring” campaign, noting she “gave her whole heart and effort” and that her team “should be proud of the campaign that she ran.”
Biden relinquished the Democratic presidential nomination in late July, giving Harris a brief 107-day campaign period that started strong but faltered across key swing states. Biden had initially resisted stepping down after a disappointing debate with Trump on June 27, but a coalition of Democratic leaders, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and former President Barack Obama, ultimately persuaded him to pass the baton.
