"Focus on Presidential Duties for Remaining Term"
US Presidential Race Shifts Rapidly... Democrats Begin New Candidate Selection Process
U.S. President Joe Biden abruptly withdrew from the presidential race just over three months before the November election. This came about a month after he faced widespread pressure within the Democratic Party to quit following his defeat in the presidential TV debate on the 27th of last month. President Biden announced his official support for Vice President Kamala Harris as the next Democratic presidential candidate.
On the 21st (local time), President Biden stated in a declaration posted on the social networking service X (formerly Twitter), "For the best interests of my party (the Democratic Party) and the country, I am stepping down from the presidential race to focus on fulfilling my remaining term as president."
He said, "Serving as your president has been the greatest honor of my life," and added, "I will provide more details about my decision later this week."
President Biden expressed his support for Vice President Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate.
In a follow-up post on X, he said, "Nominating Kamala Harris as vice president in 2020 was the best decision," and "I want to give my full support for Kamala to become our party's candidate this year." He emphasized, "Democrats, now is the time to come together and defeat Trump."
Upon announcing his withdrawal, President Biden reflected on his achievements since taking office in 2021, stating, "We have made great progress over the past three and a half years."
He said, "Today, the U.S. economy is the strongest in the world," and added, "We have made historic investments in rebuilding the nation, lowering drug prices for seniors, and expanding affordable healthcare." He continued, "We appointed the first Black female Supreme Court justice in U.S. history and passed the most important climate legislation in world history," explaining, "We could not be in a better position."
President Biden also noted, "We overcame a once-in-a-century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression," and evaluated, "We have defended and preserved democracy and rebuilt and strengthened our alliances worldwide." He emphasized, "I know none of this could have been done without the American people," and expressed, "I want to sincerely thank the American people who placed their trust in me."
He also said, "I want to deeply thank those who worked hard for my re-election," and "I want to express my gratitude to Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been my great partner in all of this."
During the TV debate held on the 27th of last month, President Biden's stammering and gazing into space raised concerns about his age and cognitive abilities. As a result, more than 30 lawmakers inside and outside the Democratic Party publicly called for his resignation. Additionally, Democratic elders such as former President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indirectly and directly urged President Biden to step down, leading him to ultimately abandon his re-election bid.
Consequently, the U.S. presidential election landscape, which had been set for a rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, has drastically changed. The Democratic Party will now proceed with the process of selecting a new presidential candidate.
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