U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said President Joe Biden has shown “profound and personal commitment to the Department of Defense and the American military” during his time in office, in a statement released following Biden’s revelation that he is dropping out of the 2024 race for the White House.
In a letter shared on social media on Sunday, Biden revealed that he would not seek reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his prospective successor.
Following Biden’s announcement, Defense Secretary Austin, who was nominated for the position by then-President-elect Joe Biden and later confirmed in a Senate vote of 93–2, called the outgoing President “an extraordinary guardian of America’s national security,” expressing deep gratitude “for his leadership and statesmanship.”
“He has a secure place in American history as one of our great foreign-policy presidents,” the Defense Secretary said, outlining President Biden’s efforts that, according to Austin, strengthened global alliances, united and expanded NATO, supported Ukraine against Russia, positioned the U.S. strategically against China, and enhanced the U.S.’s presence in the Indo-Pacific, among other achievements.
“As Commander in Chief, President Biden has shown his profound and personal commitment to the Department of Defense and the American military,” Austin said, praising Joe Biden for signing into law the most recent National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Austin said “supports an historic $841 billion in funding for the Department of Defense.”
Austin further emphasized that the FY 2024 NDAA strengthens the U.S. military’s efforts in what many view as an unprecedented moment in history, one further amplified by Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 Presidential race.
Biden’s choice to leave the race followed increasing pressure from members of his own party in the aftermath of a disastrous debate performance against Republican contender and former U.S. President Donald Trump. Biden, who was reportedly sick at the time, seemed tired and disoriented during the debate, prompting worries among Democrats about deeper issues that were long a subject of speculation among his critics, and that his bid for reelection could potentially ensure a loss for his party in November.
The announcement over the weekend was only the latest in a series of shocks Americans have received in recent days. Last weekend, an assassination attempt made on Trump during a campaign appearance in Pennsylvania left the former President bloodied after a bullet narrowly missed its intended target, resulting in the death of volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore and the injury of two others in attendance.
On Monday, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle called the shooting incident “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades” while testifying before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
In his statement on Sunday, Defense Secretary Austin praised the President for his choice to step down, quoting Biden in saying that America “will lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example.”
“Today, he has done just that,” Austin said.
“The entire Department of Defense stands united today in saluting President Biden’s service to the country that we defend, the Constitution that we revere, and the republic that we love,” Austin said.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow his work at micahhanks.com and on X: @MicahHanks.