In a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, President Joe Biden announced that he has decided not to complete his campaign for re-election to the presidency in 2024.
Biden, who has faced a mounting crescendo of pressure from party leaders after a series of post-debate television appearances failed to convince Democratic Party leaders of his ability to defeat former president Donald Trump in the general election, said in his statement, “It has been the greatest honor in my life to serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfulling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.
While Biden’s statement thanked Vice President Kamala Harris for her service, it stopped short of endorsing her.
In a subsequent statement issued to the press, Biden indicated that Harris had his “full endorsement” and encouraged Democrats to unite behind her candidacy.
In a follow-up posted to X, Biden continued, “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. 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.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as events warrant.