In a bittersweet moment on Monday evening, President Joe Biden delivered his farewell address at the United Center in Chicago. During an emotional speech, the President praised the efforts of the Democratic Party and gave his full support to presumptive Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The decision to step aside was not without its challenges. According to many, Biden had an abysmal debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Biden was sick with a cold. A hoarse voice wasn’t directing much attention to the issues pertaining to the debate. At one point, the President lost track of what he was saying early on in the debate. While he made a promising return in the latter half, many felt the damage had been done, which amplified calls for him to end his reelection bid. The following two weeks after the debate saw more than 15 of his Democratic colleagues call for him to step down, including former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Despite the pressure from whom he considered his closest allies, Biden expressed no discontent about his decision to drop out of the race. 

“Thank you, Joe!” the crowd chanted as Biden wiped away tears. The 81-year-old received nearly five minutes of applause, a significant moment in his career—perhaps not what he had planned, but what many believe to be a deserved one.

In recent weeks, the President was reportedly ‘angry’ with Democratic pressure to drop out of the race. The President’s campaign adamantly maintained that he was staying in the race despite negative coverage from many news outlets up until his announcement on social media. This came after reports emerged that his stance had shifted from outright refusal to drop out. When asked by family, his responses slowly shifted to the thought of a Kamala Harris campaign, reportedly going from “Kamala can’t win” to “can Kamala win?” This culminated with his acceptance that he could not move forward. Amid calls from fellow Democratic lawmakers to step aside, Biden ultimately decided to make way for the next generation of leadership.

“For 50 years, like many of you, I’ve given my heart and soul to our nation, and I’ve been blessed, a million times in return, with the support of the American people,” Biden said. He concluded his speech with a note of gratitude and optimism, signaling a new era for the Democratic Party. 

Biden becomes the second one-term president of the 21st century, after his predecessor Donald Trump. He joins Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush in the list of one-term presidents in the last 50 years.