President Joe Biden has announced in a missive shared on his official platform that he will not pursue reelection. Biden has conveyed his intention to address the nation later this week with further elaboration.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote. “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.”
Biden’s departure concluded weeks of apprehension regarding the 81-year-old president’s endurance and cognitive abilities, along with doubts about his capacity to effectively engage in a campaign against Trump and lead the nation for another four years. This decision by Biden is also likely to prompt inquiries about his capability to fulfill the responsibilities of the presidency for the remainder of his term.
It is unprecedented for a US president to withdraw from seeking reelection, reminiscent of President Lyndon Johnson’s decision to forgo a second full term in 1968 – although Biden’s announcement comes later in the campaign than Johnson’s. This development marks the latest surprising turn in a highly charged political campaign that even saw an assassination attempt on Trump.
However, not even the assassination attempt and its tumultuous impact on the race could halt the decline in support that Biden was experiencing among congressional Democrats, who were increasingly convinced that a landslide defeat in November would also negatively impact their down-ballot contests.
