The Framers of the Constitution were shaped by hardship, starting a revolution on the edge of a wilderness. They knew that there are seasons of life and seasons of service, and that relying on a single individual, a king, may create the illusion of strength but is fundamentally fragile.
I have been thinking about this for the past few days. My season of service is coming to an end. This is a hard truth to accept. But this is the natural course of things. It is as clear as the transition from spring to summer, or from fall to winter. This is why I have decided to withdraw from the US presidential elections.
This moment echoes one George Washington faced as he neared the end of his second term. Fear of uncertainty and the unknown of who might be next made him hesitant to risk a premature departure. John Adams was a fighter. Thomas Jefferson was a radical. But Washington stayed on the sidelines, even though the Constitution at the time did not require it. He looked beyond ambition and pride to what the country most needed at the time, and through his actions, he declared that the United States would not depend on any one indispensable man, that power would be transferred regularly and peacefully.
A big part of me still wants to keep fighting, but I need something the country can’t offer me right now – a leader with the energy to run a vigorous campaign and then work for America for another four years.
I’ve spoken many times about the time I began my career as a Senator at age 30. During that time, I’ve seen the end of the Cold War, the invention of the Internet, and in many ways unimaginable scientific and social advances become reality. I’ve also seen our nation’s politics become more and more corrupted by the intensification of partisan divisions.
These unfortunate trends did not start with Donald Trump, but the former president exploited them and exacerbated them, encouraging Americans to disrespect their fellow Americans and even rebel against our democracy, as they did on January 6, 2021. Trump’s particular danger is in claiming that he alone can lead the country. I will not make the same mistake, nor will I facilitate his return to power. Continuing my campaign could do just that.
When President Washington left office, the question on the minds of the American people was, “What do we do now?” I owe it to the American people to answer that question. The Democratic National Committee, Democratic leaders and I have agreed to an orderly process to select our next nominee. This process will include debates between now and our convention in August. My Vice President, Kamala Harris, has graciously and bravely agreed to participate. Democratic primary voters cannot participate at this late date, but their delegates will make the final choice.
Between now and November, I will do all I can to support the next Democratic candidate and urge Americans to rediscover the optimism and inspiring spirit that built this country. Last week, Mr. Trump spoke of a nation in grave and unprecedented crisis. His story of America is fiction. This is not the country I see.
Four years ago, the pandemic was raging. More than 10 million Americans were unemployed and many businesses and schools were closed. People were tired of Trump’s chaos. Today, with 15 million new jobs, extremely low unemployment and a booming number of new businesses, our economy is the envy of the world. Record numbers of Americans have health insurance, and we have made historic investments in infrastructure and climate action. Our allies once again look up to us as we rallied the free world against Russian aggression.
My fellow Americans, will you do as I do and look into your own hearts? Will we be so self-confident that we will empower a would-be king with sweeping powers from an active Supreme Court? Or will we look back to Washington’s example in the springtime of American life and recognize that our independence was built on service, sacrifice, a willingness to bring out the best in one another, and a faith that better seasons were to come?
