President Biden announced Sunday that he was pulling out of the 2024 campaign following a weeks-long pressure campaign from fellow Democrats that began in earnest following his much-criticized debate performance in late June.
“I believe it is in the the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down," Biden said in a statement posted to X. He added that he plans to address the nation later this week.
Biden’s exit from the presidential race comes less than a month before the Democrats are scheduled to hold their nominating convention in Chicago starting on Aug. 19. It also raises questions about who will replace him at the top of the ticket, how that person will be picked and whether they have a better shot at defeating former President Donald Trump than the 81-year-old current president.
Here are the latest developments.
President Joe Biden has officially dropped out of the 2024 presidential race
"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," Biden wrote in an open letter shared on social media. "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 added that he will address the nation later this week to discuss his decision "in more detail."
"For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected," the statement read. "I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me."
Biden continued, "I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do — when we do it tougher. We just have to remember we are the United States of America."