President Joe Biden’s prime-time address Wednesday is designed to tell the nation — and, frankly, the rest of the world — “what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people.” We all have questions.
Biden’s speech caps a truly wild few weeks in what has become a truly unprecedented election campaign. It all started at the end, following Biden’s disastrous debate performance. (As a reminder, that was less than four weeks ago.) Two weeks after the debate, as Biden’s critics continued to call for an internal reckoning, a would-be assassin climbed onto a Pennsylvania roof and almost killed former President Donald Trump in the middle of an otherwise unremarkable weekend rally. This act of violence was followed by the political earthquake of Biden’s withdrawing from the presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket.
Because it is a formal address, do not expect a speech that dives too heavily in politics.
In between these political earthquakes, Biden hosted a NATO summit, sat for two prime-time interviews and addressed the nation about the attempt on Trump’s life. All to end up in isolation at his Rehoboth Beach home in Delaware to recover from Covid.
Now, we will hear from the president directly again. This is the right move. But because it is a formal address, do not expect a speech that dives too heavily in politics. Here are four things to watch for Wednesday night.
First, this is not a farewell address; it is a “there is still work to be done speech.” While Biden will no doubt highlight some of the many accomplishments of his administration, it is equally important that he present what he still hopes to accomplish. His decision to drop out of the campaign makes him, surprisingly, a lame-duck president. But that should not mean he sits back and wastes the remaining five months of 2024. I would love, for example, to hear him expand on his promise to lower prescription drug costs for all people, not just those on Medicare Part B.









