U.S. President Joe Biden (left) and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris hold hands and gesture as they watch the Independence Day fireworks display from the Truman Balcony of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2024.
The stunning move makes Biden the first president in U.S. history to pull out so late in an election race, and the first to bow out because of concerns over his mental acuity and health
U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday July 21, 2024, withdrew from the U.S. presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s new nominee, in a stunning move that upends the 2024 race for the White House.
Also read: COVID threatens Biden election campaign
The 81-year-old Biden stepped aside after weeks of pressure from Democrats following a disastrous debate performance, throwing the election battle against Republican Donald Trump into unprecedented turmoil.
Biden’s statement: My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
“While it has been my intention to seek reelection, 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 he would “speak to the nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”
The Democratic Party is now plunged into chaos and needs to find a new candidate by November’s election, with Vice President Kamala Harris the frontrunner.
Biden bowed out after weeks of pressure that began with a disastrous debate performance that raised fears over his health.
The stunning move makes Biden the first president in U.S. history to pull out so late in an election race, and the first to bow out because of concerns over his mental acuity and health.
Biden spent more than three weeks resisting calls to step down following the shock of the June 27 debate, at one point insisting that only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to back out.
In a bid to show he was up to the job, he gave a number of interviews and what was billed as a “big boy” press conference in which he took numerous questions, but made further gaffes including calling Harris “Vice President Trump.”
A tide of voices within his own party calling on him to go, starting with donor and actor George Clooney and ending with former president Barack Obama, sealed his fate.
The end finally came shortly after Biden had been diagnosed with COVID-19, forcing him off the campaign trail and into isolation.
