In a major victory for Republican candidate Donald Trump, US President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to his rival, leaving the presidential race in uncharted territory. Biden, in a post on X, said he will remain in his role as president and commander-in-chief until his term ends in January 2025 and will address the nation this week.
Biden endorses Kamala Harris as Democratic Party candidate
By dropping his reelection bid, he clears the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to run at the top of the ticket, the first Black woman to do so in the country's history. Biden, 81, did not mention her when he announced his move. It was unclear whether other senior Democrats would challenge Harris for the party's nomination, who was widely seen as the pick for many party officials - or whether the party itself would choose to open the field for nominations.
"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 decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this," he wrote on social media.
What led Biden to pull out of the 2024 race?
Biden's announcement follows a wave of public and private pressure from Democratic lawmakers and party officials to quit the race after his shockingly poor performance in a televised debate last month against Republican rival Donald Trump. The president struggled to put down a slow-boil uprising among some congressional Democrats and some influential donors who fear he lacks the capacity to defeat Trump in light of his halting performance in the presidential debate last month.
Biden announced his re-election bid in April amid speculation and concerns about his age.
Why did Biden choose Harris as his filler?
Harris, 59, appeared to be the natural successor, in large part because she is the only candidate who can directly tap into the Biden campaign’s war chest, according to federal campaign finance rules. Biden’s backing helps clear the way for Harris, but a smooth transition is by no means assured.
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, but the party had announced that it would hold a virtual roll call to formally nominate Biden before in-person proceedings begin. It remained to be seen whether other candidates would challenge Harris for the nomination or how the party may need to adjust its rules again to smooth Harris’ nomination on the floor.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Biden’s decision to leave the race, but he and his team had made their preference for facing Biden clear. Nonetheless, his team has ramped up its attacks on Harris as pressure on Biden to step down intensified.
(With inputs from agencies)
