21-July-2024″ The oldest sitting US president heeds calls to withdraw re-election bid, thrusting the high-wire White House race into an uncertain territory
US President Joe Biden has heeded calls to withdraw his re-election bid, thrusting this year’s already high-wire race for the White House into an uncertain territory.
The announcement on Sunday by the oldest sitting president in the United States’ history came amid mounting pressure from his fellow Democrats, with more than 30 Congress members publicly pushing for his exit.
In a post on X, Biden, 81, said he will remain in his role as president and commander-in-chief until his term ends in January 2025 and will address the nation this week.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And 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 to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote.
His initial statement had not included an endorsement of Kamala Harris, but he followed up a few minutes later with an expression of support.
Harris, 59, would become the first Black woman to do run at the top of a major-party ticket in the country’s history.
The Democratic backlash against Biden came after he delivered an unsteady performance at the first presidential debate of the 2024 election season as he lost his train of thought and struggled to articulate basic talking points
The 46th US president’s departure from the race leaves the Democratic Party in an unprecedented situation, with only a month until the Democratic National Convention and less than four months until the November 5 election.
It was unclear whether other senior Democrats would challenge Harris for the party’s nomination – she was widely seen as the pick for many party officials – or whether the party itself would choose to open the field for nominations.
Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, DC, said Biden had been under a lot of pressure recently.
“It is very difficult to say what made him make the decision now,” he said. “What we do know is that he has been repeatedly insistent that he would not step down… So it comes as a bit of a surprise and a bit of a shock that Biden is saying he will step down after weeks of saying he won’t
US elections 2024: Biden drops out of presidential race amid pressure.
The oldest sitting US president heeds calls to withdraw re-election bid, thrusting the high-wire White House race into an uncertain territory.
United States President Joe Biden says in a letter on X he is stepping down as a candidate in the 2024 election, endorses Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Dozens of congressional Democrats have publicly urged the 81-year-old to step aside after his shaky debate performance last month against Republican challenger Donald Trump, 78.
Biden has repeatedly dismissed these calls, insisting he is the most qualified person to defeat Trump and that the push for his exit is primarily driven by Democratic elites and the media.
Did any Democrats stand with Biden’s continued candidacy?
Not all Democrats were pushing for Biden to exit the race. He drew support from some unlikely corners.
Several high-profile progressives took to the centrist president’s defence, despite speaking out against his position on Israel’s war in Gaza and other issues.
Senator Bernie Sanders, for instance, wrote in the New York Times earlier this month that the frenzy surrounding Biden had amounted to a “circular firing squad”.
“Mr Biden may not be the ideal candidate, but he will be the candidate and should be the candidate,” he wrote. “It’s time for Democrats to stop the bickering and nit-picking.”
“Mr Biden may not be the ideal candidate, but he will be the candidate and should be the candidate,” he wrote. “It’s time for Democrats to stop the bickering and nit-picking.”
Biden also drew support from the party’s centre, including from California Governor Gavin Newsom, one of his proxies on the campaign trail. “I’m all in, no daylight,” Newsom said in an interview last week with CBS News.
Who will replace Biden?
Here are some of the potential replacements:
- Kamala Harris, US vice president
- Gavin Newsom, California governor
- Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan governor
- Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania governor
- JB Pritzker, Illinois governor
- Wes Moore, Maryland governor
- Andy Beshear, Kentucky governor
- Amy Klobuchar, senator
- Pete Buttigieg, Transportation secretary
Trump says ‘crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President’
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has reacted to the news of Biden dropping out of the race.
“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t,” Trump said, repeating his claims that Biden’s presidency enabled millions of people to cross the border into the US unchecked.
“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” Trump, Biden’s predecessor, added.
Who are the Democrats who called on Biden to leave?
More than 30 Congressional Democrats have publicly called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.
One of the most notable has been Representative Adam Schiff of California, who led the first impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the House of Representatives.
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Schiff praised Biden but indicated it was time for him to “pass the torch”.
“A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November,” Schiff wrote
“A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November,” Schiff wrote.
Another representative, Zoe Lofgren, warned Biden’s continued presence in the race may “impact crucial House and Senate races down ballot”. Other Democrats who spoke out against Biden’s candidacy include Senator Jon Tester of Montana and Senator Peter Welch of Vermont
Alazeera And News Agencies