Finally, US President Joe Biden heard his supporters’ calls and opted out of the US presidential race, while endorsing Kamala Harris to face the election battle with Donald Trump whose campaign has gained steam, especially after the gunman attack on him.
Biden declared on Sunday he was stepping down from the presidential election for a second term.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek re-election 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 letter posted on his personal X account.
This unprecedented move has caused chaos inside the Democratic Party.
Vice President Kamala Harris, according to Biden, has his “full support” to run against him in November. In addition, he said he would serve out the balance of his tenure, which expires in January.
However, with just over 100 days remaining and the party’s presumed nominee out of the picture, Democrats are under pressure to start the difficult process of replacing him and mount a competitive campaign to challenge Trump. It was unclear at first if the party would join right away.
(With inputs from agencies and media reports)
