He gave a rare Oval Office address to the nation, explaining why he dropped out of the presidential race.
During a rare Oval Office address to the nation, President Joe Biden said it's best to pass the "torch to a new generation."
"The defense of democracy is more important than any title," Biden said. "Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. And that includes personal ambition."
Said Biden, "I revere this office, but I love my country more."
In his address, he explained why he dropped out of the presidential race and outlined what he hopes to do in his remaining six months in office.
In the meantime, Vice President Kamala Harris is pushing ahead with campaigning for president days after Biden's decision.
With enough delegates secured to become the presumptive Democratic nominee if they keep to their pledges, Harris has held her first campaign rallies. At his first rally since Biden's announcement, Donald Trump attacked Harris while talking to voters in South Carolina.
Watch the video player below for the president's full remarks.
Click here for a list of the current Democrats who support her, and a few notable figures who haven't yet.
President Joe Biden will address the nation on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. from the Oval Office.
"Tomorrow evening at 8 PM ET, I will address the nation from the Oval Office on what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people," he said in a statement on X.
While the vetting process is just getting started, a senior administration official told ABC News' Martha Raddatz that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly are the leading candidates to be Harris' running mate.
The two men come from key 2024 battleground states, and have experience trouncing Trump-endorsed candidates.
Shapiro, 51, was Pennsylvania's attorney general before being elected governor in 2022 after defeating Republican Doug Mastriano.
Kelly, a 60-year-old former astronaut and Navy captain who is married to former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, won his Senate seat in 2022. He defeated Republican challenger Blake Masters.
Actor and Democratic megadonor George Clooney, whose op-ed in the New York Times calling on Biden to step aside ignited a political firestorm, told CNN he is committed to supporting Vice President Harris.
"President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He's saving democracy once again. We're all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest," he said in a statement first provided to the network.
Vice President Kamala Harris has raised $100 million since entering the race for president on Sunday, according to her campaign.
The massive haul was raised between Sunday afternoon --when President Joe Biden announced he would step down from the ticket-and Monday evening, the Harris campaign said. The Democratic National Committee and its joint fundraising committees raised the money, the campaign said.
About 58,000 people also signed up to volunteer for the vice president's campaign, a figure that is more than 100 times its average daily signup rate, according to the campaign.
