WASHINGTON: Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the US presidential election race, saying "it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down".
The 81-year-old incumbent US President opted to pull out from his re-election bid amid mounting pressures from the Democrat allies, including former President Barack Obama.
Biden took to X to share that his sole focus would now rest on fulfilling his duties as President and Commander-in-Chief for the remainder of his term which will conclude on January 2025.
"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," President Biden posted on X.
"It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President," he added.
Soon after dropping out of the US Presidential race, Biden endorsed Kamala Harris to run for White House against former President and the Republican Party's Presidential nominee Donald Trump.
If elected, Vice-President Harris will be the first Indian-origin Black woman to contest as a US presidential candidate in the history of the US.
"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 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 said.
Biden, the 46th President of USA, took the call four months before Americans go to the polls on November 5.
Biden's decision to refrain from seeking a second consecutive term in office comes after his popularity took a huge blow due to his disastrous performance in the presidential debate against his Republican rival Donald Trump.
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