President Joe Biden has said in an Oval Office address that he dropped his bid for re-election and threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris because “the defence of democracy is more important than any title”.

The address offered the public their first chance to hear directly from Mr Biden his rationale for dropping out of the 2024 presidential race after weeks of insisting he believed himself to be the best candidate to take on former president Donald Trump, whom he has called an existential threat to the nation’s democracy.

“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” Mr Biden said, saying he wanted to make room for “fresh voices, yes, younger voices”.

He added: “That is the best way to unite our nation.”