Biden drops out of re-election campaign after weeks of pressure from his party

President Joe Biden has announced he is withdrawing from his bid to secure a second term in the White House, following weeks of pressure from Democratic Party insiders and declining poll numbers.

The announcement came less than a month after the president’s disastrous debate performance in Atlanta, which led some Democrats to call for his ouster. It also comes at the conclusion of the Republican National Convention, when the Republican Party made a strong show of unity behind former President Donald Trump after the former president was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Biden made the announcement in a letter posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” he said. “And while it was my intention to be re-elected, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country to step down and focus solely on fulfilling the duties of my president for the remainder of my term.”

The announcement came less than a month after the president’s disastrous debate performance in Atlanta, which led some Democrats to call for his ouster. It also comes at the conclusion of the Republican National Convention, when the GOP made a strong show of unity behind former President Donald Trump after he was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania.

But Biden did not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, he merely praised her.