U.S. President Joe Biden, on July 21, announced that he is ending his reelection campaign amid growing calls within his Democratic Party for his stepping down.
Mr. Biden, in a post on X, said he will remain as President until his term ends in January 2025 and will address the nation this week.
Within 30 minutes of his announcement, he endorsed his Vice-President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination, leaving no room for any doubt about the way forward for the Democrats.
“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,” Mr. Biden wrote.
By dropping his reelection bid, Mr. Biden clears the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to run at the top of the ticket, the first Black woman to do so in the country’s history.