President Joe Biden announced he would quit the 2024 Presidential race amid continued pressure following a disastrous debate performance last month that left many in his party questioning whether he should continue to seek reelection. He will serve out the remainder of his term.
“And 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 to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a letter he posted on his X account.
He added: “I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” he wrote. He added he is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
“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,” Biden said in a post on X.
He said picking Harris as his running mate in 2020 has “been the best decision I’ve made.”
Biden quits presidential race after weeks of concern
Biden’s departure from the presidential race comes after weeks of concern about the 81-year-old President’s stamina and mental abilities.
CNN reports that there has also been much skepticism about his ability to effectively campaign against former President Donald Trump and govern the country for another four years. Biden’s decision is also likely to raise questions about his ability to fulfill the duties of the presidency for the remainder of his term.
It’s the first time a US president has dropped out of a reelection run in decades, recalling memories of President Lyndon Johnson deciding against seeking a second full term in 1968, though Biden’s decision comes months later in the campaign than Johnson’s announcement.
It’s also the latest shocking development in a highly charged political campaign that has included an attempt on Trump’s life.
Biden has been facing loss of support among congressional Democrats who became increasingly convinced that a wipeout in November would also drown their down-ballot contests, CNN notes.
Trump calls Biden the worst president in history
In a phone call with CNN minutes after President Joe Biden announced his exit from the 2024 race, former President Donald Trump described Biden going “down as the single worst president by far in the history of our country.”
While it’s unclear who the Democratic nominee will be, Trump said he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris will be easier to defeat than Biden would have been.
Biden quits presidential race: Statement in full
“My Fellow Americans, over the past three-and-a-half years, we have made great progress as a nation. Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans.
“We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.
“I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And 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 to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.
“I will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about my decision. For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected.
“I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
“I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do—when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”
This is a developing story.
Related: What Would It Take for Joe Biden to Drop Out of the Race?
