Biden announces he will 'stand down' from re-election bid
US President Joe Biden has announced that he is dropping out of his re-election battle with Donald Trump, in a historic move that plunges the already turbulent 2024 White House race into uncharted territory.
"While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term," Biden said in a letter posted on X on Sunday.
Earlier, dozens of lawmakers from the Democratic Party urged Biden to pull out of the November race.
Four Democratic senators and more than 30 Democratic representatives had called on Biden to end his re-election campaign amid concerns about his age, mental acuity and re-election prospects.
The panic set in after Biden performed disastrously at a June 27 debate with Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has emerged as a key senior Democrat pushing Biden to leave the race.
She had reportedly raised concerns among Democrats that Biden could hurt the party’s image if continued running for the presidency.
During a speech to North Carolina Democrats on Saturday, Pelosi notably made little mention of Biden’s candidacy. “Are you ready for a Democratic president?” According to the Associated Press, Pelosi said at the end of her speech without mentioning Biden directly.
It’s still unclear whether Biden would endorse Vice-President Kamala Harris to replace him. Some Democrats, including Pelosi, believe that some sort of competitive nomination process would bolster the credibility of the eventual nominee because voters wouldn’t see it as a backroom deal.
The Trump camp has already started preparing a plan of how to attack Harris if she becomes the nominee.
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