President Biden withdraws from presidential race, endorses Vice President Kamala Harris

President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race Sunday afternoon after Democrats raised concerns about his performance in a June debate that reviewed concerns he was having medical issues. 

The president announced his decision in a letter he posted to his X social media account. 

“Biden, 81, could not reverse growing sentiment within his party that he was too frail to serve and destined to lose to Donald Trump in November,” wrote NBC in a Sunday afternoon report.

Biden thanked Vice President Kamala Harris for “being an extraordinary partner” in his letter and then endorsed her in a subsequent post.

“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 wrote in a letter posted on X. “I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”

“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President," Biden wrote. "And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”

Biden said he will address the nation on a later date, but said he was convinced his decision is in “the best interest of [the Democratic] party and the country.”

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote.

The decision, according to Biden’s statement, will now the former Delaware senator “to focus solely on fulfilling [his] duties as president for the remainder of [his] term.”

Biden's announcement focused his administration’s achievements, including the appointment of “the first African American woman to the Supreme Court,” and passing “significant climate legislation.”

Other Democratic leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Biden for his decision to put his country before himself in his decision to step aside.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X that the president “has been an extraordinary, history-making president — a leader who has fought hard for working people and delivered astonishing results for all Americans.”

“He will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents,” said Newsom, who has frequently been floated as a possible Democratic presidential contender. The California governor even participated in a mock presidential debate on FOX News against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to give the nation a chance to see how the two potential presidential contenders would fare in a real election against one another.

The president's granddaughter Naomi Biden also weighed in, posting that she was “nothing but proud today of my Pop,” insisting that he has “served our country with every bit of his soul and with unmatched distinction.”

First lady Jill Biden did not make any public comments on the matter, but merely posted her husband’s statement to her X account with a heart emoji.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley echoed Sen. J.D. Vance’s recent statements, suggesting that if Biden conceded he is not well enough to run for president, he should step down now and turn The White House over to Vice President Harris.