US President Joe Biden has announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's new nominee.
The announcement comes days after Biden was found Covid positive. His deteriorating health has been a point of contention among not just his opposition but his party members as well.
Biden is currently recovering from Covid at his Delaware beach house. Interestingly, a day before he was tested for Covid-19, Biden had said in an interview that he would only reconsider dropping out of the presidential race if a medical condition emerged.
The California Representative and one of the most notable Democrats Adam Schiff, had urged Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race on concerns about whether Biden could defeat Trump.
The 81-year-old Biden said he was acting in the best interest of his party and the country by surrendering to weeks of pressure after a disastrous June debate against Donald Trump which raised concerns about his age and mental fitness.
Taking to X, Biden said, it had been the "greatest honor of my life" to be president. He said he would address the nation later this week.
"While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term," Biden wrote.
Soon after, he offered his "full support and endorsement" for Vice President Kamala Harris. His campaign also filed an official notice to change its name to “Harris for President.”
Harris, if nominated would be the first Black and South Asian woman vice president in US history. She praised Biden for his "selfless and patriotic act" and vowed to "earn and win" the nomination.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this," Biden said in another tweet.
Endorsements began to pour in for Harris almost immediately from notable Democratic leaders as well as those seen as potential rivals for the nomination, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Democratic fundraising group ActBlue reported that Harris received $27.5 million in small-donor contributions in just five hours.
Biden's decision to step down from the presidential race has created a fresh turmoil within the Democratic Party. However, it also offers a chance to re-energize it, given the Republicans' sole focus was on Biden. Now, Harris, a far younger opponent will contest against the 78-year-old Trump, the oldest presidential nominee in US history.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump who escaped an assassination attempt last week, reacted with a series of posts on his Truth Social network, saying that because Biden is not "fit to run" for president, he is also not “fit to serve.”
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