Debate Defeat, Verbal Slip, Trump Shooting... Biden Resignation 'Timeline'

U.S. President Joe Biden announced his sudden withdrawal from the Democratic presidential candidacy on the 21st (local time), 107 days before the presidential election. The photo shows President Biden watching Vice President Harris's speech at the White House in June 2021. [File photo] [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 21st (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to step down as the Democratic presidential candidate was decisively influenced by his complete defeat in the TV debate amid repeated controversies over his age, the shooting of Trump, and mounting calls for his resignation within the Democratic Party. Singapore's Channel NewsAsia summarized President Biden's timeline from the debate on June 27 to his resignation.

▲ June 27 = In the first presidential debate, President Biden, with a hoarse voice, stammered several times during the first 30 minutes. White House officials stated that President Biden had caught a cold, but his poor performance embarrassed the Democratic Party.

▲ July 2 = President Biden blamed his defeat in the presidential debate on jet lag after two overseas trips in early June.

▲ July 2 = Congressman Lloyd Doggett became the first Democratic lawmaker to publicly urge President Biden in Congress to step down as the party's presidential candidate. He said, "I hope he makes the painful and difficult decision to resign."

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen rubbing his eyes as if tired during a press conference expressing his intention to complete his presidential term on July 11 (local time), the last day of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, in Washington DC.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

▲ July 5 = To dismiss rumors that he would step down, President Biden appeared in an interview with ABC News. However, he made a verbal slip, saying, "I will beat Donald Trump. I will win again in 2020."

▲ July 8 = Former President Biden once again pledged to run for re-election in a media interview. He said, "The bottom line is, I am not going anywhere."

▲ July 8 = The White House stated that former President Biden is not receiving treatment for Parkinson's disease and has not seen a neurologist except for his annual health checkups. Earlier, The New York Times (NYT) reported that from August last year to March 2024, a physician specializing in the disease visited the White House at least eight times, according to visitor logs.

▲ July 9 = After 12 days of questions about his presidential fitness, President Biden demonstrated his leadership to domestic and international allies through a speech at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held in Washington.

▲ July 11 = While attending the NATO summit, President Biden surprised the audience by mistakenly introducing Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hours later, Biden called Vice President Kamala Harris "Vice President Trump."

A photo posted on X by Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of former U.S. President Donald Trump, 14 days after the shooting. [Image source=Yonhap News]

▲ July 11 = Actor and prominent Democratic fundraiser George Clooney urged Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.

▲ July 13 = The shooting of Trump and a photo of him clenching his fist while bleeding solidified Trump's frontrunner status.

▲ July 14 = After the shooting of Trump, President Biden delivered a message of unity and healing. He said, "We resolve our differences not in the bullet box but in the battle box." He mistakenly said "battle box" instead of "ballot box."

Former President Donald Trump, officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, is smiling brightly while attending the final day event of the Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18 (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

▲ July 17 = President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again.

▲ July 19 = Reports emerged that former President Barack Obama told colleagues that Biden should effectively resign.

▲ July 21 = President Biden gave up hope for re-election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's candidate to face former President Trump.