Joe, Bye-den: US President opts out of race, backs Kamala Harris

Delaware, July 21

President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump while endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris to replace him as the party’s candidate.

Biden, 81, in a post on X, said he would remain in his role as President and commander-in-chief until his term ends in January 2025 and would address the nation this week.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, 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 Harris, but he followed up a few minutes later with an expression of support.

Harris, 59, would become the first woman of colour to vie for the ticket for the top job in the country’s history.

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.

Biden’s announcement follows pressure from Democratic lawmakers and party officials to quit the race after his shockingly poor performance in a June 27 televised debate last month against Trump.

Biden’s failure at times to complete clear sentences took the spotlight away from Trump’s performance, in which he made a string of false statements, and trained it instead on questions surrounding his fitness. — Reuters

Kamala will be easier to defeat: Trump

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Best interest of party

I believe it is in the best interest of my party & the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term. — Joe Biden, US President