In a letter posted to his official account on X, President Joe Biden declared he will not seek re-election. In a follow-up post, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
‘It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President,’ Biden wrote. ‘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.’In his subsequent post, Biden praised Harris and encouraged Democrats to support her.
This marks the first time in decades that a US president has opted out of a re-election bid, reminiscent of President Lyndon Johnson’s decision in 1968. However, Biden’s announcement comes later in the campaign. This development is the latest in a highly charged political season that included an attempt on Trump’s life.
Concerns about Biden’s age and mental faculties have been persistent since his 2020 run against Trump. His poor performance at a 27 June CNN debate—where he spoke softly, appeared glazed-over, and lost his train of thought mid-sentence—brought these concerns to the forefront and ultimately doomed his re-election campaign.
Campaign officials and surrogates attempted to calm Democratic anxieties, arranging meetings with donors and supporters to assure them that Biden’s performance was a one-off and to consider his three-and-a-half-year presidency. The next day, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first congressional Democrat to publicly ask Biden to withdraw. The calls for his exit continued to grow.
In a 5 July interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Biden laughed off questions about his future, stating only the ‘Lord Almighty’ could convince him to drop out.Biden told reporters at a NATO news conference he would drop out if polls showed he couldn’t win. About a week later, he said he would reconsider if he developed a medical condition that affected his candidacy. The next day, the White House announced Biden had Covid-19.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Kamala Harris top choice to replace Biden: Sources - SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world,59-year-old Kamala Harris would take over money raised by the Biden campaign.
Read more »
President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Joe Biden commit to ‘deepening relations’President Cyril Ramaphosa and his US counterpart, President Joe Biden, have committed to advancing the relationship between the two countries.
Read more »
With Kamala Harris, US Democrats would bet against US history of sexism, racismANALYSIS | With Kamala Harris, US Democrats would bet against US history of sexism, racism
Read more »
Watch: Zelensky called 'President Putin' in Biden blunderJoe Biden referred to Volodymyr Zelensky as 'President Putin' and Kamala Harris as 'Vice President Trump' in a pair of significant gaffes that are likely to exacerbate the crisis engulfing his administration.
Read more »
Harris hits fundraising trail amid ongoing calls for Biden to quit raceHarris hits fundraising trail amid ongoing calls for Biden to quit race
Read more »
South Africa: President Ramaphosa Receives Congratulatory Call From President of EgyptPresident Cyril Ramaphosa received a call on Sunday evening from his Egypt counterpart, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who expressed his sincere congratulations on his new term of office.
Read more »