President Biden announced Sunday that he is abandonment of the presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, upending the 2024 campaign and embroiling Democrats in an unprecedented campaign process to replace him.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” Mr. Biden wrote in a message. letter to the american people “And while I intend to run for re-election, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country that I step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” he said on social media.
In another message, he offered his “full support and endorsement to Kamala to be our party’s candidate this year.”
Democratic Party heavyweights quickly backed Harris as Mr Biden’s replacement, with Bill and Hillary Clinton and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Patty Murray among those who said she should take his place. Others, like former President Donald Trump, Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Mr Biden but stopped short of endorsing Harris.
Harris herself soon to be confirmed that she will seek the party’s nomination, saying in a written statement that she intends to “earn and win” the party’s support.
Delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago will cast the final vote to determine the party’s nominee. Democrats had planned to hold a virtual vote during the first week of August, but it remains to be seen whether that vote will take place. The convention is scheduled to begin on August 19.
The decision to resign comes after Mr Biden’s disastrous performance in the first presidential debate in late June, leading many in his own party to question whether he could defeat former President Donald Trump in November and serve a second four-year term. Pressure quickly mounted for him to step down, with a growing number of party leaders and Democratic lawmakers he is openly considering replacing him on the ticket.
Follow live updates on the reaction to Mr Biden’s decision to step down and what happens next:
