As expected, Joe Biden announced he his withdrawing from the US Presidential race and he has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee.
He is the first US president to call off his race in 56 years. “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 reminder of my term,” Biden wrote on a post on X.
President Biden’s historical decision comes after concerns among voters and his own Democratic party about his mental health and his failure of reassuring everyone about his capability to serve another four-year term to lead the country. The disastrous first debate against his rival, Republican candidate Donald Trump, was the clearest example of his age. Biden was totally lost and couldn’t even complete simple sentences. Over 30 Congressmen pushed him to step down.
As written in the post, Biden will speak to the Nation later on this week.
What is happening is a big challenge for the Democratic party given the US Elections are in about four months from now. President Biden, 81, is leaving his party on an uncertain ground in an already difficult presidential campaign, especially considering that recent polls have shown that Harris is performing the same as Biden against Trump. A CBS News and YouGov poll, conducted between July 16th and the 18th, show Trump leading on Harris by three points (51% – 48%).
Harris, who is 59, would be the first black woman to run. “I am honored to have the president’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she stated.
But Biden’s endorsement doesn’t necessarily mean that Harris will be the chosen one at the Democratic National Convention scheduled for next month, as there are other possible contenders for the role.