Joe Biden withdraws from race for US presidency

US president Joe Biden has announced that he is quitting the race for the US presidency. Biden announced the news via his official social media today/Sunday.

Biden, 81, took the decision after weeks of speculation about his fitness to defeat Donald Trump in the November election and to run the country. There was increasing pressure from fellow Democrats to end his bid for re-election after a disastrous debate performance last month.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. 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 focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a letter posted to social media.

In a second post, Biden endorsed the US vice-president Kamala Harris as his successor on the ticket. "My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President," he stated. "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."

^{US President Joe Biden during a press conference at the close of the 75th NATO Summit ​ in Washington, DC on 11 July 2024. © BELGA PHOTO SAUL LOEB / AFP}