Vice President Joe Biden denounces run for president
On Oct. 21, 2015, after months of speculation, American Vice President Joe Biden officially announced that he would not be running for the American presidency in 2016. Biden spoke to reporters in the White House Rose Garden, with his wife, Jill, and President Barack Obama at his side.
“While I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent,” said Biden in a prepared speech. “I intend to speak out clearly and forcefully, to influence, as much as I can, where we stand as a party and where we need to go as a nation.”
Biden explained that his decision was a result of his family’s continued grief following the death of his son, Beau. Additionally, Biden explained that he had missed the window for a successful campaign —further contributing to his decision to not run.
Vice President Biden last ran for America’s highest elected office in the 2008 election. He was eventually added to President Obama’s ticket, and the pair was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2009.
Hillary Clinton testifies before Benghazi committee
Former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton testified before the House select committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attack, on Oct. 22, 2014. The nearly 11-hour long process served as an investigation into Clinton’s actions surrounding the Benghazi attacks.
The committee reiterated several key questions surrounding Clinton’s actions, providing her an opportunity to defend her character before the American people. However, members of the committee seemed more interested in attacking each other than in questioning Clinton.
“I’ve lost more sleep [over Benghazi] than all of you put together,” said Clinton to the committee. “I have been racking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done.”
Clinton served as secretary of state on Sept. 11, 2012, when Islamic militants attacked the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. U.S. ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. foreign service information management officer Sean Smith were killed as a result of the attacks. After the attack on the diplomatic compound, a different compound was attacked several hours later, resulting in the death of Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty—two CIA contractors.
—Compiled by Sameer Chhabra