President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 US presidential race. He made the announcement Saturday night on Twitter when he said he would not seek a second term. He announced on Twitter that he supports Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be our party’s nominee this year. “Democrats – it’s time to come together and defeat Trump. Let’s do this.”
In the letter to “my fellow Americans,” he declared that it was “the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president.”
“While it has been my intention to run for re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country that I step down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
In the letter posted on X, he continued: “I will speak to the nation later this week in detail about my decision.
“For a moment, let me express my deepest gratitude to everyone who worked so hard to see me re-elected.
“I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being a tremendous partner in all of this work. And let me express my sincere appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
“I believe today what I’ve always believed: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember that we are the United States of America,” said Sky News.
Democrats must now choose a new candidate for the November race, a race that has already been marked by tension, division and an assassination attempt, the BBC reports.
Biden’s announcement comes after months of speculation about his age and ability to serve the US for another four years — amid a series of highly publicized gaffes and a disastrous debate performance.
It is also the first time that a candidate withdraws after obtaining the support of the majority of delegates in the primary elections and less than a month before the Democratic Convention, scheduled in Chicago for August 19-22.
Biden is 81 years old.
The full letter released by Joe Biden:
My fellow Americans,
In recent years, we have made great strides as a nation.
Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our nation, lowering prescription drug prices for seniors, and expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We have provided critical care for one million veterans exposed to toxic substances. We passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. We appointed the first African-American woman to the Supreme Court. And we passed the most significant crime legislation in the history of the world. America has never been in a better position to lead than we are now.
I know none of this would have been possible without you, the American people. Together, we have overcome a once-in-a-century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We have protected and maintained democracy. And we have revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.
It has been the greatest honor of my life to be your president.
It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it was my intention to run for re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country that I step down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.
I will address the nation later this week with more details about my decision.
For now, let me express my deep gratitude to everyone who worked hard to see me re-elected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being a tremendous partner in all of this work. And let me express my sincere appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.
I believe today what I’ve always believed: that there’s nothing America can’t do—when we do it together. We just have to remember that we are the United States of America.
How the process to replace Biden might play out
An EFE analysis cited by Agerpres explains how the process of replacing Biden in the electoral race will be carried out, after the American president announced that he will no longer run for a second term: the DNC will organize an emergency meeting in which the commission of the regulation will establish the candidate replacement process.
