President Joe Biden has announced today July 21 that he has stepped down from the 2024 U.S. presidential race.
The surpise announcement follows an increasing number of Democrat lawmakers publicly calling for Biden to step aside.
According to media reports, the party’s leadership reportedly was engaged in efforts to convince Biden, 81, he could not win in November’s general election against former President Trump, the 2024 GOP nominee who Biden defeated four years ago to win the White House.
Biden was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday, a revelation that came on the heels of several TV interviews and campaign appearances in which the president insisted he was remaining in the race.
Biden’s decision follows weeks of concern about the 81-year-old president’s stamina and mental capabilities and skepticism of his ability to effectively campaign against Trump and govern the country for another four years.
Biden’s decision is also likely to raise questions about his ability to fulfill the duties of the presidency for the remainder of his term.
It’s the first time a U.S. president has dropped out of a reelection run in decades, recalling memories of President Lyndon Johnson deciding against seeking a second full term in 1968 – though Biden’s decision comes months later in the campaign than Johnson’s announcement.
It’s also the latest shocking development in a highly charged political campaign that has included an attempt on Trump’s life.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote in a post on the social media site X.
Read the official announcement from President Biden below;
