Caption: US Vice President Kamala Harris with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley. Photo/X account of Kamala Harris
Washington, D.C. – President Joe Biden has announced on Sunday his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, citing mounting pressure from within the Democratic Party.
Biden, who has served as the 46th President of the United States, declared that stepping down from the race is “in the best interest of my party and the country.” Despite this decision, he will continue to serve the remainder of his term, which concludes in six months.
Biden has thrown his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, endorsing her as the new Democratic nominee. Harris, in response, expressed her determination to “earn and win” the nomination, vowing to do “everything in my power to… unite our nation to defeat Donald Trump,” the likely Republican contender.
The endorsement from Biden comes amid a wave of support from other prominent Democratic figures. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who faced Trump in the 2016 election, have both rallied behind Harris. “We must fight with everything we’ve got to elect her,” they stated.
However, former President Barack Obama has taken a more neutral stance, expressing confidence that the Democratic Party will select an “outstanding nominee” but stopping short of endorsing Harris or any other candidate.
The American electorate prepares to head to the polls in just four months, on November 5th. The race is expected to be highly competitive, with the Democratic Party seeking to maintain control of the White House against a resurgent Donald Trump.
According to the BBC, Harris, vice-president of the US, was the first woman and the first black person to serve as California’s attorney general, the top lawyer and law enforcement official in America’s most populous state.
The BBC reported that she gained a reputation as one of the Democratic Party’s rising stars, coming to power after being elected as California’s junior US senator in 2017 before setting her sights on the presidential nomination in 2020.
However, her adept debate performances were not enough to compensate for poorly articulated policies, the network stated.
Earlie on Sunday, Biden announced he was not putting himself up for reelection at 81 years.
This followed weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats after a faltering debate performance against Republican Donald Trump at the end of June.
He said in his statement he would address the nation on the matter next week and and gave his endorsement to his Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she should be the Democratic party’s presidential nominee. (with information from BBC)
