President Biden announced Sunday that he was pulling out of the 2024 campaign following a weeks-long pressure campaign from fellow Democrats that began in earnest following his much-criticized debate performance in late June.
Biden said in a statement posted to X via his verified handle @JoeBiden:
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Biden’s exit from the presidential race comes less than a month before the Democrats are scheduled to hold their nominating convention in Chicago starting on Aug. 19.
It also raises questions about who will replace him at the top of the ticket, how that person will be picked and whether they have a better shot at defeating former President Donald Trump than the 81-year-old current president.
