The political collapse of Joe Biden culminated in his announcement on Sunday that he is dropping out of the 2024 Presidential race following a disastrous month when the American President was under increasing scrutiny as to whether he was up to the job.
Although he vowed to stay in the White House until January when the next President will take over, Republicans are calling for him to quit now.
GOP Sen. Steve Daines, the chair of the Senate Republican campaign arm, called on President Joe Biden to resign from the presidency.
“If Joe Biden is no longer capable of running for re-election, he is no longer capable of serving as President,” said Daines in a social media post. “Being President is the hardest job in the world, and I no longer have confidence that Joe Biden can effectively execute his duties as Commander-in-Chief.”
“It is out of concern for our country’s national security that I am formally calling on President Biden to resign from office.”
The chronicle of Biden’s collapse
27 June: Presidential debate where Biden’s often-incoherent answers leave many wondering about his fitness for office.
28 June: Biden hopes to end doubts with a North Carolina campaign speech where he says: “I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth.”
2 July: Lloyd Doggett is the first Democratic Representative to call for Biden to step aside – and is soon joined by others.
5 July: In an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopolous, Biden says only the “Lord Almighty” could persuade him to stand down and he will not take a cognitive test.
8 July: After a weekend of in-party disagreement, Biden tells news show Morning Joe “I am not going anywhere” and sends Democrats a long letter pleading for unity.
10 July: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tells Morning Joe “it’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” making it clear the matter is not settled. George Clooney calls for him to quit in an op-ed, and Peter Welch becomes the first Democratic senator to demand he withdraws.
11 July: At the end of a Nato summit in Washington, Biden refers to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” and Vice-President Harris as Trump.
13 July: The spotlight briefly moves off Biden as Trump is shot in the ear in an attempted assassination.
17 July: Biden tests positive for Covid and pauses campaigning to quarantine. Top Democrat Adam Schiff calls on Biden to “pass the torch.” Other lawmakers take up the saying.
18 July: A clip goes viral of Biden forgetting Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin’s name in an interview where he also says he’d drop out if a “medical condition emerged.” Reports leak of congressional leaders talking about leaving the race with Obama saying he has low chances of winning.
19 July: Biden announces he will return to the campaign trail the next week. The number of House Democrats demanding his withdrawal hits 30 and major donors turn up the heat.
20 July: Trump slams Democrats for not knowing who their nominee is.
21 July: Biden leaves the presidential race. He endorses Vice-President Kamala Harris to take the top of the ticket.
(Source: BBC)
