Biden mumbles as he reveals why he decided to ‘pass the torch’ and insists he could have served four more years as president in address to the nation

President Joe Biden muttered during his 11-minute address to the nation that he could serve four more years if he wanted.

Biden, 81, spoke softly, sometimes haltingly and hoarsely as he explained his surprise decision not to seek re-election.

The president said he had chosen to ‘passing the torch’ to vice president Kamala Harris because it was time for ‘younger voices’ and he believed this would ‘unite’ the country and ‘save’ democracy.

Biden stared intently into the camera during his primetime speech, sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.

He said, “I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, and my vision for America’s future all warrant a second term.

“But nothing, absolutely nothing, can stand in the way of saving our democracy, not even our personal ambitions. That’s why I’ve decided that the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.”

He added: ‘There is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There is also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices. Yes, younger voices.’

Biden, 81, did not address the issue of his own age and health, which have undermined his presidency from the start and were exacerbated after his disastrous debate performance last month.

That prompted leading Democrats to call on him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

As Biden spoke, his wife, Jill Biden, and their children, Hunter and Ashley, sat along a wall to his left and watched his farewell address.

Also in attendance were Biden’s grandchildren, including Naomi Biden Neal and her husband Peter Neal, young Hunter Biden (the son of the late Beau Biden), and Maisy Biden.

The family erupted in applause when the president finished speaking. Jill Biden joined him at the Resolute Desk. Hunter Biden gave his father a hug.

Biden, who has just recovered from a COVID epidemic, slipped up in his delivery and mumbled occasionally.

But he also used the speech to outline his legacy and indicate that he still has much work to do in the six months he has left in office.

President Joe Biden revealed in a speech in the Oval Office why he decided to step down as the Democratic presidential candidate

From right: Jill Biden, Ashley Biden and her husband Howard Krein, and Hunter Biden and his daughter Finnegan listen to Joe Biden speak

Hunter Biden gives his father a hug

He said, “I respect this office, but I love my country even more.”

“It is an honor for me to serve as your president, but the defense of democracy, which is at stake, is more important to me than a title.”

Biden made it clear that he is stepping down voluntarily, a stark contrast to his predecessor.

He did not mention Donald Trump by name, but said the country is more important than the ambition to remain in the White House.

“America is an idea — an idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator,” Biden said.

As the president spoke, his staff gathered upstairs, on the State Floor of the White House, to watch his speech, accompanied by wine and pizza.

Before the speech began, staff members were spotted walking from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is across from the West Wing, to the White House for the event.

Biden’s decision to step down sent shockwaves around the world and ended his more than 50-year political career.

He has already endorsed Harris and handed over his campaign infrastructure to her. The campaign has rebranded itself as “Harris for President.”

Within 30 hours of Biden announcing Sunday that he would step down, Harris had pledged enough delegates to win the Democratic Party’s nomination for president.

In his speech on Wednesday night, Biden did not explicitly endorse Harris, but he did indicate that he had “made his position known.”

He said, “I’ve made my choice. I’ve made my views known. I want to thank our great Vice President Kamala Harris. She’s experienced. She’s tough. She’s capable. She’s an incredible partner for me and a leader for our country.

“Now the choice is yours, the American people.”

Hunter Biden, his daughter Finnegan, Howard Krein, Ashley Biden and Jill Biden in the Oval

Jill Biden joined Joe Biden at the Resolute Desk as he concluded his speech

President Joe Biden returns to Delaware after being diagnosed with COVID

Democratic delegates will nominate their presidential candidate virtually in early August, ahead of the Democratic National Party Convention that kicks off on August 19 in Chicago.

The president returned to the White House on Tuesday after spending six days in isolation at his Delaware beach house, where he was suffering from COVID.

He has canceled a West Coast fundraiser scheduled for later this week.

On Thursday, he will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

Biden has for weeks resisted pressure from senior figures in his party to step down as a candidate. But on Sunday, he bowed to the inevitable.

He is the first sitting president not to seek re-election since 1968, when Lyndon Johnson, under fire for his handling of the Vietnam War, suddenly withdrew from the campaign on March 31.

The president joins Presidents James K. Polk, James Buchanan, Rutherford B. Hayes, Calvin Coolidge and Harry Truman who all decided not to run for a second term.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday denied that Biden’s staff and family members covered up Biden’s declining health and mental capacity.

Biden’s top spokesman was repeatedly questioned about his apparent change of heart about a second term and denied that his health had anything to do with the decision.

During her press conference — the first since Biden’s historic decision to resign as the Democratic presidential nominee — Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked her, “It appears that people in the White House knew that President Biden was in decline and that this was hidden from the American people. Who then directed White House officials to cover up a declining president?”

“There was no cover-up,” she replied.

For weeks, Jean-Pierre and other advisers denied that Biden was considering withdrawing from the presidential race.

They denied reports that his health was deteriorating.

But during the June 26 presidential debate, Biden repeatedly fumbled for words and stood stock still on camera, prompting questions from his own party about his suitability for a second term in the White House.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre denied there was a “cover-up” surrounding President Joe Biden’s health and mental health

Jean-Pierre said the president made his decision in a “very short time.”

She pushed back against reports that advisers, lawmakers and Democratic officials had noted for months that Biden was declining.

She also said his health did not play a role in his decision to withdraw from the presidential race.

“It has nothing to do with his health,” she said. “I can say, no, that’s not the reason.”

She also called calls for the president to resign “ridiculous.”

Questions have been raised about why Biden, if he cannot serve four more years, is being allowed to serve six more months.

Jean-Pierre argued that Biden was capable of serving a full second term.

“He didn’t stop campaigning or running for office because he didn’t believe he could serve a second term. That’s not the reason,” she said.