Image source, Reuters
Last updated 18 minutes ago
US President Joe Biden has announced his withdrawal from the presidential race in the upcoming election, stating, “This is for the good of my party and my country.”
This decision comes just four months before Americans head to the polls, and it will undoubtedly shake up the race for the White House.
The announcement follows weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats, spurred by Biden’s somewhat shaky performance in a televised debate once morest Republican Donald Trump in late June.
In a message posted on his social media account, Biden expressed his honor to have served as President of the United States of America.
He added, “Although I had intended to run for re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and my country for me to step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
President Biden thanked his vice president, Kamala Harris, saying she had been an “extraordinary partner,” and he pledged to address the nation “later this week to talk regarding my decision.”
It is important to note that the US presidential elections are scheduled for November 5th, and the winner will serve a four-year term.
resistance before withdrawal
Image source, Reuters
Biden, 81, had strongly resisted calls to step down from the presidential race initially.
These calls began following his less-than-stellar performance in the televised debate with his rival, Donald Trump, three weeks prior.
Biden had consistently maintained that his health and mental fitness were in good condition, and he attributed the debate performance to fatigue and illness, claiming it wasn’t representative of his usual state.
Biden’s confidence was also bolstered by his earlier victory in his party’s primary election. At the time, none of the party leaders or supporters had advocated for a different candidate or forcefully raised the issue of Biden’s qualifications, health, or readiness to stay in the presidency for another term.
However, the situation shifted following the televised debate, which swayed many to believe Biden might not be able to defeat Trump.
Ultimately, Biden yielded to the pressure and announced his withdrawal, declaring that it was “the best decision for the good of his party and his country.”
Biden has endorsed his running mate, Kamala Harris, to be the party’s nominee to face Trump in the November 5th election. However, this endorsement doesn’t make her the automatic choice. Biden’s tweet stating, “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement to Kamala to be our party’s nominee this year, Democrats – it’s time to come together to defeat Trump, let’s do it,” emphasizes the need for Democratic unity.
Harris stated, “I will do everything I can to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extremist agenda, Project 2025.”
She added, “We have 107 days until Election Day, together we will fight and win.”
Harris faces a significant challenge with voters, as her approval rating in numerous polls appears to be lower than Biden’s. While some leaders of her party, the Democratic Party, have voiced their support for her candidacy, others have not.
For example, former President Barack Obama, while welcoming Biden’s decision to step down, has not explicitly declared his support for Harris. Instead, he expressed confidence that the Democratic Party would select the most suitable candidate.
Biden was able to unify the different factions of his party four years ago when he ran once morest Trump and prevailed. However, that unity is now gone, of course.
Harris will have a challenging task in replicating that unifying role for the party, which will hold its national convention next month to formally select its presidential nominee.
Facing Trump, who is now enjoying a boost in momentum following surviving an assassination attempt, in the November presidential election is a formidable task.
Image source, Reuters
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, who ran once morest Trump in 2016, have announced their support for Kamala Harris.
In a statement posted on the X platform, they said they would do “everything we can to support her,” adding, “Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we have to get her elected.”
“We have been through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more concerned for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term,” they continued, concluding their post with, “He promised to be a dictator from day one, and the recent ruling by his subservient Supreme Court will only embolden him to tear up the Constitution even more.”
Trump: Biden was unfit for presidency or service
Meanwhile, the Republican Party competitor, former President Donald Trump, claimed that Biden is not capable of being president.
Trump responded via his Truth Social platform: “Joe Biden was not fit to run for president, and certainly not fit to serve, and never has been!”
He added: “He only became president through lies and fake news. Everyone around him, including his doctor and the media, knew he was incapable of being president.”
“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will repair the damage he has done very quickly,” Trump concluded.
Reactions
In the initial reaction to Biden’s decision to withdraw, Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that President Joe Biden has demonstrated “a true patriot and a great American.”
“Joe Biden was not only a great president, he was a truly amazing human being,” he wrote on Twitter. “Of course his decision wasn’t easy, but he once once more put his country, his party, and our future first.”
Former US President Barack Obama, a Democrat, wrote on Twitter: “Joe Biden was one of America’s most important presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me.”
“Today, we were also reminded – once once more – that he was a patriot of the first order,” Obama added.
Obama had appointed Biden as his vice president during his presidency.
In turn, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pledged to provide support throughout the remainder of Biden’s presidency.
Blinken said he was proud to have worked with Joe Biden over the past 22 years, writing in a post on Twitter: “It has been – and continues to be – the honor of my life.”
“He has restored American leadership around the world and achieved historic accomplishments as president,” he added.
Image source, Reuters
Nancy Pelosi, another prominent Democrat, applauded Biden’s achievements while in office, writing in a post on Twitter that Biden was “an American patriot who has always put our country first.”
Meanwhile, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to hold the office of president.”
“He must resign from his post immediately,” Johnson added.
In contrast, California Governor Gavin Newsom asserted that Joe Biden “will go down in history as one of the most influential and selfless presidents.”
In a post on his X website, the Democratic governor said he “fought hard for working people and achieved amazing results for all Americans.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated in a statement that he “respects” Biden’s decision and looks forward to collaborating with him during the final months of his presidency.
“I know that, as he has throughout his remarkable career, President Biden will make his decision based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people,” he added.
Shortly following Keir Starmer’s reaction, his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, followed suit, with the former prime minister and Conservative Party leader writing on Twitter that while working with Biden, he had “seen firsthand his love for America and his dedication to service.”
“Our partnership has led to significant achievements, including military cooperation, steadfast support for Israel, and joint efforts to defend our people from Houthi threats,” he added.
Former British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also expressed his gratitude to President Joe Biden, describing him as a “great friend of the United Kingdom.”
He wrote on Twitter that it had been a “pleasure” as Secretary of State to meet Biden on his trips to Britain.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Biden “has achieved a lot: for his country, for Europe, and for the world.”
“Thanks to him, transatlantic cooperation has become close, the United States has become a good and reliable partner for us, and his decision not to run once more deserves respect,” he added.
Image source, Reuters
Last updated 18 minutes ago
US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race in the upcoming elections, saying, “This is for the good of my party and my country.”
This comes four months before Americans go to the polls, which will turn the race for the White House upside down.
This comes following weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats following a stumbling debate performance once morest Republican Donald Trump in late June.
In a message posted on his social media account, he expressed his honor to serve as President of the United States of America.
“Although I had intended to run for re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and my country for me to step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” he added.
President Biden thanked his vice president, Kamala Harris, saying she had been an “extraordinary partner,” and pledged to address the nation “later this week to talk regarding my decision.”
It is noteworthy that the US presidential elections will be held on November 5, and the winner will rule for a period of four years.
Resistance Before Withdrawal
Image source, Reuters
Biden, 81, has strongly resisted calls to step down from the presidential race.
These calls began following his turbulent performance in the televised debate with his rival, Donald Trump, three weeks ago.
Biden has maintained that his health and mental fitness are in good condition and that what happened in the debate was an exceptional event due to fatigue and illness and does not reflect his general condition.
Biden was also fortified by the fact that he had won his party’s primary election months earlier, and none of the party’s leaders and supporters at the time supported any candidate once morest Biden and did not forcefully raise the issue of Biden’s eligibility, condition and readiness to remain in the presidency for four more years.
But that changed following the televised debate that convinced many that Biden might not defeat Trump.
In the end, Biden bowed to pressure and announced his withdrawal from the race, saying that it was “the best decision for the good of his party and his country.”
Biden has endorsed his running mate Kamala Harris to be the party’s nominee to face Trump in the November 5 election, but Biden’s endorsement does not mean Harris is a foregone conclusion. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement to Kamala to be our party’s nominee this year, Democrats – it’s time to come together to defeat Trump, let’s do it,” Biden said in a tweet on Twitter.
For her part, Harris said: “I will do everything I can to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extremist agenda, Project 2025.”
“We have 107 days until Election Day, together we will fight and win,” she added.
Harris faces a major challenge with voters, as her approval rating in many polls appears to be lower than Biden himself, and although some leaders of her party, the Democratic Party, have announced their support for her candidacy, other leaders have not.
Former President Barack Obama, for example, welcomed Biden’s decision to step down but did not explicitly declare his support for Harris, but rather expressed confidence that his party would choose the best candidate.
Biden was able to unite the different wings of his party four years ago when he ran once morest Trump and won, but that is now over, of course.
Harris will face a tough task in playing the same unifying role for the party, which will hold its national convention next month to formally name its presidential nominee.
Facing Trump, who is now enjoying a surge of momentum following surviving an assassination attempt, in the November presidential election is a much more difficult task.
Image source, Reuters
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, who ran once morest Trump in 2016, have announced their support for Kamala Harris.
In a statement posted on the X platform, they said they would do “everything we can to support her,” adding, “Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we have to get her elected.”
“We have been through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more concerned for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term,” they continued, concluding their post with, “He promised to be a dictator from day one, and the recent ruling by his subservient Supreme Court will only embolden him to tear up the Constitution even more.”
Trump: Biden Was Unfit for Presidency or Service
On the one hand, the Republican Party competitor, former President Donald Trump, said that Biden is not capable of being president.
Trump responded via his Truth Social platform: “Joe Biden was not fit to run for president, and certainly not fit to serve, and never has been!”
He added: “He only became president through lies and fake news. Everyone around him, including his doctor and the media, knew he was incapable of being president.”
“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will repair the damage he has done very quickly,” Trump concluded.
Reactions
In the first reaction to Biden’s decision to withdraw, Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that President Joe Biden showed today that he is “a true patriot and a great American.”
“Joe Biden was not only a great president, he was a truly amazing human being,” he wrote on Twitter. “Of course his decision wasn’t easy, but he once once more put his country, his party, and our future first.”
Former US President Barack Obama, a Democrat, wrote on Twitter: “Joe Biden was one of America’s most important presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me.”
“Today, we were also reminded – once once more – that he was a patriot of the first order,” Obama added.
Obama had appointed Biden as his vice president while in office.
In turn, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pledged to provide support during the remainder of Biden’s presidency.
Blinken said he was proud to have worked with Joe Biden over the past 22 years, writing in a post on Twitter: “It has been – and continues to be – the honor of my life.”
“He has restored American leadership around the world and achieved historic accomplishments as president,” he added.
Image source, Reuters
Nancy Pelosi, another prominent Democrat, praised Biden’s accomplishments in office, writing in a post on Twitter that Biden was “an American patriot who has always put our country first.”
For his part, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to hold the office of president.”
“He must resign from his post immediately,” Johnson added.
In contrast, California Governor Gavin Newsom said Joe Biden “will go down in history as one of the most influential and selfless presidents.”
In a post on his X website, the Democratic governor said he “fought hard for working people and achieved amazing results for all Americans.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement that he “respects” Biden’s decision and looks forward to working with him during the final months of his presidency.
“I know that, as he has throughout his remarkable career, President Biden will make his decision based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people,” he added.
Moments following Keir Starmer’s reaction, his predecessor Rishi Sunak followed suit, with the former prime minister and Conservative Party leader writing on Twitter that while working with Biden, he had “seen firsthand his love for America and his dedication to service”.
“Our partnership has led to significant achievements, including military cooperation, steadfast support for Israel, and joint efforts to defend our people from Houthi threats,” he added.
Former British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also thanked President Joe Biden, describing him as a “great friend of the United Kingdom.”
He wrote on Twitter that it had been a “pleasure” as Secretary of State to meet Biden on his trips to Britain.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Biden “has achieved a lot: for his country, for Europe, and for the world.”
“Thanks to him, transatlantic cooperation has become close, the United States has become a good and reliable partner for us, and his decision not to run once more deserves respect,” he added.
