US President Joe Biden on Sunday withdrew from the 2024 White House race following mounting calls from many Democrats at the highest levels for the octogenarian leader to make way for a new nominee. Biden’s exit comes after a series of embarrassing gaffes in recent weeks that raised questions over his ability to take on Donald Trump in the November election.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while I have intended 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 statement on X.
withdrew from the 2024 White House race following mounting calls from many Democrats at the highest levels for the octogenarian leader to make way for a new nominee. Biden’s exit comes after a series of embarrassing gaffes in recent weeks that raised questions over his ability to take on Donald Trump in the November election.
Biden said he will remain in his role as president and commander-in-chief until his term ends in January 2025. He will address the nation this week.
The first in-person showdown of the 2024 campaign between President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, opened with the terms and conditions in the incumbent’s favour. Instead it marked the beginning of the end of Biden’s reelection hopes, heralding a dramatic – and for some, traumatic – period in the history of US presidential campaigns.
It is the first time a US president has dropped out of a reelection run in decades
President Joe Biden’s departure from the presidential race comes after weeks of concern about the 81-year-old president’s stamina and mental abilities.
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.
But not even the attempted assassination and its tumultuous effect on the race could pause the loss of support Biden was facing among congressional Democrats who became increasingly convinced that a wipeout in November would also drown their down-ballot contests as well.
Source: France24/CNN
