President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 race.
According to The Guardian, Biden announced on Sunday that he will not seek another term in office. The decision came after fellow Democrats pressured him to end his reelection bid, which struggled to recover following a poor debate performance on June 27.
This marks a dramatic conclusion to his 50-year political career.
"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 focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term," Biden wrote in a letter posted to social media.
"For now let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected," Biden wrote. "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."
This decision follows a prime-time debate in which his physical and mental acuity were questioned. During the debate, he struggled to complete sentences, appeared confused, and fumbled through his answers.
Earlier, nearly three dozen Democrats in Congress have said it's time for Biden to leave the race. Four Democratic senators — Peter Welch of Vermont, Jon Tester of Montana, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sherrod Brown of Ohio — have said Biden should bow out.
Biden had been actively addressing concerns about his age and abilities, engaging in numerous events in swing states, holding a solo press conference, and participating in several interviews. However, this activity was interrupted when he tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
His campaign had recently informed that Biden would return to the trail this week once he gets the green light from his doctor.
Meanwhile, reports are rife that Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is already on the ticket, is an obvious and increasingly popular choice within the party to replace Biden.
Days after the debate, amid increasing worries about the president's capacity to remain the top candidate, Ms. Harris reaffirmed her support for Mr. Biden.
"Joe Biden is our nominee. We defeated Trump once, and we will do it again, period," she stated on Tuesday.
"I am proud to be Joe Biden's running mate."
