Timothy L. O'Brien, Columnist

Biden Finally Shows True Leadership in Passing the Torch

The president put the public above his own interests and is handing the mantle to those who can better oppose Donald Trump.

July 22, 2024 at 12:00 AM UTC

By Timothy L. O'Brien

Timothy L. O'Brien is senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. A former editor and reporter for the New York Times, he is author of “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald.”

True grit.
Photographer: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., the 46th president of the United States, stepped out of the 2024 election so the Democratic Party could try to ensure in the four short months between now and November that Donald Trump doesn’t become the 47th.

And in a shambolic, dangerous political era in which Trump, shrouded in a haze of faux patriotism and strength, has vaulted anarchy, venom and gibberish onto the global stage, Biden’s act of selflessness and grit is welcome — and, in its own way, epic.