Biden to give Oval Office address in first remarks since dropping out of 2024 presidential race

President Biden will address the nation Wednesday night from the Oval Office in his first on-camera remarks since he announced his shocking decision to drop out of the race for president.

The president will speak at 8 p.m. ET “on what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people,” as he put it on X. The White House has not previewed the president’s remarks. 

Democrats have fallen in line behind Vice President Kamala Harris, who Mr. Biden endorsed for the Democratic nomination shortly after announcing he would be ending his campaign. Mr. Biden cannot appoint a successor for the Democratic nomination, but since his announcement on Sunday, Harris has secured endorsements from a majority of Democratic delegates. 

But otherwise, the president has been quiet since the political earthquake that he wouldn’t run for reelection as he recovers from COVID-19 symptoms at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The White House said on Tuesday that he tested negative, although it’s not clear when he tested negative. Mr. Biden told reporters Tuesday upon his return from Delaware that he’s feeling “well.” 

In his Oval Office address, the president is expected to lay out what he plans to accomplish in his final six months as president. 

Oval Office addresses are rare for a president, including for Mr. Biden. Before last week, Mr. Biden had only delivered two Oval Office addresses in three-and-a-half years as president. Last week, , after the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

Although Mr. Biden plans to participate in campaigning, stepping down from the Democratic ticket allows him to focus on the task of the presidency itself, away from the most intense rigors of the campaign trail. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” the president told his campaign staff — who are now Harris’s campaign staff — Monday. “I’m going to be out there on the campaign with her, with Kamala. I’m going to be working like hell, both as a sitting president, getting legislation passed, as well as — and campaigning.”

This Oval Office address, as well as any speech the president gives at the Democratic National Convention, will be one of the most critical of not just Mr. Biden’s presidency, but of his legacy, as he completes more than five decades in public service. 

How to watch President Biden’s Oval Office address

• What: President Biden gives Oval Office address after dropping out of 2024 race
• Date: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
• Time: 8 p.m. ET 
• Location: White House – Washington, D.C. 
• Online stream: Live on CBS News in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.
• TV: CBS stations (find your local station here)