President Biden will no longer seek reelection in the 2024 election. He penned an open letter announcing the decision, while also detailing his support of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
On July 21, Biden posted the news to his personal social media. In his address to the nation, he referred to his presidency as the “greatest honor” of his life.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” wrote the 81-year-old. “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. I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”He also detailed the accomplishments of his administration, including the passing of climate legislation and expanding affordable health care. Furthermore, he thanked the American people who “protected and preserved” their democracy, and Vice President Kamala Harris for being an “extraordinary partner.”
As for who will secede him, Biden did not explicitly endorse Harris in his initial letter. However, shortly after leaving the race, the president affirmed his support of Harris as the Democratic nominee.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” he stated in the post to X. “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Biden’s decision coincides with mounting political pressure on him to step down. The issue gained significant traction after his poor debate performance in June. Despite calls ranging from members of Congress to Hollywood heavyweights like George Clooney, Biden initially reaffirmed that he would stay in the race. However, the growing pushback led Biden to reconsider his campaign, which ended on Sunday.
Biden will continue to fulfill his duties as President until the end of his term, as Harris will now embark on the campaign trail as a presidential candidate.
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